Week of February 22-28
In the Crease is back for the 2020-2021 season. This column will provide you with everything
you need to know about goaltending and who to start and sit in the upcoming week. I’ll give you some great options, good options, and goalies to avoid every week.
Great Options
Philipp Grubauer – Colorado Avalanche: Grubauer has consistently posted good numbers across the board as of late and is really making himself a serious contender in Vezina talks. In his last six games he has five wins and put up a save percentage above .900 in each of those contests. He also picked up a shutout during that six-game stretch. It is evident that he is in great form at the moment and is one of the most valuable fantasy assets at the netminding position. This upcoming week the Colorado Avalanche will play the Vegas Golden Knights once, the Minnesota Wild once, and then end the week with two games against the Arizona Coyotes. Vegas will be the toughest opponent this week for Grubauer, but with his level of play he always has the opportunity put up phenomenal numbers regardless of who he is facing off against.[[ad:athena]]
Vitek Vanecek – Washington Capitals: Vanecek continues to be the biggest goaltending surprise this season, as he settles into his role as the go-to in Washington. This past week Vanecek picked up two back-to-back wins against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. During those two games Vanecek stopped 48 out of 50 shots and posted a .960 save percentage. He currently has a record of 7-3-2, with a save percentage of .909 and GAA of 2.91. He is definitely playing well beyond expectations and has created some fantasy value for himself after entering the year under the radar. The Capitals play the Penguins twice and the New Jersey Devils twice this week and it will be interesting to see if Vanecek can keep up the level of play he is currently at.
Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights: With Robin Lehner still not cleared to return, although it has been indicated that he will return sooner rather than later, Fleury has been making the most of his time as the starter and fantasy owners should be happy with the performances he has put up this season. He boasts a record of 7-2-0, with a save percentage of .937 and GAA of 1.56. He has the best save percentage in the league when considering goalies that have played at least six games, along with the lowest GAA. This upcoming week the Golden Knights have one game each against the Colorado Avalanche, the San Jose Sharks, and the Anaheim Ducks. This schedule gives Fleury ample opportunity to continue improving his already great numbers.
Carter Hart – Philadelphia Flyers: Hart has been having a decent year thus far, although he has fluctuated a bit in his performances. He has a record of 5-2-3, with a save percentage of .902 and GAA of 3.31. Hart’s mistakes this season can be expected of a goalie so young, but it is clear that he has the potential to put up some great numbers if he finds his footing. Hart cracks the great list because the Flyers play against the New York Rangers once and the Buffalo Sabres twice this week. These opponents give Hart a chance to create some consistency in his game and perhaps find some momentum to take him from good to great.
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Good Options
James Reimer – Carolina Hurricanes: Reimer put up four back-to-back wins this past week and now has a record 8-1-0 this season. As the year progresses his numbers are improving and it is clear that Reimer has found some huge momentum as of late. In a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 15th, Reimer made 37 shots and posted a .925 save percentage. With how he has been playing as of late, Reimer should be on the great list in this column but Carolina’s schedule this week drops him to the good list. The Hurricanes play the Tampa Bay Lightning three times and the Florida Panthers once. The Lightning will be the toughest opponent that Reimer has faced all year, but if he is able to pick up even one win against them it will undoubtedly be a confidence booster.
Darcy Kuemper – Arizona Coyotes: Kuemper has been putting up some great numbers as of late. He went five consecutive games with a save percentage above .900 and even picked up a shutout during that run. He currently has a record of 5-6-2, with a save percentage of .920 and a GAA of 2.22. Kuemper’s biggest hindrance as of now is the fact that his team is unable to find some consistent offensive production. Kuemper has been doing what he needs to do in the crease, but until the Coyotes find some momentum as a team his record continues to be an inaccurate reflection of his netminding. The Coyotes have a 50/50 week ahead of them, as they start off with two games against the Anaheim Ducks and finish with two games against the Colorado Avalanche. The beginning of the week gives Arizona the chance to build some confidence, but the end of the week will be tough to put up good numbers in.
Ilya Samsonov – Washington Capitals: Samsonov has no doubt been a fantasy disappointment this year. Prior to the season, there were high hopes for his growth after his performance in the 2019-20 campaign. However, this year Samsonov has started only two games and has a .868 save percentage, along with a 3.36 GAA between those two matchups as he returns from being on the COVID list for a month. Numbers-wise Samsonov should not be on the good column, but the reason he makes the list is because he might finally get an opportunity to play this week as Washington has a back-to-back. The Capitals play the New Jersey Devils on consecutive days and Samsonov could be an interesting daily fantasy option in the scenario he plays.
Bad Options
John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks: Gibson has been all over different parts of the column this year, as he continues to be a very interesting goalie to watch. He started off the season with amazing numbers that made him a huge fantasy steal, but as of late he is been wildly inconsistent. This past week he posted back-to-back losses, in both of which he allowed three goals and finished with a save percentage below .900. Those losses came against the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild, both teams sitting below the Ducks in the division standings. However, he also picked up a shutout against the Vegas Golden Knights and they are one of the best teams in the West. These inconsistencies make Gibson rather unreliable, and this week the Ducks schedule makes it safer to bet against him. They play the Arizona Coyotes twice and Golden Knights once.
Matt Murray – Ottawa Senators: The goaltending situation in Ottawa is far from ideal and the Senators have heavily struggled in finding security in the crease. This past week Matt Murray entered a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in relief of Marcus Hogberg, who left after getting injured. With Hogberg out with an upper-body injury, Matt Murray will likely see more ice time. However, Murray is a goalie that should be avoided in every fantasy situation. He has a season record of 2-9-1, with a save percentage of .878 and a GAA of 3.82. He has been playing better recently than he was at the beginning of the year, but with games against the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames this week, a win should not be expected.
