Fantasy hockey is upon us and there is still plenty of time to draft. That being said, goaltenders are always an important position. You must think about how competitive the team will be, how its defence looks, and the individual talent of the goalies. This is a look at five underrated goalies to draft in fantasy hockey so you can use higher picks on skaters and gain the upper hand.
Tristan Jarry- 66.2 ADP
Typically in a standard fantasy league where there are 10-12 teams, you will want to grab a goaltender ranked in the top 10. But some managers tend to favour the position and draft a pair early. If that happens, don’t worry, because there are plenty of top-of-the-line goaltenders still to draft, including Tristan Jarry. Ranked outside of the top 10 and with an average draft position (ADP) of 66.2, he is a great target.
Last season Jarry started 56 games and played 58, worthy of being considered a legitimate starter. He also recorded 34 wins, 2.42 goals against average (GAA), .919 save percentage (SV%), and four shutouts (SO). All of those are indicative of a clear top-10 goalie in fantasy. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ starter finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting, will once again receive tons of starts and is on a consistent playoff team that upgraded their defence by adding Jeff Petry. All signs point to a repeat performance while the team is actually healthy in front of him to start the season this time.
Jonathan Quick- 95.2 ADP
Jonathan Quick had a solid bounce-back season in 2021-22 for a surprising Los Angeles Kings team that only improved this season. They have two of the best two-way centres in the NHL along with a healthy defence corps that they failed to have for over half of last season.
Quick took over the starting role last season when it was Cal Petersen’s to lose. Quick then recorded 23 wins in 46 starts to go along with a 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%, and two SO. At points, his numbers were very good and carried a fantasy team’s goaltending stats. He kept the net in the playoffs, showing no indication that he plans on giving it up and riding out the final year of his contract. For a starter on what will be a very competitive Kings team, he is a solid choice as a number two goaltender and a great choice for a third.
Logan Thompson- 118.8 ADP
The Vegas Golden Knights appeared to have been scrambling when it was reported that starter Robin Lehner was going to miss the 2022-23 season with an injury. The starting duties then fell on Logan Thompson. The team has since acquired Adin Hill, but he is a backup and has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Thompson looks to be the clear choice as the number one for a team that has the potential to be very good this season.
The Golden Knights are healthy this season which will play a huge part in the success of the team and its goaltending. From top to bottom they are very strong on the defensive side of the puck with players like Mark Stone and all of the top-four defencemen. Thompson started a fair amount of games last season and proved to be a great option to turn to. He posted 10 wins in 17 starts to go along with a .914 SV%, 2.68 GAA, and one SO. His workload will be a bit more this season, but the 25-year-old should be able to handle it and thrive.
Matt Murray- 152.6 ADP
Though the situation for the Toronto Maple Leafs is unclear in net, Matt Murray will likely be a massive steal considering his rank among goaltenders and his ADP. He is the 27th-ranked goalie in fantasy which means many starters and a handful of backups are expected to do better than him. There are some question marks like his health and concerns as to whether he can continue the strong play that he ended last season with. But considering the team he is playing behind and goalie partner Ilya Samsonov also being a reclamation project, his chances for starts and wins are high.
Related: NHL’s Top 10 Breakout Candidates for 2022-23 Season
Wins alone are an important stat, whether your fantasy league is category or points-based. Both goaltenders for the Maple Leafs struggled for a decently long stretch last season and the team still managed to outscore their opponents on many nights and win. If the same struggles occur, Murray should still put up wins in a worst-case scenario. He finished 2021-22 with a .905 SV% which isn’t horrible, but should get a lot more than 20 starts this season.
Pavel Francouz-155.0 ADP
Ranked right after Murray is Pavel Francouz who’s expected to be part of a tandem for the Stanley Cup champions this season. He backed up Darcy Kuemper who was the clear starter, and when Francouz got his chance to play during the regular season and playoffs, he took advantage and didn’t disappoint. As goalie partner Alexandar Georgiev was also a backup and looking to start more games, Francouz should at worst split the starts this season.
The defence of the Colorado Avalanche will be one of the best in the league while the team in general should outscore opponents on many nights. Seeing how Francouz is healthy and won 15 of his 18 starts last season, his stats should be immensely helpful in fantasy. He recorded a .916 SV%, 2.55 GAA, and two SO last season before winning six of seven games in the playoffs while starting just four of them. As far as tandems go, he may be the best option in the league if you’re looking for a great third goaltender who is a bit off the board.
The top three goaltenders are typically ideal and some are definitely worth taking a shot on. Every goaltender discussed has the potential to be much better than where they are ranked and drafted, so take advantage of your knowledge and load up in net.
*ADPs courtesy of Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey