For all of the debate about the other positions, the goaltenders could represent the toughest choices made on fantasy draft day. That is unless you lock in one of the elite options on the board as your No. 1 netminder. A strong goaltending stable could be the difference between winning a championship and just making the playoffs so don’t hesitate to reach for one of the best available options in your draft. Here is a look at the top five NHL fantasy goaltenders heading in to the 2016-17 season.
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Holtby won the Vezina trophy as the league’s best goaltender last season when he registered a ridiculous 48 wins along with a 2.20 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. It will be hard to match that win total in 2016-17, but there isn’t any reason to expect a substantial drop off. Washington is still one of the top teams in the NHL so Holtby should have plenty of help in front of him once again this season. The Capitals have a legitimate shot at winning the Presidents trophy for the second year in a row so look for Holtby to put up another solid win total with a similar goals against average and save percentage.
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Price will need to prove he can stay healthy after playing just 12 games for the Canadiens last season before suffering a knee injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the year. The 29-year-old is in the prime of his career and he could re-emerge as the No. 1 fantasy NHL goalie if he can stay healthy. Price was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 goals against average and .934 save percentage before he got hurt so a full season behind an improved team in Montreal should translate to at least 36 wins.
Martin Jones, San Jose Sharks
Jones was the perfect fit in San Jose last season when he led the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. What’s in store for an encore? Jones had solid regular season statistics with 37 wins, a 2.27 goals against average and six shutouts and there isn’t any reason to expect his numbers to decline. At just 26-years-old, Jones is entering the prime of his career as the No. 1 goaltender for one of the top teams in the Western Conference so he should be a top-five goalie this season. He should be far more comfortable now that he’s returning back to the same environment. The team will be more comfortable around him as well coming off such a strong campaign.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings
Quick remains an elite fantasy goalie but there is reason to believe he deserves to be a spot lower than his former backup in Los Angeles on this list. The Kings struggled to score goals last season and they lost Milan Lucic while Marian Gaborik is set to miss substantial time due to injury. That will put even more pressure on Quick to lead the way and while his goals against average and save percentage should remain solid it’s hard to imagine him improving on the 40 wins he posted last season. Quick will still put up excellent numbers, but his win total should drop a small amount behind a weaker team in LA this season. They look like they’ve taken a small step back this offseason.
Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning
Bishop is another top-five option that will be closely scrutinized leading in to fantasy drafts because of the fact that Andrei Vasilevskiy is poised to push him for playing time this season. However, the reality is that the Lightning want to contend for a Stanley Cup right now and their best option is still their elite veteran starter in Bishop. The 29-year-old went 35-21-4 with a 2.06 goals against average and .926 save percentage last season so fantasy managers shouldn’t be so quick to write him off. Bishop is poised for another outstanding season and he should be a lock to remain among the top-five fantasy goalies in the NHL. The prospect of Vasilevskiy behind him is a bit of a worry as he could take the job if things go awry, but Bishop is a top-flight starter for now.
