This article is part of our The Goalie Report series.
There was a distinct lack of scoring immediately following the All-Star Weekend. The long break seemingly vanquished a lot of positive momentum and chemistry, and top teams such as the Bruins and Canucks suffered rare shutout losses. I suspect this is just temporary; scoring will return to its usual levels, continuing its years-long trend of increasing every season.
Nearly two-thirds of the way into the season, goaltending remains in flux. This isn't totally unusual, but it's worth noting that a few teams in playoff contention, notably the Kings and Rangers, have yet to really resolve their issues in net. They've depended on the unlikeliest of heroes — a third-string option who started in the minors and a 38-year-old backup, respectively — both of whom now carry significant fantasy value in the coming weeks and potentially beyond.
Trending Up
David Rittich, Kings (10-6-1, .931 Sv%, 1.90 GAA)
The 26-save shutout win against the high-octane Oilers was a statement game. In interim head coach Jim Hiller's debut, the Kings won two in a row for the first time since Dec. 23-27, and it further cemented Rittich's case to be the No. 1. He was, after all, the goaltender of record for the Kings' previous five victories.
The Kings are Rittich's fifth team in four seasons, and just like how Pheonix Copley played the unlikely hero last season, Rittich is now writing his own Hollywood script, going from zero to hero. Despite starting the season as the No. 3 option in the
There was a distinct lack of scoring immediately following the All-Star Weekend. The long break seemingly vanquished a lot of positive momentum and chemistry, and top teams such as the Bruins and Canucks suffered rare shutout losses. I suspect this is just temporary; scoring will return to its usual levels, continuing its years-long trend of increasing every season.
Nearly two-thirds of the way into the season, goaltending remains in flux. This isn't totally unusual, but it's worth noting that a few teams in playoff contention, notably the Kings and Rangers, have yet to really resolve their issues in net. They've depended on the unlikeliest of heroes — a third-string option who started in the minors and a 38-year-old backup, respectively — both of whom now carry significant fantasy value in the coming weeks and potentially beyond.
Trending Up
David Rittich, Kings (10-6-1, .931 Sv%, 1.90 GAA)
The 26-save shutout win against the high-octane Oilers was a statement game. In interim head coach Jim Hiller's debut, the Kings won two in a row for the first time since Dec. 23-27, and it further cemented Rittich's case to be the No. 1. He was, after all, the goaltender of record for the Kings' previous five victories.
The Kings are Rittich's fifth team in four seasons, and just like how Pheonix Copley played the unlikely hero last season, Rittich is now writing his own Hollywood script, going from zero to hero. Despite starting the season as the No. 3 option in the minors and not even getting a chance until Copley's injury, their playoff hopes now hinge on Rittich's play. With four games in the upcoming week, look for Rittich to get at least two starts. He's the goalie to roster right now.
Jonathan Quick, Rangers (12-4-2, .919 Sv%, 2.27 GAA)
Igor Shesterkin participated in the All-Star Game, so you could justify starting Quick against the Avs in the first game following their break. But when Quick started a second consecutive game, this time against a conference foe in the Lightning, it raised a lot of eyebrows. There's no denying it; Quick has been the better goalie this season. The Rangers tossed Shesterkin a softball matchup against the Hawks, but they nearly blew a 3-1 lead as Shesterkin allowed at least three goals for the fourth time in five starts.
If the playoffs started today, no doubt Shesterkin would get the nod for Game 1. He's their future. But in a tight playoff race, the Rangers can't afford to be patient and let Shesterkin work out the kinks. It'll be interesting to see how the Rangers work this rotation since they don't play back-to-back until Feb. 24-25, and they have a big Stadium Series game looming on Sunday against the Isles. Quick has earned the right to play more starts, showing no signs of regression from a spectacular first half, and retains a ton of fantasy value for the rest of the season.
Jacob Markstrom, Flames (Past 4 games: 4-0-0, .954 Sv%, 1.50 GAA)
The Flames are putting the Ewing Theory into practice, going 3-0-0 since trading top center Elias Lindholm. This is the second time the Flames have strung together four wins in a month, and they remain in playoff contention even though they've made it clear they're sellers at the trade deadline.
This is both good and bad for Markstrom; it's good because he'll get the bulk of the starts since the games still matter, but it's bad because the Flames' depth will continue to get weaker as they sell off their veterans. Either way, Markstrom has bounced back from a very disappointing campaign in 2022-23, and ranks 12th in the league in saves.
Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes (13-8-3, .903 Sv%, 2.50 GAA)
Kochetkov is coming off a 34-save shutout against the Devils, and with Antti Raanta injured again, he's the de facto starter for the foreseeable future. This is great because the Canes have been fantastic since Christmas with a 13-3-1 record and the second-best points percentage in the league. Kochetkov's play can be erratic, but the Canes have returned to elite status in the East and their goal support is good enough to overcome any foibles in net. Kochetkov has a chance to be a top-10 fantasy goalie down the stretch, and he should get the vast majority of the starts over journeyman backup Spencer Martin.
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Connor Ingram, Coyotes (Past 4 games: 0-3-1, .857 Sv%, 5.26 GAA)
The Coyotes have no hope of making the playoffs if Ingram plays like this. Despite a strong first half, the Coyotes are mired in a five-game losing streak and since the calendar flipped are 4-9-2 with the second-worst points percentage (.333) in the league. Their offense has been meek, even with the return of Barrett Hayton, and they're allowing more shots per game than before.
While Ingram has been very good overall this season, he's never had a workload quite like this or sustained such a high level of play for so long. If the Coyotes are sellers, and they might be with trade bait such as Matt Dumba still on the roster, that wouldn't bode well for Ingram. It's time to start thinking about selling high while he still has some value. The Coyotes have a tough schedule coming up, facing the Canes, Avs, Oilers, Jets and the Leafs twice before the end of the month.
