Not much has changed for the soon-to-be 36-year-old Biron since signing with the Rangers in 2010-11. He was prepared to play second fiddle to number one goalie, Swedish standout Henrik Lundqvist then and continues to do so. In his three seasons with the Rangers, Biron has been solid, posting a 22-14-1 record, including a record of 2-2-1 and GAA of 2.32 in six games played last season. With a full season on the docket this campaign, you can certainly expect more starts, but he's best for fantasy owners in most formats when cuffed with King Henrik.
The Rangers re-signed Biron to a two-year deal worth $2.6 million over the offseason and he will re-assume his role as one of the league's top backup netminders behind Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist. Biron only started 20 games last season, but he provided a great return in posting a .904 save percentage to go along with 12 wins. The 34-year-old won't provide enough value to figure into standard league drafts, but he does offer value as a handcuff to Lundqvist and to those in deep leagues that roll many netminders. Biron's worth keeping an eye on during the season as a very capable spot-start fill-in or if injury should befall Lundqvist.
The arrival of Biron last season was a huge relief for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers alike, as he proved to be the quality backup goalie the team had been missing in recent years. In 17 games between the posts, he racked up eight wins to complement robust peripheral totals, including a goals-against average of 2.13 and save percentage of .923 before breaking his collarbone in February. Biron is expected to be healthy for training camp, though he remains second in line for starts behind the King.
The Rangers brought in the veteran Biron to lighten Henrik Lundqvist’s workload this upcoming season. Biron is more than a worthy backup netminder and should see somewhere close to 20 starts this season. Playing for the Islanders last year, Biron struggled to a 9-14-4 record with a 3.27 GAA, but you can expect those numbers to improve as he’s now playing with a better team. The former first-round draft pick should get the GAA back below 3.00 and win about 10 games this year for the Blueshirts.
Biron goes from a team that won 40-plus games in each of the last two seasons to the worst team in the league. He was brought in for insurance on the oft-injured Rick DiPietro, but with Dwayne Roloson already in the mix, his fantasy value plummets further. With a potential three-headed monster in goal, he will likely be pulling for DiPietro to return at full strength in hopes that would nudge the Isles into trading Biron to avoid a glut in goal.
Biron started the most games since the 2001-2002 season, when he was the full-time starter in Buffalo, as he recorded 30 wins for the second time in his career. He earned the starting job after teammate Antero Nittymaki was the starting goalie the previous season when the Flyers finished last in the Eastern Conference. Although he only posted modest statistics last season (30-20-9, 2.59 GAA, 5 SO) Biron was sensational for most of the playoffs, but struggled in the Eastern Conference Finals against the high-powered Penguins. He was inconsistent all of last season, posting more than five wins in a month only twice. He started the season strong (6-1-0, 2 SO) and finished strong (5-1-1, 2 SO) Biron is the clear-cut starter in his third season with the Flyers, and has posted terrific numbers in the preseason. With the Flyers a front-runner in the East, expect Biron to reach 30 wins again and post solid numbers across the board. You won’t see him taken in the top-ten of goalies, but should provide good value later in the draft.
In Biron the Flyers have found a worthy No.1 in goal. Biron's winning attitude will make him a favorite in Philly, a city that only witnessed a paltry 10 wins at home last year. His combined Buffalo/Philly victories last year amounted to 18 with a .903 save percentage.
He's a solid fantasy pick in goal.
The three-headed monster that was the Sabres' goaltending soap opera finally came to a head last year, and Ryan Miller was the winner. Biron is a decent NHL goalie, but Miller has already surpassed him at a very young age. Don’t chase last season’s numbers on Biron here either, as his 21 wins were mostly a product of Miller breaking his thumb and missing seven weeks. As mentioned, the Sabres desperately want to unload Biron’s salary, so he’ll either be going to a contending team in a time-share or one of the league’s cellar dwellers desperate for a real goalie. Unless that situation is settled by the time you draft and Biron somehow ends up in an attractive locale, we’d avoid him in almost all formats. He’s also 29, so his time to be a fantasy stud has probably started to pass.
Biron always seems to be a guy who looks primed for a J.S. Giguere-like breakout season, and then he falls short without totally disappointing. He won 26 games on a mediocre team in 2003-04, so there are ways that he can help you ... it's just that we're always looking for a little more. If he doesn't take the next step soon, the Sabres may give Mika Noronen or young riser Ryan Miller more of a look, with Miller coming on strong. Biron is a fairly strong candidate to be traded, and though he's still a #1 on the depth chart, given the competition behind him and the Sabres' willingness to deal, he's probably one of the league's shakier #1 fantasy options.
Biron always seems to be a guy who looks primed for a J.S. Giguere-like breakout season, and then he falls short without totally disappointing. He won 26 games on a mediocre team in 2003-04, so there are ways that he can help you ... it's just that we're always looking for a little more. If he doesn't take the next step soon, the Sabres may give Mika Noronen or young riser Ryan Miller more of a look.
