Goligoski has been a serviceable NHL rearguard for more than a decade and an underrated fantasy option a good chunk of that time, but the wheels fell off a season ago. He was a healthy scratch much of the year, appearing in just 46 games and finishing with a measly two goals and six points. Now 38 years old, the Minnesota native is in the final year of his contract. Goligoski should serve a similar role for the club in 2023-24, serving as a veteran presence for the WIld's younger players while spending the vast majority of his time in the press box.
Signed by the Wild to a one-year, $5 million contract in the summer of 2021, Goligoski debuted in his native Minnesota a season ago and immediately filled a key role for the club. He posted 30 points in 72 games, the 10th time in his career he has reached that plateau. Now 37 years old, Goligoski inked a two-year, $4 million extension with the Wild in March. The deal ensures Goligoski should have a regular spot in the lineup for the next couple of years, so there should be enough production here to carve out late-round value in extremely deep fantasy formats, even if the upside is quite limited.
After spending the last five seasons with Arizona, Goligoski landed a one-year deal with the Wild this offseason. He's coming off his lowest offensive output since his first full NHL season, having scored just three goals and 22 points in 56 games last campaign. Still, he ate up 23 minutes of ice time per game and tallied seven power-play points in 2020-21. Goligoski also blocked 108 shots and was on pace for 158 in a full 82-game season. The 36-year-old blueliner should have a similar role in Minnesota; he'll slide comfortably into the top four as one of the Wild's minutes leaders.
Goligoski returned to the 30-point mark in 2019-20, registering four goals and 28 helpers in 70 games. The reliable rearguard didn't hurt fantasy managers in non-scoring numbers, either, supplying 101 shots on goal, 91 hits and 134 blocked shots. The 35-year-old defenseman has shown decent consistency across the board during his four years with the Coyotes, recording 30 points three times over that span. Goligoski can be considered a near-lock for 30 points, 140 blocked shots and 100 hits with the added benefit of some power-play usage in 2020-21. Fantasy players in deeper formats should have no trouble trusting him with a late-round pick.
Goligoski saw his production dip in 2018-19, registering 27 points in 76 games. It's the first time he's missed the 30-point plateau since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, and he also missed the 100-hit threshold for the first time since 2013-14. The 34-year-old defenseman has been a steady producer over the years, consistently good for roughly 35 points and 150 blocked shots, but age appears to have caught up to him a bit last year. Goligoski may skate under 20 minutes per game this season after dropping 2:28 compared to the year prior. The smaller role will make it tougher for the Minnesota native to return to the 30-point level, but his physicality (154 blocked shots, 79 hits last season) should keep him on the fantasy radar for another year.
Goligoski defied Arizona's 30th-ranked offense by turning in his fifth straight 35-point season in 2017-18. Backed by a 10.1 shooting percentage, the Minnesota native accrued 12 goals to complement 23 assists in 78 contests. The 33-year-old is a model of consistency and has only missed six games over the past five seasons, averaging 100 hits, 124 shots and 153 blocked shots while hovering around two minutes on both the power play and penalty kill. A putrid minus-31 rating tied for fourth worst in the NHL held Goligoski back, but he logged significant minutes (23:17) for one of the league's perennial cellar dwellers. As such, his numbers are bound to improve if the team experiences anything close to a bounce-back season.
The veteran transitioned well to Arizona in his first season and posted his fourth consecutive 35-point campaign, which included 28 points at even strength. Goligoski's peripheral contributions were also solid, as he's topped 100 shots, hits and blocked shots for the third straight year. Niklas Hjalmarsson's addition could eat into some of Goligoski's minutes in 2017-18, but it might also allow Goligoski to play against weaker opponents. Additionally, the 32-year-old defenseman isn't in any danger of losing a top-four job, and he should still see enough power-play time to maintain a respectable offensive floor. However, it's Goligoski's cross-category production that makes him a solid option to round out your virtual blue line.
Goligoski has been as consistent as they come with Dallas, but now heads to Arizona to join an improving roster that's thirsty for defensive talent around Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Minnesota native registered five goals, 32 assists and a plus-21 rating while averaging 23:50 of ice time last year, and that's close to his fantasy ceiling at this point. While the 30-year-old may never hit double-digit goals Goligoski is an accomplished passer who's not afraid to get down and dirty (150-plus blocked shots in three straight seasons). The second pair with the ‘Yotes is his new home, and with a clean bill of health the past three campaigns, the veteran should have no issues continuing to offer his typical output of 35-plus points.
After a very impressive 2013-14 campaign in which he recorded 42 points (six goals) and a plus-9 rating, Goligoski took a small step backwards last season. The 30-year-old still managed 36 points, but he only found twine four times and saw his power-play production drop off significantly. While Trevor Daley stole Goligoski’s spot on the top man-advantage unit, Daley has since been shipped to Chicago, meaning that role is now vacant. Unfortunately for Goligoski, youngster John Klingberg looks primed to claim those duties after breaking out last season, and newcomer Patrick Sharp is expected to man the other point on that unit. That figures to limit Goligoski to a spot on the second unit, but with Dallas not short on scoring talent up and down the roster, the blueliner could still easily reemerge as a factor on special teams. With back-to-back 35-plus-point seasons in hand, Goligoski maintains more fantasy relevance than most defensemen, but it's worth noting that his points came in bunches in 2014-15, and he often went through long droughts. If you’re looking for a blueliner who will provide his offensive production at a more steadier, more consistent clip, Goligoski probably won't quite fit the bill.
The 29-year-old defenseman saw the biggest offensive year of his seven-year career last season, posting six goals and 36 assists. In addition, he had a pair of power-play goals, 28 penalty minutes and 141 shots. This season, he'll play top-pair minutes and will helm a first power-play unit that will likely feature Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza. That's a license to print money -- and score points. He could even see his first 50-point season. Move him up your cheat sheet.
Despite being largely perceived as a disappointment, Goligoski narrowly missed finishing last year in the top 10 list of scoring defenders with 27 points in 47 games. Add three more points to his season total and he would have moved up to fourth on that list. Still, he didn't cash in once with the man advantage despite getting regular time on the top power-play unit, continuing a career-long frustration with the man advantage (his career high is a mere seven PPG). He has been a 45 to 50 point defenseman in two of the past three years (projecting last year's total over a full season), so there's definitely some value here.
Goligoski quarterbacked one of the historically-worst power plays in NHL history, so it's not hard to see why his point production was pretty pedestrian at last season's end. He tallied just 30 points in 71 games, missing some time early in the year with a broken hand. He figures to benefit greatly from Dallas' infusion of talent -- albeit age -- to the top six forwards over the summer, and looks to be one of the better rebound candidates from the blue line.
Goligoski provided everything Dallas was looking for after being acquired for James Neal mid-season, racking up 15 points in 23 games and providing the type of puck movement that was missing from the Dallas tail gunners since Sergei Zubov's departure. His overall numbers (14-32-46 in 83 games, with 11 power-play goals) place him among the better options from the blue line and he averaged a monstrous 26 minutes of ice time during his stint with Dallas. He'll be leaned on heavily again this season.
Goligoski opened 2009-10 with a bang and finished with a flurry, but the five months in between left fantasy owners wanting more from the offensive blueliner. The rookie collected 12 points (5, 7) in 14 October contests but never totaled more than seven points in any other month. His early start featured a 26.3 shooting percentage that dropped to 8.7 percent by season’s end. A pinpoint passer, Goligoski looks to improve on defense, an area that brought down his overall game. The addition of veteran defenders Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek takes a ton of pressure off of the 25-year-old. At this point in Goligoski’s career, he appears to be a streaky player that can put points up in a hurry or disappear off of the scoring chart for weeks at a time. The potential is there, and a reduction in overall minutes (due to the defensive acquisitions) might actually make it easier for Goligoski to focus on offense and improve upon his fantasy numbers of 37 points in 69 contests.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Penguins gave Goligoski a three-year deal worth $5 million in the offseason, even though he hasn't really proven himself at the NHL level. "Go-Go" tallied 20 points (6, 14) in 45 games with Pittsburgh last year. His hands are as smooth as a baby's bottom and he should shed his fear of taking shots with greater experience. His 9.6 shooting percent might fall as his minutes go up, but he acted as a designated power-play specialist in 2008-09. This year Pittsburgh is counting on him as a top-six blueliner. Unfortunately, his defensive skills sometime seem as soft as his hands, but the team has few other options. Goligoski will likely go through some rough patches, but his offensive potential and playing opportunity make him more than a worthwhile fantasy pick.
Goligoski will simply be happy with a regular shift on Pittsburgh's blue line. The 23-year-old registered 38 points (10, 28) in 70 AHL regular season games and then led the Baby Pens with 28 points (4, 24) in 24 playoff games. Goligoski is perhaps Pittsburgh's biggest wild card heading into training camp. Does he play his way onto the team or find himself shipped off to Wilkes-Barre? Most likely Goligoski will re-appear as a mid-season callup due to injuries or trades on the blue line.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers' MVP last year, Goligoski underwent shoulder surgery during the offseason and will likely begin his professional career sometime in November at the AHL level. He's another skilled offensive defenseman (39 points in 44 games for the Gophers) within the organization who features a right-handed shot. Goligoski, 22, had another year of college eligibility but elected to turn pro. He should be specifically targeted in keeper fantasy leagues.
Goligoski will continue his promising collegiate career in 2006. He finished with 39 points (11,28) in 41 games at Minnesota last year.
Goligoski will play his sophomore season of collegiate hockey for the University of Minnesota. He appeared in seven games with Team USA at 2005 World Junior Championships, recording one assist, showing signs of his future potential within the organization.
