The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

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Martin Jones, Kraken (January totals: 6-0-0, .946 Sv%, 1.33 GAA)

Jones has officially become that ex you can't help but get back together with again and again. After getting dumped on the waiver wire following the Kraken's seven-game winning streak that included four OT wins and a game in which the team that scored eight goals did not win, the Kraken are back at it again. This time, they've looked a lot better, winning seven straight games, with Jones winning six of those contests and posting two shutouts.

Let's give credit where credit is due: the Kraken are a good (offensive) team and are likely playoff bound in a weak division. As I said last week when Jones was featured in the same space, he's worth picking up again and is probably worth rostering for the rest of the season.

Juuse Saros, Predators (Past month: 6-3-1, .941 Sv%, 2.19 GAA)

The worst part about Saros in fantasy is the Predators just aren't very good. They squander some of his excellent starts because they're bad defensively or they can't score. That drops Saros from being potentially a top-five fantasy goalie into the fringes of the top 10, but fantasy managers will always be pleased with his save percentage. The Preds are streaky, but when Saros is on fire as he is now, he's a must-start every night.

Alex Stalock, Blackhawks (6-5-1, .923 Sv%, 2.54 GAA)

Stalock has basically taken over as the Hawks starter, though he's dealing with an illness currently and considered day-to-day. He's outshined Petr Mrazek by a significant margin, partially because Mrazek might be the league's worst goalie this season, but what's interesting is that Stalock is above .500. That likely won't last, considering the Hawks are bound for the lottery, but in the right matchup, Stalock might be worth a streaming option, such as a home date with the Coyotes or even a visit to the Ducks. Goalie options can be thin this time of the season.

Samuel Ersson, Flyers (4-0-0, .924 Sv%, 2.30 GAA)

Ersson has cemented himself as the Flyers' backup and is a big reason why they've won six of their past seven. Carter Hart is playing well, too, but Ersson was responsible for four of those wins and might claim more playing time going forward. John Tortorella is notorious for being hard on his goalies and never feels like he owes his incumbent starter anything, so if Ersson continues to play well, Tortorella's going to keep going back to him. All streaks must end and surely Ersson's will at some point, but In the meantime, given how little we know about Ersson still, he's a viable option for the more adventurous fantasy manager. When a goalie is hot like this, it matters less who the opponent is, though note it'll be the Ducks and Hawks next week.

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Eric Comrie, Sabres (Last start: 4 GA on 22 shots)

It was not a good showing by Comrie in his first start in nearly two months even though the Sabres made sure he didn't see a lot of work. The Sabres now have a three-goalie rotation because Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been too good to send down, and Craig Anderson hasn't done his usual second-half fade even though he's the oldest goalie in the league. Comrie was brought in to potentially be the 1A this season, but an unlucky injury and his most recent performance may have dropped him to No. 3 on the depth chart. Surely, the Sabres will give Comrie another chance, but they should be playing their best goalie in their bid for a playoff spot and right now that's either Anderson or UPL.

Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes (January totals: 0-3-0, .842 Sv%, 4.07 GAA)

Like the Sabres, the Hurricanes are using a three-goalie rotation and may have just seen some big changes. Frederik Andersen was fine in his first start since returning from injury, and Antti Raanta was the healthy scratch in that game, but there's no denying that Kochetkov's play in January has been rather abysmal. He's losing his grip on the starting job and is the only one of the trio who is exempt from waivers, making him the most logical odd man out should the Canes need to carry a forward or a defenseman in the press box instead.

The Canes have indicated they would be willing to keep all three goalies on the roster for the rest of the season, and there's definitely a lot of truth to that considering they needed Kochetkov to advance past the first round of the playoffs last season. You just can't be too sure that neither your starter nor backup can stay healthy for the entire playoffs, especially if one of them is Andersen. That makes it a nightmare for fantasy managers, and if roster spots are a premium, perhaps it's best to stay out of the game and drop that Canes goalie. An equal three-man rotation means they'll roughly get only 12 or 13 starts each for the rest of the season, and in most cases will not play more than twice a week.

Canucks goalies

There are no words to sugarcoat the Canucks defense and goaltending. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the Penguins and lost 5-4, and even though Collin Delia and Spencer Martin get shelled for about five goals every night, they still sometimes have a positive goals saved above average. Sure, the Canucks may occasionally score their way out of trouble, but that may change soon if Bo Horvat and Andrei Kuzmenko — both of whom are UFA this season — are traded, leaving huge voids in their top six and PP1. Neither goalie makes for a good streaming option, and Thatcher Demko is apparently no closer to returning.