The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

When it comes to goalies, the fun never stops.

It's still early in the season, but already we're seeing the balance of power shift. From Joseph Woll's 29-save performance in a comeback win against the Lightning after he entered in relief for the struggling Ilya Samsonov, to Dan Vladar starting two of the past three games for the Flames.

We're getting a pretty good sense of each team, though keep in mind we're not even done the first month of the season. There's a long way to go, and if you're unsure, patience is usually the answer. Goalie performances go through peaks and valleys, and you'll want to hold them over those periods. Over time, those performances will even out.

This is especially true of mid-level starters who have big workloads, such as Jordan Binnington, who's been fantastic so far, and Jacob Markstrom, who's been good in spite of the Flames' inconsistent play. You can always stream goalies all season, but it's a dangerous game that's both difficult and time-consuming.

What's your edge? This week's Goalie Report, of course.

Trending Up

Carter Hart, Flyers (3-1-0, .929 Sv%, 2.01 GAA)

We know Hart can play at this level. The question is whether he can maintain it. The Flyers are sneaky good and they've got more talent and depth than you think; the return of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, both proven top-six players, solidified the top half of their lineup, and John Tortorella is best known for getting the most out of his players. With Hart playing like this, he'll give the Flyers a chance every night, and the only team that I would be hesitant starting Hart against would be Tuesday's matchup with the league-leading Knights.

Ville Husso and James Reimer, Red Wings (Combined: 5-1-0, .920 Sv%, 2.35 GAA)

The strong play of both Husso and Reimer has certainly been a surprise, and it's also meant third-string Alex Lyon hasn't been able to see a single minute of action. Sure, Husso had a rough start, but the Wings are faster and deeper than last season, and the addition of Alex DeBrincat has finally given them the ability to provide good goal support.

So far, Husso still remains the starter, but we saw how quickly he faded in the second half of the season, and Reimer's a proven veteran who's had plenty of timeshares in the past. Look for Husso to start two of their three games this week, and start them with confidence.

Karel Vejmelka, Coyotes (2-1-0, .951 Sv%, 1.65 GAA)

Is it surprising the Coyotes are competitive? No, not after what Clayton Keller accomplished last season and the addition of Logan Cooley. Is it surprising their goaltending has been this good? Definitely.

Vejmelka has shown flashes of brilliance before, routinely making 40-plus saves behind a porous defense. That defense has been shored up and the offense can score on a regular basis, which means Vejmelka has some sneaky fantasy value. In a position fraught with volatility, Vejmelka has a pretty firm hold on the No. 1 job, and that's certainly valuable in leagues that count goalie starts and saves.

Eric Comrie, Sabres (1-0-0, .960 Sv%, 1.00 GAA)

It was surprising to see Devon Levi start the first four games, especially with the Sabres struggling out of the gate. Levi is now out with a lower-body injury, which paved the way for Comrie to get the start on Saturday. He was impressive, stopping 24 of the 25 shots he faced to earn the win, and with a back-to-back Monday and Tuesday, Comrie has certainly earned another start.

Keep in mind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has yet to see any action this season, and he's third on the depth chart despite leading the Sabres with 32 starts last season. If Levi's injury keeps him out for longer, this is Comrie's change to claim a chunk of the playing time on a team that's starting to turn it around after Don Granato shuffled up his lines.

Anton Forsberg, Senators (2-0-0, 933 Sv%, 1.50 GAA)

We're looking at a timeshare, folks. D.J. Smith leaned toward Joonas Korpisalo to start the season, but through the first two weeks, Forsberg has been the better goalie. This is shaping up to be an equal timeshare, and Forsberg is still available in most leagues. There should be no animosity between the two competing goalies; they were former teammates with the Blue Jackets' minor-league affiliate and won the Calder Cup together as AHL champions in 2016. If you have Korpisalo on your roster, Forsberg is a must-have insurance policy.

Jonas Johansson, Lightning (2-1-2, .902 Sv%, 3.58 GAA)

It hasn't always looked good — in fact, at times it looked downright ugly — but we all owe Johansson a huge apology for doubting him. He's been serviceable as the starter, at least until Andrei Vasilevskiy comes back, and his most recent 48-save performance against the Leafs will certainly be a career highlight. Johansson isn't going to put up elite numbers, but he's at least giving the Lightning a chance to win on most nights. That's good enough for now.

Dustin Wolf, Flames (AHL: 3-0-0, .910 Sv%, 3.27 GAA)

After Dan Vladar was lit up for six goals against the Red Wings on Sunday, it's difficult to see how he can keep that backup job. Wolf is a two-time winner of goaltender of the year awards in the WHL and AHL, and was also named the AHL's most outstanding player last season. Wolf's a winner wherever he's gone and he's unbeaten so far in the AHL, and the Flames can only keep him down for so long.

If and when Vladar is axed from the team, be sure to pick up Wolf right away if you're in a league where goalies are scarce. It's unlikely Wolf will displace Jacob Markstrom as the starter and, to be fair, Markstrom has been very good this season despite the losing record, no thanks to an often inconsistent and listless team. However, if Wolf is called up and if he plays well, he's going to demand some playing time.

Trending Down

Darcy Kuemper, Capitals (1-1-1, .887 Sv%, 3.56 GAA)

Kuemper came into the season as a potential workhorse. The Caps were supposed to be better, too, with a healthy Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and John Carlson, a full season of Rasmus Sandin, and an improved power play under special teams guru Spencer Carbery. That has not been the case.

The Caps are clearly old and very slow, and they're having trouble generating offense and defending in a tough Metro Division. While the rival Pens took drastic steps to improve their team, the Caps look little improved from last season. That depresses Kuemper's fantasy value, who will find it hard to secure enough wins to overcome his mediocre save percentage and goals against.

Joel Hofer, Blues (0-1-0, .857 Sv%, 6.02 GAA)

There's still hope for the young Hofer, but his season debut was the not the start anybody was looking for, especially for fantasy managers who drafted Hofer thinking he might usurp Jordan Binnington as the starter. Binnington, by the way, has been excellent, and his hold on the No. 1 job is suddenly very tight again. Goaltending is the least of the Blues' worries right now, and Hofer isn't worth stashing until both he and the Blues improve their play.

Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes (0-2-0, 822 Sv%, 5.13 GAA)

To be fair, all of the Canes' goalies have stunk. Kochetkov was once again thrown into the fire and faced the high-scoring Avs in his first start of the season. Unsurprisingly, he was lit up for six goals. Those who rushed to roster Kochetkov paid a steep price in the short term; in the long run, Kochetkov should still provide plenty of fantasy value on a very good team that's willing to operate a three-goalie rotation.

If Frederik Andersen (currently out with an upper body injury) and Antti Raanta continue to struggle, the Canes will turn to Kochetkov again, as they've done in the past. Kochetkov's play hasn't inspired a lot of confidence so far, but at the very minimum he's still worth a speculative stash just in case his play improves.