fantasy hockey. With the NHL season just days away and hockey drafts all over are being held, it sure won’t hurt if you look at who our projected top 10 goalies are for the 2015-16 NHL season.
[sc:NHL240 ]Price was a beast between the pipes for the Habs last season and he’ll continue to be so going forward. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner was a bad man as Montreal’s last man on defense, recording career best figures in wins (44) GAA (1.96), and save percentage (.933). What’s more, he did all that while playing for a Canadiens’ team that struggled in puck possession, ranking just 23rd in Corsi (-219).
2. Pekka Rinne
Rinne has size—and game. The 6-5 Nashville netminder bounced back strong from a frustrating 2013-14 campaign—in which he played just 43 games and won just 10 games—by finishing behind Price in wins (41), ninth in SV% (.923) and third in GAA (2.18) last season. The upside for Rinne, compared to Price, though, is that he is surrounded by a better cast of defensemen that helped the team rank sixth in Corsi last season. Perhaps the only question mark for Rinne at this point is whether he can stay healthy for most of the season.
3. Tuukka Rask
The Bruins regressed a season ago, as they failed to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2008. That said, Ruska still managed to post decent numbers, finishing in the top 10 in wins (34), saves (1,855), and SV% (.922), while ranking 14th in GAA (2.30). Rask can do better than that, as evidenced by his 2013-14 stat line, which includes a 36-15 record, a 2.04 GAA, and a .930 SV%, but how will he be able to do just that with a watered down blue line that lost Dougie Hamilton in the offseason are enough to question his return to elite, top-tier goalie status.
4. Henrik Lundqvist
Lundqvist isn’t called King Henrik for nothing. The former Vezina Trophy winner has been among the most consistent goalies in recent years, including last season, wherein he ranked inside the top 10 in SV% (.922), GAA (2.25), and shutouts (5). He could’ve won more games than the 13 he had last season if it weren’t for injuries that limited him to only 46 games—his lowest in a non-lockout-shortened campaign. Health aside, Lundqvist is arguably the safest goalie to pick for you fantasy team.
5. Ben Bishop
Oh, the perks of playing for a team that blows away opponents with the best offense in the league. Such was the case for Bishop last season, who, despite a middling 2.32 GAA and an uninspiring .916 SV%, managed to put 40 wins under his belt. Don’t expect Bishop’s numbers to take sharp plunges this season, as the Lightning should once again be one of the highest scoring teams out there. If anything, Bishop’s games started may be fewer this time around should backup Andrei Vasilevskiy shows further improvement.
Similar to Rask, Quick’s team faded last season following successive playoff berths but still put together numbers he can be proud of. Quick had a 36-22 record to go along with a 2.24 GAA. He also had six shutouts, which is fourth most for goalies. Quick fed off the Kings’ solid blue line that played a big hand into LA allowing the least number of shots last season. That may continue to be the case for Quick, but potential owners should be wary of the fact fewer shots-against often means an average save percentage just like the Kings’ netminder’s 918 SV% last season.
7. Braden Holtby
Holtby should definitely be on everyone’s radar by now following a season that saw him start 72 games and finish second in wins (41), seventh in saves (.923), and fifth in GAA (2.22). Even more impressive was the fact that Holtby got those numbers even though he faced the most shots (2,044) and played the most minutes (4,247) among all netminders. The Caps’ defense saw Mike Green leave for Detroit, but Holtby can still expect solid support from the blue line with offseason acquisitions of proven players like Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen.
8. Sergei Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky had a so-so campaign last season, failing to double down on a successful 2013-14 that had him winning 32 games and mustering a 2.38 GAA and .918 SV%. Instead, Bobrovsky went 30-17 and posted higher numbers of 2.69 GAA and 2.69 SV%. The upside for Bobrovsky, however, is that the Jackets may no longer have to depend on him too much, assuming that their offense improves with the addition of newcomer Brandon Saad to the top line and an ever improving Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno. In other words, Bobrovsky may be in for a career-best in wins.
9. Marc-Andre Fleury
With Fleury getting consistent criticism targeted at his dwindling play since 2012, the Penguins did what every other team would do to light a fire under a troubled star goalie: inject his bank account with a four-year, $23-million extension deal. Fortunately for the Pens, Fleury didn’t disappoint them after agreeing on a new contract last November, as Fleury came close to a 40-win season, while tying a career-best in GAA (2.32) and placing eighth in SV% (.920). Assuming that Phil Kessel’s addition to the Pen’s offense will play out to its potential, then Fleury may be on his way to surpassing 40 wins for just the second time in his career.
10. Roberto Luongo
Make no mistake about it—uncle Bob still has enough gas left on his tank to remain as among the best in the business. Apparently, he just needed to get away from Vancouver, as the 36-year-old netminder has been a reliable force between the pipes over the last two years. Just last season, Luongo had 28 wins—the most he’s had since 2011-12—and top 20 outputs in SV% (.921) and GAA (2.35). Luongo’s upside is already kaput at this point of his career, but he can still provide decent numbers for any one’s fantasy team.
