Bubble Keeper Keeper Week

We are less than one month away from preseason NHL action. Most fantasy leagues are swinging right back into gear while any keeper/dynasty leagues are starting to approach their keeper-submission deadlines. It’s officially “Bubble Keeper” week on Dobber Hockey, which means it’s “Bubble Keeper Keeper” week right here on Goalie Post, so let’s go ahead and dive right into some “Bubble Keeper Keeper” decisions.

If any readers have specific keeper decisions they would like some input on - just drop me a line on X: @garrett_fi51284.

Andrei Vasilevskiy vs Jake Oettinger in a Keep Five, 12-Team H2H Category League (W, GAA, SV%, SV) with a 3 GP for goalies minimum per scoring period

It’s borderline if any goalie should be kept at all in a keep-five keeper league, but let’s assume the spot is warranted and it’s rather a matter of selecting the best option between the two goalies, Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars.

Vasilevskiy is coming off a Vezina award season and so had the clear cut better numbers last year (58 GP, 39 W, 2.31 GAA, .912 SV%, 1,353 SV). But this decision is about the season in front of us, as well as, the next two seasons following it (in keeper leagues, if you ever want to win a championship, it’s best to only plan as far ahead as the next three years). Oettinger was no slouch himself last year (54 GP, 35 W, 2.59 GAA, .899 SV%, 1,234 SV) and plays for a team that is in a nearly identical window of contending as what Vasilevskiy has with Tampa Bay. They, also, have career GAA’s and SV%’s that are within hundredths of each other (Vasilevskiy: 2.50 GAA, .917 SV% vs Oettinger: 2.54 GAA, .910 SV%), though Vasi does have the slight edge in both statistics. The Stars goalie has four straight seasons of 35 Wins or more, but Vasilevskiy has eclipsed Oettinger’s career high of 37 Wins five times in his career, including in each of the past two seasons. Age is a factor in keeper leagues, however, and that’s where Oettinger has the edge. Oettinger, 27, is about four-and-a-half years younger than Vasilevskiy, who turned 32 this offseason. Now, if we follow our rule about planning no more than three years ahead, then we need to consider what a 34-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy may be capable of in fantasy formats. Well, to use fellow countrymen and future hall of famer Sergie Bobrovsky as a comparison - age 34 may not be too bad on an elite goaltender. Bobrovskiy, after all, put up one of his best statistical seasons for fantasy hockey at age 35 (58 GP, 36 W, 2.37 GAA, .915 SV%, 1,449 SV), and followed that up with another great performance at age 36 (54 GP, 33 W, 2.44 GAA, .906 SV%, 1,247 SV). All in all, although the numbers and team roles are incredibly close and the age leans in favor of Oettinger, Andrei Vasilevskiy is still the best keeper keeper option in this scenario.

Mackenzie Blackwood vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen vs Karel Vejmelka in a Keep 14 (but only one goalie max), 14-Team H2H Category League (W, GAA, SV%, SHO) with a 3 GP for goalies minimum per scoring period

There are a few different angles to take on this one, so let’s take a quick look at each keeper option and their respective situation.

For Blackwood, 29, he currently has the best team in front of him in the Colorado Avalanche. He is, also, coming off a season that saw him reach only 23 Wins on the President’s Trophy winning club, though his 2.51 GAA, .904 SV%, and 3 SHO were still highly respectable in category leagues. His biggest drawback is that his creasemate, Scott Wedgewood, is just as good in net, so Blackwood likely gets capped at 40-45 starts in 2026-27.

Luukkonen, 27, similarly, looks to be in a timeshare for a Sabres team that just topped the Atlantic Division in 2025-26. And though UPL should be the favorite to nab the starter’s crease for the season ahead, it’s worth remembering that he was the favorite to start last season, too, and yet he only appeared in 35 games. His career metrics of 2.96 GAA and .900 SV% have been fairly mediocre and he has only 3 shut outs total over the past two seasons.

Vejmelka, 30, is a pure volume starter for a Utah club that made the playoffs last year, but is stuck in a tough division that features heavyweights Colorado, Minnesota, and Dallas. He has appeared in 122 games over the past two seasons and racked up 64 wins during that time. Vejmelka has never swayed more than five hundredths from a .900 SV% for a season in his career, so at the very least, you know what you are getting here. He has a career GAA of 3.10, but the Mammoth netminder has brought that number down to 2.58 in 2024-25 and 2.75 in 2025-26. He managed only 2 SHO last season in 63 starts.

In many formats, all three of these choices are viable keeper keeper selections. Blackwood has provided impeccable metrics during his tenure in Colorado and if he could gain even a slight edge in starts over Scott Wedgewood, he could cross the 30 win threshold. For UPL, consistency remains an issue, but Buffalo is a club on the rise in the Atlantic and at 27 years old, he still has a chance to peak at the exact same time as his team, potentially creating a harmonious combo for the fantasy managers that hold him. With Vejmelka, however, there is far more certainty in his role than that of either Blackwood or Luukkonen. Additionally, the Utah Mammoth now posses the roster makeup of a perennial playoff threat, meaning the league leading 38 victories Veggie posted last year are likely not a complete aberration. Given that Vejmelka offers a nearly guaranteed .900 SV% and will start up to 20 more games than either other option, he is the best keeper keeper choice for this format, especially noting the 3 games played for goalies minimum.

That’s all for this week, thanks for reading! My name is Garrett Finlay and you can follow me on X @garrett_fi51284 and on Bluesky @garrettfinlay.bsky.social where I am often talking goalies and fantasy hockey. Now you can, also, find me at DobberHockey.com providing injury news and updates every Wednesday throughout the season. Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!