Coffee in the Crease: Toronto's tandem and a Vezina check-in

Welcome back everyone! Anyone else trying to plan out the fantasy week navigating all the DTD and IR situations or is it just me? It’s been a wild month for fantasy and for goaltending purposes I think we have a really solid week ahead of us. With that, let’s dive in!

Toronto’s duo

It's the question the fantasy and DFS world wants to know, who is first off at the Toronto Maple Leafs skate? I wanted to touch on both Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray briefly because it has been a concern for those rostering either or both as of late on just who will start on a given night. The positives, this is Toronto. There’s enough media coverage here that I don’t think we’ll ever really be in the dark on just who will take the net, but it’s moving forward that is somewhat of a mystery.

Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe made comments last week that he wanted to keep a regular rotation between Samsonov and Murray, but those comments came following Murray getting pulled against the Florida Panthers allowing four goals on eight shots. A coach is going to protect his goaltender in front of the media but for fantasy we have a tie between starts at 19 between the two.

My guess moving forward, and this is unless we get some very sour starts here, I see a road map where Samsonov is named the starter more often than not, and that falls back on how good he’s been. He’s 14-4-2 with a 2.22 goals against average with a .919 Sv% and by the looks of things will start in his fourth straight game tonight against the New York Islanders. Once we get closer to playoffs teams generally do not like to rotate goalies in and out, as you want your best netminder set in stone so to speak going into each round. With that in mind I think rostering Samsonov moving forward might be the better play down the stretch.

Vezina check-in

This is a goaltending website that talks about all things between the twine, so I think it’s only fair here that we bookmark this as our Vezina Trophy check-in. I do this every so often with skaters as well, I like to check back at different points during the season to gage where we’re at for different awards. I picked Jake Oettinger before the season started and while there’s still for that prediction to come to fruition, there’s in my mind two goaltenders ahead of him.

Right now I have Connor Hellebuyck, Linus Ullmark, and Jake Oettinger. Believe me, I can see the argument for Ilya Sorokin to be in this group but those three have not only been stellar this season but let’s be honest here, it’s harder to put in a Vezina nominee on a club that may miss out on the playoffs. I currently have Ullmark taking the award home but it’s close between both him and Hellebuyck.

Hellebuyck has stopped the most shots in the NHL this season and while you could argue that he's been the reason the Winnipeg Jets are where they are in the standings, just eye test shows he hasn’t been challenged nearly as much as last season and that speaks volumes to the job Rick Bowness has done in his first season behind the bench in Winnipeg.

Ullmark leads the NHL in wins, goal against average, save percentage at even strength, and is second in high danger goals saved above average. In his second season with the Boston Bruins he has been nothing but excellent and it feels like each time he takes the net there’s a great chance for shutout potential. Maybe folks who rostered him at points last season or are close to this Bruins club had the insight on this, but this year for him has been remarkable and largely I don’t think many of us saw this type of performance coming.

Goalies to target this week

Sam Montembault, Montreal Canadiens (Rostered in 5% of ESPN leagues, 27% Fantrax, 16% Yahoo) 10 starts, 8 wins, 2 OTL, 3.15 GA/G, .911 Sv%, 0 SO

Here I go recommending Sam Montembeault again but taking a step back here this isn’t the greatest week for lower rostered options, so this will be a “pay up option” for most days of the week leaving Monteambeault as a goaltender to target. Could I interest you in Elvis Merzlikins? Maybe either of the Vancouver duo of Collin Delia and Spencer Martin? Excatly, Montembeault fits what we’re looking for and with no news if Jake Allen is healthy enough to return, we have to assume that Montembeault will start tomorrow when the Canadiens take on the Bruins at home. Montembeault has done well this past month with not much help in front of him but is still fourth in goals saved above expected over that time frame.

Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins (Rostered in 71% of ESPN leagues, 89% Fantrax, 6% Yahoo) 29 starts, 14 wins, 5 OTL, 3.00 GA/G, .902 Sv%, 3 SO

Of all the higher rostered options that will be on each slate this week, I think Tristan Jarry makes for a good start in net. He will likely get the nod tomorrow and will face a Florida team that is back-to-back on the road. Not only that, but the Panthers lead the NHL in times shorthanded so this could be a good spot for Jarry just with how often the Penguins could be on the man advantage. I think he makes a good play in DFS and for those rostering him in fantasy he is a must start for me.

For continued fantasy news and notes throughout the season, follow me on Twitter @ndySanz