Finding Value in Aging Goaltenders

With the NHL settling into the dog days of summer, there has been a shortage of “major” developments to report on or analyze from a fantasy perspective. Hellebuyck is still a Winnipeg Jet, Shane Wright is still a member of the Kraken, Dylan Larkin is still a Red Wing (though the GM he requested a trade to is not). Most of the news these days are speculative and/or surrounding what new lines might look like with all the new faces in new places. Fantasy GMs are trying to unearth the next Macklin Celebrini or Matthew Schaefer, the next Jesper Wallstedt, or even the next Brandon Bussi. With all this talk about the new - this may be a good time to remind ourselves of the old.

Once draft day rolls around, I know most fantasy managers are checking that “age” column to the right of their draft board and typically they are scrolling right by the old dogs and rightfully so. Regression is real and Father Time has posted a shut out against every aging net minder, even the legends. Still, there is something to be said about drafting for value and, under the right circumstances, 35-40 year old goaltenders are quite capable of offering fantasy managers just that. With value in mind, let’s take a look at the circumstances, and the situations, that this season’s crop of “ageless” keepers find themselves in and let’s dive into what fantasy managers may expect from them in 2026-27.

Jacob Markstrom, 36, Florida Panthers - Marky Markstrom is fresh off one of the worst seasons of his career (23 Wins, 3.07 GAA, .883 SV%) in which he only managed 17 Quality Starts in 44 Games Played. But when you look at the roster that Florida is icing in front of him, it is hard not to back the player backstopping them. Maybe Markstrom is unable to best a .900 SV% next season, maybe he let’s by 3 pucks a game, but the 23 wins is almost certain to improve. 50-55 starts and 30 wins on the cup contender Cats seems realistic.

Sergei Bobrovsky, 37, Toronto Maple Leafs - From one Florida goalie’s arrival to another’s departure; Bob bid his farewell to the sunny South Beach this offseason and instead signed up with the new look Maple Leafs in icy Toronto. While his Save Percentage was a career low last year, his 27 wins (and 27 QS) on a struggling Panthers club was somewhat impressive and at least indicative of his ability to start another 50 in 2026-27. It’s worth noting that Bobrovsky leads the NHL with 15 shutouts over the last 3 seasons, too. He’ll be working with crease mate Anthony Stolarz once again, and while a repeat of their 2023-24 tandem season may be out of reach, a repeat of 27 wins, 3-4 SHO, and an improved GAA and SV% should be enough for fantasy managers to be excited about.

Jake Allen, 35, New Jersey Devils - As things stand right now, the only thing blocking Jake Allen from 60 starts is Nico Daws. Allen has handled the workload before, albeit from 2016-18 when he was starting for the Blues. But his career 2.75 GAA and .907 SV% seem like achievable marks for Allen in 2026-27 with a New Jersey Devils team that is usually only a Jack Hughes injury away from a solid postseason run. When the Wallstedt’s and Askarov’s have been plucked off the board, grab another forward, then smile and grab yourself Jake Allen.

Frederik Andersen, 36, Edmonton Oilers - After witnessing Andersen’s prolific payoff performance culminating in Carolina lifting the Cup, it’s no surprise that the Oilers wanted to get them some of that! The scare here, however, is the continuation of Freddie’s regular season woes, which if you’ve read these posts before, are well documented. Andersen’s 35 games were his highest played in 4 seasons, but he managed just 11 Quality Starts out of them. He, also, left a team that was fourth best in the NHL last season with a 2.93 GAA and joined a team in Edmonton that was seventh worst in the NHL with a 3.28 GAA. The Great Dane faces some internal competition, too, from the once future of Buffalo, Devon Levi, and the contract that nobody wants in Tristan Jarry. All in all, this isn’t my favorite 35+ situation or circumstance. On the plus side of things, the Oilers win a lot of games.

Darcy Kuemper, 36, Los Angeles Kings - Kuemper appeared in 50 games the last 2 seasons, but those were 2 very different seasons. 2024-25 had Kuemper in Vezina talks and saw him post 31 wins alongside a 2.02 GAA and .921 SV%, while last season saw him fall to 19 wins, 2.78 GAA, and a .891 SV%. He, also, lost the starting role to tandem mate Anton Forsberg (who may find himself in this article before long) down the stretch of last year. The threat of Forsberg is real. As is new head coach Peter Laviolette’s offensive emphasis. The silver lining is that a repeat of last season’s 19 wins, 2.78 GAA, and .891 SV% seems incredibly plausible, just in 5 or so fewer games.

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. I’ll be back here next Thursday, so until then - Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!