Free agency fantasy fallout

Despite a number of goaltenders being dealt before and after the draft, there was still plenty of movement between the pipes during the opening of free agency. With so many goaltenders finding new homes, let's look at the fantasy implications heading into next season.

Oilers snag Campbell

In a non-surprising move, Campbell joins the Edmonton Oilers on a significant deal, much like former teammate Zach Hyman did a year ago. This is probably a lateral move for Campbell as far as his value is concerned, since the Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are fairly comparable based on talent and they had almost identical goals against numbers last season.

There's a chance Campbell may be able to hit a new career-high in starts, though, with unproven Stuart Skinner as the likely backup at this point. Campbell has never reached 50 games in a season and he's been paired with veteran netminders in the past two years with Toronto. If you think Campbell's durability will be a concern, then keep an eye on Skinner late in your drafts or on the waiver wire. Should het get 30-35 starts he'll be valuable on this Oilers team.

Samsonov signs with Toronto

The Leafs won't be relying entirely on Matt Murray now that Samsonov's been brought into the fold. General manager Kyle Dubas noted this will be a true competition for playing time in net, which makes drafting them complicated. Even if they split time, both Samsonov and Murray are probably worth mid-round picks considering how strong the Leafs will be. The question is, who do you draft first? If you think Murray has found his game and is going to stay healthy it's probably him, but if Murray can't avoid the injury bug, Samsonov could end up being a draft steal.

Caps commit to Kuemper, add Lindgren

Even though this is definitely a good landing spot for Kuemper, his value takes a hit here. He was a very high draft pick in most leagues last year playing for the Colorado Avalanche and the Caps aren't close to that level. Still, he's a quality starter that's going to play a ton and the Caps will likely be a playoff team once again. Kuemper recorded better than a .920 save percentage in three of the past four seasons and two of those campaigns came on some mediocre Arizona Coyotes squads.

Adding Charlie Lindgren was also an interesting move, as he'll be the new backup after having a stellar showing in a cameo for the Blues last season. Backups on good teams do have value, it just depends on the playing time. Should Kuemper get sidelined with an injury, be ready to pounce on Lindgren.

Jones to Seattle

If you were hoping the Kraken would add someone to improve their goaltending, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Jones hasn't been fantasy relevant in four seasons and things won't get any easier joining a team in its second year in the league. Avoid Seattle goaltending at all costs.

Greiss lands in St. Louis

This is good news if you're a Jordan Binnington owner. Greiss, although an effective backup, won't pose nearly as much of a challenge to Binnington as Ville Husso did. That said, the move to the Blues should give Greiss a bit of a bump, since the Detroit Red Wings were one of the weakest defensive teams last season. If Binnington does continue to struggle the way he has since helping St. Louis to the Cup, Greiss could get more playing time and may be worth owning in deeper leagues where goalies are scarce.

Comrie off to Buffalo

Comrie will finally get a chance at some real playing time with the crease wide open in Buffalo. The 27-year-old posted great numbers last season in a small sample size and if Craig Anderson's play from last year is any indication, Comrie could have value for stretches. Anderson went 17-12-2 on a very weak team, so if Comrie can duplicate his numbers from 2021-22, there's no reason he can't post something similar.

Rangers snag Halak

Halak is at the point of his career where he's officially a backup now. Gone are the days where he had great value in almost a 50/50 split with the Boston Bruins and his starts will be very limited now in New York. Igor Shesterkin is one of the few goalies that can play 60-plus games and you don't have to worry about his play falling off, so Halak should be reserved for spot starts off your waiver wire when the matchups are friendly.

Jets grab Rittich

Rittich is in a similar situation to Halak, though much less valuable. The Jets figure to be taking a step back this season and Connor Hellebuyck plays as much as any goalie in the NHL, so Rittich's opportunities will be minimal. Plus, he's been well below .900 in each of the past two seasons. If you need to rely on Rittich next season, something has gone terribly wrong with your fantasy team.

For fantasy hockey tips and advice, follow me on Twitter at @amato_mike