Goalie Reel 'Em, Deal 'Em ft Shesterkin, Swayman, Nedeljkovic and More

Hello fellow fantasy hockey enthusiast and props to you for continuing the fantasy grind while NHL hockey shifts its focus overseas to the Olympics in Italy. We may not have any goalies in play on this Thursday evening in February, but there is plenty of twine tending action to look forward to after the break and there is no reason why we can’t get a leg up on our competition right now. While the NHL has issued a trade freeze during this extended break, most fantasy leagues are open for business as usual, so let’s analyze the trends, crunch the numbers, and check our guts while we weigh in on which goalies you should consider reeling in for your stretch run and which goalies you should deal away for assets that could help your team, now or in the future. It’s time for Goalie Reel ‘Em, Deal ‘Em. Let’s dive in!

Reel ‘Em

Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers - Between his injury in early January and the New York fire sale going on, you can expect a lot of fantasy managers are feeling leery of Shesterkin for the remainder of the season. That uneasiness may get you a discount on one of fantasy hockeys best and most reliable workhorses because outside of his unimpressive 17 wins in 34 GP, the Russian netminder’s fantasy metrics of 2.45 GAA, .913 SV%, and 25.4 saves per game have been consistent with that of a top fantasy option in the crease. The schedule for the Rangers is what may really draw you in, though. The boys in blue and red have the second easiest strength of schedule for the remainder of the season out of the teams in the eastern conference at .560, and their schedule includes 11 games on off nights (Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) from March 16 through the end of the NHL season. Essentially, instead of competing for starts with your current option, he would slot in as an additional starting goalie option for off nights. There is some haze involving his return from injury, but Coach Mike Sullivan and the Rangers brass hinted that Shesterkin has been skating and should look to reunite with his team following the Olympic break. There is no guarantee of victories, but reliable and quality stat production from the crease on off nights could power your team to the ultimate prize. Reel ‘Em!

Reel ‘Em

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets - Last year’s fantasy playoffs, Greaves put up a Conn Smythe worthy performance, rocking the end of April with 5 straight wins, 2 shut outs, and a total of 4 goals allowed, stopping a ridiculous 156/160 shots fired his way for a .975 SV%. It almost got the Blue Jackets into the playoffs and it definitely won a few championships for fantasy managers. Well, the Jackets are in familiar territory heading down the stretch, currently 1 spot out and 4 points back from the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. For the season, after winning his sixth straight start, the 24 year old American is up to an 18-12-6 record to go along with a solid 2.62 GAA and .910 SV%. Indeed, the canons have been firing with regularity at Nationwide Arena, as Columbus has won 10 of 11 since handing the coaching gig over to Rick Bowness. If your looking to capture magic down the stretch, Greaves could be worth cashing in your chips for, especially in keeper or dynasty leagues. Reel ‘Em In!

Deal ‘Em

Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers - At age 37 and with the sun setting on Florida’s dynasty, this may finally be the last hoorah for the NHL’s all time leader in wins by a Russian goaltender. While it’s possible that Matthew Tkachuk rejuvenates the Panthers and sparks one more playoff run, right now the Bad Cats are on the outside looking in and Bob is sporting an uninspiring 3.13 GAA and .871 SV%. There is still a lot of name value for the goalie that backstopped back to back Stanley Cup championships and it may be prudent to cash in on that name value before his fame turns to infamy. Dating back to mid-December, Bobrovsky has only 1 game played (out of 17) with a save percentage above .900. Compare that to 5 with a save percentage lower than .800. Now there are likely some managers out there that still expect Florida to turn it around since Tkatchuk is back and healthy, so take advantage and send Bob their way. Deal ‘Em!

Deal ‘Em

Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins - The UMaine alum and United States Olympic representative has done fantasy managers justice this year, compiling a 22-12-3 record alongside decent stats of 2.92 GAA and .903 SV%, but this may be the peak of his fantasy performance. The Bruins are coming off one of their best stretches of the season, going on an 11-2-1 run through January before slipping into February and letting in 11 goals in 2 losses while on a trip through the Sunshine State. The Bruins have the second toughest strength of schedule from here on out (.586) and it includes 2 more meeting with Tampa Bay. Add in the fact that the Bruins have 5 scheduled back to backs over the remainder of the season and it seems unlikely that Swayman is able to maintain his current fantasy output. If you are looking ahead to the playoffs, look for a landing spot for Swayman and Deal ‘Em!

Desperation Mode Steal ‘Em

Alex Nedeljkovic, San Jose Sharks - The future is teal and the future is Askrov. But the present is up for grabs. After all, there is some validity to the dark horse San Jose Sharks making a playoff push and the former Calder Trophy finalist could be the keeper that takes the reigns for it. Recently, Nedeljkovic went 5-2 for the Sharks in January, posting a respectable .916 SV% and 2.43 GAA, improving his overall numbers to 10-9-2, with a 2.91 GAA, and .899 SV%. The Sharks do happen to have the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the NHL (.527), including 3 matchups left with each of the Blues and Predators. If wins start piling up in the Shark Tank look for San Jose to ride the hot hand, which could be the (sorta) veteran glove of Nedeljkovic. I mean you’d have to be desperate, but at 20% rostered in Fantrax and only 8% in Yahoo there is little to lose and if things pan out, Alex Nedeljkovic could be a steal. So… Steal ‘Em!

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. Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!