Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em ft. Gustavsson, Skinner, Hill, and More

What’s up, fantasy hockey world! How is your league going and where are you at in your fantasy hockey matchup this week (or season for Roto style players)? Are you holding the lead or playing from behind? Are there any under-performers you may be ready to cut ties with? Do you have anything left to lose? Asking yourself these questions may help make your decisions on who to start and who to sit, as well as, WHEN to start and WHEN to sit.

For me, in a category head to head league, following Vejmelka’s fine-tuned performance Tuesday night (saves on 19 of 20 shots faced for a .950 SV%, 1.00 GAA, and 1 win) and Luukonnen’s solid play on Wednesday (saves on 20 of 22 shots faced, .909 SV% and 1 win) I am left with the question of if Vejmelka can improve on those numbers (or at the very least not completely tank them) in Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Stars, a high powered offensive team (3.43 goals forced per game, third highest in the NHL). My gut tells me that the Stars find a way to win a close game, but since Vejmelka has strung together 4 straight quality starts (all wins, SV% no lower than .917 in any of those games), he may yet have 1 more good game in him this Thursday, especially as the Stars are on the last leg of a 6 game roadtrip. It’s a toss up, so I think I play it safe and let my opponent try to chase my goalie stats (2 wins, 1.50 GAA, .929 SV%) and see where we end up Saturday.

Now in another league, a points league, following Swayman’s 24 save shutout versus Detroit, there is little question of whether or not to play him again versus Seattle Thursday night, or Chicago this weekend, because in points leagues the only concern would be for negative points, which outside of facing the Colorado Avalanche or Tampa Bay Lightning, is not much of a concern for a dependable goalie like Swayman.

Finally, in a Roto league that counts Saves, GAA, and Wins, there is a balance to find for goalies that takes into consideration both quality and quantity. A high number of saves and wins can be gained through quantity, but that may come at the expense of your GAA. So in this league, I trust my studs to be studs (for instance letting Logan Thompson and Mackenzie Blackwood start whatever games they are starting in real life), but my 3rd and 4th options (Lukas Dostal and Brandon Bussi) I am selective with their starts, playing them in juicy matchups and off nights against low to mid-high tier teams, but almost always leaving Dostal benched against the upper echelon of offensive powerhouses.

When it comes to who or when to start and sit, the answers and trends can vary across different league types, as well as, individual fantasy circumstances. Now as for Thursday night, we have a healthy slate of 10 games and (at least) 20 goalies in action. So let’s get to it — time for Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em, let’s dive in!

(Please note that the goalies listed are considered “probable” to start. Keep refreshing your Goalie Post app to see which goalies are “confirmed” starting. Don’t have the app? Get it for Apple or Android.)

START ‘EM

Stuart Skinner, Pittsburgh Penguins - Skinner and the Penguins will host the Flyers on Thursday night in the Battle of Pennsylvania. These two intra-state rivals have met over 300 times and while the Flyers have a slight edge in wins over the years, the two teams have split their last 10 meetings, with the Penguins winning the only matchup of this season, 5-1 back on December 1. Skinner, who was traded from Edmonton to Pittsburgh in December, took some time to adjust to his new surroundings (losing his first 3 starts for his new club) but has since found his groove in the Steel City, going 3-1 in his last 4 starts, while only surrendering 1 goal in each of those games. The Flyers, meanwhile, have dropped 4 in a row, scoring only 6 goals while allowing a whopping 19 over that span. Rivalry matchups like this tend to end up as rough and tumble, low scoring, tight checking affairs, so look for Skinner to keep the crease clean and pick up a much needed win for his club. Start ‘Em!

START ‘EM

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild - Gustavsson and the Wild host the Winnipeg Jets Thursday night in a clash of Central Division foes. In 8 career head to head meetings, Gustavsson has posted a respectable 2.22 GAA and .925 SV%, but has dropped his last 4 contests to the Jets, falling to 4-2-2 overall. The Wild have been steady defensively this season and are third best in the league in goals against per game (2.77). The Jets, meanwhile, have lost their last 9 road games, and scored more than 2 goals in only 2 of those contests. The Gus Bus has been rolling along this season, going 14-9-5 with a 2.49 GAA and .911 SV% and his stellar play has earned him a stop at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, possibly starting for team Sweden. Let’s make sure we start him this Thursday against the Jets, too. Start ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver Canucks - Let’s take a quick moment to remind everyone that the Quinn-less, winless Canucks are not a source of fantasy goalie gold this season. In the midst of the Orca’s current 8 game win draught, Kevin Lankinen finds himself holding the starter’s reigns, as Thatcher Demko deals with another injury. But despite last year’s steady play (25 wins, 2.62 GAA, .902 SV%), the Finnish keeper has just 2 wins and 5 quality starts in his last 12 games going back to November 20. Thursday night, the Canucks travel to Columbus to face a Blue Jackets squad that has won back to back games and has scored 20 goals in their last 5 home games (3-1-1). As long as the Canucks are nose diving towards the bottom of the league standings, stay away from any keeper of their crease, regardless of the matchup. Leave Lankinen on the bench and Sit ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights - After missing all of November and December with a lower body injury, Adin Hill looks to draw back into the lineup for the Golden Knights on Thursday night. His opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs, have won 8 out of their last 11, scoring 38 goals in those victories. Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has regained his scoring touch, finding the back of the net 8 times in his last 9 games. Hill’s numbers this year (1-0-2, 2.73 GAA, .888 SV%) offer too small of a sample size to offer any indication to his performance now two months later, but we should expect the 29 year old Hill to take some time to shake off the rust, as he basically starts his season against skaters that have already played 41 games or more. Hill and Vegas may be a reliable fantasy option soon, once Hill gets up to speed, but for now - Sit ‘Em!

DESPERATION MODE START

Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets - After starting the season in a timeshare, Merzlikins has recently been used primarily as moral support, as fellow net minder Jet Greaves has completely taken over the Columbus crease, starting 16 games since December 7, compared to Merzlikins’ mere 2 starts. But it looks like it will be Merlikins between the pipes Thursday night, when the Blue Jackets play host to the stumbling, lottery-bound Vancouver Canucks, losers of 8 straight. For the season, Elvis is 6-7-1 with an unreliable 4.03 GAA and a shaky .877 SV%, but the Canucks have done their part recently to make every goalie they face look good, averaging 2.00 goals per game over their current 8 game skid and managing a meager 5 tallies in their last 4 games combined. At only 26% rostered in Fantrax and 5% rostered in Yahoo, the Olympian of Latvia should be readily available to roll the dice with in a juicy home matchup. Start ‘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. I’ll be back here next Thursday to breakdown another busy night of twine tending action! Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!