Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em ft. Hellebuyck, Swayman, Reimer, and More

Good day to you all! With the holiday week upon us (MLK day on 1/19), we’ve been given an incredibly rare and balanced hockey schedule, featuring no less than 6 games on any “off night” and no more than 9 games on any “featured” night, what a trip! So at this point in our fantasy matchups, we should be considering how many games our goalies have played, versus how many remain. We, also, should be considering load management on this Thursday evening, a night that features a team playing on either the first or second game of a scheduled back to back in 5 of the 8 games slated. Vegas, Chicago, and Dallas are all on the first night of a back to back, while Pittsburgh and Detroit are on the second leg of back to back games (after facing the Flames and Maple Leafs, respectively).

Thursday, also, marks that there is just 2 weeks until the Olympic break! What will we even do in February without regular fantasy hockey matchups? Yes, watch the Olympics, especially the ice hockey tournament featuring some of the world’s finest, but what will we do with our phones? Maybe one of you will learn a new language, but in one of my leagues, the commissioner has been so thoughtful as to create an optional Olympic Games fantasy tournament, featuring “pick ‘em’s” such as group winners, medal placement, point leaders, and best goalie performances. While these categories can be difficult to pick, having a productive outlet for hockey strategy will keep me from going mental, so I welcome the competition and encourage others to find a similar challenge to work with over the extended break.

Now on to Thursday, where we are sorting through the streaks, the stats, and the gut checks for 8 games and 16 goalies. It’s 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

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets - Hellebuyck is finally back in the “Start ‘Em’s” and the world just feels right again. OK, so maybe he isn’t exactly back to Vezina/Hart form, but he’s looked like more like himself the last five games (3-1-1, 2.79 GAA, .905 SV%) and there is simply something about hosting a humbled Panthers club that speaks to my gut instinct here. The Panthers are running cold this winter, scoring more than 2 goals only 3 times in their last 10 games, compiling only 22 goals total compared to the 39 goals they let in over that span. They, also, just got thwacked by Carolina last Friday by a score of 9-1, clearly revealing that they have some holes in their armor. The defending league MVP has room to improve upon his season stats of 12-13-5, 2.71 GAA, .902 SV% and Thursday’s home matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champs looks to be just such an opportunity. Make sure the American Olympian is in your lineups, Start ‘Em!

START ‘EM

Stuart Skinner, Pittsburgh Penguins - You gotta love a good revenge game, and this one features vengeance from both sides, as we revisit the great goalie trade of 2025 that sent keeper Stuart Skinner from Edmonton to Pittsburgh in exchange for fellow twine tender Tristan Jarry. Now, Skinner has an opportunity to strike back against the fans that cheered very loudly at his departure from the Oilers, as he and his new club, the Penguins, take the ice on Thursday night right back in Edmonton. For the year, Stone Stu is up to a 16-12-4 record, alongside 2.73 GAA, .892 SV%, and 2 SO’s, but recently he has won 5 of his past 6 starts while rocking a 1.67 GAA and .931 SV% over that span. The Penguins, too, have played well on the road this year, going 12-7-4 away from PPG Paints Arena, which, by the way, mirror’s the Oiler’s 12-7-4 home record on the season. Either way, I want to start a goalie with something to prove, so let’s start Skinner, and, hey, let’s start Jarry while we’re at it, as fans of net-minders everywhere would appreciate a 1-0 shootout victory, where both goalies are credited with shutouts against their former teams. Start ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins - Swayman has had a great year (19-12-2, 2.85 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO) and this recommendation is not based on his recent play or the team in front of him, which has won 8 of their last 10 games, no, this has to do with the team that he is facing Thursday night, the Vegas Golden Knights, rediscovering their mojo. That’s right, the Golden Knights of Sin City have been on a tear lately, winning 7 of 8 games in the last two weeks, while piling up 37 goals, good for 4.63 per game and best in the league over that frame. So while Boston has a healthy home record of 17-8-1 on the year, in any league that you can afford to sit Swayman, I recommend it nonetheless, based on the opposition he faces Thursday night in the Golden Knights, who are no slouches on the road this year (12-5-6 record, have won their last 3 road games). The Golden Knights have had the Bruins number recently, too, having won 3 straight head to head meetings, and scoring 4 or more goals in 4 straight. This is a “better safe than sorry,” Sit ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Samuel Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens - With only 8 games Thursday night, there weren’t many clearly bad matchups, but a shaky Sam Montembeault kicking the crease in a high scoring affair against a surging Sabres club is one that caught my eye. The Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge have scored a scorching 42 goals in the new year (tied for second in NHL), leading them to a highly successful record of 7-3-1 in January. They’ll take their hot streak and put it up against Buffalo’s 6-3-1 record in January, where the Sabres have scored 39 goals of their own, good for fifth in NHL since the calendar flip. This game has the looks of entering double digit scoring, so we should shy away from goalies on either side of this matchup, but especially Montembeault, who has a rather unreliable Quality Start percentage of just 35%, and far too reliable Really Bad Start percentage of 45%. For the season, Monty has gone 9-6-2, while sporting weak peripherals of 3.44 GAA and .873 SV%, let’s leave him on the bench for this one, Sit ‘Em!

DESPERATION MODE START

James Reimer, Ottawa Senators - The return of Reimer! After playing with Team Canada at the 2025 Spengler Cup, Reimer earned himself a contract from a desperate Senators club that he has been defeating from the other end of the ice for the past 15 years. So far, Reimer has put together a 1-0-1 record while letting by 5 of the 56 shots he has faced over his only two games this season. With decently reliable career metrics of 2.89 GAA and .910 SV%, Reimer could be worth a gamble off the waiver wire, as the interim job of the Sens #1 goalie is his for the taking. Thursday should pit Reimer up against the Predators, loser of 2 in a row, and at just 7% rostered in Fantrax and 6% rostered in Yahoo, he should be readily available for a pickup in your league if you find yourself looking desperate for goalie help on Thursday night. He’s helped us out before, might as well see what he has left in the fantasy tank. Desperation Mode 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!