Goalie Start 'Em, Sit 'Em ft Vasilevskiy, Garand, Jarry and More

Hello and welcome to Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em. Every Thursday we will review the night’s slate and highlight the goalies that need to be in your starting lineup and, of course, the goalies that you need to keep hidden away safely on your bench. This Thursday features 11 games on the schedule, meaning we have (at least) 22 different goalies in action. Chances are you may have a goalie decision or two on your hands, so let’s crunch the numbers, ride the streaks, check our guts and let’s dive right in to Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em!

(Please note that at the time of writing this article, most of 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. Stats from FrozenTools.)

Start ‘Em

Joseph Woll, Philadelphia Flyers: Listen, the Flyers are due. Sure, they are last in goals scored and second to last in goals against, but the desperation is real and at some point a bounce or two will have to fall their way. After Tuesday’s shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken, the Flyers should at least be able to remember the idea of winning (so distant, though it may be) and on Thursday they will be squaring off with the low-hanging fruit that is the Detroit Red Wings, who, by the way, only have a single victory to their name. Call it a gut feeling, but there are no more ties in today’s NHL and, as such, somebody has to win this game. Whether it’s Vladar or Woll, or even their EBUG, let’s play the numbers and give the Flyers a shot. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Start ‘Em!

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning: On paper, this matchup seemingly favors the Seattle Kraken. They are, after all, one of just three teams that are averaging more than four goals scored a game (4.13). The Kraken, also, have a healthy +10 goal differential (tied for fourth in the NHL) to go a long with their respectable five wins through seven games. Meanwhile, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, Andrei Vasilevskiy, has posted a 3-2 record through five starts alongside a completely pedestrian .885 SV%. But, here, we must remember that we are only two weeks into an 84-game season. Let’s not get caught up in small sample sizes and overthink this one. Instead, let’s remember that Vasi is one of the best goaltenders of his generation. Not to mention, the Lightning have only allowed seven total goals in their four games against teams that weren’t the New York Rangers. So if you drafted Vasilevskiy (or acquired his services through trade), then now is not the time to panic. Now is the time to Start ‘Em!

Sit ‘Em

Dylan Garand, New York Rangers: Has anyone else noticed the magic that “unfamiliar” goalies hold over the rest of the NHL? I have spent zero time researching the technical data on this matter, but for my eyes it seems that anytime a goalie is the new kid on the block they enjoy a little run or hot streak that lasts anywhere from a single game to a couple of weeks, to half a season and then - bam - once one team cracks the dam, wave after wave begins to burst through and before you know it, the streets are flooded with knee deep water and man-eating beavers. Okay, so maybe carnivorous beavers are a bit much, but many a Dylan Garand start has ended in an Alex Nedeljkovic (or Andrew Hammond) outcome, where a confident start falters once the chinks in the armor are revealed and the rest of the league has time to hone in on them. For his part, Garand has patrolled the pipes of Broadway admirably (1.15 GAA, .951 SV% in 4 GP), but on Thursday night, he and the Rangers face a rival New Jersey Devils club that has popped off for at least four goals in two out of their last three games and scored six on the Rangers in two out of three head-to-head contests last season. Take a free ride for as long as it lasts, but this might be where you want to get off. Sit ‘Em!

Tristan Jarry, Edmonton Oilers: The Oilers’ top ranked offense will face off with the Utah Mammoth’s fifth ranked offense in what should be a goal scoring frenzy in Edmonton on Thursday night. And why sit Jarry instead of, say, Karel Vejmelka? Well, Vejmelka has already made a career playing behind the chaotic defense of the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth and most any fantasy manager that rosters him has seen that his mediocre save percentage still generates a league-leading number of wins. Jarry doesn’t quite have that same track record with the Oilers. The 31-year-old has gone 10-6-3 in 21 appearances with Edmonton, while posting a .856 SV%. If Jarry draws the start, Sit ‘Em!

Desperation Mode Play

Alex Nedeljkovic, San Jose Sharks: Before nabbing Nedeljkovic off the wire, you should double check to see if Adin Hill is still sitting there first. Hill has started the year 3-0 and has allowed just 7 goals across his 3 starts, inserting himself as something of a 1B option for the Golden Knights in the early goings of their campaign. If Hill gets the nod against Calgary then you may as well call him 4-0. As for Nedeljkovic, he is currently 20% rostered on Fantrax and 5% on Yahoo, and he may get the chance to build off of the one victory gained in his lone start (a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on October 8) when the Sharks travel to Nashville on Thursday. Both clubs have collected 6 points in 6 games played, and both teams have scored 16 goals in their 6 games. In the battle of two teams in neutral, let’s back the goalie playing behind Macklin Celebrini, 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. You can also find me providing injury news and updates every Wednesday on Dobber Hockey. I’ll be back here next Thursday to try to breakdown the night’s goaltending slate, so until then - Happy Hockeying and good luck out there!