Monday Ramblings: Goaltenders Ouplaying Their ADP Ft. Sorokin, Thompson, Kuemper And More

Welcome fantasy managers to another week of the Monday Ramblings. This week we’ll take a look at some goaltenders who are firmly outplaying their average draft position (ADP), giving fantasy owners a clear diamond in the rough. There are very few fantasy titles won without these hidden gems. Let’s get to it!

Thompson Thriving In D.C.

There has been plenty of ink spilled over Washington Capitals starting netminder Logan Thompson this year and for good reason. The 6’4” 207lbs native of Calgary has been lights out for the league leading Capitals, with a level of play that more than merits Vezina Trophy consideration.

Thompson’s numbers speak for themselves with a sparkling 24-2-5 record accompanied by a 2.23 goals against and .921 save percentage as well as two shutouts, numbers matched only by the reigning Vezina winner, Connor Hellebuyck. Capitals brass thought enough of Thompson’s stellar play to hand him a 6-year contract with a $5.85M AAV, clearly anointing the soon to be 28 year old as the team's new number one. At a very reasonable cost may I add.

The undrafted Thompson has shown us glimpses of this level of play during his time with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he put together a solid record of 56-32-11 combined with a 2.67 goals against and .912 save percentage. One can understand why fantasy managers would begin to take notice with the consistency shown throughout his three plus years with the Golden Knights organization, However, no one could have predicted the impressive run Thompson is on this year.

From a fantasy perspective, everything seems to be lining up, safe for a full time starters workload. Thompson’s highwater mark when it comes to games played is 46 which he hit last year with the Golden Knights, so ideally i’d like to see a couple of seasons in the 55-60 games played range for me to comfortably put him amongst the leagues upper echelon of goaltenders.
All that being said, if you are lucky enough to have Thompson on your roster just simply enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts.

Sorokin Sensational On Long Island

Ok, so I cheated on this one a little. That being said, with news of Ilya Sorokin’s back surgery in the offseason, many a fantasy manager slotted him significantly lower on the totem pole not knowing how it would affect his play in the crease. Well, after starting the season in somewhat of a timeshare with the now injured Semyon Varlamov, Sorokin is again displaying why he is one of the games elite.

After a rather pedestrian first half of the season, Sorokin has been dialed in since the start of the third quarter, putting together a phenomenal 7-2-0 record with a miniscule 1.88 goals against and .934 save percentage over his last nine games played. This latest run is made all the more impressive due to the New York Islanders lack of offensive support with the league 26th ranked offense at 2.72 goals per game played, leaving little room for error as it pertains to the teams netminders.

As it currently stands the Islanders find themselves squarely in the mix for one of the wild card spots in the East thanks to their recent run of exceptional play. Sorokin is a large part of that equation and will need to remain so if the Islanders have any aspirations of making the postseason. The Islanders have gone 8-2 in their last 10 games with victories over the likes of Tampa Bay, Vegas, Colorado and Carolina during this exceptional run without the likes of key players such as Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson.

As it relates to a fantasy perspective, managers should be all in on rostering Sorokin not only due to his impressive run of play but also due to the lingering injury to reliable backup Semyon Varlamov, as the club will continue to lean on it’s undisputed number one over the course of the season’s second half. Simply set it and forget it, at least until the team's or Sorokin’s play falls off.

Kuemper Atop The Kings Throne

The Los Angeles Kings defensive system has been beneficial for their goaltenders for a number of years now and this current NHL season is no different. Darcy Kuemper, who was acquired in the deal that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois out east to Washington, is the latest beneficiary as he has fashioned a rather stout 16-6-0 record combined with a 2.18 goals against and solid .919 save percentage.

The 6’5” 215lbs native of Saskatoon has enjoy a rather solid first half of the season for the Kings giving the team some much needed stability to the position. Los Angeles is currently holding down the third spot in the Pacific and will need the continued level of play that Kuemper has demonstrated this season to maintain their position in the standings. Provided Kuemper can stay healthy, he brings a lot to the table as a former champion knowing what it takes to achieve the ultimate goal of winning the coveted Stanley Cup.

Fantasy managers far and wide who invested in the Zero G strategy are singing Kuemper’s praises as he is heavily outplaying his average draft position (ADP), lending even more credence to the idea of waiting until the later rounds to draft a goaltender in one's respective entry draft. That being said, with the defensive system that the Kings employ combined with Kuemper’s raw abilities, he should continue to offer a reliable source of wins while also providing cat/roto league with a solid contribution in both goals against as well as save percentage.

Talbot Tremendous For Red Wings

Once the aforementioned Kuemper landed in Hollywood, Talbot suddenly found himself without a home before signing on with Detroit and I would have to say with his current level of play that the organization is more than pleased. Talbot has put together a respectable mark of 16-10-2 with a 2.83 goals against and .908 save percentage to date this year, however, it’s his play off late that is garnering all the attention.

Since the turn of the calendar to 2025, Talbot has put together a phenomenal record of 10-1 with a 2.36 goals against and .912 save percentage, in addition to one shutout. Numbers that have helped propel Detroit to a 13-3-1 mark over that same time span and now occupying the Eastern Conference second wild card spot. A lot of credit also needs to go to Todd McLellan. New coach bump or not, he is getting the most out of this group since taking over from Derek Lalonde coming out of the holiday break.

Talbot has gone on these types of runs before, most recently with the Los Angeles Kings in the first half of the 2023-2024 season, so be cautious as his play will tend to fall off at some point. However, with that being said, when a goalie is hot it’s best to just ride out that streak for all it’s worth getting as much production/value as one can.

From a fantasy perspective, there should be a fair bit of confidence in rostering Talbot throughout the second half of the season as long as he can remain healthy. The Red Wings have seemingly figured out their early season struggles and are playing their best hockey of the season which has obviously trickled down the lineup benefitting Detroit’s starting netminder in spades.

There you have it folks, a look into goaltenders who are offering some immense value as it pertains to their average draft position (ADP) so far this year.

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See you all again next Monday!