Welcome fantasy managers to another week of the Monday Ramblings. This week we’ll take a look at some masked men who are each enjoying a phenomenal run of play of late with many fantasy league playoffs right around the corner. You could say each is on a bit of a heater! Let’s get to it!

Blackwood A Boon For Avalanche

Mackenzie Blackwood sure is loving life as the Colorado Avalanche starting netminder. Since his trade from the rebuilding San Jose Sharks earlier this year he has put together a rather impressive 16-7-2 record while posting a sparkling 2.12 goals against and .921 save percentage, in addition to two shutouts. The Avs thought enough of the 28 year old's performance to sign him to a five-year deal worth 5.25M AAV through the 2029-2030 NHL season.

The 6’4” 225lbs native of Thunder Bay has taken full advantage of his opportunity allowing the Avs to play to their strengths which is a bit more of a run-and-gun offensive system. That being said, with the solid additions of Brock Nelson as well as Ryan Lindgren on defense, the Avalanche have added two players who play a responsible style of game which can only benefit Blackwood the remainder of this year and potentially beyond.

Blackwood may have missed out on an opportunity to represent Canada at the recently concluded 4-Nation Face-Off, however, if he can continue his impressive run of play he will squarely put himself in the conversation for next year’s Olympics, giving Hockey Canada something to think about. He’s been on an absolute heater of late sporting a 7-2 record accompanied by a miniscule 1.88 goals against and a stout .926 save percentage to go along with two shutouts, with seven of those starts being quality starts (games with save percentage at or above league average)

As it relates to a fantasy perspective, Blackwood will be a solid contributor of wins for the foreseeable future with above average peripheral numbers moving forward. Colorado will continue to provide more than enough offensive support for their netminders and if Blackwood can continue to maintain this level of play the Avalanche may have just found themselves a top 10 goalie for the next five years.

Vasilevskiy In Elite Form

Andrei Vasilevskiy has been absolutely on fire of late, once again flexing his elite form. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has been dominant this season for the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 30-16-3 record accompanied by a blistering 2.22 goals against and .922 save percentage in addition to four shutouts, reminding us all of his championship pedigree.

The Lightning themselves are mirroring their star netminder with a fabulous season to date, enough so that general manager Julien Brisebois added significant pieces in both Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand to bolster the teams offensive depth in what is a very competitive Atlantic division. All that being said, with the organization loading up for the stretch run, the Bolts netminder will only benefit from these additions in the form of both wins and peripheral numbers.

Vasilevskiy has been otherworldly since January 30th, having posted an immaculate 10-1-1 record with a 1.92 goals against and .937 save percentage over his last 12 games played. This could not have come at a better time for managers as fantasy playoffs in many leagues are right around the corner with the added bonus that the Lightning are one of the teams to have played the least amount of games to date this season.

From a fantasy perspective, Vasilevskiy is a no-brainer on a weekly basis due to his heavy workload and elite level of play. Whether it be win totals, goals against, save percentage or shutouts, the Lightning netminder will give you coverage across the board. Simply insert into your lineup and enjoy the ride!

Knight Time In Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks appear to have found their goaltender of the future in recently acquired Spencer Knight. Having shipped out the slightly disgruntled Seth Jones to the Florida Panthers, Chicago is getting a highly touted 23-year-old goaltender who has put together a solid 13-8-1 record with a 2.36 goals against and .913 save percentage with two shutouts.

It has been a phenomenal start for the 6’3” 191lbs Connecticut native going 2-0 with a sizzling 1.95 goals against and .951 save percentage in his first two appearances. Knight will now have the opportunity to seize the number one role with the Blackhawks as the organization continues to rebuild into a perennial contender once again. It may be another disappointing season for the franchise but with a cupboard full of burgeoning talent, it’s only a matter of time before the Blackhawks start making their ascent to the league’s upper echelon.

From a fantasy perspective, it will still take some time before Knight becomes a consistently reliable source of wins but there is value there if you are a retooling/rebuilding roster or simply have the room to stash such a talented young goaltender. However, if the current rebuild in Chicago goes as planned, Knight’s value will increase exponentially as the team continues its development.

Vejmelka Value Gets Big Boost

Karel Vejmelka play this season for the Utah Hockey Club has been rather impressive with the 6’4 221lbs netminder sporting a 16-16-4 record accompanied by a solid 2.45 goals against and .910 save percentage for an organization in the thick of a wild card race. Management was pleased enough with the 28 year old's performance to hand him a five-year contract worth $4.75m AAV, all but anointing him the club number one moving forward.

Since February 9th, Vejmelka has been on fire sporting a 5-1-1 record with an impressive 2.00 goals against and .922 save percentage, giving us a glimpse of what his ceiling can be. With the recent news of teammate Connor Ingram entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the club will be leaning even more on the native of Czechia for the remainder of the season.

There is a ton of excitement surrounding the franchise from its relocation to the fan vote for its team name. That being said, this is a team with some essential pieces in place with the likes of Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, Mikhail Sergachev and the aforementioned Vejmelka on the roster with plenty of cap space to add in the offseason. This Utah Hockey Club is well on its way to becoming a bigger player within the National Hockey League with a bright future on the horizon.

Vejmelka’s fantasy value is most certainly on the upswing with the recent development of both his signing combined with Ingram’s entry into the assistance program. He will draw most of the team's starts for the remainder of the season shouldering a decent workload while offering a solid source of wins with some more than respectable peripherals numbers.

There you have it folks, a look into some goaltenders who are each on a bit of a heater with their recent run of play.

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See you all again next Monday!