Monday Ramblings

Greetings fantasy readers. It’s every sane person’s favorite day of the week (Monday if you are under a rock) so that means that it's time for some goalie ramblings. It was a bit of a down week for news with the NHL all-star break happening this past weekend so I’m doing something a little different this week. I’ll be taking a bit of a look back on the first half of the season and picking out some of the biggest overperformers and underperformers around the league.

I want to give a brief explanation of one of my favorite goaltending stats. Goals saved above average (GSAA).

The calculation for GSAA is pretty simple. It is an assessment of a goalie’s goals allowed, compared to what the average number of goals allowed in the league would be given they had the same amount of shots against. Once you have these values, you subtract the goalie’s number from the league average and voila, you have a value usually ranging between + or - 30. Although there are sometimes minor differences in the numbers depending on what source you use they are miniscule. Continuing on now!

Big Disappointments

Igor Shesterkin

Now we all know that Igor Shesterkin has been one of the top ranked, if not the top ranked tender in the fantasy world for a few years now. I myself have kept him in a league since he was first called up. This year has had me looking for trade partners, though. I’m still skeptical to pull the trigger on any moves because his win totals have still been a bit above league average and the New York Rangers have been in a mighty slump winning only five of their last 14 games. Igor has the 11th worst GSAA among goalies with at least 10 starts at -6.30. His save percentage has dipped to an .899 at this point and even though he has the 19 wins he has exactly zero shutouts. Igor is usually a great last half/quarter performer in previous years so I think I'm going to hold on and ride or die since I most likely won’t net anyone of similar value in a deal.

Jake Oettinger

Another guy who tops the list of “wish I didn't take a goalie in the first five rounds” is Jake Oettinger. He's had a bit of injury trouble this year so it's quite possible that it is keeping him from his full potential that we saw from him last season. Regardless, he sits even lower in the league than Shesterkin for GSAA at 8th lowest with a paltry -7.46. His save percentage is exactly .900 and he has 16 wins with one shutout. His win totals are not too concerning but the fact that most of them have come with a sub .900 save percentage is. He is still a decent start in volume leagues. I don't have much faith in a full rebound this year but we shall see.

Even Bigger Surprises

Joey Daccord

Joey Daccord, my goodness. After Phillipp Grubauer went down with injury he took over and ran with it. Grubauer has recently returned from injury and Daccord has since still started four games in a row. It may be them wanting to return Grubauer slowly, or it could be riding the hot hand. It’s generally a good bet to follow the money when it comes to goaltending but you have to wonder if his stellar play is part of the five percent that topples that theory. In 34 games he's allowed 49 goals. That's good for a .937 save percentage and fifth in the league in that category. Daccord’s got an insane 18.07 GSAA and sits firmly in second in the league there behind only Connor Hellebuyck. Something that may be helping him immensely is the fact that he holds the longest average shot distance in the whole league. Seattle seems to be better than most at suppressing high danger chances. I don’t think anybody saw this performance coming but there are usually a few stories like this each year. The Zero G strategy remains undefeated. Hopefully those of you who got some stock in the fella can continue to reap the rewards of his come up.

Connor Ingram

Connor Ingram has taken the reins in Arizona and ran with them. He has a particularly interesting story behind his rise to being star goaltender this year. He nearly retired from hockey altogether in 2021 due to an undiagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder along with depression. Ingram was picked up off of waivers by the Coyotes early last season and he had a decent year posting a .907 in 27 games. This year however he has come into his own. Ingram is sitting pretty with a .924 save percentage in 32 games. He has a HDSV% (high danger save percentage) of .876 which has him holding onto third place league wide in that specific category. I’m rooting for this guy. Most people have struggled with something in their lives and it's great to see somebody who cannot only live with the challenge but excel.

Give me a follow on X/Twitter @LOGoalz if you so please! Have a great few weeks friends.