Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em ft. Thompson, Askarov, Husso, and More

Welcome one, welcome all to Goalie Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em! We are not even halfway through December and already it feels like trade season; the standings have begun to separate and certain NHL teams have let it be known that their “veterans are available.” And how about you, fine hockey manager? What position is your fantasy team(s) in and how is the look of your current twine tending tandem or trio? This may be the right time to start updating trade boards and investigate options that fit your team’s needs.

In the NHL, due to cap constraints and positional volatility, goalie trades can be scarce. Last year, Colorado’s acquisition of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood featured a complete overhaul of their goalie position by targeting cheaper, under the radar net minders. This year the Edmonton Oilers look to be in a similar position and they would be wise to follow in Colorado’s footsteps by finding an under the radar option. A goalie that won’t break the bank, neither on their salary cap nor their assets. And perhaps even more so then the Colorado Avalanche, the Oilers need a goalie that can win the big game. Given this list of requirements, they would be hard pressed to find a better option for their team than current keeper, Stuart Skinner. But given that McDavid just resigned at a major discount specifically to bring the Stanley Cup to Edmonton in the next couple of years - the Oilers will be exploring EVERY possible solution. And whoever does end up between the pipes in Edmonton, backstopping superstars McDavid and Draisatl, will gain significant value, akin to the “Wood”s of Colorado. That means a guy like Alex Lyon (4-6-3, 3.22 GAA, .899 SV%), Jonathon Quick (3-3-1, 1.86 GAA, .937 SV%), or Jordan Binnington (7-7-5, 3.29 GAA, .875 SV%) could end up as this year’s fantasy goalie darling. Let’s keep an eye on the waiver wire and maybe take a swing or two when the roster space permits.

No goalie trades have materialized as of yet, however, so let’s jump into Thursday night’s action, featuring 13 NHL games and 26 keepers (at least). 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

Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals - Thompson is one of the safest goaltending options in fantasy right now and the team in front of him has been on a tear recently, piling up wins to the tune of 10-1-1 in their last dozen games. The Caps defense has been dominant on that run, allowing only 8 goals in their last 6 games. Thompson’s season has been stellar (13-6-2, 1.96 GAA, .925 SV%), so while the Hurricanes are certainly a formidable opponent, we have to trust the hot goalie glove and start Thompson with confidence until he proves otherwise. This will be a battle for first place in the Metropolitan division between two Cup contenders, so we can expect this to be a heavyweight bout. Even if the Caps can’t pull of the win, look for Thompson to continue his bid for a Vezina Trophy. Start ‘Em.

START ‘EM

Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars - Sometimes great fantasy players are facing tough opposition. Such is the case with Thompson mentioned above, and so it goes with Jake Oettinger here, facing a Minnesota Wild club that has won 7 of their last 10. But the Dallas Stars enter this road game as pretty much the unanimous pick for second best team in the league (Colorado Avalanche are clear frontrunners), boasting top 5 performances in many significant categories including team points, goals forced, goals against, goal differential, and power play percentage. On the year, the American born Oettinger has made his case to be featured in the starters crease for team USA, sporting a spicy 14-4-2 record, alongside a 2.49 GAA and .909 SV%. In addition to Oettinger’s current 6 game win streak, the Otter has an impeccable 8-0-3 record versus the Wild in his career, posting a reliable 2.19 GAA and .926 SV% in 13 career matchups. Don’t hold back on him now - Start ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Yaroslav Askarov, San Jose Sharks - Askarov has been steadily improving throughout his NHL career and looks like a goalie with a promising future, especially given the young talent surrounding him in San Jose. The Russian keeper has a winning record of 10-8-1 on the year to go along with a respectable .903 SV% and a meh 3.09 GAA. But Thursday night, the Sharks will be on game 4 of a 5 game road trip and will be visiting a Toronto Maple Leafs club that has, very recently, remembered how to play defense. The Maple Leafs have only allowed 3 goals over their last 4 games! And that has been against high octane offenses such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, and Montreal Canadiens. Assuming Askarov is healthy enough to suit up (after sitting out Tuesday’s tilt vs Flyers with an illness), we can expect that the offense in front of him will stall out against the surprisingly suffocating defensive dominance of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With brighter days ahead, Sit ‘Em!

SIT ‘EM

Cam Talbot, Detroit Red Wings - Not only is Detroit on the road playing the second game of a back to back (Wednesday at Calgary), Talbot and the Red Wings are facing an Oilers team that has put up an eye-popping 18 goals in their last 3 games! The Red Wings are fighting for the top spot of the Atlantic division and the 38 year old Cam Talbot has been a big reason why. He is currently rocking a steadfast 9-4-2 record this season, with mediocre metrics of 3.01 GAA and .883 SV%. But this road matchup against an Oilers offense that has been cooking the books lately looks to be too tall of an order for the journeyman of 8 NHL teams, or one quarter of the league. Maybe he plays well enough to earn some interest from the Edmonton brass, but in fantasy, on a Thursday night featuring 25 other goalie options, Talbot may not be worth the risk. Play it safe and Sit ‘Em.

DESPERATION MODE START

Ville Husso, Anaheim Ducks - After starting the league in the minors, Husso has been promoted to starter following some injuries to the keepers of Anaheim’s crease, and all he has done since then is win. Seriously, the Helsinki native has won 5 of 7 since being called upon, posting a respectable 2.83 GAA and so-so .893 SV%. Recently, he’s won 3 in a row while contributing a .920 SV% over that period. The Ducks will be on the road against an Islanders team that is coming off big wins against some of the league’s finest, but the Ducks offense (2nd in goals forced) may be all Husso needs to put up another quality start. If you’ve got little to lose, look for Husso on the waiver at 17% rostered in Fantrax, 14% in Yahoo, and 3% in ESPN and give him a 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