Goalie guide: From the top-tier netminders to the midround gambles
Goalie guide: From the top-tier netminders to the midround gambles. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Fantasy hockey goalie guide: From the top-tier netminders to the mid-round gambles1mVictoria MatiashFantasy hockey draft picks: Grab these defensemen before their breakout year2dSean AllenFantasy hockey breakout forwards: Why Quinn, Coronato should take the next step6dSean AllenWeeks after trade, Devils give Evangelista 5-year extensionNew Jersey Devils7hPlayoff MVP Staal, 38, gets new deal from HurricanesCarolina Hurricanes8hDucks sign Gauthier for 6 years; deal worth $13.
What happened
From the starters, to the sleepers and the timeshares, here's a guide to the fantasy hockey goalie position. Top-tier goalies to targetLogan Thompson, Washington Capitals: (projected: 136. Secondary top-tier goalies to targetJake Oettinger, Dallas Stars: (projected: 132. 2)Competing for a superior squad, Sorokin would present as a top-tier fantasy goalie, no question. Mid-tier goalies to targetJeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins: (projected: 117. 8M contractBuffalo Sabres2dGolden Knights extend Stone with 2-year, $18M dealVegas Golden Knights4dFantasy hockey rankings: Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid lead 2026 rankings61dESPN Fantasy2026 Fantasy hockey draft guide: Rankings, picks and more5dESPNHow to draft, play and win your fantasy hockey league like an expert8dVictoria MatiashMacKinnon?
To illustrate, sticking with my perennial example from ESPN's standard game, a goalie who stops 28 of 30 shots in a 4-2 win produces 5.
The wider picture
In standard redraft competition, the winning formula doesn't waver: You want a fantasy goalie who plays as much as possible for a better than average team, while denying the largest conceivable percentage of shots-faced. Elite goalies to targetAndrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning: (projected: 171. That's why you pad your roster with other goalies to pick up the slack, when necessary. Even though other netminders on better teams will carve out more victories, when all is said and done.
As long as GM Bill Armstrong doesn't fiddle with his goalie corps that now also includes former Detroit prospect Sebastian Cossa, Vejmelka will be right up there again this round, challenging Vasilevskiy for most wins. 2)Yes, I'm well aware the Bruins goalie performed beyond admirably in what can only be characterized as one of the most impressive comeback performances of 2025-26. If Markstrom can hold down his end of the bargain in his second Florida turn — as he has in previous stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and New Jersey Devils — the 36-year-old could end up serving as one of the league's most valuable fantasy netminders.
5M AAV, source saysAnaheim Ducks10hEmily KaplanWild sign coach Hynes to multiyear extensionMinnesota Wild20hKristen ShiltonCaps re-sign Leonard to 8-year, $84M extensionWashington Capitals22hRyan ClarkBlackhawks name Bedard, 21, 2nd-youngest captain in franchise historyChicago Blackhawks22hEmily KaplanBatherson signs 8-year, $86 million extension with SenatorsOttawa Senators22hSabres sign 22-year-old Ostlund to 8-year, $52.
What has been reported
1 overall13dVictoria MatiashWhich 2026 NHL draft picks should I have on my fantasy hockey team? 81dVictoria MatiashNHL free agency 2026: Which players improved their fantasy hockey potential? 76dSean Allen and Victoria MatiashLive NHL free agency tracker: Contract details for all the latest signings37dESPN StaffLogan Thompson of the Washington Capitals had four shutouts last season. Randy Litzinger/Icon SportswireVictoria MatiashSep 16, 2026, 09:00 AM ETCloseVictoria Matiash is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. Victoria has been a part of the fantasy team since 2010.
Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsResponsible for too many categories carrying too much weight, these characters play too great a part in determining your fantasy teams' success (or failure) to tackle lightly. Never even mind the extra influence brought on by negative figures that detract from your team's overall total. You won't win your league with sub-par goaltending, that's all there is to it.
What happens next
While surrendering five goals on 31 shots in a 5-4 loss nets a loss of -4. There's no worse feeling than watching your own fantasy netminder hemorrhage digits in real time while their coach leaves them out to dry. Especially when such a swing means the difference between winning your week or not. The key is to secure the candidates that fall victim to such scenarios far less often. The challenge, of course, is to suss out who fits that fantasy mold in the here and now.
As much as we can appreciate the individual prowess of a Dustin Wolf or John Gibson or Spencer Knight, if the club is going to struggle as a whole, fantasy points will always be harder to come by. If not, you can later sub them out for those who overachieve their way out of the goaltending woodwork.