Smith or Holtby

[The Comish]

I have a tough decision to make in the first league in my signature. We keep four, but only 1 goaltender. I could go with zero goaltenders, but I'm determined to keep one of these two 'tenders.

Do I go with the older, more experienced Smith and hope that he and Arizona turn in better performances this year OR go with the younger goalie with decent potential (in my opinion), who also gets what many consider the top goaltending coach in the game? Just looking for some different views that may swing me one way or the other. I do have a leading candidate, but I am far from set on which guy I'll settle on.

[The Bottlenecker]

Everyone seems to have forgotten Holtby's woes last year, and many are predicting bigger & better things from the young net minder now that Trotz is the Capitals coach, and Mitch Korn is the new goaltending coach there. Smith, in his early 30's, looked tired at times last year, and I don't think he will ever match his career year in 2011-12. If you like to gamble, then Holtby may be worth the risk.
Mind you, with your settings, I would think a guy like Wayne Simmonds would be pretty valuable too. But if you are set on keeping a tender, you know how I feel.

[lucifer316]

i would go with Holtby

[Shake]

Mike Smith.

I like Holby and I am excited about Trotz in Washington and also their new goalie coach and a better balance on defense in front of him. In saying that however, I still go with Mike Smith. I like his track record in Arizona and he's been a staple in their crease and been very consistent in that system. I expect more of the same this coming year as well. Overall, keeping the 4 players Smith has to be your choice.

On a side note: I agree that you do keep at least one of the tenders and as indicated I think Smith is your keeper here.

Holtby might be more sexier with the changes coming in Washington, but until it's proven over time on the ice, I go with history of reliability with Mike Smith

[ztking]

Smith is locked in for a few years and has no one seriously challenging him. He is a safer bet for the next few years.

[lucifer316]

Mike Smith.

I like Holby and I am excited about Trotz in Washington and also their new goalie coach and a better balance on defense in front of him. In saying that however, I still go with Mike Smith. I like his track record in Arizona and he's been a staple in their crease and been very consistent in that system. I expect more of the same this coming year as well. Overall, keeping the 4 players Smith has to be your choice.

On a side note: I agree that you do keep at least one of the tenders and as indicated I think Smith is your keeper here.

respectfully but i think that people are thinking that his 1 season was longer than it was

he has played 3 seasons in Phoenix a 2.21 .930, a 2.58 .910 and a 2.64 .915

he is at this point in his career a one hit wonder imo and at 32 i am not sure it gets better from here

i am not suggesting those other 2 seasons were bad seasons, but they aren't that great either

at best i think he is a 2.50 .914 goalie from here on out, he is not a top 10 guy imo

not that Holtby is either but i think that Holtby has a better chance than Smith does at this point

12 team league keep only 1 goalie and perhaps neither should be kept but imo Smith definitely shouldn't be kept as one of twelve goalies

[The Comish]

Thanks for your opinions so far guys! Heading in to last year, I protected Kopitar, Byfuglien, Phaneuf and Smith. I ended up drafting Holtby because I wasn't thrilled with Smith as my #1. I also drafted Doughty and Pacioretty and then parlayed Dough Boy, MaxPac and Kopitar into Stamkos. No matter who I protect in goal, one of my top picks will have to be another goaltender with the hopes that he turns out better than either Smith or Holtby. I hate keeping only four, but thems the rules.

[pmorrow]

In a keep four I suppose you could manage without a goalie, especially since theres a max of 1 goalie, so only max 11 goalies will be unavailable to draft. What I would do is just draft extra goalies - 4 or 5 total - and see which ones win starting jobs. For instance, after grabbing your top 3 goalies, a late pick on John Gibson, Brian Elliot or Anton Khudobin could yield huge value. If you insist on keeping a goalie, then I would stick with Smith who has a very safe job. Holtby was NOT good this past year. I owned both this past year and elected to keep Smith and trade Holtby. I'm also in a 12 team, but it's a keep 6.

[JAMZ]

Smith outperformed Holtby last year.

Smith .915 / 2.64 / 27 wins in 62 games
Holtby .915 / 2.84/ 23 wins in 48 games

Except here's the thing - Smith has done this for years (career .914 SV%, 2.56 GAA), while Holtby has just had a horrible season, changing his mechanics and losing his job multiple times and still posted a .915 SV% and won 23 games in far fewer starts. Then there's this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...braden-holtby/

So it looks like he's finally got a mgmt. team in Washington that will support a #1 goalie properly. The Caps also outscored the Coyotes last regular season (2.74 goals per game to 2.56 goals per game) so I believe Holtby has real support to win more games.

Last thing. There's no reason to use a keeper on a mediocre goalie like Smith as he's only that good unless you pray for him to repeat his one and only great year. I say keep Holtby for his upside, or why not just keep Simmonds.

[Big Baby]

Holtby all the way. If what they say about changing his mechanics is true, then I would expect big things next year. Remember that before last season Holtby was one of the best fantasy goalies around. His numbers were ridiculous. 23-12-1 in 36 starts in 12-13'. Also, apparently last season the let Holtby return to his style for his last 7 or so starts. He went 4-2-1 ( and a .947 SV%) and the shootout loss was a 1-0 loss to the Lightning where he played his ass off.

With all the changes in Washington, new coach, new goalie coach, new system, a GM who believes in him and knows what he's all about.

The stage is set for a huge bounce-back year.

[Shoeless]

Russ - I think your choice is to keep Holtby or a skater. I don't think Smith is going to help you much in a roto league. Holtby could really shine next season or not, but the probability lies with him at this point. Not sure I would keep a tender here, but don't have a feel for the league so not sure.

[petegreg21]

I voted Holtby in a heartbeat. Didn't even care to hear an argument for Smith

[pmorrow]

Wow, as a Smith owner this thread makes me a little unsettled. Luckily I am in a keep 6 and should be able to draft a solid goalie in the first round of my draft to perhaps supplant Smith as my #2. There will be a pile of good goalies available including Bernier, Schneider, Holtby and Halak.

[The Comish]

Thanks for all your opinions guys, truly appreciated. I was torn between the two with Holtby having the edge in my mind (higher potential, younger age, better team). I think I'm probably going to go with Holtby and hope that the additions to the coaching staff will translate into a stellar season for Holtby AND the Caps.

[Kofax]

If I had to pick, I would pick Smith, but I would prefer to find a better goalie option then either of these two.