Fantasy Mailbag - November 8

[Wayne Bonney]

Hi Justin,

I have Lundqvist, Bryzgalov, Anderson and Neuvirth as Goaltenders and I have to start 2. I'm currently starting Lundqvist and Bryzgalov.

I'm very happy with Neuvirth's season.... I got your full analysis on that, very very interesting. Lundqvist has been playin great recently but I am bit worried about Bryzgalov. How has he been playing ? I know his stats in my pool (wins are 2 points and Shutout 1 extra point, avg and save % don't count) are a bit weak but is it mostly due ot the Coyotes slow start are should I be thinking about starting Anderson when he comes back or Neuvirth. I have Neuvirth benched and I see him packing in the wins but Varlamov should be coming back soon.

What are your thoughts ?

Thanks a lot!

[His Dudeness]

Thanks for doing this. In my league (the one in my sig), should I drop Osgood for Holtby? I am going for it this year (I won last year and I'm winning this year). You'll see from my sig that we can carry a max of 3 goalies and we must start 2 - I have Halak and Quick. Osgood is sitting on my bench. I'm thinking he'll play another 2 years after this, but who knows where and in what situation. Should I pull the trigger?

[sasquatch]

Hi Justin,

I would like to know your thoughts on how LA play out thier tenders, With Quick playing so well will they really keep Bernier as backup for the forseeable future (next 2 years). Or will they trade one of them while thier hot/hyped?

Same question again but to do with Vancouver - Luongo and Schneider.

[GoalieGuild]

You mention about goalies that have started a lot so far starting to show some energy drain about this time of the year ... when can we expect Backstrom to slow down? He also did the trip over to Europe and has started every game except two I believe?

I don't think Backstrom is going to slow down as rapidly as some others because of the way he plays. His style thrives on limited movement and being in position. He is very composed and efficient and calm. He doesn't exert a lot of energy over the course of a 60 minute game so facing 35 shots is not as grueling as someone like Rask or Bryzgalov or Hiller facing the exact same workload.

Here's a look at shots-per-game average:

Minnesota is giving up 31.7 shots per game, which is 21st in the NHL. They only average 24.5 shots per game, which is DEAD LAST lol...so there's a pretty big disparity right there.

Backstrom - 11GP - 666 MINS - 339 SA's - 30.18 SPG or .51 SPM - .941%

If you look at the other goalies around him as far as minutes played, he's proving that he's back and he's not displaying an energy drain. 30.18 shots per game is perfect. Not too high, not too low. Nice and steady. 10 shots a period.

A lot of why Backstrom is able to carry a heavy workload and stay consistent is simply his durable style. He's in great shape, he's a veteran, he's even-keeled. If the team in front of him continues to provide offensive support and play well, I don't see much changing!

[GoalieGuild]

Hi there, I have some goalie issues at the moment to say the least. I drafted Miller and Rinne and neither of them have been all that impressive so far. Both Pavelec and Lindback are available free agents and I'm thinking about picking one up. How do you see the Nashville and Atlanta situations playing out? Which would be the better pickup to solidify my tending?

I would definitely cap the Predators goalies and snag Lindback. That is always a good position to be in because they motivate and play off each other, and Nashville isn't going to lose too many more games in a row, especially once they get healthier. It's just a low point.

Same goes for Rinne. He's too good to keep struggling like this. It will just take one strong game to snap him back into focus. And if you read school of block, you know that I think Miller will be much better when he gets back, and so will the entire Sabres team. So you might have issues right now, but pick up Lindback and play him right now and then let that play out for a few weeks!

I still have high hopes for Pavelec, but I think his game is going to rise much slower than I originally expected a few weeks ago. He needs time to adjust. Couple of tough OT losses for him already. On top of everything else, that's quite a mental drain.

[BlackGold]

What happens to the Rask/Thomas combo next year? Will Thomas be moved for sure this summer or will they let Rask and Thomas battle it out agian?

And if I have Lundqvist for 2 more years, or Rask or Neuvirth for 4 more years, which goalie would you keep?

[PrairieDog]

Hi Justin,

Question about Dustin Tokarski - will he get any time with TB this year, and does he have a legit shot at eventually being a solid #1? Smith and Ellis have not been great, and I think Desjardins is still a while away from making any impact (?). Tokarsi has been touted for a while...will he be another Justin Pogge? Is Desjardins the more likely guy to eventually take over in TB?

Thanks

[GoalieGuild]

Hi Justin,

I have Lundqvist, Bryzgalov, Anderson and Neuvirth as Goaltenders and I have to start 2. I'm currently starting Lundqvist and Bryzgalov.

I'm very happy with Neuvirth's season.... I got your full analysis on that, very very interesting. Lundqvist has been playin great recently but I am bit worried about Bryzgalov. How has he been playing ? I know his stats in my pool (wins are 2 points and Shutout 1 extra point, avg and save % don't count) are a bit weak but is it mostly due ot the Coyotes slow start are should I be thinking about starting Anderson when he comes back or Neuvirth. I have Neuvirth benched and I see him packing in the wins but Varlamov should be coming back soon.

What are your thoughts ?

Thanks a lot!

I think Neuvirth will be fine in tomorrow's game and expecting him to play how he was back in October. He just needs a little rest. Bryzgalov will continue to log heavy minutes and he has a tough game tonight against Detroit so this game on Versus will go a long way in determining whether or not he is losing focus and suffering from energy drain. I'll be watching, so I'll comment on it via twitter at @TheGoalieGuild

I don't see Anderson being the same goalie h e was last October and November when he gets back into the lineup. Maybe after a few games, but it will depend on just how healthy he is. He's a read and react goalie that relies on sudden movements and if he's not 100% I'll be able to tell right away. But I would much rather you start Neuvirth over Anderson if you wan to give Bryzgalov a break! Tonight and tomorrow will determine a lot of this as Bryz and Neuvy get their starts!

[GoalieGuild]

Thanks for doing this. In my league (the one in my sig), should I drop Osgood for Holtby? I am going for it this year (I won last year and I'm winning this year). You'll see from my sig that we can carry a max of 3 goalies and we must start 2 - I have Halak and Quick. Osgood is sitting on my bench. I'm thinking he'll play another 2 years after this, but who knows where and in what situation. Should I pull the trigger?

Well I can answer one thing for you - Osgood will finish his career in Detroit. If they choose not to re-sign him this summer, as long as he has hit the 400-win mark (he's already at 398) then I could see him retiring, especially if he is injured more often than not this year. He can still play another 3-4 more years, but I don't think he's going to want to go through a trade or waiver at this stage in his life.

Holtby, for this year, is directly related to Varlamov's health. He stays with the Caps when Varly is out, or if Neuvy gets hurt. And he will be excellent when in between the pipes. He's worth owning in a keeper league over Osgood though, for sure. I would definitely make the move. You will be glad you did at this point next season.

[jasdou]

Hey Justin,

As usual, thanks for your time and always useful insight! DiPietro was just dropped in my keeper league (team in sig). I was wondering if he was worth grabbing, either with a waiver claim (6th out of 12) or as a FA (on Wednesday).

I grabbed Hedberg when Brodeur went down and I wouldn't mind swapping those two, I'm just wondering whether it's worth it.

Thanks!

(As a side note, would you start Bryzgalov against Detroit tonight? I'm leaning towards benching him!)

[wombat104]

8 team pool, start 2 goalies. Cats are Save %, GAA, W and Shutouts.

My goalies: Fluerry, B. Johnson, Rinne, and S. Mason.

What to do? I can't cut a F or D to pick up another goalie so if I pick up a G one has to go.

Available: Hiller, C. Mason, Khabibulin, Elliot, Gustavsson, Garon, Lindbeck, Pavelec, DiPietro, and most other back ups.

Thoughts?

[TundraArc]

Justin

I posted the below message back on your October 11 mailbag but I must've done so too late. I was hoping to get your feedback. The only change since then is I've managed to pick up Holtby. As a side note I missed out on Conklin.
I guess I want to know if I'm actually improving my goalie situation or is it all just a lateral movement with so many unproven players at the NHL level. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. We do have a farm team but because all these players came from FA I can't drop them down to my farm so I'm stuck with them unless I just out right drop them and hope no one else grabs them.

Regards
David


Goalie Guild

I took over a team in a 18 team H2H Dynasty League. The goalie situation was an absolute mess with the likes of Labarbera, Biron and Backlund as my goaltenders. Through trade, and it probably wasn't the best of trades, I managed to get Leighton and JDD. I also dropped Labarbera and Biron in favor of Lindback and Karlsson. With Leighton on IR I also grabbed McElhinney but I'm not expecting anything there.

I've read your entries regarding JDD, Lindback and Karlsson and while they do sound postive and give some hope I have to wonder what does it mean for my team? I have Stamkos, but I really would like to avoid dealing him to land a netminder as he's a central piece on my team. Conklin was recently dropped and I can try for him or burn my 4th waiver priority, though I think it could be reserved for something better. Any insight or offerings would be greatly appreciated.

[dyzfunctioned]

No question. Just make my goalies stop sucking. Please and thank you

[TundraArc]

No question. Just make my goalies stop sucking. Please and thank you

If he had that kind of power he'd be a very rich man.

Fleury would be knocking on his door as well.

[GoalieGuild]

Hi Justin,

I would like to know your thoughts on how LA play out thier tenders, With Quick playing so well will they really keep Bernier as backup for the forseeable future (next 2 years). Or will they trade one of them while thier hot/hyped?

Same question again but to do with Vancouver - Luongo and Schneider.

LA will do what most teams will do - ride the hot goalie. Quick was given the first opportunity and rightfully so and he hasn't struggled yet. Once he starts to struggle and loses a few games, Bernier will get more opportunities. I think Bernier is steadily rising, he almost notched a shutout in his last start, and will get better as the season goes along.

Yes, the Kings will keep Bernier in the system. I wouldn't think of Quick and Bernier as "starter" and "backup" because they are two good goalies capable of carrying the workload. I can't really answer whether or not the Kings will trade one of them because it will depend on offers, salary issues, etc. I do know that Martin Jones is capable of being an excellent NHL goalie and has more long-term value than Jeff Zatkoff. So maybe the Kings will trade one after Jones develops for at least 1 full year in the AHL. Just depends =)