Whether you’re in the midst of you fantasy playoffs or entering the final week of the regular season, it’s crunch time in fantasy. The whole season has been leading to the next few weeks, which means the pressure is on. The bigger the games get, the more important streaming and using your weekly pickups is. Making a couple shrewd adds could be the difference between winning and losing this time of year.
One of the easiest positions to stream is goaltenders. With back-to-backs and 1A/AB situations everywhere these days, picking up a goalie or two for a spot start is a great way to maximize your chances at winning each week. Here’s a few goalies to consider adding this coming week to gain some starts.
Akira Schmid – New Jersey Devils
Akira Schmid hasn’t played in the NHL a ton this year, but when he has he’s been very solid. The 22-year-old rookie was recently called back up to the big club with Mackenzie Blackwood out indefinitely. Schmid’s recall is good news for fantasy managers in need of some goaltending help. Schmid has played in 13 games this year, and sits with a 7–4–1 record along with an impressive .925 save percentage and 1.99 GAA.
Since his recent call up on February 21, he’s played in four games, posting a .940 save percentage and a 2–0–1 record with one shutout. Of the three games he’s started, none have been back-to-backs so it’s not like he’s only playing in back-to-back situations. He’s not going to steal the starting job, but it’s clear the Devils trust the rookie enough to play him as a 1B. With four games on the schedule including a back-to-back next week, Schmid is a lock to get at least one start if not multiple. At just 12% owned in Yahoo!, Schmid is a must-add going into the fantasy playoffs if you’re in need of help between the pipes.
David Rittich – Winnipeg Jets
David Rittich is perhaps one of the streakiest backups in the league. The man they called “Big Save Dave” can turn out a huge performance some nights and then look lost his next start. His numbers aren’t horrible this season as he’s posted a .906 save percentage and 9–6–1 record. Of those nine wins, he posted a save percentage above .930 in four of them. If you’re willing to gamble that the Big Save Dave version of Rittich shows up this week, he’s worth a stream.
The Jets play a back-to-back this week against the Predators on Saturday and then the Blues on Sunday. With the Predators chasing the Jets for the final playoff spot in the West, Connor Hellebuyck is a lock to start on Saturday leaving the Sunday game open for Rittich. The Blues have lost eight of their last 10 and are in full on tank mode at this point. Add in that Sunday is an off-night for over half the league and Rittich could be a nice add to close out the week.
Jaroslav Halak – New York Rangers
After a heater to start 2023, Jaroslav Halak has come back down to earth in recent weeks. After posting four wins in the month of January along with a .946 save percentage, Halak went 2–1–1 in February with an ugly .884 save percentage. That said—in similar ways to Rittich—Halak’s shown he can still put up quality starts, just not consistently. If you’re in need of goalie starts this week Halak could be a good option if you’re desperate.
With the Rangers scheduled for four games this coming week along with a back-to-back to close out the week, Halak is set to get at least one start. The most likely scenario is he plays in the second half of the Rangers back to back on Sunday against the Predators. The Predators are still alive in the playoff race, but they’re far from a juggernaut after selling at the deadline. They’re averaging just two goals a game over their last five games, while the Rangers have a loaded roster. Despite their recent struggles the Rangers should be heavy favourites in this one and Halak should have a good chance at a win.
Pyotr Kochetkov – Carolina Hurricanes
Filling in for the injured Anti Raanta and Fredrik Andersen earlier this season, Pyotr Kochetkov started the season on fire. After being called up on November 10, Kochetkov posted a 10–1–4 record along with a .928 save percentage and 1.94 GAA in his first 15 games. His play fell off a bit and he was eventually returned to the AHL once Andersen got healthy, but with Raanta now on the sidelines Kochetkov is back in the NHL.
His first start since returning went perfectly as he posted a 19-save shutout against the Flyers last Thursday. The Hurricanes are scheduled to face the lowly Flyers again in a back to back next Saturday so there’s a good chance we see Kochetkov in the crease again if Raanta remains sidelined. If Kochetkov does get the start, he’s an easy add as the Hurricanes should have no issues defeating the Flyers again.
Managing your lineup
With fantasy matchups more important than ever this time of the year, streaming goalies can be a great way to increase your odds at a win. With the above goalies likely to start in some favourable matchups this week and easy to add in most league’s, you’ve got a great way to boost your teams odds of winning.
