Editor’s Note: Enjoy 15% off our NEW NBC Sports EDGE+ Subscription this holiday season and get every tool (Fantasy, DFS & Betting) for every game at a great low price. Use promo code HOLIDAY15 at checkout. Click here to Buy Now.
Week of December 27 - January 2
Great Options
Igor Shesterkin - New York Rangers: Shesterkin was dealing with a lower body injury throughout the earlier part of December, but was available to return to play on Wednesday December 22nd before postponements. Prior to his injury, the 25-year-old was on a five-game win streak. He posted a save percentage below .900 just once since the start of November. Shesterkin has a record of 13-3-2. Through 18 total appearances this season he accumulated a save percentage of .937 and a GAA of 2.05. The Rangers are scheduled to play the Florida Panthers once and the Tampa Bay Lightning twice this next week.
Thatcher Demko - Vancouver Canucks: Demko is another goalie who won five straight contests before the league started their Holiday Break early. The Canucks have become a brand-new team ever since Bruce Boudreau became their new head coach. The organization is riding some incredibly positive momentum and thus, this is the time to capitalize on the likelihood that Demko will post good numbers. Demko has a record of 13-11-1, along with a save percentage of .919 and a GAA of 2.63. The Canucks play the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken this week.
Juuse Saros - Nashville Predators: Saros is also a member of the five-game win streak club. Even in games where he is not at peak performance he manages to pick up a win. Overall, Saros has been posting pretty consistent numbers in the month of December. He has a record of 15-8-1. Saros has started 24 contests this season, during which he earned a save percentage of .924 and a GAA of 2.22. The Predators play the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks this upcoming week.
Andrei Vasilevskiy - Tampa Bay Lightning: Vasilevskiy will enter this last week of 2021 coming off seven consecutive wins. He has not picked up a single loss in the month of December and will look to finish off this perfect month with games against the Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers twice. Vasilevskiy has started 24 games this season. His record sits at 17-4-3. Vasilevskiy has a save percentage of .928 and a GAA of 2.14.
The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Good Options
Marc-Andre Fleury - Chicago Blackhawks: After having a rocky start to his time in Chicago, Fleury has turned things around as of late. He only posted a save percentage below .900 twice in his last 12 outings. Fleury is beginning to silence skeptics who thought that his good days in the crease were behind him. His record sits at 9-10-1. Through 20 total appearances Fleury has a save percentage of .913 and a GAA of 2.86. It is evident that he is the go-to choice for the Blackhawks in net. Chicago has a busy week ahead, as they will play the Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Calgary Flames.
Anton Forsberg - Ottawa Senators: Forsberg and the Senators went on a bit of a run at the beginning of December. Forsberg won five consecutive games during that time. Although it is unlikely that this was the beginning of any longer-term momentum, this might be an interesting time to roll the dice on Forsberg in a daily fantasy situation. Forsberg’s record sits at 6-5-1. Through 13 total appearances he has a save percentage of .908 and a GAA of 3.16. Ottawa will play the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs this upcoming week.
Bad Options
Kevin Lankinen - Chicago Blackhawks: While Fleury is recovering his slow start, Lankinen continues to have concerning stats heading into the end of 2021. In his last outing on December 18th against the Dallas Stars he allowed four goals on 39 shots to post a save percentage of .897. He has a record of 2-5-3. Lankinen has appeared in 11 games this season, during which he accumulated a save percentage of .884 and a GAA of 3.43. He will also definitely be seeing less ice time as Fleury’s numbers continue to improve.
Mikko Koskinen - Edmonton Oilers: Prior to the Holiday Break, Koskinen picked up four consecutive losses. He had a tough showing on December 14th against the Toronto Maple Leafs, during which he allowed five goals on 25 shots to post a save percentage of .800 flat. In fact, he only cracked a .900 save percentage once in those last four games. Koskinen’s record sits at 12-6-0. He has started 17 games this year and has posted a save percentage of .902. his GAA is currently at 3.16. The Oilers will play the St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders this week.
