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Week of December 20-26
Great Options
Cam Talbot - Minnesota Wild: Talbot’s current win streak now sits at six consecutive games. During those six games he has never posted a save percentage under .929. These wins came against some dynamic offenses in the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, so it is evident that Talbot is riding some great momentum. He has a record of 15-5-0 this season, along with a save percentage of .920 and a GAA of 2.59. This upcoming week the Wild play the Carolina Hurricanes, Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers. As of now, Talbot is a must-start.
Andrei Vasilevskiy - Tampa Bay Lightning: It is hard to believe that earlier this season Vasilevskiy was having a tough start to the year. However, he has now returned to his usual form and is producing consistently great numbers. Vasilevskiy has won four straight games. He has a record of 14-4-3. During his 21 starts, Vasilevskiy has accumulated a save percentage of .927 and a GAA of 2.17. Tampa Bay will play the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche in the next few days.
Jake Oettinger - Dallas Stars: Oettinger’s perfect record was finally snapped, as he picked up a loss during a game against the Los Angeles Kings on December 9th. However, even with a loss Oettinger posted great numbers in that matchup. He made 37 saves on 39 shots and ended his night with a save percentage of .949. He has made a total of seven appearances this season and has never posted a save percentage below .900 in any single game. His record now sits at 5-1-0. Oettinger has a save percentage of .951 and a GAA of 1.52. The Stars play the St. Louis Blues twice and the Chicago Blackhawks once next week.
Jacob Markstrom - Calgary Flames: The Flames sit at the top of the Pacific standings at the moment, and so Markstrom continues to remain a great option in net. He has started 20 games so far this season, and his record sits at 10-5-5. Markstrom has a save percentage of .936 and a GAA of 1.84. When considering goalies that have started over 10 games this season, Markstrom has the second-highest save percentage in the league. Calgary plays the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets this upcoming week.
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Good Options
Igor Shesterkin - New York Rangers: Shesterkin’s numbers this season have been phenomenal. He has a record of 13-3-2, along with a save percentage of .937 and a GAA of 2.05. When considering goalies that have started over 10 games this season, Shesterkin has the highest save percentage in the league. The only reason he falls down to being a good option is that he is still dealing with a lower body injury. He participated in morning skate on Friday, so it seems as though he could return to action rather soon. Before his injury Shesterkin won five straight games. Whenever he does return to action, he is a must-start. The Rangers play the Colorado Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights this next week.
Ilya Sorokin - New York Islanders: Describing the 2021-2022 season so far for the Islanders as disappointing would be an understatement. The team sits at the bottom of the league standings at number 29. The one slight positive for the squad is the play of Sorokin. Even when he picks up losses, generally his individual numbers are not too bad. His record sits at 6-6-4. During his 16 appearances this season, Sorokin has accumulated a save percentage of .924 and a GAA of 2.53. The Islanders made a deep playoff run last season, so there might be a time soon when they finally catch a break and go on a mini-streak. That will be something to look out for because with support from the rest of his team, Sorokin’s numbers will be far more impressive. The Islanders play the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights this next week.
Bad Options
Philipp Grubauer - Seattle Kraken: Grubauer’s level of play continues to remain largely inconsistent. This past week he had a particularly rough showing against the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 6th. During that game he allowed three goals on four shots and was pulled after posting an ice time of just 5:07. As 2021 comes to an end, it is a bit worrisome that Grubauer continues to fluctuate as much as he does. He has a record of 7-11-2. In his 21 appearances this season he has a save percentage of .887 and a GAA of 3.16. The Kraken play the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs this week.
Semyon Varlamov - New York Islanders: While Sorokin’s individual play rivals the overall lack of success the Islanders are facing, Varlamov cannot say the same. He has still yet to pick up his first win this season. His record sits at 0-5-1. During his seven total appearances Varlamov has a save percentage of .884 and a GAA of 3.29. In comparison, Varlamov ended the 2020-2021 season with a save percentage of .929 and a GAA of 2.04.
