The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

The big blockbuster trades so far have included only forwards and defensemen in a season where goaltending has been a minefield in fantasy. Surely, more dominoes will fall, but it's curious that a few teams that have lost their starting goalies or otherwise need goaltending help — such as the Knights and Penguins — have yet to make their moves. In some cases, the temporary solution, namely Pheonix Copley in L.A., has worked out so well that it hasn't necessitated any moves.

Here are the goalies to keep an eye on in this week's Goalie Report.

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Pheonix Copley, Kings (17-3-1, .904 Sv%, 2.70 GAA)

The Copley train has not stopped. He would've been in line to secure his 18th win had he not gotten tossed Friday against the Ducks for using his blocker in a fight, and except for a few games here and there, he's been excellent as the Kings' starter. He's a huge step up from Jonathan Quick, who's merely a backup at this point of his career, and at this rate, the Kings may not need to trade for an established starter.

Copley is rostered in just 55 percent of all Yahoo leagues, and he's worth rostering for the rest of the season as long as the Kings stick with him as their top option. Even if the Kings end up trading for someone, Copley won't have cost you anything but a waiver-wire pickup.

Filip Gustavsson, Wild (13-8-2, .928 Sv%, 2.12 GAA)

Trivia: Since Nov. 1, who is the NHL's leader in both save percentage and goals-against average? It's Gustavsson, who edges presumptive Vezina favourite Linus Ullmark (.935 vs. .934 and 1.90 vs. 196) in both categories. Wild, huh?

Here's the problem: the Wild can't score. Despite Gustavsson's extraordinary performances, which have helped him earn more starts over Marc-Andre Fleury, the Wild also rank 25th in goals for per game during that span, averaging a paltry 2.76 goals per game. Their 5-on-5 play just hasn't been good, and they're overly reliant on their power play to provide scoring. It's really hurt Gustavsson's fantasy value, and based on GM Bill Guerin's recent move to buy a draft pick to facilitate a trade for a Cup contender (albeit one from the East), perhaps the Wild aren't really interested in going for it this season. If the Wild can't win games, it will cap Gustavsson's fantasy value, but he still has enough appeal due to his excellent peripherals. Gustavsson is available in over 40 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Mads Sogaard and Kevin Mandolese, Senators (Since Feb. 13 combined: 2-0-1, .923 Sv%, 2.86 GAA)

This is unlikely to last, but it's worth mentioning that Sogaard and Mandolese, the Sens' third and fourth-string goalies, respectively, have actually fared quite well. All three games went into extra time and the Sens played spoiler in two of them, including a key win against the Isles in a tight Eastern Conference wild card race. Make no mistake, Sogaard and Mandolese are unlikely to sustain this level of play for the long term, but it may at least make the Sens think about trading Cam Talbot, who should soon be returning to action soon from injury.

Should Talbot get traded, and with Anton Forsberg likely out for the season after tearing his MCL in both knees (though it won't require surgery at this point), that means Sogaard and Mandolese are both in line to get increased ice time. When the Sens offense is rolling, Ottawa can beat most teams on any given night, giving both goalies some streaming value.

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Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight, Panthers

The Panthers' goalies are the ultimate tease. Bobrovsky has looked excellent since returning from injury. He won consecutive games against the Lightning and Sharks with just two total goals allowed, made 45 saves against the Avs and beat the Caps, but then he followed it up with a 7-3 loss to the Preds and their backup goalie. In between, Knight started against the Blues and allowed five goals on 27 shots, and the Panthers are still nowhere closer to securing a playoff spot.

It's an infuriating tandem to manage in fantasy, though it's pretty clear that Bobrovsky is the No. 1. Knight has made very few inroads when it comes to taking the starting job, yet he's rostered in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. It's true that Knight possesses tremendous upside, but it's unlikely to be realized this season, so managers should look at dropping Knight and better utilizing that extra roster spot.

Casey DeSmith and Dustin Tokarski, Penguins (Since Jan. 1 combined: 7-8-2, .897 Sv%, 3.51 GAA)

The Penguins cannot wait for Tristan Jarry to come back. Their goaltending has been absolutely atrocious with DeSmith and Tokarski in net, and their playoff hopes have taken a huge hit with losses to the Isles and Devils. It's been so bad that neither has been reliable a streaming option, and it will stay that way unless the Pens make a big move to bolster their roster. According to naturalstattrick.com's goals saved above average model at 5-on-5, DeSmith is among the bottom 20 goalies out of the 92 to make an appearance this season.

Jack Campbell, Oilers (Past two starts: 0-2-0, .869 Sv%, 3.70 GAA)

We all knew this was happening at some point. After winning eight in a row in January, Campbell has allowed four goals in consecutive losses. Both were shootout losses, so Campbell deserves some reprieve, but it's a far cry from where he was a month ago and the Oilers still need the bare minimum from their goalies even with the league's best offense.

Campbell was an intriguing goalie at the beginning of the fantasy season due to the Oilers' upside but quickly hit the waiver wire once Stuart Skinner took over the starting job. Campbell is rostered in nearly 80 percent of Yahoo leagues, but given his streaky play, it's probably time to dump him again. Skinner should draw the next start — a difficult one against the Avs in Colorado — and barring another meltdown should get a crack at the No. 1 job again.