The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

At the end of the day, both Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros stayed put.

Despite significant interest in Markstrom from the Devils and a deal that fell through at the last minute, the Flames opted to keep Markstrom for the remainder of the season even though they remain a longshot to make the playoffs.

The Predators' recent winning streak also meant there was no hurry to deal Saros and promote top prospect Yaroslav Askarov, who will have to wait just a little longer to make his mark in the NHL.

A number of other teams could've used some goaltending help, but it was only the Devils who made significant moves in net, acquiring veteran netminder Jake Allen from the Canadiens and swapped Vitek Vanecek for Kaapo Kahkonen with the Sharks.

Make no mistake, neither Allen nor Kahkonen come even close to Markstrom's ability, but the Devils needed to make a change. Even if Allen and Kahkonen don't move the needle, it at least allows them to option Akira Schmid and Nico Daws to the AHL, where they will be able to develop without the pressure of having to carry a team that has disappointed in nearly all facets this season.

Here's this week's post-trade deadline Goalie Report.

Trending Up

Frederik Andersen, Hurricanes (Since returning from injury: 2-0-0, .933 Sv%, 1.51 GAA)

It was an easy matchup for Andersen in his first game back – the Canes are 10-0-1 with only 1.6 goals against per game against the Habs since the 2019-20 season – but it was a very encouraging start nonetheless. With Antti Raanta getting waived, it looks like the Canes will carry Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin going forward, with Martin being the No. 3 option.

How the Canes will split the starts between Andersen and Kochetkov remains to be seen, but it's looking like a 50-50 split with Andersen potentially getting a few more starts because he's more experienced. Health is always going to be an issue with Andersen, but when he's healthy, he's proven that he can be one of the best in the league. Andersen's worth rostering right now while Kochetkov is worth holding onto for the rest of the season as long as the workload is evenly shared. 

Jake Allen, Devils (6-12-3, .892 Sv%, 3.65 GAA)

We can include Kahkonen as well, but my hunch is that Allen will get first crack at the starting job. He's played a little better and he has more experience, and a goalie with experience was something the Devils had lacked even going into the season. It felt like the Devils just made a change for the sake of change, especially with the playoffs increasingly out of reach. 

Freed from a three-goalie rotation in Montreal, Allen will at least get to play more games, and therefore increase his fantasy value simply with more volume. 

Visa issues for Allen and cross-country travel for Kahkonen coming from San Jose means we've yet to see them debut for the Devils, but I see no hurry to roster either of them in fantasy. We shall have to take a wait-and-see approach, and don't hold your breath for any miracles. 

Casey DeSmith, Canucks (8-4-5, .898 Sv%, 2.85 GAA)

It hasn't been a great season for DeSmith, who was very good from October to December but since Jan. 1 has gone 2-1-3 with a .864 Sv% and 3.33 GAA. His mediocre play was one reason why the Canucks started to lean on Thatcher Demko a lot more, but it looks like DeSmith will be thrust into the starting role in the short term; Demko left Saturday's game against the Jets with an apparent injury, though it's not expected to be serious.

Should Demko miss time, it would deprive the Canucks of their workhorse and arguably their MVP. Getting more starts means DeSmith's fantasy value will rise, but the quality of the starts will be questionable. The good news is the Canucks' elite offense can provide a ton of goal support for DeSmith to win games, and the Canucks play their next eight games at home. Feel free to stream DeSmith while Demko is unavailable, but don't expect anything spectacular.

Ilya Samsonov, Maple Leafs (Since March 1: 2-0-0, .946 Sv%, 1.45 GAA)

Everyone was looking forward to Joseph Woll's return, but not so fast, says Samsonov. Granted, Samsonov had the easier matchups with the Habs and Sabres while Woll had to face the Bruins twice, but Samsonov has been the better goalie lately. The Leafs are still figuring out their rotation, but it looks like Samsonov has the inside track to be the No. 1. Don't be surprised if this ends up being a timeshare for the rest of the season, but calls to drop Samsonov due to Woll's pending return were overblown.

Daniil Tarasov, Blue Jackets (Since March 1: 2-1-0, .941 Sv%, 2.36 GAA)

Tarasov has been so brilliant lately that he's held onto the starting job even after Elvis Merzlikins' return from an upper-body injury. The time is ticking on Merzlikins' time in Columbus; there were reports that he had requested a trade in the hopes of a fresh start, and even though he wasn't dealt at the deadline, it looks like Tarasov might be the future in the Jackets' net.

If Tarasov is indeed the future, then it makes a lot of sense for the Jackets to give him more playing time for the rest of the season. It's unlikely he'll be able to maintain his current pace, but expect the volume and share of his starts to increase.

Magnus Chrona, Sharks (1-2-1, .864 Sv%, 4.59 GAA)

Chrona had a magnificent game on March 2 against the Stars, and he looked very strong on March 9 against the Sharks, but sandwiched in between was a 7-2 loss to the Isles. It confirmed what we already knew – that Chrona can be good in spurts but still outmatched by most teams at this level. With Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood both injured, and Devin Cooley – acquired at the deadline from the Sabres but has zero NHL experience – serving as the backup, the Sharks have no other choice but to continue to start Chrona. There's very little fantasy value in a rookie goalie on a very bad team, but if you're looking for volume in starts and saves, Chrona is worth considering.

Trending Down

Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic, Penguins (Since March 1: 1-5-0, .849 Sv%, 4.69 GAA)

Unfortunately, it probably won't get much better for the Pens. Sidney Crosby can only do so much; the rest of the roster is either too thin on talent or simply too old. This has been a really poor stretch of play with no immediate answer to snap the team out of their funk. Both Jarry and Nedeljkovic are obvious fades for the remainder of the season as their playoff hopes dwindle, and, after trading Jake Guentzel, the already offensively challenged Pens will even have a harder time scoring goals and providing goal support for their goalies.

Alex Lyon and James Reimer, Red Wings (Since March 1: 0-4-0, .873 Sv%, 4.79 GAA)

Some of the Wings' struggle is due to the absence of captain and top center Dylan Larkin, who's an excellent two-way player. Mired in a five-game losing streak, including two shutout losses, the Wings should have an easy schedule coming up facing the Coyotes and the Sabres twice, but you'd have to think twice now before starting either Lyon or Reimer. This is an awful time for the Wings to slump, and the pressure is going to continue to mount as the wild card race in the East hits a fever pitch.

Ville Husso is participating at practice but his return is not believed to be imminent. That means Lyon will still be their top option unless Reimer starts to outplay him, so Lyon retains some fantasy value as a volume starter. The quality, however, is anyone's guess at this point.