The Goalie Report: Risers & Fallers

For most fantasy leagues, this is it. Week 25, which runs April 1-7 in head-to-head matchups, will be the championship matchup.

There is an additional Week 26 for the final one-and-half weeks of the season that runs from April 8 until April 18, the official end of the NHL season. However, it's common for playoff-bound teams to rest their key veteran players and for nonplayoff teams to audition minor leaguers and prospects for the following season.

To avoid a situation in which a fantasy team is missing its top players because their NHL teams chose to give them some rest, most fantasy leagues will end early.

If you've made it to your championship matchup this week, congratulations and good luck.

Here's this week's Goalie Report.

Trending Up

Logan Thompson, Golden Knights (Since March 17: 5-0-0, .962 Sv%, 1.13 GAA)

Since the ugly 7-2 loss to the Sabres on March 2, Thompson has been excellent in Adin Hill's absence. He's been instrumental in keeping the Knights above the cut-off line, and at this rate, the Knights are not in a hurry to get Hill back in the lineup. The Knights play a league-low two games in Week 25 – the Canucks and Coyotes – and expect Thompson to be in net for both of them unless Hill returns.

Alex Nedeljkovic, Penguins (Last week: 2-0-1, .938 Sv%, 1.95 GAA)

Saturday's shootout loss to the Jackets should not be pinned on Nedeljkovic, who made 35 saves (.921 Sv%), putting in another fine performance while Tristan Jarry is benched. The Pens play back-to-back Monday and Tuesday, which they will surely split between Nedeljkovic and Jarry.

If Nedeljkovic continues to play well, look for the Pens to continue to lean on him; only if Jarry outplays Nedeljkovic by a significant margin do I see Jarry claiming the starting job and potentially starting Thursday in Washington and Saturday when they host the Lightning.

The Pens are not a high-upside option due to their limited offense and inconsistent efforts. The Pens could've easily swept their home-and-home series against the Jackets, but a late collapse in which they blew a 3-1 lead cost them the second point. Nedeljkovic offers some great peripherals right now, but the wins aren't coming easily. It's possible that if he continues to play well, he will finish as the Pens' starter.  

Joonas Korpisalo, Senators (Since March 23: 4-0-0, .926 Sv%, 2.25 GAA)

To be fair, Anton Forsberg was really good in his one start since March 23, but the Sens are really on a roll. Korpisalo has been excellent, and the Sens have offered up some under-the-radar fantasy options down the stretch. (Where was this during the season, right?!)

The Sens will face only one opponent (Panthers) that's locked into a playoff spot in Week 25, giving them a chance to extend their winning streak. I'd be wary of starting Korpisalo because he can implode at any moment, but if you don't mind riding a hot streak, the time to pick up Korpisalo is now.

Ilya Samsonov, Maple Leafs (20-6-7, .893 Sv%, 3.03 GAA)

That record looks spectacular, but the peripherals do not. However, in his first start in a week, Samsonov shut out the Sabres with a 34-save effort. While Joseph Woll has often looked like the steadier and more reliable goalie, Samsonov continues to get results.

His performances are volatile, but he's played himself back into fantasy relevance and potentially a bigger piece of the timeshare in the Leafs' net. It'll be interesting to see if the Leafs alternate starts between Samsonov and Woll, and, right now, Samsonov's fantasy value is definitely trending up again.

Mackenzie Blackwood, Sharks (Last week: 1-2-0, .925 Sv%, 2.67 GAA)

If you need volume, Blackwood's the guy, because there doesn't seem to be much confidence in the inexperienced Devin Cooley or Magnus Chrona, who was re-assigned to the minors. With four home games coming up and only one of them against a playoff-bound opponent – the Kings – Blackwood might have some sneaky value. He can surely rack up the saves, with an outside chance of at least beating the Kraken on Monday, and either the Blues or Coyotes during their weekend back-to-back.

Philipp Grubauer, Kraken (11-13-2, .897 Sv%, 2.93 GAA)

Here's a sneaky Week 25 play for you: Assuming the Kraken don't break away from their rotation, Grubauer is slated to face the Sharks on Monday and the Ducks on Friday. He'll draw the two easiest matchups during their three-game week with Joey Daccord drawing the Kings on Wednesday.

The Kraken do not provide good goal support and they've generally been disappointing since the franchise's inception but, surely, they can notch wins against arguably the two worst teams in the league. Grubauer doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in fantasy, but perhaps no goalie will get better matchups in Week 25.

Arturs Silovs, Canucks (Season debut: 22 of 24 saves, Win)

Silovs is the Canucks' top-rated prospect in their system, and with Thatcher Demko retroactively placed on LTIR and unable to return before April 6, Silovs will be sticking with the big club for a while longer. He drew the start Sunday against the Ducks and stopped 22 of 24 shots in a win, and the Canucks play back-to-back Tuesday and Wednesday, ensuring that Silovs will get at least one more start before Demko returns. Hopefully, it's Wednesday in Arizona, where Silovs can be a good streaming option.

Trending Down

Alexandar Georgiev, Avalanche (Last week: 2-0-0, .842 Sv%, 4.20 GAA)

Georgiev's play has been concerning all season, but perhaps what's more concerning is Jared Bednar's lack of patience with him. In Saturday's matchup against the Preds, after allowing his fourth goal on just 13 shots, Georgiev was pulled after he was assessed a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Bednar admitted in the postgame presser that Georgiev's undisciplined penalty played into his decision to pull him.

While Georgiev has paced the league in wins, he's largely been able to accomplish this on the back of the Avs' elite offense and goal support. With the playoffs approaching, the Avs will likely stick with Georgiev as their starter, but Justus Annunen has looked very good in recent weeks. If Bednar really gets tired of Georgiev's play and antics, we might see more Annunen down the stretch.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres (Last week: 0-2-0, .774 Sv%, 6.40 GAA)

The worst part about Luukkonen's recent play is that the Sabres have a Plan B they're willing to go to immediately in Devon Levi. Luukkonen has been very good all season, but he's still young and relatively inexperienced, and it's just been a volatile season for goalies in fantasy. With the playoffs likely out of reach for the Sabres, we might see less of Luukkonen as the team opts to rotate its goalies.