Casey DeSmith

DeSmith struggled throughout the 2022-23 season, going 15-16-4 with a lackluster 3.17 GAA and .905 save percentage across 38 appearances. It was the worst performance in his five-year NHL career, but on the bright side, he was slightly better after the All-Star break, registering a .910 save percentage in 16 outings. After an offseason trade that sent him to Montreal from Pittsburgh, DeSmith was again traded to Vancouver in September. The 31-year-old will enter camp in a battle with several netminders, including Spencer Martin and Arturs Silovs for the backup job behind Thatcher Demko.

Tristan Jarry emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the league a season ago, but DeSmith still got into 26 games, managing 11 victories, a 2.79 GAA, and solid .914 save percentage. With Jarry battling a foot injury late in the year and into the playoffs, DeSmith seemed prime to lead the Penguins on their postseason run. He stopped 48 of 51 shots against the Rangers in Game 1 of the opening round before suffering a core-muscle injury which ended his year then and there and eventually required surgery. DeSmith signed a new two-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason, which locks him in as Jarry's backup through the 2023-24 campaign.

DeSmith was ticketed for a clear backup role behind No. 1 man Tristan Jarry to begin last season, but the former outplayed the latter and ended up earning 20 starts over the course of the year. DeSmith's 11-7-0 record, 2.54 GAA and .912 save percentage were all respectable numbers for a guy who entered the season with all of 50 NHL games under his belt. Jarry imploded in Pittsburgh's six-game first-round playoff loss to the Islanders, but DeSmith still found himself nailed to the bench the entire series. He is going to find himself behind Jarry in the pecking order to begin the upcoming campaign and it's still not out of the realm of possibility that the Penguins bring in a veteran goaltender to push both DeSmith and Jarry. Keep an eye on DeSmith to see how it all plays out, but as of now there's limited fantasy upside here.

Heading into the 2019-20 campaign, DeSmith was originally expected to be the No. 2 option behind Matt Murray while the team was openly shopping Tristan Jarry. A lot has changed since then, as Jarry will now be the guy in Pittsburgh while DeSmith will jump up from the AHL to take the backup role after not getting into a single NHL game last year. With the prospect of a condensed schedule, coach Mike Sullivan could deploy his netminders in a 60/40 split, but there's no doubt that Jarry will be the No. 1, limiting DeSmith's fantasy value to managers looking to deploy a tandem.

DeSmith was able to secure Pittsburgh's backup job during training camp ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. The 27-year-old went on to appear in 36 games, compiling a 15-11-5 record while posting a 2.75 GAA and three shutouts. While the Penguins still have Tristan Jarry in their system, the spot on the 23-man roster behind Matt Murray is firmly in DeSmith's hands. Considering Murray's injury woes, it wouldn't be surprising to see DeSmith log another 30-to-35 games with a strong Pens club this season, giving him the potential to be a decent streaming/No. 3 option in most fantasy formats.

Heading into training camp, DeSmith figures to be slightly behind Tristan Jarry in the battle for the No. 2 job in Pittsburgh -- if only because the organization used a high pick (44th overall) on Jarry. The competition to serve as Matt Murray's backup should be considered wide open and a decision for the Opening Night roster spot likely won't be made until well into September. Even if DeSmith were to find himself in the minors to start the season, both players are on two-way deals and a flip could be made at any point during the year. Considering how often Murray deals with injuries, the 26-year-old could see some time between the pipes in the NHL this year -- how much won't become clear for awhile.