The Puck Stops Here
It's time we revisited what goaltenders are making headlines. Netminders can be a rare commodity depending on the league and in others they can commonly be passed from one squad to another via the waiver wire once they have outlived their usefulness. We will take a look at some keepers who should be on your radar for pickups, while looking at some of the top stories that could be impacting your crease situation.
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Mumps hit Pittsburgh
Marc-Andre Fleury gave the Penguins and fantasy owners alike a scare when he was being tested for the mumps. Thankfully, his results ended up negative for the illness and he will start Thursday's game against Colorado.
It was initially thought that he would miss the match and Thomas Greiss would start instead. However, it turned into an odd situation Thursday morning when Greiss was being tested for the mumps and Fleury was cleared for game action. Jeff Zatkoff is with the team as insurance just in case Greiss is unable to play.
I was ready to fully endorse picking up Greiss before everything changed at Pittsburgh's game-day skate. He was going to get a good chance to serve as the team's starter if Fleury was out for an extended period, but that won't be the case here. Fleury has been excellent and his current pace has him on track for a career year, which will probably amount to less opportunities for Greiss. Fleury owns a .927 save percentage and a 2.10 goals-against average, which ranks him sixth in the league in both categories. He is also tied for second in the NHL with 17 victories and his five shutouts has him tied for first overall with New York's Henrik Lundqvist.
Ben Bishop goes down
Bishop removed himself from games three times last season, while missing action with an ankle injury, a dislocated elbow and a wrist ligament issue that required off-season surgery. He waited until the first period was done on Monday before he left Tampa Bay's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh with a lower-body injury. Bishop hopes to be back before the end of the week, but with the Christmas break just around the corner the Lightning could err on the side of caution and keep him out Dec. 27.
If that's the case then highly-touted prospect Andrei Vasilevskiy could see more time following an impressive NHL debut against Philadelphia on Tuesday. He turned aside 23 of 24 shots in a 3-1 victory. The situation is worth monitoring because the 20-year-old is an intriguing short-term option.
Bishop didn't skate on Thursday even though he reported that he was feeling better. It is looking unlikely that he'll play this weekend, which means that Evgeni Nabokov and Vasilevskiy could split Tampa Bay's back-to-back situation on Friday and Saturday.
Crawford ready to return
Corey Crawford is poised to return to Chicago's lineup this weekend after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. He wanted to play Tuesday night against Minnesota, but was held out because the Blackhawks didn't see the need to rush him back.
Scott Darling, who filled in more than admirably during Crawford's absence, went back to the minors after Antti Raanta made 26 stops in a 5-3 victory over the Wild. Darling is worth keeping on your watch list just in case he returns again this year.
Look for Crawford to be in goal for Saturday's game versus Columbus or Sunday's contest against Toronto.
Pickard back for another shot
The Avalanche didn't hesitate to get Calvin Pickard back into the cage when Semyon Varlamov went down again with a groin injury. He went from the minors to being Colorado's starting goaltender. The 22-year-old rookie has posted an impressive .927 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average in 10 appearances even though he has a 4-5-1 record. Pickard is expected to be in goal for Colorado's next three matches, including the club's back-to-back situation this weekend versus Buffalo (Saturday) and Detroit (Sunday).
Colorado has seemingly lost confidence in Reto Berra, who was pulled in his last two starts after losing two games prior to that. Pickard will be in man in charge until Varlamov is able to return and that may not happen until late December or early January.
Senators continue goalie dance
Craig Anderson entered Wednesday's game against New Jersey playing his worse hockey of the season. He allowed three or four goals in nine of his previous 10 outings and he won only two of them. Anderson posted a 34-save shutout against the Devils after Robin Lehner started two games in a row and won one. Anderson has started 19 games compared to Lehner's 12 and he has much better peripheral numbers, but he has earned just one more win than Lehner.
The veteran will probably end up with more playing time this year than his less experienced goalie partner. Anderson's struggles last year and his lapse this year haven't resulted in a changing of the guard because Lehner has displayed inconsistency of his own. The Senators' duo is under contract together for another two years after 2014-15 and Anderson has an additional season on his deal after that, so this dance could carry on for a while.
Ducks send down Gibson
John Gibson suffered a groin injury on Nov. 2 in a pregame warmup in Colorado and he hasn't played since. Anaheim signed Ilya Bryzgalov during his absence to back up Frederik Andersen. Gibson will work his way back to game speed in the minors and it wouldn't be unreasonable to cut him loose, at least for now. Just keep in mind that it's a very real possibility that we will see him again this season.
Gibson has looked good in seven appearances with the Ducks over the past two seasons. He has a .927 save percentage and a 2.28 GAA in four games this year. When (if) he returns to the big club, he should be an instant addition to your fantasy roster.
