We look at the return of Martin Brodeur and a few other goalies who have a chance to get more playing time than anyone could have predicted at the start of the season. A number of players are producing offense at a far greater pace than expected. My concern is whether some of them can maintain these starts:
Martin Brodeur, Blues
The 42-year-old held out hope that he would eventually get a chance to extend his career at some point this season. Well, that chance has presented itself, and I don't think he could have found a better one than the short-term fit in St. Louis, after a recent lower body injury felled their No. 1 goalie Brian Elliott, who is listed as week to week -- surely an indicator that he will be lost for some time.
Elliot's injury would otherwise have left the goaltending duties to Jake Allen, who has appeared in 25 NHL games (11 this season), and Jordan Binnington, who has yet to make his NHL debut, though he was called up when Elliott got hurt and is considered a top prospect in the Blues organization.
The Blues reacted to this perceived lack of experience in goal by signing Brodeur to a $700K deal for this season. He is practicing with the club and spending time mentoring his much younger colleagues, but is also expected to play for the Blues very soon.
What does this mean in Fantasy terms?
Brodeur made a career of playing behind a team-wide defensive focus while he put up Hall of Fame numbers in New Jersey. He will find that same focus with a squad coached by defensive tactician Ken Hitchcock. The added benefit here is that the Blues have a much deeper talent base, at forward and on defense, than Brodeur has seen in recent years with the Devils.
That should translate into low shot totals and a better than even chance to add more wins to his resume. That also makes him a viable option in Fantasy hockey if you are looking for more goalie wins and/or are concerned about your team's goals against average.
Other unheralded goalies to watch
Calvin Pickard, Avalanche: In Colorado, the Avalanche are being viewed as perhaps the most disappointing team, particularly when measured against their division title from last season. While the offense has stumbled, there is an expectation that their front-liners will soon perform at something approaching career norms. In goal, it's much easier to make one change to shake things up.
The presumptive No. 1, Semyon Varlamov (2.95 g.a.a., .915 save pct.), and his backup Reto Berra (3.57 GAA, .883 save pct.) are both well off their marks of last season. Those records opened the door for Pickard, who has made a good early impression with a 2.49 GAA and a .922 save pct. in his first seven appearances. At the very least he has done enough to unseat Berra and will get more chances to challenge Varlamov for the lion's share of the load.
Michael Hutchinson, Jets: The Jets have relied on veteran Ondrej Pavelec as their No. 1 goalie since the team transferred from Atlanta after the 2010-11 season. Even this year, he has appeared in 20 of their 25 games. He has posted the lowest goals against average of his career (2.23) to date, suggesting that he is at the top of his game.
The surprising aspect of the Jets' goaltending story is that Michael Hutchinson has shown Jets management enough in a three-game stint last season, to go along with a great training camp this year, to grab the backup role away from Peter Budaj. Hutchinson (1.56 GAA and .947 save pct. in his eight appearances this season) has put up better numbers than Pavelec and has a very affordable $575k cap hit this year and next, while Pavelec is on the books for $3.9 for two years beyond this season.
It is in the Jets interest to see if Hutchinson can carry a busier workload. He is three years younger than Pavelec, and if he proves capable, Pavelec could be dealt for help at other positions at some point prior to the trade deadline.
Al Montoya, Panthers: He was signed as a free agent to take on the backup role behind Roberto Luongo, who is the unquestioned No. 1 option for the Panthers. Montoya must understand his lot here, as he has filled this role with three other clubs during his six years in the league.
He merits two reasons for consideration in Fantasy hockey pools this season. First, he is likely to see some playing time when his 35-year-old partner is dealing with injuries, aches and pains. Luongo had been impacted by a recent upper body injury. Secondly, this year's edition of the team is improved over recent seasons (10-7-6).
Montoya's numbers (2.00 GAA and .923 save pct.) through his eight appearances this year are career bests. So, keep an eye on Luongo's health and don't be shy about plugging Montoya in your lineup, if he gets a chance for more playing time.
Troy Grosenick, Sharks: He had an amazing NHL debut when he turned aside all 45 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over Carolina. Grosenick got that opportunity mainly due to a knee injury to backup Alex Stalock. Unfortunately, Grosenick suffered an upper body injury in his second start and is currently on the IR.
He was only likely to be a backup in the near term, in any case, because Antti Niemi has long been the top guy here. Niemi's 2.49 GAA and 9-7 record are a bit worse than we've seen from him in the past. That is more likely due to my belief that these Sharks are not as good a team as we have seen during the last few years in San Jose. For his limited exposure, Grosenick has at least opened some eyes here and he ought to get another shot when he is back to good health.
Players currently producing at unexpected pace
Jakub Voracek: The Flyers' current leading scorer is second in the entire NHL scoring race, with 32 points over 24 games played. While these personal totals are unprecedented for him, he has been among Philadelphia's top offensive weapons each of the last three years. This year, he has formed a potent partnership with captain Claude Giroux to be a constant threat every time out.
The problem that I see is that the secondary scoring, which has long been a hallmark of recent Flyers teams, has fallen way off and placed more pressure on this top tandem to produce in the face of tighter checking and the singular focus of their opponents. The belief is that you stop these two and you really stop the whole team. In order for Voracek to continue his pace, his teammates will have to deliver the goods much more than they have to date.
Nino Niederreiter, Wild: He was drafted four years ago by the Islanders to fill a scoring void at the tender age of 18. When he did not show that ability in his first two years as a pro, they gave up on him, eventually trading his rights to another offensively challenged club in Minnesota.
The timing of this move was much better for him because the Wild have been in the process of other positive upgrades to their roster. As he has not been tasked with being a leading source of offense with the Wild, they allowed him time to find his way into their mix. After a strong playoff performance last season, he started this season with much more confidence.
The net result is that he has a team-leading 11 goals in 23 games played and now seems ready to be a fixture in the top scoring lines and power play in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
Tyler Bozak, Leafs: He is player who has often been underrated by Fantasy owners even though he has played between the two most prolific scorers of the Maple Leafs (Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk). The fact is that Bozak is the club's best faceoff man, is very responsible defensively and has a great chemistry with his linemates.
He has also benefitted from the fact that this year's edition of the Maple Leafs is among the league's highest scoring teams. In the past, this line has been the single for focus of opponents and was limited offensively as a result. This year, pucks are going in at an unprecedented rate for Bozak, whose 12 goals and 11 assists are on pace to shatter personal bests. Factoring in the current landscape around this club, he is a lead pipe cinch to do so.
Paul Bruno has been writing about the Fantasy sports scene for several years and has bbeen an accredited member of the sports media in Toronto for over 20 years. You are invited to send your feedback and you can follow him on Twitter (statsman22) or listen to him on www.120sports.com.
