#goaltending

#goaltending

When Semyon Varlamov went down with an injury in late November, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season, the NY Islanders were missing part of their two-headed monster in the crease, obliging Ilya Sorokin to take on the lion's share of starts. With training camp beginning tomorrow and Varlamov undergoing knee surgery in December, Head Coach Patrick Roy and the Islanders are still uncertain of their netminder's status heading into camp.

While not statistically impossible, it's exceptionally difficult to win at fantasy hockey without a strong goaltending force. Not only are several categories the responsibility of few figures, toss in the negative integers "earned" by allowing too many goals, and substandard netminding showings can significantly dent your chances of success in all varieties of leagues. For instance, in ESPN's standard game, a goalie who stops 28 of 30 shots in a 4-2 win produces 5.6 prized points.

Sergei Bobrovsky is doing all the heavy lifting here, given that the Panthers are expected to have Daniil Tarasov as their backup. Tarasov played 20 games (19 starts) for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and had a 3.54 GAA and .881 save percentage. That means it mostly comes down to the apparently never-aging Bobrovsky, who helped the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup win last season. Bobrovsky, who turns 37 on Sept. 20,

Calgary defenseman Zayne Parekh made his NHL debut last season and played only one game but left a lasting impression. He debuted on April 17, 2024, against the Los Angeles Kings. It was a memorable game for him as he scored his first NHL goal o 20 minutes of action but was also a +3. That gave the youngster confidence heading into this season to grab a permanent role on the blue line.He is Calgary's top prospect on defense

Last season was another close call for the Detroit Red WIngs to make the playoffs. Another point here and there would have closed the deal for Detroit, but they sat on the outside looking in again. This season, there is hope they will break that barrier and once again compete for the Stanley Cup. Here is a look into what could become of the upcoming season and one bold take.

Askarov's long-range save percentage last season was perfect (59 shots faced, 59 saves); he was the only goalie in the League who faced at least 50 long-range shots without allowing a goal. Askarov, who was also above the NHL average in both high-danger save percentage (.814; average: .803) and midrange save percentage (.892; average: 887), could also benefit from the Sharks additions this offseason in veteran defensemen Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg and Nick Leddy.

Christian Kirsch, a Swiss goaltender, has signed with the Kitchener Rangers after being drafted in the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks and selected in the 2025 CHL Import Draft.

Jaroslav Halak has retired from professional hockey after a 17-season career in the NHL, known for his pivotal role with the New York Islanders.

In the 2025-26 NHL season, the New York Islanders will face 16 sets of back-to-back games, challenging their depth and goaltending resilience.

Gibson noted, 'it was a personal obstacle with being hurt all of January and February... it's just a matter of when you get injured in professional hockey.'

That's a big win. It was a good effort from the coaching staff down. Dennis (Hildeby) stood on his head, and we're going to need that this time of the year, but I'm proud of our guys and proud of our group.