Here is the current goaltending situation for the Northeast Division:

Team: Boston Bruins
Goaltenders: Tim Thomas/Manny Fernandez
Starter: Tim Thomas
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Tuukka Rask
Situation: Rock Solid (Dueling Tenders)
Despite the platooning situation in Boston, both goaltenders are certainly worth owning, especially Fernandez in deeper leagues. Tim Thomas is the starter for sure and is playing some fantastic hockey right now. The Bruins are red hot and a big part of that is due to the stellar play of Thomas. Backing up Thomas is Manny Fernandez, who missed all of last season after having knee surgery. He has come back strong and is making a strong case for a starting position. While he probably won’t overtake Thomas anytime soon, he certainly can be a reliable option for the Bruins in case Thomas needs a night off. Like I mentioned above, Fernandez is a solid 3rd option in deeper leagues but shouldn’t be relied upon as a starter right now. Both Thomas and Fernandez are UFAs in 2009-2010, so it will be interesting to see what the Bs do in terms of extending their contracts. Don’t forget that they also have elite goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask waiting in the shadows and he certainly could serve as backup at some point which allows Boston to dispose of Thomas or Fernandez. Remember that Fernandez has a serious history of knee related issues. This may be seen as a liability in the Bruins’ organization and could help them extend Thomas’ contract without controversy.

Team: Buffalo Sabres
Goaltenders: Ryan Miller/Patrick Lalime
Starter: Ryan Miller
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Jhonas Enroth
Situation: Rock Solid
Yes, the Sabres are in a lull right now but that should not have any impact on the starting goalie situation. Ryan Miller is their main man and will remain their main man for the next 4 years. Lalime is one of the best backups in the league, however, he won’t see enough starts this season to merit a spot on fantasy rosters in shallower leagues. The Sabres also have a great prospect in their system named Jhonas Enroth that could serve as Buffalo’s backup in a few seasons, so throw him on your radar and watch what Buffalo does once Lalime’s contract runs its course. Be patient with Buffalo this season. They will turn it around. It could present a low buy situation for Miller if you have a manager in your league who is frustrated with his play as of late. The Sabres usually go cold at the end of the season; looks like they are getting that out of the way early this year.

Team: Montreal Canadiens
Goaltenders: Carey Price/Jaroslav Halak
Starter: Carey Price
Injuries: None
Sleepers: None
Situation: Rock Solid
Montreal is certainly a Cup caliber team and they have a great option in Price to help them get there. He is Montreal’s number one guy and should continue to start games for the Habs. Despite uncertainties in previous years when it came to Price and Halak, it appears they are going to build a championship team around Price for the time being. Halak is a very serviceable backup goaltender, however, he shouldn’t merit consideration in shallower leagues at the moment. If Price begins to struggle, keep an eye on how the Habs handle the situation. I don’t think, however, that you’ll see a team of that caliber fall into any serious funks this year.

Team: Ottawa Senators
Goaltenders: Alex Auld/Martin Gerber
Starter: Alex Auld
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Brian Elliot
Situation: Up In The Air
The Sens are slowly learning that they may need more than just the Capital Punishment line to bring home a championship. Alex Auld replaced Martin Gerber as the starter and was scorching hot to start the season. He has since tailed off and to be honest, has not gotten the goal support he deserves. He’s 5-5 with a 2.12 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Those are very respectable numbers for a goaltender who has 5 wins and 5 losses. It’s a very difficult situation in Ottawa when it comes to goaltending because neither Gerber nor Auld are franchise goaltenders, so don’t expect the Sens to renew Gerber’s contract after next season. They may even opt to buy out Gerber’s contract if push comes to shove. If Auld continues to play well, they’ll certainly ride him out for this season and either bring up Elliot for next season, or go after a number one tender in the off-season. Keep an eye on the situation, especially as the season comes to an end. We’ll keep you up to speed on all the happenings.

Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Goaltenders: Vesa Toskala/Curtis Joseph
Starter: Vesa Toskala
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Justin Pogge
Situation: Rock Solid
Did Ron Wilson set the bar so low for the Leafs that out view of their performance thus far is somewhat skewed? It’s plausible. Perhaps they really were a good team heading in to this season and we just jumped on the bandwagon. Regardless of their expectations, Toskala has played quite well to start this season and should continue to see the majority of the playing time, eve in thing start to go sour. Toskala may not be a number one fantasy option; maybe not even a number two, however, he’ll get you the starts and with the way that the Leafs have been playing, certainly a surprising win or two here and there. Toskala is a UFA in 2010-2011 which may present the perfect opportunity to start working in Justin Pogge to the starting lineup as he is viewed by many as the Leafs’ next franchise goaltender. Keep your ears open as to what they might want to do with Pogge over the next several seasons and prep accordingly in keeper/dynasty drafts.