Current Goaltending Situations: Pacific Division

Here is the current goaltending situation for the Pacific Division:

Team: Anaheim Ducks
Goaltenders: Jean-Sebastien Giguere/Jonas Hiller
Starter: Jean-Sebastien Giguere
Injuries: None
Sleepers: None
Situation: Rock Solid
After a shaky start to the season, Giggy and the Ducks have gotten back on track and sit in the 2nd spot in the Pacific. Giguere is playing fantastic hockey right now and should be considered a number one in any format. He’s locked up through the 2011-2012 season and should help the Ducks be a playoff team up until then. Hiller is a great backup for Giggy and if he catches an injury, Jonas is more than competent enough to carry the load until he returns. Not a bad backup in deeper leagues.

Team: Dallas Stars
Goaltenders: Marty Turco/Tobias Stephan
Starter: Marty Turco
Injuries: None
Sleepers: None
Situation: Seriously Struggling
Boy, what happened to Marty Turco? He currently sits on a 6-10 record with a goals against average over 3.50. The Stars were supposed to be the sleeper team in the West this year and Turco was projected to have a career year. It’s been an ugly ride so far this year and with injuries to Morrow, Lehtinen, Lundqvist, and Ott, plus an intriguing trade involving Boucher, things may not get better right away. Turco is still the starter and will probably continue to start games until he can get himself out of this funk. In most drafts that I took part in, Turco was taken in the first 3 or 4 rounds with managers often relying on him as a number one. Turco owners need to be patient with him until the team can get their act together. For those of you looking for a sense of adventure, it may be worth making a play for Turco if you can stash him on your bench. It would be an EXTREMELY low buy right now but only if you can stash him on the bench until he starts putting out better numbers. Any risk takers out there?

Team: Los Angeles Kings
Goaltenders: Erik Ersberg/Jason LaBarbera
Starter: Up In The Air
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Jonathan Bernier
Situation: Up In The Air
The starting job in L.A. was up for grabs before the season started and LaBarbera nabbed it. He struggled a bit and saw his ice time slashed in favor of Erik Ersberg. While both tenders have similar records, Ersberg has looked like the sharper of the two. Still, the two continue to platoon starts so continue to double check the starter on game nights. Also, it’s worth mentioning that both tenders need new contracts at the end of next season which may open up the opportunity to insert Jonathan Bernier in to the starting roster next season. Bernier is probably the best goaltending prospect on the cusp of breaking in to the NHL, so keep an eye on the Kings in the off-season to see if they start moving towards the future.

Team: Phoenix Coyotes
Goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov/Mikael Tellqvist
Starter: Ilya Bryzgalov
Injuries: None
Sleepers: Al Montoya
Situation: Solid
Ilya Bryzgalov and the ‘Yotes are a young, up and coming team still trying to find their niche. They seem to be getting better every single week but are in a tough division and should continue to see highs and lows throughout the season. Bryzgalov is a solid goaltender but may see some skewed numbers this season as the team around him learns to gel with one another. Nonetheless, he’s a solid number 2 option for any fantasy team. We have seen Tellqvist sneak a few starts in recently and he looked sharp in them, so don’t be surprised if Gretzky rides him while he’s hot. Don’t expect a controversy, however. Tellqvist isn’t starting goaltender material.

Team: San Jose Sharks
Goaltenders: Evgeni Nabokov/Brian Boucher
Starter: Evgeni Nabokov
Injuries: None
Sleepers: None
Situation: Rock Solid
This is a simple read. Nabokov may be the best goaltender in the league and possibly the most sought after fantasy tender (along with Luongo) so there is little argument as to who the starter is in San Jose and who the starter will be for the rest of the season. This team is on absolute fire right now and with an all-star goaltender between the pipes, this could FINALLY be the year for the Sharks.