It's hard to start off with anything but the protests occurring across the sports world. Being from Canada some may feel that I shouldn't be putting my voice out here, but every voice does matter – and on that note Canada isn't perfect either. The Milwaukee Bucks took the latest step with plenty of players and teams in the NBA, WNBA, MLS, and MLB following suit in the hours afterwards. Unfortunately, the NHL has decided to sit out and remain silent once again. The action alone of boycotting a game may not amount to much if it isn't followed up with action, so what it symbolizes and can stand for should help build the foundation of the change we should all wish to see. We need to make it another step towards sparking that change and bringing forward a time of equality in countries/communities where everyone can feel supported, loved, and most of all, safe.

Please take a moment to think about what BIPOC go through in their daily lives. We can't sympathize or imagine, but please try to take the time to recognize the constant stream of terrible stories in the news and try to empathize. Try to see their daily lives from their perspective.

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Back to the hockey content, this week I'm going to start my foray into projecting goalie salaries and putting a rankings list together. Included are the big-name, impending free-agent goaltenders. With each name I have listed the projected future cap hit I have for them, and their preliminary rank in my work toward having a full goalie rankings list out for salary cap leagues. The initial set is set to be out the day after the next update to the skaters list in the last week of September. Meanwhile, the salary projections still need a little tweaking, but will be ready and published in a later Capped article sometime before free agency opens. Any feedback is encouraged and appreciated!

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Robin Lehner (UFA) – Vegas Golden Knights

Projected Cap Hit: $6,017,557

Preliminary Cap League Rank: 23

One of the top no-context goalies in the league hasn't been able to find a consistent fit over the last few years, but there is a chance that he has settled into Vegas to the point of pushing the incumbent Marc-Andre Fleury out. Either way, Lehner is going to be looking for a long-term deal this summer, and whoever is able to give it to him is going to do so with the promise of a large workload and a stable environment. In other words, there are questions as to where Lehner may end up, but just about all of the options are good ones, which means you can feel confident in acquiring him.

Should Lehner somehow find a deal that exceeds his projected cap hit (less likely in this market) then he is still a good cap league value piece. At a $7.0 million AAV, he only drops a few slots, and would still be ranked inside the top 30 (ahead of other highly regarded goalies such as John Gibson).

Jacob Markstrom (UFA) – Vancouver Canucks

Projected Cap Hit: $6,147,041

Preliminary Cap League Rank: 25

On the flip side, Markstrom is perhaps the best independent goalie in the league this season in terms of contextualized performance. The 30-year-old has finally earned every dollar he will sign for this summer, and likely more. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see him break the $7.0 million threshold for his annual cap hit, as his underlying numbers are outstanding. He was a massive part of getting the Canucks to where they are today, and with some growth from a young team in front of him (and possibly an addition to the blueline over the offseason), Markstrom stands to repeat or even improve one his 2019-2020 numbers.

I am very curious to see which of these goalies steps up their game and steals a game which could swap their current head to head series.

Braden Holtby (UFA) – Washington Capitals

Projected Cap Hit: $4,810,710

Preliminary Cap League Rank: 36

Holtby did himself no favours with his play in the regular season, and then followed it up by not looking any better in a five-game postseason loss to the Islanders. Not that it was hugely his fault, and he can always play the trump card of having a Stanley Cup on his resume, but it seems as though he is set to get paid as a secondary option on the open market after the top two are signed. His numbers back up that he is no longer a top option, as his last three years have seen him put up a combined GAA of 2.96 and a save percentage of 0.906 (his underlying numbers look even worse). Would you want your team paying $5.0 million for those kinds of numbers? I didn't think so – and your fantasy team probably won't thank you either. According to my ranking numbers there are 35 goalies that should provide better value in fantasy next year.

Mackenzie Blackwood (RFA) – New Jersey Devils

Projected Cap Hit: $3,727,286

Preliminary Cap League Rank: 24

Though I think the projected cap hit shown is a touch high for Blackwood, the reason is that he's following a solid and proven development curve, and that fits in with past goalies that ended up earning bigger money contracts. Blackwood posted very good numbers this season relative to what would be expected out of a New Jersey goalie, and it was enough to nestle him in between the abovementioned Lehner and Markstrom (two excellent goalies in their own right). However, without a shakeup on the roster, Blackwood likely won't have the support to improve on those numbers. His value stems from signing what will likely be a value contract here, and then putting up reasonable average stats along with a decent amount of counting stats. In other words, his future value is greatly tied to how much of a bargain contract he signs.

Tristan Jarry / Matt Murray (RFAs) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Projected Cap Hit: $3,230,233 / $3,890,224

Preliminary Cap League Ranks: 33 / 31

It looks as though only one of these two will be back with the Penguins next year, and my bet is the cheaper option in Jarry who may not fetch as much of a return on the trade market as his counterpart (and former cup winner) Murray would. The duo is projected for similar salaries and are very close together in the rankings. However, the goalie who gets traded will likely not end up in as nice of a situation as being the starter in Pittsburgh, so buyer beware on these two, as one will see their value rise and the other will drop.

Both represent solid own in cap leagues, but maybe don't reach for either in the initial goalie run.

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If you have any article topics for me to look into, give me a shout! You can find me on Twitter @alexdmaclean for questions, comments, or article requests.

And stay safe!

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Previous Capped Articles:

Checking Handedness for Centres and Production for Wingers

Observations and Notes on Recent Draft and Free Agent News