Dobber pleasantly surprised us all on Thursday by releasing the Fantasy Guide a day early. Maybe you've already checked out the spreadsheet with projections, but now you get the PDF guide complete with the articles, team-by-team analysis, projections, and more! Download or purchase yours today if you haven't already.

📢 Available now 📢
Dobber's 17th Annual #FantasyHockey Guide

✔ Sleepers
✔ Advanced Analysis
✔ Updated Line Combos
✔ In-depth updated Spreadsheet
✔ Prospect outlook

Immediate Download Here:https://t.co/2XOcQPBrLj pic.twitter.com/kak5SMBZsJ

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) August 4, 2022

I wrote the Goalies to Watch article and contributed to the team-by-team sections on potential injuries, contract year, hits, and goaltending. Due to my own personal schedule, I had to start the team-by-team writeups about a month ago while knowing that information could change in a very transaction-packed July. At the same time, I learned a ton about each team's situation that I hope to be able to apply to my own fantasy teams. Through the rest of the offseason, I hope to take the opportunity to share in the Ramblings a bit of what I've learned. I'll start with goaltending here shortly.

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The Sharks have signed Mario Ferraro to a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million. Ferraro doesn't provide a ton of scoring from the blueline, but his hits and blocks totals are high because he receives plenty of icetime (23:00 ATOI in 2021-22). Even though he played just 63 games in 2021-22, Ferraro led the Sharks and finished in the league's top 30 with 291 hits plus blocks. In 2020-21, only six players finished with a higher hits-plus-blocks total than Ferraro (251 HIT+BKS).

Late Thursday, the Devils signed Miles Wood to a one-year contract worth $3.2 million, avoiding arbitration. Wood played in only three games in 2021-22 because of a hip injury.

Even later Thursday, the Flames took care of one very important piece of business, signing recent acquisition Jonathan Huberdeau to an eight-year contract extension with an AAV of $10.5 million. I’ll break this one down some more in tomorrow’s Ramblings.

Jonathan Huberdeau signs extension with Calgary #Flames

He's one of the very best offensively from the wing. He may see a dip this year in a few categories but will remain among the elite. pic.twitter.com/IQYQcFpnUk

— Frozen Tools (@FrozenTools) August 5, 2022

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Last week I discussed quality starts (QS) and really bad starts (RBS), pulling out certain goalies who fared higher or lower than expected with these stats. You can read about it here. In Frozen Tools, you'll see another interesting stat listed along with QS and RBS – a stat known as Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA), which I'll break down today.

Frozen Tools describes Goals Saved Above Average as Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) as the following: "Calculates goal differential between goalie and league average (positive is better)."

First, here are the top goalies according to total GSAA.

Name	Age	Team	GP	QS	QS%	RBS	RBS%	GSAA	GSAA/60
IGOR SHESTERKIN	26	NYR	53	37	69.8	4	7.5	44.85	0.88
ILYA SOROKIN	26	NYI	52	36	69.2	7	13.5	29.52	0.58
JACOB MARKSTROM	32	CGY	63	38	60.3	6	9.5	26.12	0.42
DARCY KUEMPER	32	WSH	57	31	54.4	7	12.3	25.12	0.46
JUUSE SAROS	27	NSH	67	43	64.2	8	11.9	22.95	0.35
FREDERIK ANDERSEN	32	CAR	52	31	59.6	5	9.6	22.08	0.43
TRISTAN JARRY	27	PIT	58	37	63.8	6	10.3	21.12	0.37
ANDREI VASILEVSKIY	28	T.B	63	39	61.9	7	11.1	17.72	0.28
ANTON FORSBERG	29	OTT	46	29	63	6	13	16.22	0.38
VILLE HUSSO	27	DET	40	24	60	3	7.5	14.95	0.38
THATCHER DEMKO	26	VAN	64	35	54.7	8	12.5	14.93	0.24

The GSAA stat emphasizes how Igor Shesterkin was far and away the deserving winner of the Vezina Trophy. Shesterkin was tied for fourth with 37 quality starts, which may not stand out on its own. However, his four really bad starts in 53 games is quite remarkable while also demonstrating his reliability. Of the goalies with four or fewer really bad starts, only two (Linus Ullmark, Ville Husso) played 40 games. Barring injury (he missed eight games with a groin injury in December), Shesterkin could reach 60 games for the first time in his career in 2022-23, which would only help his win total.

Anton Forsberg might be a surprise on this list. He was mentioned last week when I wrote about quality start percentage in the Ramblings. 

Next, the worst overall total GSAA among goalies.

Name	Age	Team	GP	QS	QS%	RBS	RBS%	GSAA	GSAA/60
PHILIPP GRUBAUER	30	SEA	55	18	32.7	11	20	-26.64	-0.51
JOONAS KORPISALO	28	CBJ	22	5	22.7	7	31.8	-19.04	-1.01
SAM MONTEMBEAULT	25	MTL	38	11	28.9	7	18.4	-17.47	-0.54
KEVIN LANKINEN	27	NSH	32	12	37.5	6	18.8	-15.60	-0.52
KAREL VEJMELKA	26	ARI	52	22	42.3	15	28.8	-12.97	-0.28
ILYA SAMSONOV	25	TOR	44	14	31.8	10	22.7	-12.52	-0.32
THOMAS GREISS	36	STL	31	14	45.2	10	32.3	-11.97	-0.48
CAL PETERSEN	27	L.A	37	21	56.8	9	24.3	-11.81	-0.33
MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD	25	N.J	25	8	32	3	12	-11.02	-0.47
ALEX NEDELJKOVIC	26	DET	59	28	47.5	11	18.6	-10.97	-0.20
JON GILLIES	28	ARI	20	6	30	4	20	-10.85	-0.65

Although Philipp Grubauer was going to lose value moving from Colorado to Seattle, goaltending was supposed to be the strength for the Kraken, meaning Grubauer could still be a half-decent option. Yet it seemed like Grubauer could never gain any traction in the expansion team's net. He had a fairly decent stretch from mid-January to mid-March, where he posted a sub-3.00 GAA and .900 SV% with eight wins in 20 games. Okay, I'm really reaching for something here because his numbers potentially destroyed fantasy teams more than any other goalie could in 2021-22. If the Kraken can improve somewhat from their inaugural season, then he may have some hope. Otherwise, he should be one of the last starting goalies drafted.

Next are the top-ranked goalies for GSAA/60 (minimum 15 GP).

Name	Age	Team	GP	QS	QS%	RBS	RBS%	GSAA	GSAA/60
IGOR SHESTERKIN	26	NYR	53	37	69.8	4	7.5	44.85	0.88
ILYA SOROKIN	26	NYI	52	36	69.2	7	13.5	29.52	0.58
DARCY KUEMPER	32	WSH	57	31	54.4	7	12.3	25.12	0.46
FREDERIK ANDERSEN	32	CAR	52	31	59.6	5	9.6	22.08	0.43
JACOB MARKSTROM	32	CGY	63	38	60.3	6	9.5	26.12	0.42
ERIC COMRIE	27	BUF	19	10	52.6	1	5.3	7.15	0.42
ANTON FORSBERG	29	OTT	46	29	63	6	13	16.22	0.38
VILLE HUSSO	27	DET	40	24	60	3	7.5	14.95	0.38
TRISTAN JARRY	27	PIT	58	37	63.8	6	10.3	21.12	0.37
JUUSE SAROS	27	NSH	67	43	64.2	8	11.9	22.95	0.35
ANTHONY STOLARZ	28	ANA	28	15	53.6	4	14.3	8.24	0.33

There's Shesterkin again with a commanding lead in this category. This number shows that he saved his team nearly a goal per game. In a league where one goal can often be the difference between winning and losing, Shesterkin was the Rangers' most valuable player in 2021-22.

I'll also take this opportunity to bring up Eric Comrie. The Sabres' goalie situation is hardly ideal, but Comrie could emerge as the starter after being Connor Hellebuyck's little-used understudy in 2021-22. A total of 19 games is hardly a large sample size when it comes to goalies, so Comrie barely made this list with its 15-game minimum. In addition, Comrie has played only 28 career games with not more than three games in any of his previous five seasons. Yet if cap hit and term are important criteria to determine who will start, Comrie has the upper hand on both Craig Anderson and Malcolm Subban with the two-year, $1.8 million contract he signed this offseason as a free agent.

Anthony Stolarz finished just outside of the top 10 on this list. It's worth mentioning that he has posted better numbers than John Gibson for two consecutive seasons, albeit with a much lighter workload. I don't see Stolarz challenging Gibson for the starting job, as Gibson has the big contract (five more seasons at $6.4 million per). Yet maybe he can cut into Gibson's workload a little more in 2022-23.

Finally, the worst GSAA/60 (minimum 15 GP).

Name	Age	Team	GP	QS	QS%	RBS	RBS%	GSAA	GSAA/60
JOONAS KORPISALO	28	CBJ	22	5	22.7	7	31.8	-19.04	-1.01
DAVID RITTICH	29	WPG	17	4	23.5	3	17.6	-9.01	-0.66
JON GILLIES	28	ARI	20	6	30	4	20	-10.85	-0.65
PETR MRAZEK	30	CHI	20	7	35	5	25	-9.64	-0.56
SAM MONTEMBEAULT	25	MTL	38	11	28.9	7	18.4	-17.47	-0.54
KEVIN LANKINEN	27	NSH	32	12	37.5	6	18.8	-15.60	-0.52
PHILIPP GRUBAUER	30	SEA	55	18	32.7	11	20	-26.64	-0.51
FILIP GUSTAVSSON	24	MIN	18	7	38.9	6	33.3	-8.62	-0.49
THOMAS GREISS	36	STL	31	14	45.2	10	32.3	-11.97	-0.48
MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD	25	N.J	25	8	32	3	12	-11.02	-0.47

Joonas Korpisalo turned what was the league's worst GSAA/60 into a one-year extension worth $1.3 million. Fine work, if you can get it. It's fair to say this is Korpisalo's final chance at the NHL, and he'll have to improve those numbers significantly to stay in Columbus with Elvis Merzlikins starting and Daniil Tarasov knocking on the door. Korpisalo also had the second-worst overall GSAA behind Grubauer and could have had the worst number had he played more games. But from what he played, Korpisalo allowed one more goal than the average goalie. Korpisalo was also the only goalie with at least 15 games played to post more really bad starts (7) than quality starts (5). He wasn't the right streaming option if you added him at least once.

I should qualify all of this by saying that Korpisalo was dealing with a hip injury that eventually ended his season and required surgery. Hip injuries can be especially problematic for a goalie, especially if he did in fact try to play through it.

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Follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding for more fantasy hockey.