It feels good to be back! Geek of the Week is back after a lengthy summer vacation. Now that we are in September, it's officially fantasy hockey season! Like last year, I am going to spend the next few weeks highlighting some fantasy-relevant players who swapped uniforms over the offseason. Like most summers, there was a flurry of activity between trades and free agent signings. So let's get things started! This week I am going to focus on goaltenders, and there's a few good ones to check out.

Jack Campbell (EDM)

The writing was on the wall in Toronto for most of last season. It was pretty evident that barring some sort of miraculous move, Campbell would be finding a new home in the offseason. It certainly didn't take long for Campbell to make the cross-country trip out west as he was one of the first big names off the board when free-agency started. Campbell will rejoin his former teammate Zach Hyman in Edmonton this season, where the Oilers seem poised to take another run at the Cup.

So how does this affect Jack Campbell in terms of fantasy hockey? Well, I don't think a ton changes. He is going from one powerhouse team in the Eastern Conference to another in the West. You could argue which team fields a better defense in front of Campbell, but overall, the Oilers are a formidable team that should bank Campbell a ton of wins this season. For that reason alone, he will have fantasy value. His save percentage and goals against average though, well that might be another story.

Last season was a mixed bag for Campbell. Looking at splits before and after the All-Star break, Campbell really fell off down the stretch. He played 32 games before the All-Star Game and posted a 21-6-3 record with a sterling .925 save percentage and a tidy 2.30 goals against average. However, these numbers plummeted pretty hard after the break. Despite his 10-3-3 record, his save percentage was a measly .894, and his goals against average rose to 3.28. He looked very shaky from January to March, although he did finish well in April heading into the playoffs. 

Part of the reason for his struggles down the stretch could potentially be attributed to injuries as well. If he manages to stay healthy, Campbell should be a solid option going into this season. He will be a lock to get you wins as long as he is on the ice, so if you could pair him with another goalie who has decent averages, you would have a quality 1-2 punch in net. 

Cam Talbot (OTT)

This veteran goalie has somewhat become a journeyman through his career. After being traded from Minnesota in the offseason, Ottawa will become Talbot's sixth NHL club. And while he has never been an elite, top-tier goaltender, he's certainly been serviceable for most of his career. He begins the newest chapter of his career in the nation's capital and the Sens are one of the most intriguing teams heading into this season. After years of being awful and building prospects up, Ottawa's general manager Pierre Dorion really got after it this offseason with a flurry of trades and signings, all of which imply that the Sens are ready to be competitive again. Ever since the firesale that sent Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone packing, Sens fans have been in hockey hell, but this year may be different.

The team in front of Talbot, while not completely refined, looks very promising on paper. They've locked down much of their homegrown talent that have developed nicely, and they've also brought in some major upgrades such as Alex Debrincat, Claude Giroux, and Travis Hamonic.  The top-six looks deadly, but I still think they lack a little bit of depth towards the bottom of the lineup and on defense. While I think their offense will unquestionably be better, I'm not so sure about how the team defense will look. 

For Talbot, I find this comparable to his early days in Edmonton, where there was a talented young team in front of him, but still largely incomplete. Also, the Sens play in a really tough division where they have to deal with multiple juggernauts such as Tampa Bay, Florida, and Toronto, not to mention Buffalo and Detroit are also getting a lot better. Of all the teams in the division, I'd say Boston is on the decline so there may be an opportunity there for the Sens if they can play well. I think they will be a playoff bubble team this season, but a lot of that hinders on the play of Talbot.

Talbot is 35 years of age and not getting any younger. Ottawa will be leaning on him to make the lion's share of the starts this season, so he will need to have a clean bill of health. On the Wild last season Talbot posted a 32-12-4 record with a solid .911 save percentage and a 2.76 goals-against average. Keep in mind, though, Minnesota is a pretty solid defensive club so those numbers might not be a perfect indication of what to expect this season. I wouldn't take Talbot as my first goalie in a draft this season, but I think he would be a solid second option if you can get him in a mid-to-late round. I definitely wouldn't reach for him, but he could be a solid get in the ladder rounds of your draft.

Vitek Vanecek (NJ)

My last player is maybe not the first goalie that comes to mind for your upcoming drafts. Vanecek was drafted by the Washington Capitals way back in 2014 with their second-round pick. The past two-seasons he has basically platooned with Ilya Samsonov for the Caps. His numbers were pretty much identical in both seasons, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.68 goals-against average over his time in Washington. He was definitely a serviceable goalie for Washington during his time there, but despite that the Capitals opted to trade him at the draft for a second-round pick.

This season he finds himself in another potential platoon situation as he will battle Mackenzie Blackwood for playing time. In Dobber’s 2022-23 Fantasy Hockey Guide, he projects that Vanecek will begin the season as the starting goaltender, but obviously in situations like there where there is no clear-cut number one heading into the season, things can change on a dime. Either way though, I think Vanacek is very capable and I think it's worth noting the Devils could surprise some people this year.  I feel like I've been waiting for the Devils to break through for two or three seasons now, but on paper I think they have a pretty balanced team that could be solid.

Jack Hughes enjoyed a breakout season last year and should be an upper-echelon player going forward if he can stay healthy. Other young homegrown talent continues to perform well such as Dawson Mercer and Yegor Sharangovich. And I think the Devils have done a good job of bringing in some veteran talent to help insulate the roster as well. Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, and Tomas Tatar all bring something to the table and if they click, I think the Devils could turn some heads. 

Pittsburgh didn't really improve anything in the offseason, instead opting to lock down aging talent. Meanwhile, the Capitals did bring in Darcy Kuemper (who I thought about covering in this article), as well as the likes of Dylan Strome and Connor Brown. While I don't mind those additions, I do think Washington is going to see some decline sooner rather than later. A lot of that rides on the shoulders of Alex Ovechkin, but time is no friend of professional athletes. Look no further than Nicklas Backstrom for proof of that. 

Much like Talbot, you definitely aren't taking Vanecek as your top goalie on your team. However, if you are in need of a second goaltender and it's late in the draft, I imagine Vanecek will be available. Dobber has Vancek rated 29th in his Top 100 Keeper League Goaltenders list, but in my opinion he has the potential to be a bit higher. There's potential there for him to have a monster year if the Devils can take the next step forward.

Well that's a wrap on the first Geek of the Week of the 2022-23 season. Next week I will shift the focus to blueliners who are donning new jerseys next season so be sure to watch out for that next Sunday! Good luck to everyone in their upcoming drafts, see you next week!