In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll focus on the goaltending situation in Boston. We'll also highlight two players worth grabbing from the waiver wire this week.

Don't be Swayed, Man

The Bruins have only played six games, but a gap has already emerged between their two goaltenders. Linus Ullmark boasts a 4-0 record, with a sparkling 2.23 GAA and .929 save percentage. In contrast, Jeremy Swayman was pulled in one of his two starts and currently sports a 5.40 GAA and .816 save percentage. A quick glance at each goaltender's opponents so far makes it seem like Swayman has had the easier matchups. He's faced the Coyotes and Senators (for two periods), while Ullmark has taken on the Senators (for one period), Capitals, Panthers, Ducks and Wild. Neither of Swayman's opponents qualified for the playoffs last year, while three of Ullmark's opponents did – but it isn't that simple. Firstly, it's a new season with new rosters, and our perceptions of certain teams may be outdated. The Panthers had a powerhouse offense last year but after losing a few big pieces in the summer, their attack doesn't seem as potent as it once was. Yes, Ullmark had a great showing against Florida, but maybe it isn't as impressive a feat as it would've been last year. The Sens weren't a playoff team last season, but they made a few big moves in the offseason and look dangerous right now. A bad start against them this season isn't as damning as it would've been years ago.

Another thing to consider is that the season is still so young. We shouldn't be placing too much stock into small samples. If a good goalie has two bad games in the middle of a season, those lacklustre stats get lost in a larger volume of good stats. When two bad games happen at the start of the year, there's nothing to cushion the blow. Let's take a closer look at Swayman's two starts to see if his early struggles can be explained. His first game was against Arizona and he surrendered three goals on 24 shots. The Coyotes have one of the league's worst rosters and they get out-shot and out-chanced every night. Such an opponent can be hard for a goalie to face because seeing fewer shots makes it harder to get into a rhythm. His second start was against the Senators and he surrendered six goals on 25 shots through two periods of play. As I mentioned before, the Sens are not the same team they were last season. It's still early but they're averaging 4.17 goals per game, which currently ranks fourth in the league. Excitement in Ottawa is the highest it's been in recent years and the city was rocking for the Sens' home opener against the Bruins, so it was a tough environment for Swayman to play in. More importantly, it was the second half of a back-to-back for Boston and Swayman fell victim to a number of defensive breakdowns. I'd say he was at fault for two of the goals he gave up, but defensive zone turnovers led to shots from the slot area for three of Ottawa's goals, and the final one was scored off a two-on-one rush.

With Ullmark scheduled to get his third-straight start on Tuesday against the Stars, some fantasy managers may be concerned that Swayman will fall into a backup role this year.  When discussing his team's goaltending situation before the season, new coach Jim Montgomery gave the following quote:

"I think everyone would say ideally you have a No. 1 (goalie) by the time you get into the playoffs, and after the trade deadline. And that's up to one of those goaltenders to emerge ahead of the other. But in today's NHL, to have success in the regular season, with as many three (games) in four (days) as you have, you have to have two goalies to do the job night in and night out." (Source: NESN).

Such a quote leads me to believe that one of Boston's netminders will end the season with a few more starts than the other – say a 60/40 split rather than the perfectly even division of duties Ullmark and Swayman saw last year. At this point, it looks like Ullmark could emerge as the 1A option, but it's way too early to count Swayman out. The Bruins have a back-to-back set this week on Thursday and Friday, so Swayman will be back in the net soon. If he can put together a good performance, he'll be rewarded with more starts going forward. Swayman was dropped in a lot of leagues after his early struggles. If you can pick up him for free, you're grabbing a good goalie on a good team – an asset that isn't usually available on the waiver wire.

Waiver Wire Adds

Kaapo Kakko – The Rangers are one of three teams – the others being Minnesota and Chicago – that play a league-high four games between Tuesday and Sunday. Two goals in six appearances aren't anything to write home about, but Kakko finds himself playing a prominent role in New York's top-six and all reports indicate he looks like a better player this season than he has in years past. He's currently rostered in just 10% of Yahoo formats so there's a good chance he's available in your league.

Boone Jenner – The Blue Jackets have a favourable schedule the rest of this fantasy week. They have a game against Arizona and a game against New Jersey, two teams that have struggled to keep the puck out of their net to start the year. In addition, Columbus is in action on Friday and Sunday, two lighter days when there aren't as many teams playing, making it easier to incorporate Jenner into your fantasy roster. With Patrik Laine returning to the lineup on Tuesday, the team's top line of Laine, Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau should be a strong force. If Jenner isn't available in your league, Jakub Voracek has five points in his last four games and is another good option to consider.