Another week without a Tuesday game, and it's only if we get a game seven between Edmonton and Florida that I would get to do another game recap before September, so here's hoping that the Oilers can get their heads back on straight.

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In news from yesterday, we had Lane Hutson claiming the Calder Trophy, in what was a stacked year for rookies. Hutson finished the year with 66 points in 82 games, playing almost 23 minutes a night, and driving play exceptionally well, albeit in a bit of a sheltered role. Maybe now NHL teams will focus a little less on size, with Hutson, Michkov, and Wolf each coming in below average in height for their positions, and all finishing as top-five rookies this past year.

And yet, we're still going to see teams reach for size in the draft three weeks from now…

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Moving onto some more general fantasy discussion, today we're going to look at projecting player movement in the offseason. It's difficult in many cases, but in some cases it's worthwhile doing anyways to try and get ahead of player value fluctuations. With goaltenders, it's a lot easier to find some of those incoming changes, due to the small number of goalies per team, making it easier to project how a team might approach filling out their roster for next year.

On top of that, it's very rare that we see many goalies traded. Last season felt like an outlier with Scott Wedgewood, Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek, Alexandar Georgiev, and a few other third-stringers traded after we already saw Logan Thompson and Darcy Kuemper shopped around in the summer.

This year I expect things to be a little bit more settled, in part due to most of the big-name starters being locked into contracts that span at least one more season, and a large majority of them currently aged 32 or younger (i.e. right in a goalie's prime window).

I'm going to run through the teams in reverse alphabetical order, partially just to change up the order from usual, but also because it's much easier to start with Connor Hellebuyck than whatever is going to happen with John Gibson (so yes, he's all the way at the end of the article… but maybe not the last team).

Winnipeg Jets

Spring 2025 Tandem: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie

Hellebuyck still has six years left on his $8.5 million deal, and it has looked like an absolute steal through the first two years. He's 32 now and seems to have left behind his early-career inconsistencies. Eric Comrie is in a great spot to spell Hellebuyck when needed, and I do expect the Jets to rest Hellebuyck more this year in anticipation of the post-season, meaning Comrie could start 25-30 games instead of last year's 20 total appearances.

Washington Capitals

Spring 2025 Tandem: Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren

Washington should be running back their same duo from their top-of-the-table finish in the Eastern Conference, but the difference is that this year instead of playing less than $2 million for the pair, they're going to cost the Capitals almost $9 million against the cap. Even with the huge jump in pay, they should still be worth the money.

Vegas Golden Knights

Spring 2025 Tandem: Adin Hill, Ilya Samsonov

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Adin Hill, Jake Allen, Akira Schmid

Hill was excellent in his 50 games this past season, while Samsonov struggled at times. Brining in Allen gives Vegas a more reliable second option so that Hill doesn't have to tire himself out, or rush back in the case of an injury. The other option for Vegas, with them always looking to pinch every penny to bring in new star players, would be to give last year's third-stringer Schmid an opportunity on a very cheap contract to start 20-25 games for the team after he put up solid numbers between the AHL and NHL this past year. This one depends on how successful they are in spending on skaters.

Vancouver Canucks

Spring 2025 Tandem: Kevin Lankinen, Thatcher Demko, and Arturs Silovs

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Kevin Lankinen, Thatcher Demko, and Arturs Silovs

Until there is some more clarity on Thatcher Demko's injury status, then Vancouver is going to have to keep some extra depth at the position. Lankinen and the new contract will battle with impending 2026 UFA Demko for starts at the outset, with Silovs waiting in the wings for an inevitable injury to one of the pair.

Taking a brief recess here from the team run-through to note that Rick Roos' mailbag article is being pushed by a week, so if your goalie situation is as confusing as what the Canucks have, maybe get rick to sort it out for you. To get your questions to him, private message “rizzeedizzee” via the DobberHockey Forums or email admin@dobbersports.com with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line. No one does a deeper dive on your questions than Rick, and now is the time to get those keeper and draft questions in before it's too late into the summer.

Utah Mammoth

Spring 2025 Tandem: Karel Vejmelka, Connor Ingram

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Karel Vejmelka, Connor Ingram, and Jaxson Stauber

With Ingram's status unknown at this moment in time after his second admittance into the Player's Assistance Program, the Mammoth look like they will be leaning on Vejmelka and his new $4.75 million cap hit to shoulder most of the load. Stauber showed well in limited opportunities this past season and could make a reasonable run as a backup if Ingram isn't able to play.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Spring 2025 Tandem: Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll

Status quo here, though there will be some storylines to watch, specifically around Stolarz having taken the lead in the playoffs, but then being knocked out of the series with a concussion. Can he stay healthy for the year while maintaining his high level of play? It's an important question for him as he faces free agency again in 2026. Expect close to a 50/50 workload between the two though.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Spring 2025 Tandem: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonas Johansson

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonas Johansson

Another instance of status quo here, and with both goalies signed for a few more years, don't expect anything different than their usual 62/20 split of games. One note on Johansson though, is I would love to know how his agent milked a multi-year deal worth $1.25 million annually out of the Lightning for a goalie who has been one of the least reliable options in the league for two straight years now.

St. Louis Blues

Spring 2025 Tandem: Jordan Binnington, Joel Hofer

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Jordan Binnington, Joel Hofer

The interesting piece here is Hofer's current RFA status, and what his cap number will say about how many starts he can force himself into. The Blues have been excellent at developing goalies over the last decade, and one of Binnington or Hofer likely moves on in the next two years. In the meantime, more of the same next year with a 50/30 split in favour of Binnington.

Seattle Kraken

Spring 2025 Tandem: Joey Daccord, Philipp Grubauer

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Joey Daccord, Alexandar Georgiev

He's the first big change of my projections (see, it was easier to start with the back end of the alphabet), where I expect Grubauer to be bought out or traded by the Kraken. They could give an opportunity to Victor Ostman, but the more likely option sees them bring in someone like Georgiev to spell Daccord for 25 games, or maybe even more if a more goalie-friendly environment helps Georgie regain some of his form from a few years ago.

San Jose Sharks

Spring 2025 Tandem: Yaroslav Askarov, Alexandar Georgiev

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Yaroslav Askarov, Philipp Grubauer

We didn't have to wait long to find a home for Grubauer, who moves down the coast to San Jose, providing some veteran insurance without being a huge threat to steal the spotlight from Askarov. Grubauer has spent the last few seasons as part of Daccord's emergence, and he can provide a similar role for the Sharks who don't need him to win games, and don't necessarily care too much about his cap hit. Askarov's volume this coming year is a wild card, but I wouldn't expect more than 50 starts, and at least 35 if he stays healthy.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Spring 2025 Tandem: Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Tristan Jarry, Alex Nedeljkovic

Both of these two had their ups and downs in 2024-25, but with their contracts locked in, and Jarry's likely too expensive to buy out, they are likely running back the same tandem and hoping for better results. It doesn't mean they couldn't pivot with a demotion or a trade mid-season, but I expect the Penguins to at least break camp with Jarry and Ned next year; with the volume likely favouring Jarry to start.

Philadelphia Flyers

Spring 2025 Tandem: Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, Alexei Kolosov

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov

Fedotov was a prized signee from Russia a few seasons ago, but he hasn't yet found his footing in Philly. Meanwhile, Samuel Ersson should command the majority of the workload after averaging 48 starts over the last two seasons. However, Ersson does seem to tire by Q4, where his numbers take a drastic drop. If you're going to roster him this year, then make sure he's sold off by the trade deadline. Both goalies have one year left on their current contracts, which makes for some final chances to make an impact here before changes are made in the crease.

Ottawa Senators

Spring 2025 Tandem: Linus Ullmark, Anton Forsberg

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Linus Ullmark, Mads Sogaard/Leevi Merilainen

Merilainen's sensational run mid-season when Ullmark and Forsberg both missed time with injuries has kept his foot in the door for the backup gig this year. Sogaard has marinated for longer but has yet to find enough consistency to hold the NHL job. Both will push for starts, and we could see either a camp battle or a few mid-season swaps of the two, but I'm not sure the Senators will feel the need to bring in another goalie with Ullmark set to play in around 60 games if he's healthy.

New York Rangers

Spring 2025 Tandem: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick

Shesterkin's new monster contract kicking in right after he puts up his worst statistical season of his career is poor timing, but that doesn't mean we should expect any change from Shesty starting another 55-60 games. Meanwhile, Quick will be turning 40 this season, and with his numbers falling off last season, this coming year could be his last. Dylan Garand could also be in line to take over the backup gig mid-season if Quick really struggles.

New York Islanders

Spring 2025 Tandem: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov

As has been the case the last few seasons, the Russian duo of Sorokin and Varlamov will anchor the blue paint for the Isles. Varlamov's injury situation does throw a bit of uncertainty into the fray, but there's no need for rash moves here with two years still left on his deal and third-stringer Marcus Hogberg able to be called up in a pinch. As the Islanders set out on a new course with rookie GM Matthew Darch, Sorokin will still be bringing his steadying presence for at least 60 games this year.

New Jersey Devils

Spring 2025 Tandem: Jacob Markstrom, Jake Allen

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Jacob Markstrom, Nico Daws

With Allen testing free agency, and Markstrom turning 36 this season, now is the time for the Devils to find out what they have in youngster Nico Daws. Daws is finally on a one-way deal, and put up excellent numbers in six NHL appearances this past season. He won't have to be overworked either, as Markstrom has played 60 games a year before, but if Daws thrives then Markstrom can be kept around the 50-start bar where he has been the past couple years.

Nashville Predators

Spring 2025 Tandem: Juuse Saros, Justus Annunen

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Juuse Saros, Vitek Vanecek, Justus Annunen

Despite Annunen being on a one-way deal, it feels like he could be supplanted as the backup in Nashville, mainly just because the team is going to want to bring some changes after last season's faceplant. Vanecek fits best here as someone with 1B upside, but also someone who might take a $900K deal right now and you could send him down if the level of play just isn't there. Saros will likely be back to the 60-start plateau again, so whoever does end up in the backup job would only need to start around 20 games.

Montreal Canadiens

Spring 2025 Tandem: Sam Montembeault, Jakub Dobes

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Sam Montembeault, Jakub Dobes

Dobes was a surprise to see make the NHL so soon with his debut last year, but after winning his first four starts, and showing well the rest of the year, the backup job is his to lose this season. He does still need a new contract and Cayden Primeau is waiting in the wings, so Dobes may lose most of his leverage, possibly leading to following through on an arbitration case. In the meantime, we can pencil in Montembeault for another 60 starts this year, behind a steadily improving Montreal team.

Minnesota Wild

Spring 2025 Tandem: Filip Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Filip Gustavsson, Jesper Wallstedt, Anton Forsberg

Wallstedt will still only be 22 years old when the 2025-26 season gets underway, and with him being waivers-exempt, the smart money is likely on the Wild bringing in a veteran backup and forcing Wallstedt to play his way onto the team. Anton Forsberg makes sense for the Wild as a reliable option who could play 20 games behind Gus' 60, but who also wouldn't provide an insurmountable roadblock for Wallstedt. Plus, he's Swedish, which adds a link with countryman Wallstedt, which may help with the latter's development.

Los Angeles Kings

Spring 2025 Tandem: Darcy Kuemper, David Rittich

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Darcy Kuemper, Ilya Samsonov

Bringing in one former but recently maligned ex-Capitals goalie worked wonders last year, and I think their best option this summer might be to go back to that well with the 28-year-old Samsonov. With Samsonov the Kings bring in someone who could hold a heaver workload for the 35-year-old Kumeper if he struggles or is injured. He's also not too old that he could help bridge the gap from Kuemper to some of the young goalies if that's what they developmentally need in the medium term. For 2025-26 though, Samsonov could bring a solid 30 starts to fill in almost perfectly for the hole that Rittich leaves.

Florida Panthers

Spring 2025 Tandem: Sergei Bobrovsky, Vitek Vanecek

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Sergei Bobrovsky, Dan Vladar

Coming off of their third-straight Cup Final appearance, the Cats will start having to look ahead to the post-Bobrovsky world, as Bob enters the 2025-26 season as a 37-year-old with a lot of miles on him. Aside from John Gibson (who feels unrealistic), there aren't really any great longer-term options for Florida available at the moment. Enter Vladar, as a 28-year-old who put up solid numbers in 30 starts last year behind a less-reliable Flames team and would make for a worthy stop-gap option on a cheaper contract as Florida exits the Bob era.

Edmonton Oilers

Spring 2025 Tandem: Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard

The Oilers have one more year left on contracts for both goalies, and while they have had some consistency issues, both have generally played well for the team, and would be tough to beat on a performance/cost ratio. There's been chatter about John Gibson being a target, and maybe at 50% of his salary and as a dice roll to show Connor McDavid that the Oilers are serious, it could happen, but it doesn't seem likely now. The Oilers are much more likely to run it back in net, and spend elsewhere; which is great news for the two incumbents.

Detroit Red Wings

Spring 2025 Tandem: Petr Mrazek, Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Petr Mrazek, Cam Talbot

Petr Mrazek was pretty solid for the Wings in his five appearances, putting up the best GAA and sv% of any Wings goalie last season. He likely gets the majority of the starts next season, bumping down the 38-year-old Talbot, and taking a large chunk of the value. Detroit should be taking another step forward next year, which would see them as a playoff team, making Mrazek a much hotter commodity than he has been in years.

Dallas Stars

Spring 2025 Tandem: Jake Oettinger, Casey DeSmith

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Jake Oettinger, Casey DeSmith

Oettinger's new contract is about the only question mark here, wondering whether he will end up closer to the $8 million benchmark from some of the recent signees like Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, or if he ends up breaking the eight-digit AAV barrier. It should be status quo otherwise.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Spring 2025 Tandem: Elvis Merzlikins, Daniil Tarasov, Jet Greaves

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: John Gibson, Jet Greaves

Now we get to the fun stuff. Columbus needs a shake up in net, but they don't want to bank on Greaves or Tarasov being ready, and they can't run it back with Merzlikins again. There's nothing useful on the FA pile, which means they ship Merzlikins and a sweetener or two to the Ducks for Gibson. Both players have two years left on their deals and need a change of scenery. Gibson forces whoever the Jackets keep as their backup into earning their starts, while giving Columbus a presence in the crease they haven't had in years. It's likely not the big move to a contender that most Gibson owners are hoping for, but I think this would still be good news for him, both in terms of volume, and with Columbus a little ahead of Anaheim in their rebuild.

Colorado Avalanche

Spring 2025 Tandem: Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Mackenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood

After completely revamping their goaltending in-season last fall, the Avs are a bit of a boring team here this time around. Blackwood has his new deal in place and should be one of the top-10 goalies off the board in redraft leagues this fall. Lots of value for him, and only streamer value for Wedgewood in his 20-25 starts.

Chicago Blackhawks

Spring 2025 Tandem: Spencer Knight, Laurent Brossoit, Arvid Soderblom

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Spencer Knight, Laurent Brossoit, Arvid Soderblom

At this point, and until proven otherwise, I'm going to operate under the assumption that Brossoit will not be healthy for the fall. That means he lands on IR again, and we see a 50/30 split between Knight and Soderblom for the Blackhawks. There's not much pressure to start moving up the standings yet, so don't expect too many wins regardless of who is starting. Lots of future value with Knight, but temper expectations at this point.

Carolina Hurricanes

Spring 2025 Tandem: Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov

Another simple one here, with Freddie re-upped and Kochetkov still locked in as the heir. The split of volume is going to depend more on health than performance or anything else. While eventually the Canes are going to have to transition away from Freddie, for the moment, both are still very valuable fantasy goalies.

Calgary Flames

Spring 2025 Tandem: Dustin Wolf, Dan Vladar

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Dustin Wolf, Alex Lyon

Dustin Wolf is maybe the best young goalie in the game right now, earning Calder Trophy consideration last year, and taking over the crease for the Flames at 23 years old. He played 53 games last year, and his numbers dropped in every successive quarter, meaning getting Wolf some rest will be important in keeping his level of play high. Enter Alex Lyon, who had a successful, albeit injury-plagued season with the Red Wings, and of the available goaltending options on the market, can hold his own as a 1B starter without being too good to really create any kind of goalie controversy.

Want to find the next star goalie? Don't forget about the 19^th annual Fantasy Prospects Report! Pick up yours at Dobber Sports today so that you can get ahead of your offseason keeper league decisions, and make sure you're stashing the right players for some long-term payoff.

Buffalo Sabres

Spring 2025 Tandem: James Reimer, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Devon Levi

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Devon Levi

At 37 years old and after putting up a save percentage below .900 in 24 appearances last year, this may be the last we see of James Reimer. The Sabres look like they should be ready to move forward with Luukkonen and Levi as their tandem, and as long as Luukkonen is healthy, he should be starting 55+ games. The Sabres can see if the 23-year-old Levi is now ready to handle 30 games as the backup goalie, and if not, then the team should have no issues signing one of the goalies still floating in the free agent market, or even grabbing someone like Reimer off waivers as they did last fall.

Boston Bruins

Spring 2025 Tandem: Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo

Nothing to change here, with the big money already allocated to Swayman, and Korpisalo locked in as the backup based on his talent level fitting squarely there, and his contract ensuring he doesn't move anywhere. Swayman should see close to 60 games again, with Korpisalo covering off the other 20-25. Korpisalo's numbers were a smidge better last year, but don't expect that to hold, as at least Swayman's peripherals should improve, even if the win totals don't.

Anaheim Ducks

Spring 2025 Tandem: Lukas Dostal, John Gibson

Projected Fall 2025 Tandem: Lukas Dostal, Elvis Merzlikins

As noted in the Columbus section, I see the Ducks and Jackets swapping big money goalies. What it does for the Ducks is it locks in Dostal as the starter, saves them a little bit of cap space (or just cash in general) as they start to spend more, and they can add an extra asset as they would be giving up the better goalie. However, the downgrade for the Ducks by moving out 40 games of Gibson and giving 20 to Merzlikins while Dostal covers Gibson's other 20 games to give him 60 in total, is not much of a downgrade on the ice. If the Ducks can move out Gibson, then Dostal jumps into the conversation as a top-10 goalie next year.

Now, we're through 32 teams and there are still a couple of leftovers, with Daniil Tarasov and David Rittich still looking for homes. I expect them to find contracts, but it may not be as a lock for a top-two spot on any team. More likely, they'll end up waiting until there's an injury or a very poor stretch of play, and another team gets desperate for a filler. Tarasov still has some upside, but his runway is running out, while Rittich can hold his own as a veteran backup, but there's only so many spots and all the other options have better fits elsewhere.

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See you next Wednesday, and if you have any fantasy hockey questions or comments you can find me on BlueSky @alexdmaclean, as that’s now my primary platform.