Hello everyone and welcome to the latest edition of Eastern Edge! I'm Eli Feldman.

There is no dispute that stellar goaltending is necessary to win fantasy hockey championships. Given the importance of goaltending, it's tempting to shore out the position in the early rounds of drafts by selecting a proven netminder (e.g., Connor Hellebuyck) with a top pick.

While taking a tendy early isn't necessarily a bad strategy, the natural unpredictability of goaltending makes it a risky one. Injuries aside, every season brings about a crop of goalies who drastically underperform their ADP (e.g., Alexandar Georgiev), filling fantasy managers with unrelenting regret. However, for every Georgiev, there's a goalie who drastically outperforms their ADP (e.g., Logan Thompson) every season, filling fantasy managers with euphoria.

Against this backdrop, let's look at a few goalies in the Eastern Conference poised to outperform their ADP from last year in fantasy drafts this season. Data is from Frozen Tools and MoneyPuck.

Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina Hurricanes

2024/2025 ADP: 165

Like the past three seasons, 26-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov will enter the 2025/2026 season playing second fiddle to 36-year-old netminder Frederik Andersen. However, if the past few seasons are any indication, it's only a matter of time until Kochetkov gets a chance to shine thanks to an injury to Freddy.

Over the past three seasons, Kochetkov has started 113 games to Andersen's 72, a difference of 41 games. Although Andersen has the edge statistically over that span, Freddy's extensive injury woes throughout his career make him an extremely dangerous pick to any manager seeking stability at the goaltending position. By contrast, Kochenkov is a young and dynamic netminder who is the heir-apparent to the blue paint for the red, black, and white.

Given the strong possibility that Kochenkov starts 40-plus games for an elite defensive team this season, don't shut the door on drafting Pyotr. 

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets

2024/2025 ADP: N/A

A total afterthought in fantasy drafts last year, Jet Greaves took off during the final month of the season, posting an otherworldly 5-1-0 record with a 1.00 GAA and a 0.966 SV% in his final six starts.

Even prior to his massive breakout, the Blue Jackets' front office clearly saw untapped potential in Greaves, inking him to a two-year, $1.625M contract last offseason.

Much like the goaltending situation in Carolina, the 24-year-old Greaves enters the year as the apparent backup to 31-year-old netminder Elvis Merzlikins, who's set to make $5.4M this season. Unlike in Carolina, however, the issue with Merzlikins isn't so much his ability to play but, rather, his ability to play well. Last season, Merzlikins ranked 53^rd overall among Goals Saved Above Expected ("GSAx") and was tied for the ninth-lowest SV% on High Danger Unblocked Shot Attempts (0.739%). Yikes.

If Merzlikins struggles out of the gate once again, it wouldn't be surprising to see Head Coach Dean Evason clear the Jet for takeoff – this time, for good.

Sam Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens

2024/2025 ADP: 214

Sam Montembeault handled a monstrous workload last season admirably, posting a 31-24-7 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .902 SV% in 62 (!) starts. With the Canadiens struggling defensively for large stretches of last year, Montembeault was up to the task with tremendous consistency, finishing the campaign with the fifth highest GSAx (24.6) leaguewide.

Following a surprisingly successful campaign in which the Habs shocked the hockey world by sneaking into the Playoffs, Montreal enters the 2025/2026 with countless reasons for optimism, not the least of which is another season of Montembeault in the crease. With virtually no competition for starts and his team on the rise, Sam is the man in Montreal.

Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs

2024/2025 ADP: 108

While mountain of a man Anthony Stolarz stole the crease on Bay Street to begin the Playoffs last season, Woll was stellar in a timeshare during the regular season, posting a 27-14-1 record with a 2.73 GAA and a .909 SV% in 42 starts last season.

Despite the Leafs rolling with Stoly the Goalie come Playoff time, Woll was called upon to carry the load after Stolarz went down with a concussion during the Leafs' second-round series against the (eventual Stanley Cup-winning) Florida Panthers.

Like last season, Woll will probably split time with Stolarz in 2025/2026; that is, assuming they both stay healthy. While Woll has encountered his own share of injuries in his career, Stolarz's ginormous 6'6" frame makes him a perennial injury risk. With another untimely injury to Stolly, Woll would be vaulted back into the starter's position for one of the League's top teams, giving him potential top-10 fantasy value among goaltenders.

Although there is somewhat of a speculative element to drafting Woll, you will likely need to take some calculated risks on draft day to get your team over the hump this season – or, should I say, the wall.

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That's all for this week! Stay tuned for the next edition of Eastern Edge on Tuesday, August 5. Have a great week everyone!