A Vegas/Carolina Stanley Cup Final might not be the most highly anticipated final in recent memory, both when it comes to style of play and with two non-traditional hockey markets. Whether you're excited about it or not, it's what we've got. Look for the Dobber writers to share their picks very soon.

Picking series winners isn't usually easy, and this Stanley Cup Final is no different. Hockey is a strange game, prone to lucky bounces and momentum shifts and other random events. A prime example of this is the Golden Knights, who finished with 39 wins during the regular season.

Capitals… 43 wins… No Playoffs
Islanders… 43 wins… No Playoffs
NJ Devils… 42 wins… No Playoffs
Red Wings… 41 wins… No Playoffs
Blue Jackets… 40 wins… No Playoffs
Panthers… 40 wins… No Playoffs
SJ Sharks… 39 wins… No Playoffs

VGK… 39 wins… Stanley Cup Final

— Sam Block (@theblockspot) May 27, 2026

When John Tortorella was fired by the Canucks, and then the Blue Jackets, and then the Flyers, I thought he might be done as an NHL head coach. Now he's coaching in the Stanley Cup Final.

When Carter Hart was one of the Canadian World Junior players on trial for sexual assault, I thought he might be done as an NHL goalie. Now he's a starting goalie in the Stanley Cup Final.

I won't get into all the reasons to dislike the Golden Knights (even though as a fan, I'd rather not see them win). They've earned their spot in the final. A four-game sweep of Colorado might be their most impressive work, even if they didn't face the best version of the Avalanche. The Torts hire has been exactly the new coach bump they'd hoped it would be. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are at the top of their game, and Hart looks like the goalie we thought he'd be when he was coming up through the Flyers' system. (Let's start thinking about where he should be drafted next season.)

Yet Carolina has lost just ONCE in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a war of attrition, and the Hurricanes are about as healthy and well-rested as a team can be. They've swallowed up three opponents simply by playing their game. Maybe this is the year where everything finally lines up for the Canes – at least they didn't have to face the Florida Panthers. I can't really describe their top players with the same superlatives as the Golden Knights, but maybe that's because it's a team effort.

My pick: Carolina in 6. I had to really think about this one, but I'll go with the team that finished second in the overall standings. Along with the 12-1 playoff record, that has to mean something.  

Since April 1:
Jackson Blake – 20 GP, 6G, 17A, 23 PTS
Taylor Hall – 19 GP, 8G, 16A, 24 PTS

Since March 31:
Logan Stankoven – 21 GP, 16G, 7A, 23 PTS

Junkyard Dogs pic.twitter.com/pPiygPXmcM

— The Canes Stats Brand™ (@CanesStats) May 30, 2026

–

Yesterday, I listed three waiver-wire goalies that helped me get to the championship final in two head-to-head leagues. In a third league, I decided to ignore any kind of Zero G strategy and instead drafted two goalies in the top 100: Ilya Sorokin at 71 and Sergei Bobrovsky at 74. This team ultimately missed the playoffs, although barely. There are some known Zero G practitioners in this league, so I thought I'd zag while they zig. But that meant I missed out on more scoring (which I really could have used), especially since goalies can earn negative points with a really bad start in this league. I'll be considering using Zero G in that league next season.

The Vezina Trophy nominations usually offer very few surprises. What I mean by that is that each of this season's three nominees (Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Sorokin, and Jeremy Swayman) were all drafted in 100 percent of Yahoo leagues. Swayman was at least drafted on average after pick 100, which might qualify him as the best value goalie pick of the season (31 W, 2.69 GAA, .907 SV%). Even though Swayman exceeded expectations just as the Bruins did, the DobberHockey Fantasy Guide projected Swayman to appear in over 50 games again. Because he was universally rostered, Swayman wouldn't qualify as Zero G to me.

That being said about the Vezina Trophy, I'm going to create an award for the top Zero G goalie of the season. No cheesy award show with standup comedians telling awkward jokes. Just this article. Here are my three nominees:

Scott Wedgewood

Wedgewood was drafted in 15 percent of Yahoo leagues, which were likely deeper leagues who wanted a Mackenzie Blackwood handcuff or a backup goalie with the potential to earn wins. A journeyman goalie throughout his career, the 33-year-old Wedgewood had never played more than 37 games in a season, and that season's total was also spread among three different teams (Arizona, Dallas, and New Jersey in 2021-22).

Fast forward to the end of the season. Hockey fans may remember Wedgewood most as the goalie who was in net for three of Colorado's four losses to Vegas in the Western Conference Final. However, Wedgewood earned the starter's job for the playoffs thanks to an outstanding regular season that saw him post a 31-6-6 record with a 2.02 GAA and .921 SV%. His 66.7 QS% was in the top 5 among goalies that played in at least 40 games. If Wedgewood played in a few more games, perhaps he would be one of the three nominees for the Vezina. However, playing in at least 55 games seems to be a prerequisite for a Vezina nomination. If that truly is the case, only 12 goalies would qualify, including the actual three nominees.

Wedgewood's outlook for next season is cloudier. On the final year of his contract in 2026-27, Wedgewood ($2.5 million cap hit) earns less than half of what Blackwood earns ($5.25 million cap hit). The intent will more likely be for Blackwood to start opening night next season for that reason. However, Blackwood also struggled during the final quarter (3.10 GAA, .875 SV%) and the Avalanche needed to ride the hotter hand with the Stanley Cup on the line. It's also possible that the Avs don't run the "lumberyard" goaltending tandem back again, with goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov possibly even factoring into the equation. 

Jet Greaves

Drafted in 11% of Yahoo leagues, Greaves had deep sleeper appeal as a result of a red-hot final quarter run in 2024-25 (5-1-0, 1.00, .966 SV%) and Elvis Merzlikins' shaky play. Even though Merzlikins has the much higher cap hit, Greaves outperformed him by a wide margin and was handed the Blue Jackets' starting job in 2025-26 as a result. Greaves was another one of the 12 goalies to appear in 55 games, while his 37 quality starts was fourth in the league and his 21.01 GSAx (goals saved above expected) was just outside the top 10 in the league.

Greaves may play in relative obscurity in Columbus, but he is making a name for himself at the World Hockey Championship. Greaves backstopped Canada to a 4-0 win over the United States in the quarterfinal, which gave him a 6-0-0 record with a 1.33 GAA and .940 SV% in the tournament entering Saturday's semifinal showdown with Finland. Unfortunately, Greaves and Canada lost 4-2 to the Finns.  

Does all of that mean Greaves will not be a Zero G in next season's fantasy drafts?

Where does Jet Greaves get drafted next season in #FantasyHockey ?

He's not going to be a #ZeroG anymore …#NHL https://t.co/4IvEnBOaJl

— Dobber (@DobberHockey) May 28, 2026

It depends what your definition of Zero G is. My prediction is that Greaves will have an ADP after 100 in fantasy drafts next season, but he will be close to universally rostered. By the definition I used earlier, Greaves will not be a Zero G. Greaves finished the season rostered in 67 percent of Yahoo leagues, and as Columbus' projected starter he should be able to reach that number again through drafts. His regular-season performance with the Blue Jackets will impact his draft-day stock much more than his performance at the Worlds. Yet unrelated to fantasy hockey, Greaves is establishing himself as a strong candidate to be on Canada's roster for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.

All of this is to say that the secret is out about the 25-year-old Greaves, who is trending in the right direction. If Columbus can climb into a playoff spot, then Greaves' value will ascend even higher. 

Dan Vladar

Just as Greaves is making a name for himself at the World Hockey Championship, Vladar put the hockey world on notice during the Flyers' first-round win over Pittsburgh. During the six-game series win over Philly's cross-state rival, Vladar shut down the Penguins with a 1.61 GAA and .936 SV%. This postseason success would not have been predicted before the season for Vladar, who was drafted in just 2 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Vladar's playoff success should not have come at a complete surprise, though. The Flyers' goaltending situation before the season was both volatile and undesirable. Yet it became apparent early in the season that Vladar was deserving of the starting goalie job over Samuel Ersson, as Vladar never posted a goals-against average above 2.55 or a save percentage below .895 in any one quarter. By the end of the season, Vladar finished fourth in the league with 37 quality starts while finishing in the top 10 with 21.63 GSAx.

Having never played more than 30 games in a season prior to 2025-26, Vladar was thought to be a career backup. However, his performance this past season has firmly entrenched him as Philadelphia's starter. By the end of the season, Vladar was rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues. His draft-day value next season should be similar to that of Greaves. That means you should expect him to likely be available after pick 100, but he should be drafted in most leagues.

Honorable mentions: Jesper Wallstedt, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Joel Hofer, Spencer Knight

To choose the top Zero G goalie for 2025-26, I simply went to all my league rankings for the season. This is not a keeper ranking or projection of any kind – I'm just evaluating performance from this past season. One of the three goalies listed above ranked highest in three of my four leagues. That goalie was Wedgewood, which goes to show that successful fantasy goalies can be found on successful teams.

As I was researching these rankings, I noticed that Wedgewood was dropped five times in one of my leagues! Even though he wasn't viewed as the starter in Colorado for much of the season, he provided superior value if you kept him on your roster all season.

–

The Fantasy Prospects Report is coming very soon! Find out more or purchase here.

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social