Goalies are a very important part of fantasy hockey. Typically, they’re not easy to come by without sacrificing another area. This is why adding valuable players with upside late in drafts is key. Depending on the type of league, 2-3 goalies is the sweet spot and you don’t want to be drafting unnecessary netminders to lower the stats. Starters go fairly quickly, especially the good ones. Here we are going to look at four fantasy backup goalies with upside to draft in the late rounds.
Top 4 Fantasy Backup Goalies to Draft
Akira Schmid, New Jersey Devils
Akira Schmid had a bit of a breakout season for the New Jersey Devils in 2022-23 but was limited to 18 games. He started the season as the third-string goalie because of Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood. When an opportunity arose with an injury to Blackwood, Schmid took full advantage. Being able to go 9-5-2 with a 2.22 GAA and .922 SV% was integral to earning the trust of the team. This also allowed the Devils to free up a full-time spot on the NHL roster for this upcoming season.
While Vanecek is a little more established and is the starter for the Devils… for now, Schmid will be right on his heels. Vanecek started 48 games last season while Schmid started just 14. That ratio vastly changed in the postseason as Schmid ended up starting eight games to Vanecek’s four. Each had some pretty bad games or starts, but Schmid still put up impressive numbers. He recorded two shutouts on top of a 2.35 GAA and .921 SV%. There will be a reset and the Devils are arguably stronger overall than last season. Schmid will push Vanecek for starts and will likely take advantage of any slip-up.
Joel Hofer, St. Louis Blues
As far as backup goalies go, Joel Hofer is going to be a sneaky one. Over the past two seasons, the St. Louis Blues have moved on from two different backup goalies, Ville Husso and Thomas Greiss. Now, the 22-year-old Hofer will get his shot behind Jordan Binnington. The upside here is that Binnington has declined every season since winning the Stanley Cup. The Blues made moves that show they want to rebound and win. If Binnington isn’t giving them the starts to do so, Hofer could step in and go on a nice run. Teams and coaches don’t much care who gets the job done as long as it gets done.
Hofer had a very good season in the AHL in 2022-23 and was called up to play six games in the NHL. During those games, he went 3-1-1 with a 3.22 GAA and .905 SV%. Don’t much mind the goals against average as this was a Blues team after the trade deadline. By then they had moved a number of key players. Hofer was peppered with shots in his six starts. In the AHL he put up a .921 SV% in 47 games. He’s ready for the NHL and ready to jump at an opportunity when one arises.
Antti Raanta, Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes brought back both UFAs in Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta for one year. Although Andersen is the starter, Raanta will get a good number of starts and put up great numbers. The Hurricanes are a great defensive team and of the team’s three goalies, he put up the best numbers, Pyotr Kochetkov included.
Raanta started 26 games last season, going 19-3-3 with a 2.23 GAA, .910 SV%, and four shutouts. Unless there’s an injury, Kochetkov is out of the mix. As long as Raanta stays healthy, he will provide a lot of value. Andersen typically gets sidelined, opening up the door for Raanta to go on another impressive run. He even got the nod in six playoff games and played fairly well. He is bound to get a lot of quality starts and has a lot of upside with the team he plays for and the potential opportunity to start.
Laurent Brossoit, Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are heading into this season with an interesting situation. Connor Hellebuyck, the team’s starter and franchise goalie, doesn’t want to re-sign. So that means he will likely be traded at some time over the next six months. If that comes before the season, backup goalie Laurent Brossoit should see increased playing time. He proved he can be counted on last season for the Vegas Golden Knights as he was their Game 1 starter in the playoffs.
At one point this season, Brossoit is likely going to start a fair bit of games. He had a 7-0-3 record for Vegas last season with a 2.17 GAA and .927 SV%. He normally has one strong year and struggles the next, so that will be something to watch. Of the five goalies, he is the least trustworthy to draft late. But either way, unless Winnipeg drops the ball on Hellebuyck, Brossoit will see lots of playing time at one point.
Backup goalies can be very important for fantasy owners, especially ones who can step up and play well. Injuries happen and it’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move to draft one late. That’s where you are usually trying to find gems anyways.