Grabbing a Top 15 goalie is one of the finer points of a fantasy hockey draft. Learning when to draft one and when to pass is an art. Anticipating your fellow owners is the key. This class of goalies is top-heavy, so be sure to land your No. 1 option in the first two rounds. But worry not, there are bargain options available, too. UPDATE! is there for you. Here are our top picks:


New Jersey Devils
Comment: Quick trivia question: what do Martin Brodeur and the Great Wall of China have in common? If you were going to say that they're both pretty old than you're right. Because at age 36 Marty can stop more flying objects than the Great Wall ever could. This guy is a guaranteed Hall of Famer, record breaker and could be the best goalie to ever play the game. He will be the comparison for all future goalies to come through this league and, as for your fantasy purposes, he will win over 40 games and play in over 75 games. No doubts in my mind, he is the best yet again. Don't let age deter you from this gem.

Vancouver Canucks
Comment: Luongo was second only to Brodeur in wins, with 47, and had an astounding .921 save percentage. This butterfly goalie has improved every year and will only build on his Vezina worthy performance of last year. The only red flag (if there is one) is that Vancouver isn't the most potent of offensive teams and that may cost him a win or two. Additionally, in practice this week Luongo took a puck off the throat. But unless he stops breathing, look for him to be the No. 2 goalie this year.

Calgary Flames
Comment: The Kipper is an absolute monster in the net. His stats last year may not live up to a No. 3 goalie ranking, but Mikka is ready to return to form. His win totals were up last year and will continue to rise. However, for this goalie it is the save percentage that you should be a bit weary of. Kipper faced the most shots of any goalie last year, averaging 31 per game, but posted a save percentage of .917 (not bad for a human shield). Expect his numbers to improve and for your fantasy team to thrive. Poolies may let this goalie slide but UPDATE! is confident that he will make you the envy of your league.

Anaheim Ducks
Comment: The man in the pipes for the Ducks is a solid pick coming off a Stanley Cup winning season. However with so much upside to this goalie, there is one stat that should raise an eyebrow. He followed up his last Stanley Cup winning season with a dismal 17 wins the next year. Don't expect the same result this time around, but make sure you have a solid second goalie just in case history repeats itself.

Ottawa Senators
Comment: Some of you out there may not agree with seeing Emery so high, coming off a hand injury and other off-season issues. But Emery proved himself to be a hands-down starter in this league last season. Don't hesitate to draft Emery as the Senators look to repeat their Eastern Conference dominance. UPDATE! predicts a 40-win season for Ray, who should improve on his GAA and SV%. The Razor is hungry for a cup and to prove his critics wrong. He'll be a solid pickup anywhere in the draft.

Minnesota Wild
Comment: In his rookie season last year, Backstrom led the NHL with a 1.97 GAA in 41 games. He won 23 of those games and lost only eight. Still not convinced? The Minnesota Wild are one of the most defense conscious team in the NHL. They'll be sure to focus on keeping the puck out of their zone, which will ensure Backstrom has a great season. He may get a case of the sophomore jitters, but barring any unforeseen events, this goalie should prove that he deserves to be a high draft pick.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Comment: This one-time protege of Patrick Roy has been projected by many to be one of the Top 3 goalies in the league. He had 40 wins last season and over the past three has seen his GAA has gone down and his SV% has go up — a good sign for fantasy owners. But Fleury continuously looks shaky in the net and still hasn't found his comfort level as he flops around the goal crease like a young Hasek. With the Pens defense looking solid, Fleury will have a pretty good season this year. Keep him in the back half of your Top 10 goalies.

New York Rangers
Comment: The Rangers should be one of the top teams in the East with their offensive overhaul. Lundqvist is the defensive representative for the Rangers and should continue to be strong option in his third professional season. He put up better total numbers than M.A Fleury in his first two seasons and could continue the trend. After posting a legitimate 37 wins in 2006, expect him to ascend to the 40-win area. He'll struggle a bit with the Rangers' less than stellar defense but their offense should help off-set that with added wins. Lundqvist will be a solid pick for any fantasy owner, especially in a keeper league.

Detroit Red Wings
Comment: Look for Hasek to produce in wins and GAA and maybe even raise his save percentage just a little from last season. However, the man is old - real old - and unlikely to play a full season. Watch out for injuries and make sure you have a great No. 2 goalie to back up Hasek. Besides age concerns, Hasek still deserves to be a No. 1 in this league.

San Jose Sharks
Comment: With Vesa Toskala out of the shark tank, Nabakov is primed for the spotlight. In the one season he played over 60 games (2001-2002) he recorded 37 wins and a .918 SV%. Pretty good numbers for a guy looking to play in at least 60 games this season. Keep your eyes out for this goalie; he'll surprise a lot of people this season. He's a great goalie with a high upside. Expect Nabakov to post wins in the mid thirties and a save percentage around .920%.

Dallas Stars
Comment: Marty has proven himself to be a solid, consistent goalie and a perennial All-Star. He has four straight 30 or more win seasons with a GAA of over .910 in all except for one season (2005-2006: GAA.898). The Stars aren't the best team this year but Marty will be there to continue his reliable ways. He'll put up around 35 wins and at least five shutouts. Mr. Consistent should post dreamy fantasy numbers, so don't be timid about drafting him. He’ll probably be an All-Star again but he'll get there in a very quiet fashion.

Buffalo Sabers
Comment: Why is Miller so low on the hot list? The Answer: Because the Sabers are not going to the conference finals this year. Buffalo is not the team it was last year, and Miller may get a dose of reality in 2007-2008. Last year was his first full season as a starter and he put up a tasty 40 wins. However, he had a mediocre-at-best 2.73 GAA. Look for the wins to go down a bit and if you're lucky so will his goals against. He's still a legitimate No. 1 and should make solid trade bait if you draft well. Don't bite early though; let one of the eager, uninformed guys draft him high and get your money's worth later on.

New York Islanders
Comment: Dipietro faces yet another interesting season on the island. Since his rookie season Dipietro has improved all his numbers (except for the 2005-2006 season). The most appealing statistic was his five shut outs last year. Some may say that the Isles' defense is like swiss cheese but Dipietro is there to plug up those delectable holes. Helping Dipietro is Mike Dunham who recently retired to become the new goalie coach. With Dunham on in an advisory role, Dipietro should improve immensely. Look for Dipietro to be a shutout king for the Isles and for the team to make another run at the playoffs; DiPietro should get them there.

Colorado Avalanche
Comment: Joe Sakic called Budaj the future of goaltending during the World Championships a few years back. He's a great post-to-post goalie with the potential to break out this season. He only played 57 games last year and recorded 31 wins — not too bad. If he gets 65-70 games in, than his numbers will be stellar. Budaj is a sleeper and could be a steal a little higher up in the draft. The other Avalanche goalies will push Budaj for that starter role, but he will come out on top.

Atlanta Thrashers
Comment: Lehtonen had a bit of a rough go at it last season. In playing 68 games he won 34 of them only to be jilted at the alter in the playoffs for Johan Hedberg. This year Lehtonen should be pretty solid and hopefully last year's blunders by management will not effect him. The only issue forthcoming is that the Thrashers don't look to be the great team they were last year as Carolina and Tampa have both improved. The fate of the Thrashers lies with Kari, and as he goes so do the Thrash. He'll be another great steal if poolies are scared off by Atlanta and he's hanging around later in the draft.

Carolina Hurricanes
Comment: Cam was the talk of the NHL several years ago when the Hurricanes won the cup. He was touted as the next great goalie, only to disappoint the following year with awful numbers. He had only 30 wins with a depleted 2.93 GAA in just 60 games last season. With such anemic numbers, Ward ranked 31st amongst all goalies. However, with the hiring of Tom Barrasso as the new goalie coach, Ward should improve immensely. The Hurricanes should challenge for tops in the Atlantic and Ward will help them get there.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Comment: Johan only started in 43 games last year, winning 27 of them. That's pretty much the only upside to him right now. He's been a staple in the net of the Swedish team during international tournaments and has been impressive in those international games. If he can produce in Tampa like he does overseas, he'll be a great late pick up. Keep in mind that last season was his first in the NHL and he's only going to get better. One more tidbit for you all out there is that the hopes of the Lightning lie with him. Their backup goalie is Marc Denis and we know that he is only good in a backup role. If you get him as your second goalie, you'll be in good shape.

Nashville Predators
Comment: Mason is going to have a solid season this year as the Predators No. 1 goalie. He had a decent 27-win season, managed in a miniscule 40 games. With Mason planning to be in goal for the majority of the season, those numbers will only improve. He had a great GAA and solid SV% numbers on a Nashville team that prioritized itself on its rugged, defensive play. Look for Mason to make some solid improvements and be a nice addition to your goaltending platoon.

Philadelphia Flyers
Comment: In March, Biron signed a two-year deal with the Flyers making him their No. 1 goalie. When first coming into the league Biron was touted as a phenom; though he has never lived up to the hype. This year in Philly should put an end to the questions, as Biron will prove himself to be a solid goaltender. Last year's numbers were clearly awful, posting a 3.03 GAA, but don't let that deter you. With his playing time clearly defined, Biron is a mid-to late pick up and should produce for you as a second goalie.

Boston Bruins
Comment: Manny should have an interesting year in Boston facing Eastern Conference opponents regularly for the first time in his career. Last year he was 0-2 against opponents in his new division and will face each team eight times this year. We'll see how he deals with this, but he should take it quite well. His best season as a goalie produced 30 wins, so look for him to hit that mark and hopefully surpass it.

Los Angeles Kings
Comment: Labarbera has stiff competition in LA, but with Cloutier's injury history and Aubin's shoddy play of late, Hollywood should see Labarbera between the pipes before long. After signing a two-year contract, he should be ready to put up some solid digits. And with the addition of a new defense core led by rookie phenom Jack Johnson and the veteran Rob Blake, the Kings should take some pressure of their goalie. This is a risky pick, but if he does turn out to win the starting job, look for delicious numbers to come your way.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Comment: Ohio has been a goalie killer, but look for Norrena to turn some heads this season. After taking over the starting job from Pascal LeClaire last year, he has proven that he can put up winning numbers in Columbus, winning 24 of 50 games he played in. If the Jackets thrive, it will be because of this young goalie. If you can keep him on the bench until he shows signs of production, you'll be in good shape.

Montreal Canadiens
Comment: Huet was absolutely stellar last season in some games and very mediocre in others. He finished with a 2.81 GAA and a .917 SV% — pretty decent numbers for a guy who split time last year. After finishing last season with an injury and undergoing hamstring surgery, Huet looks to bounce back as a starter. If he does return to full form, there is enough evidence to show that he could be great in this league, especially against a weaker northeast division.

St. Louis Blues
Comment: The Blues are looking to climb out of the basement of the NHL this season. Manny finished seventeenth among goalies in GAA with a 2.59 average last season. Legace has been a league staple with the Wings, winning 37 games just two season's ago. With a shored up defense, look for Legace to post some solid numbers this year as a viable No. 2 fantasy option.

Boston Bruins
Comment: Manny Fernandez is the current starter for the Bruins, but Rask is primed to unseat him. Tuukka's stock is at an all time high with the Bruins; they traded away Hannu Toivonen to make room for the young Rask. In the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Championships, Rask took over the starter role commendably posting great GAA and SV percentages.




Anaheim Ducks
Comment: Solid numbers last season earned him a trade to Toronto. The media is going to be tough on Vesa, especially during his first losing streak. Though big numbers are predicted for this goalie, look for him to buckle under the pressure and split time with Raycroft.

Edmonton Oilers
Comment: 'Rolly the Goalie' has seen his best days as a goalie behind him. At the tender age of 37, Rolly is old, slow and showing signs of getting worse. His win/loss record has never been good and his GAA is just as bad. Even with All-Star Sheldon Souray in front of him, nothing will help the Oilers' goaltender. If you draft this guy, pray for your team because he will be a fantasy plague this year.

Chicago Blackhawks
Comment: On a Chicago team that has long been forgotten in the 'Windy City', look for this goalies numbers to continue their decline. After a horrendous knee injury in January of last year, look for the Hawks to go with a younger goalie to either start or come in mid-season. Their younger goalie is Patrick Lalime, who also has done nothing since his blow-up with the Senators in the 2004 playoffs. So maybe Nikko has a chance? Doubt it.

Washington Capitals
Comment: Another 37- year-old on his way down, Olly hasn't put up solid numbers since the 1999-2000 season when he posted 41 wins and was an All-Star. Since then, his numbers have slipped and will continue to this season. The one upside for this goalie is that the Capitals have gotten a bit better in the off-season, which may earn him some more wins. However, look for this South African to be in a similar situation as Khabibulin and get replaced mid-season due to an injury.

Florida Panthers
Comment: Vokoun was brought in from Nashville to save the day for the Panthers and bring them out of 'laughing-stock' territory. Vokoun was great last year for the Predators and should continue his solid play. Unfortunately, Florida will kill this goalie’s career. He's going to face more shots, which means more goals, which means less wins, which means fantasy disaster. Sorry Tommy, but maybe you should have held out before playing. Draft Vokoun at your own risk.