Ottawa Senators v Boston Bruins — NHL Fantasy Hockey goalie rankings 2023-24: Best and worst picks for your team in Week 16

NHL Fantasy Hockey goalie rankings 2023-24: Best and worst picks for your team in Week 16

Modified Jan 22, 2024 18:02 GMT

The NHL has tweaked its schedule in the final week of January, loading up games on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Leading up to the All-Star Game break, there are 51 games, meaning we can expect to see 102 goalie matchups.

Whether top teams are going head to head or the bottom ones are trying to play spoiler, there are some exciting matchups to track in Week 16.

Fans and fantasy hockey managers will have plenty to discuss, whether it's which tandems are hot or which netminder may be available for the upcoming NHL trade deadline.

Best goalie options for NHL fantasy hockey for Week 16

1) Linus Ullmark & Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins)

The Boston Bruins have four games this week, including a matchup against the Winnipeg Jets to start the week. After that, they play back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators, the worst team in the Eastern Conference. On Saturday, they wrap up the week against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

The duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman rank among the top five tandems in the NHL, which gives the Bruins a chance to win every night. Although a couple of these upcoming matchups are challenging, there are some chances for them to destroy some opponents, too.

2) Igor Shesterkin & Jonathan Quick (New York Rangers)

The New York Rangers play three games in Week 16, first against the bottom-placed San Jose Sharks, followed by a Friday rematch against the Vegas Golden Knights. However, they play the Senators on Saturday, a favorable matchup for Igor Shesterkin or Jonathan Quick.

3) Thatcher Demko & Casey DeSmith (Vancouver Canucks)

The Vancouver Canucks are challenging for the Presidents' Trophy and have some favorable matchups coming up. They line up against the Chicago Blackhawks, the 31st-ranked team in the NHL, before taking on the St. Louis Blues, a team trying to stay in the Western Conference playoff race.

On Saturday, the top team in the West plays against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who happen to be one of the bottom teams in the league. Considering that Thatcher Demko is among the league leaders in many statistic categories, this week keeps him near the top.

Worst goalie options for NHL fantasy hockey for Week 16

1) Martin Jones & Ilya Samsonov (Toronto Maple Leafs)

In Week 16, the Toronto Maple Leafs only play twice, on Wednesday and Saturday against the Jets. These games will be the first time two of Canada's best teams meet, but combined, the Maple Leafs' two netminders, Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov, are 6-6-1 against the Jets in their career.

2) Petr Mrazek & Arvid Soderblom (Chicago Blackhawks)

The Blackhawks have four games this week, including a matchup against the Canucks and the streaky Edmonton Oilers. Additionally, they skate against teams desperate for points to stay in the Western Conference playoff picture, the Calgary Flames and Seattle Kraken.

Considering Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom are 14-30-2 with a 3.38 GAA and .896 SV%, it will be a long week for the league's 31st-ranked team.

3) Elvis Merzlikins & Danii Tarasov (Columbus Blue Jackets)

The Blue Jackets have the same schedule as the Blackhawks but in a different order. First, they face off against the Oilers and Flames before taking on the Canucks and Kraken on back-to-back nights to end their week.

Collectively, Elvis Merzlikins and Danii Tarasov have a 14-22-9 record, with a 3.47 GAA and .897 SV%, the second-worst team numbers in the NHL. Even though Merzlikins recently requested a trade, it will be tough to sell himself unless he sneaks out a win in any of his starts.