🏈 Sports

Top Fantasy Hockey Goalies to Draft: 2026 Rankings and Strategy

Walter Hennery·July 28, 2026·11 min read

In fantasy hockey, goaltending is the single most volatile and impactful position. A great goalie can win your league. A bad one can destroy your season before October ends. Unlike skaters, who produce statistics at relatively predictable rates, goalies are subject to wild swings in performance, injury risk, and team quality. Here is your comprehensive guide to the top fantasy hockey goalies to draft in 2026, including sleepers, busts, and the strategy you need to win.

Why Goalies Are the Ultimate Fantasy Gamble

Goaltending accounts for roughly 40-50% of your fantasy hockey scoring in most league formats. A goalie who posts a .920 save percentage and 2.30 goals-against average while winning 35+ games is an absolute league-winner. But identifying that goalie before the season is extraordinarily difficult. NHL goaltending performance fluctuates more than any other position due to factors largely outside the goalie's control: team defense, shot quality, and coaching systems.

The smartest fantasy managers approach goalies with a specific strategy: do not overinvest in the first round, target volume starters, and pair a reliable veteran with a high-upside backup. This approach balances floor and ceiling while protecting you against the inherent volatility of the position.

2026 Fantasy Hockey Goalie Rankings

Rank	Goalie	Team	Projected Stats	Draft Round	Risk Level
1	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	38W, 2.18GAA, .925SV%	Round 2-3	Low
2	Andrei Vasilevskiy	TB	36W, 2.31GAA, .920SV%	Round 3-4	Low
3	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	34W, 2.28GAA, .922SV%	Round 3-4	Medium
4	Linus Ullmark	OTT	35W, 2.45GAA, .918SV%	Round 4-5	Medium
5	Connor Hellebuyck	WPG	33W, 2.52GAA, .916SV%	Round 4-5	Low
6	Juuse Saros	NSH	32W, 2.48GAA, .917SV%	Round 5-6	Medium
7	Demko Thatcher	VAN	30W, 2.55GAA, .915SV%	Round 6-7	High
8	Stuart Skinner	EDM	34W, 2.62GAA, .912SV%	Round 6-7	Medium
9	Pyotr Kochetkov	CAR	31W, 2.40GAA, .918SV%	Round 7-8	Medium
10	Adin Hill	VGS	28W, 2.58GAA, .914SV%	Round 8-9	High

Goalie Tiers Explained

Tier 1 — The Sure Things (Rounds 2-4): Shesterkin, Vasilevskiy, and Sorokin are elite goalies on strong teams with consistent defensive structures. You can draft any of them confidently in the 2nd through 4th rounds and expect top-tier production. The risk is minimal — even in a down year, they will be usable fantasy starters.

Tier 2 — High-Floor Starters (Rounds 4-6): Ullmark, Hellebuyck, and Saros are reliable starters on good teams. They will not win your league by themselves, but they will not lose it for you either. These goalies are ideal second-goalie targets in leagues that allow two starters.

Tier 3 — Boom-or-Bust (Rounds 6-9): Demko, Skinner, Kochetkov, and Hill have the talent to be top-5 goalies but carry significant risk due to injury history, team quality, or inconsistency. Draft them as upside plays and pair them with a safer option.

💡 Draft Strategy: In snake drafts, the optimal goalie strategy is to wait until rounds 4-6 for your first goalie. The production gap between the #1 goalie and the #8 goalie is much smaller than the production gap between the #1 skater and the #20 skater. Invest your early picks in elite skaters and target goalies in the middle rounds.

Goalie Sleepers for 2026

Pyotr Kochetkov (Carolina): The Hurricanes are an elite defensive team, and Kochetkov has shown flashes of brilliance when healthy. If he wins the starting job outright, he could post top-5 numbers at a fraction of the draft cost. His ADP in the 7th-8th round makes him an excellent value pick.

Yaroslav Askarov (Nashville): The former first-round pick is poised to challenge Juuse Saros for the starting role. If he wins the job, his talent level suggests top-10 fantasy potential. Stash him on your bench and hope for the breakout.

⚠️ Goalies to Avoid: Do not draft goalies on bad teams, regardless of their individual talent. A goalie facing 35+ shots per game on a team that scores fewer than 2.5 goals per game will destroy your GAA and win columns. Also avoid goalies with injury histories who are being drafted based on name recognition rather than recent performance.

🏆 Waiver Wire Key: Fantasy hockey is won on the waiver wire, especially at goalie. Monitor backup goalies who emerge due to starter injuries. A goalie who gets hot for 2-3 weeks can be the difference in a head-to-head matchup. Set your waiver priority and be ready to pounce when opportunity strikes.

Final Thoughts: Building a Winning Goalie Strategy

The best fantasy hockey managers treat goalies as a portfolio rather than individual investments. Draft one high-floor starter early (rounds 4-6), take one upside swing in the middle rounds (rounds 6-8), and leave a bench spot open for waiver wire additions throughout the season. This approach maximizes your chances of having at least one reliable starter while giving you the flexibility to chase hot hands as the season unfolds.

Remember, the best goalie in fantasy hockey is rarely the one you draft first. It is the one you acquire at the right moment through shrewd waiver wire pickups and timely trades. Stay active, stay informed, and let the numbers guide your decisions.