Week 7: Fantasy top 25 goalie rankings for 2017-18

Each week during the regular season, NHL.com has you covered with an overview of the fantasy goaltender landscape. With production trends, injury news and top 25 rankings based on performance and upside in standard Yahoo leagues, fantasy owners should use this information as a basis for roster decision-making.

TRENDING UP

Anton Khudobin, BOS (29 percent owned): Khudobin has started three straight games for the Boston Bruins, something that's very rare for anyone who serves as Tuukka Rask's backup, especially when Rask is healthy. He's led the Bruins to three straight wins for the first time this season, having stopped 103 of 107 shots in victories at the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils. Khudobin was especially good against the Devils, making 40 saves and allowing one goal in an 11-round, 3-2 shootout win. He'll make his fourth straight start against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday with coach Bruce Cassidy deciding to go with the hot hand. Rask (87 percent owned) is 3-7-2 with a 2.89 GAA and .897 save percentage, making Khudobin an appealing fantasy option moving forward.
Frederik Andersen, TOR: The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost two straight games following a six-game winning streak, but Andersen has remained solid. He allowed a total of three goals in the two losses after giving up seven goals in earning five of the six wins; two of his victories were shutouts. Andersen's save percentage is up to a respectable .918, thanks to having a save percentage of .931 or better in eight of his past 10 games. Andersen (92 percent owned) is 12-7-1, and although his 2.73 GAA is high, he has three shutouts (his NHL career high is four, set last season). He's started 20 games, tied with Cam Talbot (Edmonton Oilers) for the most in the League, and should be a top 10 goalie for the remainder of the season.
Malcolm Subban, VGK (26 percent owned): A quarter of the way through the season, the Vegas Golden Knights sit atop the Pacific Division and should have Subban back soon. Subban (26 percent owned) is 2-0-0 with a 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage but hasn't played for the past month because of a lower-body injury, though he's dressed as the backup goalie for the past two games. No. 1 Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) and No. 3 Oscar Dasnk (lower body) remain out; the No. 4 goalie, Maxime Lagace (six percent owned) has started the past 10 games. He's 5-5-1 and has allowed two goals in four of his past five games. Lagace obviously will take a back seat when Fleury and Subban return, but has been a decent streaming option recently. Subban has missed an extended period of time, but if he plays the way he did before the injury, he'll be a good add.

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TRENDING DOWN

Michal Neuvirth and Brian Elliott, PHI: The Philadelphia Flyers' goalie tandem hasn't been good, and their play is a reason the Flyers have lost six straight games (0-3-3). Elliott (68 percent owned) has started five of them; he's allowed at least four goals in two of them. Although Elliott allowed four combined goals in the other three games, the Flyers haven't helped on offense, with two goals in those three games. Elliott has six wins in 15 games (6-5-4) with a 2.74 GAA and .908 save percentage. Neuvirth (13 percent owned) has one shutout in his past four starts but allowed at least four goals in each of the other three games and was pulled in one of them. He's 2-4-1 with a 2.59 GAA and .916 save percentage. A young defense combined with the timeshare makes the Flyers' goalie situation one to avoid.
Semyon Varlamov, COL (50 percent owned): The Colorado Avalanche are a surprising 11-8-1, and already have half of last season's win total. Varlamov has started four of the past eight games, allowing four or more goals in three of them. He had an impressive preseason and start to the season following his return from hip surgeries, but has regressed to his old ways. Backup Jonathan Bernier is owned in six percent of leagues but has had back-to-back solid starts, including a 28-save shutout against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday. Bernier will start against the Minnesota Wild on Friday and could be a decent streaming option if Varlamov (illness) is out for a while.
Matt Murray, PIT: This may be the first time Murray is trending down, but perhaps all the hockey is wearing on the Pittsburgh Penguins' 23-year-old goalie; he's played 94 games, regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined, in the past two seasons. Murray is 11-6-1 with a 2.88 GAA and .907 save percentage and has allowed at least four goals in seven of his 19 appearances. The Penguins haven't looked like the same team in 2017-18, and the fact that they haven't won the second game in any of their six back-to-back sets and don't have an established backup isn't good. Murray is the No. 1, but is injury-prone and likely won't make more than 65 starts during the regular season, making his struggles a concern.

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TOP 25 GOALIE RANKINGS

Standard Yahoo categories include wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goaltenders. ... Value has been quantified based on factors including but not limited to past production, team goaltender situations, anticipated start volume, projected goal support (or lack thereof), injury history, age, sleeper, bounce-back or breakout potential, potential regression, contract status and overall upside for this season. ... NEW - INJ. indicates a player who has returned from injury and rejoined the rankings.
1. Sergei Bobrovsky, CBJ (SAME)
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, TBL (+1)
3. Jonathan Quick, LAK (-1)
4. Pekka Rinne, NSH (+2)
5. Corey Crawford, CHI (-1)
6. Devan Dubnyk, MIN (-1)
7. Martin Jones, SJS (+1)
8. Braden Holtby, WSH (-1)
9. Jake Allen, STL (+1)
10. John Gibson, ANA (+1)
11. Frederik Andersen, TOR (+2)
12. Matt Murray, PIT (-3)
13. Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (+1)
14. Cam Talbot, EDM (-2)
15. Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (SAME)
16. Cory Schneider, NJD (SAME)
17. Ben Bishop, DAL (+3)
18. Mike Smith, CGY (NEW - INJ.)
19. Carey Price, MTL (NEW - INJ.)
20. Tuukka Rask, BOS (-3)
21. Thomas Greiss, NYI (SAME)
22. Roberto Luongo, FLA (+3)
23. Jimmy Howard, DET (-4)
24. Anton Khudobin, BOS (NEW)
25. Malcolm Subban, VGK (NEW)
Dropped out: Charlie Lindgren (MTL); Jaroslav Halak (NYI); Scott Darling (CAR); Craig Anderson (OTT)
Key injuries: Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK); Antti Raanta (ARI); Oscar Dansk (VGK)
INJURY UPDATE: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will start against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. He has missed the past 10 games because of a lower-body injury.
READ: Last week's Top 25 goalie rankings