Fantasy Hockey Goalie Gab: Connor Hellebuyck and Anthony Stolarz Injury Updates, Plus More

Hey folks. Today, we've got two editions of our newest recurring editorial series for fantasy hockey: Goalie Gab.

In part one, we have a couple key injuries to talk about with direct waiver wire replacements for the same team, whose tendys will pick up the slack, as well as some rising stars who are failing as a starter and backup, and as a tandem, too. 

Stay tuned for both parts, and let's dive into the blue paint with part one focusing on those injuries in the Canadian markets.

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Winnipeg Jets

Connor Hellebuyck has missed three games now and is going to undergo minor arthroscopic knee surgery and is expected to be out at least six weeks.

A devastating blow for the Jets, and for Hellebuyck owners who lose the No. 1 rated goaltender in fantasy into the new year. Luckily, at only 12% rostered, Eric Comrie has stepped up and has put up decent numbers throughout the season. While Comrie did have a rough night against the Carolina Hurricanes, letting in four goals and getting shutout by the Canes, his season averages are decent.

What's more, is that Comrie will have a huge workload until Hellebuyck's return, with a decent team in front of him. He will expected to be a workhorse and carry the load for the foreseeable future, and with only Thomas Milic serving as the backup, regardless of Comrie's play he will be expected to get the majority of the starts.

Based on his workload, and the team in front of him, he is an easy decision to slot right into your fantasy roster and take over until Hellebuyck returns to take back the net.

Hellebuyck has eight wins in 14 games started as a goaltender. He also has a .913 save percentage, 2.51 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Comrie has four wins in six games started as a goaltender. He also has an .899 save percentage, 2.84 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Montreal Canadiens

What started off as high hopes for the Canadiens, has quickly unravelled this season. Sam Montembeault was poised to be their starter workhorse and expected to start 60+ games, having come off of an incredible season last year having started 62 games with an above .900 save percentage and being selected for the Four Nations Face-Off.

Instead, Monteambeault struggled, then Jakub Dobes came to the rescue and was quickly the hottest goaltender in the NHL, before crashing back down to earth. He has lost four of his last five games, only beating the Maple Leafs (more on them next), and he now holds a below .800 save percentage on the season.

Where can the Canadiens turn next, with both of their goaltenders struggling? This season has proven the volatility of the blue paint throughout the league with upsets, unexpected stars rising, and what were previously thought of as sure things unable to find any sort of consistency.

It is not just the goaltending that has hurt the Canadiens, though. They have struggled up and down the lineup. Players such as Ivan Demidov have also not lived up to the hype or exception this season, and their depth down the middle has been a glaring hole.

Their injury woes are high too, which impacts fantasy league managers who have investments in the Canadiens this season. Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, Kaiden Guhle, and Patrik Laine sit out with injury as the rest of the roster struggles, and the star players taken in the first few rounds of fantasy redrafts struggle with production and +/- because of it.

Montembeault has four wins in 11 games started as a goaltender. He also has a .852 save percentage, 3.71 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Dobes has seven wins in 10 games started as a goaltender. He also has a .895 save percentage, 2.88 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto make-me-laughs (or is it make-be-leafs?) sit in 27th place in the league, and 7th in the Atlantic Division, only behind the Buffalo Sabres. What is going on with this team?

With the departure of Mitch Marner, losing him in the off season to the Vegas Golden Knights, coupled with the injury bug to key players including franchise phenom and captain Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, Christopher Tanev, and Brandon Carlo, it certainly doesn't look good for the usual perennial powerhouse.

These injuries don't include that goaltender Joseph Woll missed the first quarter of the season, and just as he returned, tandem partner Anthony Stolarz was sidelined with injury.

Together, when they can share the workload as a tandem they have proven to be the best tandem in the league, however both tendy's are very injury prone and have repeatedly show signs neither can have a full starter workload. They both thrive on rest, and reassurance that their partner will pick up the slack when they cannot.

At current, Stolarz had to carry the load while Woll was out, or conditioning in the AHL, and the same week Woll was set to return, Stolarz went down with injury, in which his return date was just pushed back a week, now looking into December.

If (or, hopefully when) these two can be healthy at the same time, and have some of their top line and blueline return, they may be able to dig themselves out of the hole they have left themselves in. This decade's worst slump for the franchise they are in is bad news for fantasy owners who have invested in any Maple Leaf player. 

The caliber of skill here is irreplaceable and is more devastating in a redraft league, than it is for a keeper or dynasty where you can wait out the storm. For now, until signs of improvement start to show, I would be avoiding almost any player on the Maple Leafs, especially their goaltenders if you can.

Stolarz has six wins, in 13 games started as a goaltender. He also has an .884 save percentage, 3.51 goals against average, and zero shutouts.

Woll has one win in four games started as a goaltender. He also has a .905 save percentage, 3.27 goals against average, and zero shutouts.