5 Fantasy Hockey Goalies Who Are Massive ADP Bargains: Vejmelka, Bussi and More

Hey folks. We started this three-part series with forwards, followed it up with defensemen, and now we're finishing things off in the crease.

Goaltending is probably the most volatile position in fantasy hockey, which makes ADP especially interesting. A goalie can go from fantasy afterthought to league-winner in a single season, while established names can see their value crater if their team, workload or health changes.

That doesn't mean I'm looking for random sleepers. I'm looking for goalies whose talent, situation or expected workload makes their current ADP too low. Some are established starters who I think the market is overlooking, while others are younger goalies who could take a massive step forward. There are also a few names where I simply think fantasy managers are overreacting to one bad season.

Just like with the forwards and defensemen, ADP is a useful guide, but it shouldn't dictate your draft strategy. If I believe a goalie is going to outperform where he's being drafted, I'm willing to move him up my board and take him before the rest of the league catches on.

And with goalies, that can be especially important. Finding a late-round starter who suddenly takes over a massive workload can completely change the complexion of your fantasy team.

Let's dive in and finish the series with the goalies you should be targeting.

Want to take your fantasy hockey analysis further? EDGE+ members can now chat with our AI Expert, ask follow-up questions, and dive deeper into player breakdowns with longer conversations. 

Karel Vejmelka - Utah Mammoth

Vejmelka at an ADP of 63 is one of the goalies I want to be aggressively targeting. The biggest reason is simple: this guy is going to see a ton of rubber.

Vejmelka was a workhorse last season, appearing in 64 games and starting 63, more than any other goalie in the NHL. He finished with a 38-20-3 record and nearly 3,700 minutes in the crease. That kind of workload is incredibly valuable in fantasy hockey.

And I don't think the volume is going away. Vejmelka has established himself as Utah's No. 1, and the Mammoth are no longer the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes team he used to play behind. Utah made the playoffs last season, giving Vejmelka the combination you want from a fantasy goalie: a massive workload and a team capable of winning games in front of him.

That's what makes Vejmelka so appealing to me. You don't necessarily need him to suddenly become a .920 goalie to make this pick work. If he's stacking starts, stacking saves and playing behind a team that can give him enough goal support to collect wins, the fantasy production is going to add up quickly.

And we've already seen the workload trend. He went from 55 starts in 2024-25 to 63 last season, while setting career highs in wins and becoming Utah's unquestioned workhorse.

At 63, I'm buying the volume. There are very few goalies I would rather have late in the early rounds than a guy who could realistically start 60+ games again. The saves will come, the wins will come, and Utah should only continue getting better.

Vejmelka may not have the flashiest name on the board, but fantasy hockey isn't about flash. It's about production. And when you give me this kind of workload at 63, I'm taking it.

Brandon Bussi - Carolina Hurricanes

Bussi at an ADP of 81 is extremely interesting to me. This guy had one of the breakout seasons of the year between the pipes, and now the fantasy community is still treating him like a gamble rather than a goalie who just proved he can win at the NHL level.

Bussi went 31-6-2 in 39 starts for Carolina last season, posting a 2.47 GAA and helping establish himself as the Hurricanes' most-used goalie. Then came the playoffs. Frederik Andersen got the initial nod, but after his head went and was pulled, Bussi stepped in and completely changed the series. He went on to start the final three games of the Stanley Cup Final, winning all three and finishing the series with a .948 save percentage, including a shutout in the Cup-clinching Game 6.

That's an incredible way to announce yourself.

Obviously, I'm not expecting Bussi to go 31-6-2 every season. The .895 save percentage from the regular season also tells us there is plenty of room for regression or improvement. But that's exactly why I like him at 81. The upside is enormous, and he's coming off a season where he already demonstrated that he can handle a significant workload and perform when the pressure is at its highest.

Carolina is also an excellent environment for a fantasy goalie. The Hurricanes won 53 games and 113 points last season, and Bussi was already their starter. If he continues to receive the majority of the starts, the combination of workload and team success could make him a massive fantasy asset.

At 81, I'm willing to take the gamble. This isn't a random late-round dart. This is a goalie who just helped win the Stanley Cup and has already shown he can carry a heavy workload.

Bussi is sleeper dynamite. The upside is real, the situation is excellent, and if he takes another step forward, 81 is going to look very, very cheap.

Igor Shesterkin - New York Rangers

Shesterkin at an ADP of 88 is a steal. This is a goalie who has been among the top three in the league since emerging as a starter, and I am not going to let a couple of down years from the Rangers suddenly convince me that he isn't one of the most elite goalies in hockey.

Yes, the Rangers haven't been playing at their usual Presidents' Trophy caliber level over the past couple of seasons. That has absolutely hurt Shesterkin's win totals and fantasy value. But look at the goalie underneath it. He still posted a .912 save percentage and a 2.50 GAA over 51 games last season, tying for the NHL's best save percentage among goalies with at least 50 appearances.

That's his floor in what has been a disappointing stretch for New York. Now give me a slightly better Rangers' team and a healthy Shesterkin.

That's where the upside becomes enormous. Shesterkin has three career seasons with at least 35 wins, I am still calling him a fringe top-five fantasy goalie. I think the Rangers take a step forward, Shesterkin continues to see one of the busiest workloads in the league, and suddenly we're talking about a goalie who can climb right back into the top three at his position.

At 88, I'm not asking him to exceed expectations. I'm betting on a return to what we already know he is.

His floor is extremely high, his workload should remain massive, and his ceiling is still that of a top-three goalie in the NHL. That's exactly the combination I want when I'm looking for value in the crease.

At 88, I'll take Shesterkin all day. This is a proven elite goalie being drafted like a question mark. Don't overthink it.

Sergei Bobrovsky - Toronto Maple Leafs

Bobrovsky at an ADP of 115 is another one where I simply don't understand what we're doing. This was a goalie who was considered one of the top three at his position for years, and now we're drafting him like he's a late-round afterthought because of one ugly season.

Yes, moving from Florida to Toronto means Bobrovsky is going into a defensively weaker situation. But does it really mean his fantasy situation is worse? I'm not convinced.

Toronto has completely reshaped its roster, adding Darren Raddysh and bringing in Gavin McKenna, while Auston Matthews remains the centerpiece up front. More importantly, Bobrovsky was brought in to be the guy in Toronto. This isn't a tandem situation where we're wondering whether he'll get enough starts. He's the best goalie the Maple Leafs have had in decades, and I expect him to carry a massive workload.

And that's where the fantasy appeal comes in.

Maybe Toronto isn't going to defend as well as the Florida Panthers did. Fine. But fantasy goalies don't get points for having the prettiest defensive structure in front of them. They get rewarded for wins, saves and volume. Toronto should have plenty of offensive firepower, and I expect them to score goals in bunches. If Matthews is playing a strong 200-foot game and McKenna immediately adds another dangerous offensive weapon, Bobrovsky could have plenty of opportunities to collect wins even if he has to face more shots than he did in Florida.

And don't forget what we're actually betting on. This is a goalie who has been elite for a very long time and won consecutive Stanley Cups before last season's disastrous numbers. One bad year doesn't suddenly erase that track record.

At 115, I'm willing to bet on the bounce back.

Bobrovsky is going to play a ton of hockey, Toronto is going to score a ton of goals, and those two things can produce a whole lot of fantasy points.

At 115, I'll gladly take the gamble on a former top-three goalie returning to form. If he does, this could be one of the biggest steals in the entire draft.

Jet Greaves - Columbus Blue Jackets

Greaves at an ADP of 164 might be my favorite sleeper on the entire board. This is another young workhorse who continues to be overlooked and undervalued, and I think fantasy managers are making a huge mistake by letting him sit this late.

Greaves stole the crease in Columbus and never really gave it back. He played 55 games last season, starting 53 of them, and finished with a 26-19-9 record, a 2.6 GAA and a .908 save percentage. He also posted 35 quality starts, showing that the workload wasn't simply a product of Columbus throwing him into the crease every night.

What really gets me excited is that Greaves did this behind a Blue Jackets' team that wasn't exactly a powerhouse. He had to give Columbus a chance to win games, and he repeatedly did just that. He became a legitimate workhorse while still establishing himself as an NHL starter, and Columbus clearly believes in him enough to give him a three-year, $5M AAV contract.

And now look at the price: 164. Come on!

At this point, I don't view Greaves as a backup who might eventually get his opportunity. He's already had the opportunity. He took the crease, handled the workload and showed he can steal games for Columbus. His career save percentage is .913, and his 2025-26 season pushed his NHL experience to 76 games despite being just 25 years old.

That's exactly what I want from a sleeper. There is a legitimate path to another 50-plus starts, and if Columbus continues taking steps forward, the wins can follow.

Greaves is my best sleeper on the board. At 164, you're getting a young workhorse with proven NHL production, a massive workload and plenty of room to improve. He can steal games for the Blue Jackets, and at this price, he can steal you fantasy matchups, too.