Halak owners must remain patient

Jaroslav Halak's nightmarish start to the 2011-12 season continued on Tuesday night, when he was pulled early in the third period after allowing four goals in the Blues' 5-0 loss to Los Angeles. With the loss, Halak fell to 1-4 on the year and has stopped only 81 of the 97 shots he has faced this season.

Unfortunately, there is not much comfort to offer Halak owners at this point.  As an entrenched starter entering his second season on what appeared to be an improved St. Louis squad, Halak looked to be a very strong value on draft day. However, Halak has done little to warrant that acclaim to this point and has shown no signs of getting out of his funk.

So for now, fantasy GMs have few options but to remain patient with Halak. If you are fortunate to have alternative options in goal on your roster, it would be wise to use them and keep Halak on the bench until he proves he is capable of regaining his form.  

The trade route does not seem to be a viable option for those who have already soured on Halak. Right now, Halak's value is plummeting and receiving fair value for the struggling goalie in a deal seems almost impossible. The goalie pool is always shallow and it is very unlikely that trading Halak right now will land you a goalie that has the upside Halak still possesses.

Keep the faith, Halak owners. Though he has surely given you reason to be concerned, it is too early to write Halak off this season. Though he might not have the year many fantasy GMs were hoping for, right now there is no reason to believe Halak can't rebound and still minimally serve as a good No.2 fantasy option the rest of the way. 

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