Fantasy top 30 goalies: Capitals' Holtby keeps rolling

Every Thursday during the season, NHL.com fantasy hockey staff writer David Satriano provides in-depth goalie analysis. From updated weekly top 30 rankings to trending players and more, Satriano is your go-to guy for fantasy goalie advice all season long.

Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals is putting together a season that looks an awful lot like one we saw last season, one of the best ever statistically by a goaltender.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price swept the NHL awards, winning the Hart, Vezina, Ted Lindsay and Jennings trophies, leading the League in wins (44), goals-against average (1.96) and save percentage (.933). This season, Holtby has 24 wins and an almost-identical 1.92 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Somehow, Holtby hasn't been getting much attention this season, which he doesn't care about since he keeps doing his thing, helping the Capitals pile up wins and points. Holtby is 25-4-2 having allowed 61 goals in 32 games. He's allowed two goals or fewer in 24 of 32 starts. He was named the NHL's second star of the month in December, going 9-0-1 with a 1.69 GAA, .947 save percentage and one shutout in 11 appearances. Holtby hasn't lost in regulation since Nov. 10, a span of 19 starts (17-0-2).

Holtby had a breakout season in 2014-15, going 41-20-10 with nine shutouts, a 2.22 GAA and a .923 save percentage in a League-leading 73 games. He has the most wins since the start of last season (65) and is tied for second with 11 shutouts. More importantly, the Capitals have the most points in the League, which means Holtby expects the best every night from his opponents.

"It's a good spot to be in. Teams challenge us every night," Holtby told Monumental Network after making 25 saves in a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. "We've been in that position where we have played those top teams during the regular season, and you always get up a little more for that because you want to test yourself. That's good for us. It means we can't back off at all and it tests our game every night."

The midway point of the 2015-16 season is fast approaching, so consider Holtby my pick for midseason goalie MVP. He's the class of his position.

TRENDING UP

Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers

The 36-year-old is having one of his best seasons to date. Luongo is 18-11-3 with a 2.06 GAA (fourth in NHL), a .930 save percentage (fourth) and three shutouts. He's allowed one goal or fewer in four of his past five games and has won eight straight decisions for the first-place Panthers.

Luongo (92 percent owned) has to be in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy, and covers all categories for fantasy owners. He ranks fifth in shots against (948) and fifth in saves (882). It's clear he's a guy you should target in a trade if you need goalie help.

TRENDING DOWN

Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

Rinne made the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game, but his numbers suggest he shouldn't have. At 16-12-6, with a 2.43 GAA, .907 save percentage and two shutouts, he's not even a top-three goalie in his division. The St. Louis Blues' Jake Allen (18-10-2, 2.11 GAA, .926 save percentage, five shutouts) and the Chicago Blackhawks' Corey Crawford (21-10-2, 2.22 GAA, .925 save percentage, six shutouts) were more deserving.

Rinne was nominated for the Vezina Trophy for the third time in his career last season (41-17-6, 2.18 GAA, .923 save percentage, four shutouts), but has been average this season. He ranks 20th in GAA and 36th in save percentage among qualified goalies. Rinne allowed three goals on 17 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday and has allowed at least three goals in four of his past five starts.

Losing defenseman Seth Jones, who was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, also doesn't help Rinne, although Shea Weber and Roman Josi are still around.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Andrew Hammond, Ottawa Senators

Hammond (29 percent owned) is starting to see more ice time, and he's played well. He made 36 saves in a 3-2 win against the Blues on Monday. He has allowed two goals in four of the past five games despite losing three of them. Hammond isn't as on point as he was last season, but is 3-3-2 with a 2.35 GAA and .927 save percentage.

Craig Anderson (80 percent owned), who has gotten the bulk of the starts for the Senators, is 16-11-4 with a 2.79 GAA. His save percentage is good because he faces a lot of shots; he's faced the most in the League (1,039) and made the most saves (953), but he has been inconsistent. Anderson has allowed one goal, seven goals and two goals in his last three starts, respectively. If Hammond is available, he's worth a look.

WORTH NOTING

With Sergei Bobrovsky (groin) back on injured reserve and Curtis McElhinney out with an ankle injury, the Columbus Blue Jackets have started Anton Forsberg in each of the past two games. Rookie Joonas Korpisalo has made five starts and is 1-4-0 with a 3.65 GAA and .886 save percentage, creating an opportunity for Forsberg. He made six saves after entering in overtime and got his first NHL win in a 5-4 shootout win against the Washington Capitals on Saturday and followed that up by making 29 saves against the Minnesota Wild in a 4-2 loss on Tuesday.

Marc-Andre Fleury returned Saturday for the Pittsburgh Penguins after missing almost three weeks. In the three games since he returned, he's 1-1-1 allowing seven goals on 106 shots.

TOP 30 FANTASY GOALIES

These rankings indicate fantasy expectations for this season alone. Value is quantified by projected starts, peripheral category coverage, timeshare situations, team defenses, past performance and overall upside in standard Yahoo categories, which include wins, goals-against average (GAA), save percentage (SV%) and shutouts. It is important to note that our rankings reflect sheer fantasy value, not necessarily the most talented goalies in order.

1	Braden Holtby, WSH (SAME)	16	Jaroslav Halak, NYI (NR - INJ.)
2	Corey Crawford, CHI (+2)	17	Semyon Varlamov, COL (-2)
3	Jonathan Quick, LAK (SAME)	18	Mike Condon, MTL (+2)
4	Ben Bishop, TBL (+2)	19	Antti Niemi, DAL (-3)
5	Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (SAME)	20	Martin Jones, SJS (-3)
6	Pekka Rinne, NSH (-4)	21	Karri Ramo, CGY (SAME)
7	Cory Schneider, NJD (+1)	22	Jimmy Howard, DET (-9)
8	Roberto Luongo, FLA (+2)	23	James Reimer, TOR (DTD)
9	Jake Allen, STL (-2)	24	Thomas Greiss, NYI (-5)
10	Marc-Andre Fleury (NR - INJ.)	25	Craig Anderson, OTT (-3)
11	Devan Dubnyk, MIN (+1)	26	Michal Neuvirth, PHI (SAME)
12	Petr Mrazek, DET (-1)	27	Andrew Hammond, OTT (NEW)
13	Tuukka Rask, BOS (-4)	28	Kari Lehtonen, DAL (-3)
14	John Gibson, ANA (DTD)	29	Louis Domingue, ARI (SAME)
15	Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (+8)	30	Eddie Lack, CAR (NEW)

Dropped out: Steve Mason, Cam Ward, Matthew Murray

Key injuries: Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, Ryan Miller, Ondrej Pavelec, Mike Smith, Robin Lehner

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