NHL starting goalies tonight: Who to start and bench for your fantasy hockey team | October 17

The opening week of the NHL season has been a whirlwind of non-stop action. Auston Matthews blazed onto the ice, setting it on fire with his hot streak, achieving the rare feat of consecutive hat tricks, joining a prestigious group of players in NHL history.

Meanwhile, the Connor Bedard show stole the spotlight; not only did he impress in his debut game, but he also netted his first career goal in the next matchup. Teams are sparing no effort in their quest for the coveted championship, with roster adjustments and astute selections of goalies and defensemen.

For Fantasy hockey enthusiasts, goaltenders play a pivotal role early in the season, so choose wisely from our list of projected starting goalies as we analyze tonight's matchups.

NHL starting goalies on October 17

Vancouver Canucks vs Philadelphia Flyers

• Vancouver Canucks starting goalie: Thatcher Demko
• Philadelphia Flyers starting goalie: Carter Hart

Minnesota Wild vs Montreal Canadiens

• Minnesota Wild starting goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury
• Montreal Canadiens starting goalie: Samuel Montembeault

Arizona Coyotes vs New York Islanders

• Arizona Coyotes starting goalie: Karel Vejmelka
• New York Islanders starting goalie: Ilya Sorokin

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres

• Tampa Bay Lightning starting goalie: Jonas Johansson
• Buffalo Sabres starting goalie: Devon Levi

Los Angeles Kings vs Winnipeg Jets

• Los Angeles Kings starting goalie: Cam Talbot
• Winnipeg Jets starting goalie: Connor Hellebuyck

Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators

• Edmonton Oilers starting goalie: Stuart Skinner
• Nashville Predators starting goalie: Juuse Saros

Colorado Avalanche vs Seattle Kraken

• Colorado Avalanche starting goalie: Alexandar Georgiev
• Seattle Kraken starting goalie: Philipp Grubauer

Dallas Stars vs Vegas Golden Knights

• Dallas Stars starting goalie: Jake Oettinger
• Vegas Golden Knights starting goalie: Adin Hill

Carolina Hurricanes vs San Jose Sharks

• Carolina Hurricanes starting goalie: Frederik Andersen
• San Jose Sharks starting goalie: Mackenzie Blackwood

The following NHL goaltenders are projected to take the ice in their upcoming games. Fantasy hockey enthusiasts can get valuable insights to make informed choices about their goalie selections and determine who should remain on the bench for their respective games.

As the games begin and the NHL action unfolds, the performances of these goalkeepers will be instrumental in influencing the results.