When should I draft a goalie in Fantasy Hockey? Looking into the importance of goaltenders for your draft

The 2023-24 NHL season is less than two weeks away and fantasy hockey drafts will likely take place this weekend. In fantasy hockey, the first overall pick is a sure thing in Connor McDavid. However, one of the biggest questions people have is when should they take a goalie.

Having a top-tier goalie could be a game-changer in helping your team win. However, some fantasy players will opt to take two average goalies and go all in on skaters.

Ultimately, if fantasy managers want to get a top-tier goalie, they will likely have to use a late first-round pick or a second-round pick on them. Taking two of the top goalies early is a strategy some players use, as having two top goalies is a major advantage in any league.

Once you have drafted your two goalies, it allows you to focus on skaters, where there is more depth and a higher probability of getting a late-round steal.

Are goalies important in Fantasy Hockey?

Goalies are extremely important in fantasy hockey and are arguably the most important position. Elite goalies are very scarce and in most leagues, goalie stats translate to about 30% of all categories.

If you have the ability to have two elite goaltenders, it sets you up to have a big advantage over your opponent week in and week out. However, if you aren't able to draft one of the elite goaltenders, the position becomes less and less important, as there are about 10-15 goalies in the same range you can get in the mid-rounds of the draft.

Who are the top goalies in Fantasy Hockey?

Entering the 2023-24 NHL season, the two top goalies are the New York Rangers Igor Shesterkin and New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin.

Rounding out the top three would have been Andrei Vasilevskiy, but the Tampa Bay Lightning netminder is out for the first two months of the season. The Russian now becomes one of the more intriguing picks in fantasy hockey, as he still should go relatively early. If you select him, you will also need to select another top goalie in the meantime.

The other two goalies in the top five are Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Alexander Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche.