Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 48 shots in the Lightning’s loss in Florida on Saturday. Vasilevskiy was absolutely peppered by the Panthers and has now faced 84 shots through two games—stopping 76 of them (.905 SV%). Thing won’t get any easier for the first-year starter, who will meet a Washington team that has 11 goals in their first two contests.
Elliott gave up three goals on 35 shots in the Flyers win in San Jose on opening night. He was given the following night off but will get back between the pipes tonight in Anaheim. The Flyers have been inconsistent through two games, but have a good chance at walking away with the ‘W’ tonight vs. a banged up Ducks team.
When the 2016-17 season started, Vasilevskiy was the Lightning No.2 behind Ben Bishop. Following Bishop’s midseason trade to Los Angeles, Vasilevskiy was tied for the NHL lead in wins (12), ninth in SV% (.930) and 16th in GAA (2.27). Entering 2017-18 the Lightning are among the favourites in the Atlantic Division and if Vasilevskiy gets close to 60 starts, he has No.1 fantasy netminder upside.
Elliott was very successful in a timeshare in five years with the Blues and stumbled in his opportunity to be a true No.1 last year in Calgary. Now in Philadelphia he is expected to split time with Michal Neuvirth and will play behind a team that allowed the seventh fewest shots in the league last season. Expect improved numbers from last year, but the timeshare limits his overall upside in 2017-18.
Pouliot was the No.8 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, but has yet to reach his full potential in Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old defenseman split last season between the NHL and AHL, recording 23 points (7G / 16A) in 46 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and no points in 11 games with the Penguins. The rebuilding Canucks can take a chance on the young blueliner, who likely won’t crack the top-6 to open the season.
Girgensons had a massive drop-off in production during the Dan Bylsma era, but it looks like he’ll get a fresh start with Phil Housley behind the bench. Girgensons has spent the first few days of training camp on the first line with Ryan O’Reilly and Kyle Okposo, which showcases the new regime’s belief in him. In 2014-15, while playing over 19 minutes per night, Girgensons had 15 goals and 15 assists (30 points) in 61 games—that’s a 20-20 pace over 82 games. He’s got the tools for be a top-6 forward and it looks like the Sabres will give him every chance possible to get his career back on-track.
Elliott was acquired by the Flames last season to serve as their No.1 netminder after years of success in St. Louis. It didn’t go as planned with Elliott posting a 2.55 GAA and .910 SV% in 49 starts, leading the Calgary trading for Mike Smith this offseason and letting Elliott walk. He heads to Philadelphia where he will likely share the crease with Michal Neuvirth.
