SEASON'S END IS NEAR With the season winding down and A majority of fantasy pools in playoff mode, it is time to take a look at next season and project possible bargain goaltenders that could possibly give you better bang for your buck.  Also, this will be the last BETWEEN THE PIPES feature article for this season.  So, let’s take a look at some net minders you may want to take a chance on for next season and which ones may be as good as they have been. It is probably safe to say that Minnesota got themselves a gem in Devan Dubnyk with the way he has settled in as their starter.  The only problem is that Dubnyk will be an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) come July 1st unless signed to a deal.  You know what usually happens to players who sign long-term contracts either via free agency or staying with their existing clubs?  Their performance seems to tail off once they land the big bucks.  Another thing that Dubnyk doesn’t have going for him is that he hasn’t proven on a consistent basis that he is a quality NHL starting goaltender or perhaps, now that he will 29 years of age come May, he has finally matured.  Minnesota still has Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper signed for another year, so something will need to be done during the off-season.  And for those wondering about Josh Harding, he will become an UFA at season’s end.  Enjoy the performance for the remainder of this year, and monitor where he ends up next season, but don’t expect the same numbers, they rarely repeat themselves. Dubnyk has a few years of experience behind him but others like Andrew Hammond have unexpectedly taken the NHL by storm.  Hammond was pressed into action by the Ottawa Senators when both of their starters, Craig Anderson & Robin Lehner, went down to injury, prompting the Senators to dig into their farm system and bring up Hammond who wasn’t particularly worthy of a call up with the way he was performing.  But stranger things have happened before and they will in the future.  All Hammond has done is put the club on his back and bring them to within earshot of a playoff berth with a 10-0-1 record.  Given his minor league stats, this is probably just an aberration and shouldn’t be taken seriously past this season.  Hammond will try to parlay his performance into a nice contract being that he is a Restricted Free Agent (RFA), but as the Senators have their two starters locked up in multi-year deals, there doesn’t seem to be a spot for Hammond on the big club.  What can there be ...

Most important news of the night was that Corey Perry left the game with an apparent knee injury on a check along the side boards. The seriousness of his injury is not known at this time but after a sensational start to the season, Perry will continue to travel with the team, so the eseverity of his injury might not be that bad.  This injury, and his recent bout with the mumps and I'm sure Perry can't wait for the new year to begin.... Anaheim Duck G Frederik Andersen (21/25 SV) didn't have his best game but managed to play well enough for his 13th win on the season. With the recent tryout of one-time Duck Ilya Bryzgalov and rookie John Gibson still recovering from a lower-body injury, it appears that Andersen will be manning the crease for the foreseeable future.  If, and when, Bryzgalov signs, Gibson seems to be headed for the minors to develop his game once he returns from injury.... Minnesota G Darcy Kuemper (13/18 SV) didn't have his best game either as he was pulled after letting in all 5 goals in the Ducks 5-4 win over the Wild. Kuemper's play has been off-and-on lately going 3-3-0 in last 6 starts.  The Wild need consistent play form their net minders and with Josh Harding lurking in the AHL, Kuemper's days as the undisputed no. 1 in Minnesota may be drawing to a close.... The good thing to come out of this game was the play of Ryan Kesler who had 2 goals and an assist. Kesler will need to bring his ‘A' game as Perry could be out of the lineup for a period of time depending on the severity of his injury.... Winnipeg G Michael Hutchinson (20/22 SV) is not making it easy for the Jets coaching staff not to play him more regularly as he put in another superb performance by allowing just 2 goals or less in a game for the sixth straight start. Ondrej Pavelec owners need to grab him as a handcuff pronto.....The line of Bryan Little (3G, A), Andrew Ladd (G, 2A) and Blake Wheeler (3A) were the offensive stars of the game. Perhaps the Colorado Avalanche were exactly what the doctor ordered for the Jets' offense and is a sign of things for Winnipeg forwards.... The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a last minute goal by Brandon Saad who now has 3 points in the last 3 games showing signs of breaking out of an early season slump....Kris Versteeg continued his resurgence as a Blackhawk with another power play assist, making that 8 points in last 5 games and 22 points in 22 games. Perhaps the imminent return of Patrick Sharp will slow ...

With 7 points in the past 4 games and 15 points in past 9, it is safe to say that Chicago's Patrick Kane is on fire. Kane's 2 goals paced the way in the Blackhawk's win over Jake Allen (29/33 SV) and the St. Louis Blues. ...Allen didn't have his best game and new Blue Martin Brodeur will make his debut tonight against the Nashville Predators....Antti Raanta turned aside 40 shots on goal to earn the win in his first start since October 25th. Raanta should see most of the action over the next few weeks as starter Corey Crawford recovers from a lower-body injury... Kris Versteeg has shown no signs of slowing down as he pitched in with a goal and 2 assists giving him 7 points in last 3 games. Versteeg es en fuego!  He now has 21 points in 21 games played this season.  Grab him as he is for real.... Minnesota's Darcy Kuemper (18/19 SV) came within a minute of pitching a shutout against the Montreal Canadiens but Alex Galchenyuk spoiled that bid. Kuemper is solidifying his hold on the starter's role but things can change if and when Josh Harding is ready to return to NHL action. The Wild will need to address their soon to crowded goaltending core..... Will the Edmonton Oilers ever win another game this season? That's 11 straight losses with 4 of those losses in overtime so they did manage to grab 4 points out of this ordeal.  Big deal, right?  Something will have to give for these poor Oiler fans who have suffered long enough.... The Philadelphia Flyers are just a touch above the Edmonton Oilers as they have now lost 10 of their last 11 with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night....Wayne Simmonds scored twice and, with 7 SOG, may be on the verge of breaking out of his slump. The Flyers are in a desperate state and something big may be lurking just around the corner.  He does have 17 points in 25 games but more was expected of the RWer....

Hoping to have one last chance at hoisting the Stanley Cup, Martin Brodeur signed a 1-year deal with the St. Louis Blues. The Blues were in a bind when starter Brian Elliott went down with a lower-body injury and will be sidelined for a few weeks at least, leaving them with just Jake Allen with any NHL experience. Perhaps the injury to Elliott is more than the Blues are letting on.   In many ways, this was a prudent signing by St. Louis as they keep him away from their competition as well as providing a mentor for young Allen who they hope can be their undisputed no. 1 someday. Brodeur had only played with one team before signing with St. Louis and set many goaltending records while with the New Jersey Devils, including such marks as most shutouts in a season, most career wins by a goaltending in the regular season, and so on. At 42, the Devils decided to make a change and go with Cory Schneider as their starter. Schneider was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for their 1st round pick. Brodeur most recently led the Devils to the 2011-12 Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings but lost in 6 games. The experience that Brodeur brings to the table is priceless and tutoring Allen in net while Elliott recovers will only be beneficial to the young net minder.  The owner of 3 Stanley Cups is just what the doctor ordered as the Blues are devoid of any players who have won the coveted Cup, or have the amount of playoff experience that Brodeur brings.  Having a goalie of Brodeur's stature will surely have players paying attention to any advice that he can give them.  He will spell Allen and if Elliott's injury proves to be more serious than originally thought, having Brodeur around can only be a good thing. All-in-all, a very good move by the Blues who are on the threshold of competing not only as a regular season dynamo, but as a team, with a little bit more playoff experience, could make a run for Lord Stanley's Cup. POST MARKS: BACK-TO-BACK??--Rumor has it that he Dallas Stars are looking for a more experienced net minder to back up starter Kari Lehtonen in case of injury. They believe their team can compete for the Cup this year and having depth at goaltender is critical to their chances.  Not too happy with Anders Lindback, perhaps Minnesota's Niklas Backstrom will become available once Josh Harding works himself back into shape and creates a logjam in the crease for the Wild. Keep an eye on this as the ...

I think it is safe to say that Evgeni Malkin is "in the zone" as he scored twice, including the game-winner against Boston, giving him 8 points in last 5 games....Sidney Crosby (G, 2A) scored for just the 2nd time in 11 games, so expect his production to start heating up as well...Kris Letang pitched in with 3 assists... The New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers battled to a 1-0 shootout victory by the Isles. Both net minders were brilliant as they kept their opponents off the score sheet.  Steve Mason (46 SVS) & Jaroslav Halak (21 SVS) put on a showcase of goaltending skills with Halak earning his third shutout and has now won 7 in a row. Make sure you get the hottest goaltender in the NHL in your lineup, the Islanders are for real! Minnesota G Niklas Backstrom made himself relevant once again as he defeated the Florida Panthers 4-1, raising his record to 3-2-0. With Josh Harding getting some work in the minors, the Wild may be in a situation where they will deal one of their net minders. Darcy Kuemper seems ensconced as the No. 1 right now and that shouldn't change unless he loses his hold with a string of poor starts....Just an FYI, Jason Zucker with his 2 goals tonight, has as many goals as Zach Parise this year-8.... It was a sweet return to the lineup for Detroit's Center Stephen Weiss who scored his first 2 goals in over a year. Weiss signed with the Red Wings in July of 2013 but his debut season with the team was cut short by an injury.  Brought in to supply some secondary scoring, Weiss only played in 26 games and produced just 4 points.  Weiss is a 4-time 20+ goal scorer and if he stays healthy, could supply some depth support to your fantasy team....Jimmy Howard raised his record to 9-4-4 with the 4-3 win, wiping out the bad memories of his poor 2013-14 season.

Toronto responded well to their 9-2 drubbing at the hands of the Nashville Predators the other night with a solid 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. James van Riemsdyk was the offensive star of the game with 2 goals, including the game-winner and now has 9 points in 10 November games. It's safe to say that JVR is heating up as the weather gets colder.... The St. Louis Blues haven't started their 4--game road trip very well, following their 2-0 shutout loss to the Boston Bruins with a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Max Pacioretty was the main cog on offense with 2 goals on the evening, including the game-winner. Pacioretty is as streaky as their come in terms of a goal-scorer, and he is in the midst of one right now with 9 points in last 7 games.... Robin Lehner put an end to a personal 2-game losing streak with a solid effort against the "all-new" Nashville Predators, stopping 33 of 35 SOG to raise his record to 3-2-1. With Craig Anderson slipping a bit lately, perhaps Lehner can steal a few starts in a row and string something together. The Ottawa goalie situation will continue to be a seesaw battle unless one of the goalkeepers grabs the bull by the horns.... Tomas Tatar (2G, A) is starting to raise his game as he led Detroit in a come-from-behind victory over the Winnipeg Jets. His three points last night that includes the game-winner, his second in past 2 games, Tatar now has 7 points in last 4 games and 12 overall in 19 games.  The time for the young guns to take over is starting....Petr Mrazek (28/31 SVS) was the beneficiary of the stellar comeback effort.... Darcy Kuemper, with his win over 3-2 regulation win over Philadelphia last night, raised his record to 9-5-0 and what is more impressive is that he has now won 4 straight after slipping a bit before the streak by losing 3 in a row, causing critics to start doubting the young net minder. With Josh Harding returning to the picture as he recovers from his broken foot and his team suspension, Kuemper has raised his game, which will cause the Minnesota staff to consider trade possibilities for one of their 3 net minders.... A three-goal outburst in the third period led the Dallas Stars over Arizona by a 3-1 score, with Kari Lehtonen stopping 26 of 27 shots and subsequently, snapping the star's seven-game home losing streak. After a dreadful beginning to the season, the Swedish goalie is showing signs of getting his game back in order and should be a solid "buy low" candidate in all fantasy...

When the Edmonton Oilers made those two trades last year to acquire Viktor Fasth from Anaheim and Ben Scrivens from Los Angeles, I thought that they were on the right track since the Devan Dubnyk experiment was a disaster. I had thought that Fasth would take over as the number 1 goaltender even though Scrivens played better upon arrival, but neither has shown any resemblance of an NHL starting goaltender. Comparing the numbers, Scrivens is just 4-7-1 with a 2.94 GAA and a .899 SP. Fasth on the other hand is much worse with a 2-3-1 record, a 3.63 GAA (whoa!) and a .885 SP. If the Oilers want to save their season, something needs to be done and quickly.  It's nice to have all those young offensive weapons, but they need a goalie who can take over as a true No. 1, with a little help from the defense of course. In fact, Minnesota just put Josh Harding on waivers and with Edmonton sitting near the bottom of the NHL, Harding might be the ideal candidate for this young team. Harding has the talent, and the experience now, to be their guy.  He doesn't cost much against the cap at $1.9 million, and if he doesn't work out, he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. Other options include Martin Brodeur but I don't believe he would want to go anywhere except a Stanley Cup contender. They've gone down the Ilya Bryzgalov road last season and that didn't pan out. Tomas Vokoun could be a decent option but he hasn't played much over the past few years and is up there in age at 38. There are slim pickings out there that is why Harding makes so much sense.  He may have health issues, but he did sport a 1.65 GAA and a .918 SP in 29 games last year. Not too shabby and better than what they are getting now. Harding is worth a shot for a team that is trying to establish themselves as a true NHL contender. Harding wouldn't cost them a young talented player and the cap hit is very palatable. How bad could this be?  Harding just may cause the Oil to stop slipping. POST MARKS: SHARK BITE--Hats off to Troy Grosenick who got his first NHL start the other night and posted a 2-0 shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes. Young troy faced 45 SOG and turned every one aside.  Nothing could be finer than to shut out Carolina for my fir-r-r-r-rst win!.....STEALTH JET--Michael Hutchinson burst onto the NHL scene as the end of last season and opened a lot of eyes with a 2-1-0 record, a 1.64 GAA and a .943 SP. Can't get much better than that huh?  Well, so far this season he is 2-1-0 ...

***UPDATE: Prime D rankings have been updated.  Check out the latest in our RANKINGS Section in the right margin====> Dan Boyle returned from injury and even though he didn't figure in the scoring, you could tell that the Rangers' offense was buzzing with him back in the lineup. Boyle will be a huge addition to the power play as his conditioning improves....Even though Colorado's Matt Duchene (G, A) is having what some are considering a slow start with 12 points in the first 18 games including last night's tilt, you need to stick with him as he could explode at any time..... Winnipeg was able to cool off red-hot goaltender Cam Ward as the Jets, behind Blake Wheeler's 2 goal effort. We all know that Wheeler has come into his own after last season's monster year, but keep your eyes on Mark Scheifele as he had 2 assists in the contest giving him 5 points in the past 5 games. If you are need of offensive help, pick him up now if he's available.  Before he got injured last season, he got on a good run with 19 points in a 23-game span midway through the season..... After starting out November 4-0-0, the Boston Bruins have gotten shallacked on back-to-back nights by scores of 6-1 and 5-1, although to division rivals. Is this the beginning of the end for the big, bad Bruins?  Far from it as they are too good of a team and will rebound.  Montreal's Max Pacioretty had 2 goals so get him in your lineup ASAP as he is one of the streakiest scorers in the NHL..... Tampa Bay Lightning G Ben Bishop was huge against the San Jose Sharks, turning aside 37 of 39 SOG but Antti Niemi was just a tad better, only letting in one on 33 SOG. Start both goaltenders with extreme confidence...Joe Thornton has points in 4 straight games with a goal in this one, giving fantasy owners hope that he is beginning to heat up.... The story in Minnesota is that the Wild prevailed 6-3 against the lowly Buffalo Sabres, despite Darcy Kuemper getting pulled after allowing two first-period goals. It is time for fantasy owners to pull the trigger on adding Josh Harding as Kuemper has struggled big-time in recent starts. Harding will get every opportunity to take the starting position, but how long he holds up is anyones's guess.. Nino Neiderreiter's "hat trick" could the start of a short streaky run, but nothing more.. Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon returned to a lineup, scoring a goal and registering 8 shots on goal. With all the injuries to Minny defenders, the youngster will get an uptick in ...

There were 2 games on the slate last night and 18 goals scored. Whoa!  In the first game we saw the Toronto maple Leafs bust out against Boston and jump out to a 5-0 lead before the Bruins mustered their only goal late in the 2nd period. Phil Kessel continued his early season dominance with 2 goals, including the game-winner. His line mates, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak, both had a goal and 2 assists so it looks like this line will be a dominating one this season barring injury. Perhaps the Bruins had their minds on exacting revenge against the Montreal Canadiens tonight so expect a better performance from Tuukka Rask, who was pulled, and the rest of the big, bad Bruins.... There were a lot of contributors for both teams in Anaheim's 6-5 shootout win over Los Angeles. Ryan Kesler was the main offensive producer with 2 goals and an assist in the Battle of Los Angeles. With Corey Perry sidelined, the offense had to come from somewhere proving that the off-season acquisition of Kelser is a key component of this year's version of the Ducks. Duck G Frederik Andersen had an uncharacteristic game by letting in 3 goals on 10 SOG before being pulled. Andersen should rebound in next start as he is still sporting a 1.77 GAA and a .935 SP.... Those looking for goaltender help and have a roster spot they can afford to use should pick up Minnesota's Josh Harding if available. With Darcy Kuemper coming back down to Earth after winning the first 4 of 5, 3 by shutout, then losing 4 of the next 6, it looks like Harding will be given every opportunity to resume his spot as the no. 1 in Minny. Alexander Khokhlachev has been called up by the Boston Bruins for tonight's Montreal game. It will be interesting to see how the extremely talented Center fares in his NHL Debut.  This is one to put on your "watch list" for the future.

Harding has been out all season with a broken foot that he suffered in a bizarre incident before the season started. He broke his foot kicking a wall and was suspended by the team afterwards. He skated on Monday for the first time, but remains without a timeline for a return. There is no word on what the Wild are expected to do when all three goalies are healthy.