Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.
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The following rookie goaltenders are poised to make an impact on their NHL teams in 2025–26. Each of them brings a mix of potential, opportunity, and question marks that fantasy managers should weigh carefully. Let’s break down their situations, upside, and what to expect.
Yaroslav Askarov – San Jose Sharks
Askarov is the only rookie goalie on this list projected to be his team’s volume starter. The Sharks did bring in Alex Nedeljkovic to provide a veteran buffer, but he should not pose any serious roadblock to Askarov seeing the lion’s share of starts. With San Jose still in the middle of a rebuild, Askarov is expected to get heavy usage right away. The downside, of course, is that the Sharks project to be one of the weaker teams again, which will drag down both his goals against average and save percentage. For fantasy managers in leagues that reward volume without overly rate statistics, his workload alone could make him extremely valuable.
The Sharks are aiming to inch toward respectability, and if they do, Askarov will be the driving force behind that improvement. Even if the team struggles, his ceiling as a future franchise goalie makes him one of the premier long-term stashes in dynasty formats. In redraft leagues, he offers a high-volume, high-variance profile that could swing matchups depending on how well he adapts to the NHL grind. Even though his Hockey Prospecting equivalency took a dive in his draft + 4 season, he’s a top goalie for your win-now and win-later team profiles.
Jesper Wallstedt – Minnesota Wild
Early in his career, Wallstedt was playing professional hockey in Sweden as a teenager before transitioning to the AHL. After a strong first season in Iowa, he regressed a bit last year, but Minnesota’s front office has shown its confidence by not signing a proven backup behind Filip Gustavsson. That decision all but ensures Wallstedt will get his shot, with 20–30 starts a realistic expectation depending on how quickly he settles in.
Wallstedt had an incredible equivalency in the Hockey Prospecting model prior to this past season where he struggled. This is an opportunity for you to get this future franchise goalie at value. His poise, elite positioning, and technical polish give him one of the safest long-term outlooks of any goalie in his class. He should also benefit from Minnesota’s structured defensive system, which should allow him to post better results than he did in the AHL. For keeper and dynasty formats, Wallstedt projects as a cornerstone option with both short-term opportunity and long-term stability.
Jakub Dobeš – Montreal Canadiens
We have already seen Dobeš excel in the NHL having played 16 games last season and even appearing in the playoffs. Sam Montembeault played more games than he ever had previously in 2024-25, which ended with a groin tear in the playoffs.
According to Evolving Hockey, Dobes saved an incredible 6.81 goals saved above expected (GSAx). This would seem more incredible if Montembeault hadn’t saved 26.95. Nevertheless, Dobes has proved that there isn’t a tremendous step down from Montembeault to Dobes. There is a safe floor of 15-20 starts for Dobes and upside for more depending on Montembeault’s health and stamina.
Jet Greaves – Columbus Blue Jackets
Greaves closed the 2024–25 season with a sensational NHL audition, winning five games and posting a remarkable .975 save percentage in the process. While the sample size was small, his calm presence and ability to deliver under pressure immediately caught the attention of both the Blue Jackets’ front office and fantasy managers looking for hidden value. Columbus has been searching for long-term stability in the net for years, and Greaves has put himself firmly in that conversation.
With Daniil Tarasov now in Florida and Elvis Merzlikins struggling with inconsistency, injuries, and declining numbers, the path is more open than ever for Greaves to seize NHL minutes in Columbus. Merzlikins’ hold on the starter’s job is tenuous, and the organization’s patience appears thin, giving Greaves a real opportunity if he can build on last year’s strong impression. For fantasy managers, he’s a stash with sneaky upside, unlikely to open as a workhorse but a safe bet to clear the 10-game mark, with the potential to slide into tandem duty or even steal the starter job outright.
Leevi Merilainen – Ottawa Senators
Meriläinen enters 2025–26 as the clear backup to Linus Ullmark in Ottawa. His NHL exposure has been limited, but in that small sample he posted stellar surface numbers that drew attention. According to Evolving Hockey, though, he did not outperform his expected goals metrics at even strength, suggesting some regression risk, but he was excellent on the penalty kill, showing he could elevate his game when it mattered most. At just 22 years old, he continues to develop steadily after a strong stretch in Belleville and remains a player the organization is invested in.
The Senators underscored that confidence by not signing any other goaltenders to compete with him for the backup spot. Ullmark has been brought in to stabilize the crease, but he doesn’t have a long track record of handling a heavy workload across a full season. That leaves the door open for Meriläinen to step into meaningful minutes if needed, and for fantasy managers, he’s a deep sleeper stash. He may not start the season with volume, but the opportunity for him to cross the 15-game threshold and deliver sneaky value is very real.
Arturs Silovs – Pittsburgh Penguins
Silovs arrives in Pittsburgh fresh off a Calder Cup championship, where his dominant postseason earned him MVP honors and established him as one of the league’s most intriguing young goalies. Vancouver dealt him rather than risk losing him on waivers, though it was only for a fourth-round pick. His arrival comes at a key time for the Penguins, whose crease is in disarray: Tristan Jarry struggled badly last year with an .886 save percentage and was waived twice, Alex Nedeljkovic has moved on, and Joel Blomqvist posted just an .885 save percentage in 15 appearances. Into that void steps Silovs, whose 6-4 frame, playoff pedigree, and calm presence give him a real chance to seize more than just a token backup role.
From a fantasy perspective, Silovs offers both upside and opportunity, though managers should be mindful of risk. His AHL résumé suggests he’s ready for NHL action, but the Fantasy Hockey Life player card shows his xG/GA was low, meaning he did not save nearly as many goals as expected. If Jarry’s inconsistency continues, Silovs could still carve out meaningful volume, potentially evolving from a speculative stash into a tandem option, but expectations should be tempered until he proves he can outperform the metrics.
Nikita Tolopilo – Vancouver Canucks
Tolopilo made his NHL debut last season on emergency duty and showed flashes of what makes him intriguing. At 6-6, he brings imposing size and surprising mobility, and he has adjusted quickly to the North American game since arriving from Europe. While he is not guaranteed steady NHL minutes, he sits in position as Vancouver’s next man up if injuries or inconsistency hit the crease, keeping him firmly on the watchlist for deeper formats.
From a fantasy perspective, Tolopilo’s metrics inspire cautious optimism. His xG/GA numbers have been better than Silovs, but they still are not stellar, suggesting that while he may be more efficient than his counterpart, he is not yet a sure bet to outperform expectations over a longer stretch. That makes him a buyer beware stash, worth monitoring for his size and upside, but not someone to invest heavily in until he shows sustained results at the NHL level.
Carl Lindbom – Vegas Golden Knights
Lindbom has quickly risen through Vegas’s system after standout seasons in Sweden and a strong year in Henderson, posting a .915 save percentage and steady development at just 22 years old. With Akira Schmid struggling despite his NHL experience, Lindbom could leapfrog him if the Golden Knights’ crease falters. For fantasy managers, he is a deeper-league stash with real upside, unlikely to open the year with volume but worth monitoring closely as the season progresses.
This year’s rookie goalie class has a rare mix of pedigree and opportunity. Askarov and Wallstedt headline as long-term stars, while players like Dobeš, Silovs, and Greaves could provide immediate depth and surprise value. For fantasy managers, balancing short-term roles with long-term ceilings will be key in deciding who to stash, who to stream, and who could anchor your team for years to come.
Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, topic, or theme you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @victornuno12.