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.
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.
Gourde, 25, had eight points (6G / 2A) in 20 games with the Lightning this season and had 48 points (22G / 26A) in 56 games while with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). Gourde’s new deal is a one-way deal, so the undersized winger will likely start the year in Tampa Bay.
