Over the next two weeks we will go over the goaltending situations throughout the NHL.  This week we will start with the Eastern Conference.

New York Islanders:  Dwayne Roloson is the starter as of now, and should be.  He has posted a 14-7-5 record with a 2.75 GAA and 91.4 SV%.  Impressive numbers when you consider he is playing behind an offensively challenged team.  Martin Biron is the backup for now but Rick DiPietro will once again try and complete a rehab assignment in the AHL this coming weekend and could be ready to play as early as next week.  The Islanders would like to trade Biron, but his level of play hasn’t been all that great, certainly not where another team would give up anything of value to acquire him.

New York Rangers:  Henrik Lundqvist is the undisputed starter in Ranger land.  While he will get the majority of the starts his play hasn’t been as good this season as it has in the past, and one wonders if playing an additional 6-8 games in the Olympics will see him wear down during the second half of the season.

New Jersey Devils:  What can you say about Martin Brodeur?  He is an all-time great.  He holds most of the major goaltending records and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Philadelphia Flyers:  Starter Ray Emery is just now starting to skate with the team after undergoing abdominal surgery but is still a few weeks away from joining the Goalie rotation.  Brian Boucher is close to returning after suffering a finger injury.  Apparently the vibrations from stick saves still are bothering him and until that goes away he won’t start a game.  Another reason the Flyers may not want to rush Boucher back is that the recently acquired Michael Leighton has been outstanding since the Flyers signed him off waivers.  It’s not like Emery or Boucher were playing lights out when they were healthy.  Leighton should continue to be in the mix.

Pittsburgh Penguins:  Marc-Andre Fleury seems to be the money Goalie of this era.  The bigger the game, the better he plays. 

Carolina Hurricanes:  Since returning from a leg injury earlier this season Cam Ward has stabilized the Hurricane net situation.  That being said, the team is currently last in the NHL and wins are sure to become harder and harder to come by.

Tampa Bay Lightning:  Neither Mike Smith nor Antero Nittymaki has done all that much to solidify the goaltending situation for Tampa.  They have both had their hot and cold streaks, but neither one has grabbed the job by the throat.  Smith seems to be the hot hand now, but he could be second fiddle as soon as his next bad game.

Washington Capitals:  Semyon Varlamov will look to return within the next week after missing almost a month with a groin injury.  Varlamov has had a fantastic season and some fantasy owners were worried that with his injury Jose Theodore would come in, play well, and steal playing time from Varlamov.  Well, that hasn’t happened as Theodore has been inconsistent at best and has lost starts to Michal Neuvirth.

Atlanta Thrashers:  Kari Lehtonen has been out all season so far with a back injury but is practicing some now and hopes to return to the team in mid-January.  In his absence Ondrej Pavelec was given the first shot at the job and was hot early on but has fallen off a cliff since the beginning of November.  Veteran Johan Hedberg is also with the team and has outplayed Pavelec.  Not that he’s been a brick wall in net, just more consistent than Pavelec who may return to the AHL if and when Lehtonen is ready to return.

Florida Panthers:  Tomas Vokoun showed his toughness earlier this month after only missing one game after teammate almost decapitated him with his stick.  Scott Clemmensen is the traditional backup in Florida, he’ll get a few starts here and there, but Vokoun is the main guy.

Montreal Canadiens:  Montreal wants Carey Price to be their franchise goaltender and has given him every chance to be so, but Jaroslav Halak has outplayed him up to this point in the season.  The Canadiens have looked into trading Halak but have to wonder if they will be trading the better Goalie, and if they can get enough in return for Halak.  The departure of Halak could be the best thing for Price as he wouldn’t have someone looking over his shoulder trying to take the starting job.

Florida Panthers:  Tomas Vokoun showed his toughness earlier this month after only missing one game after teammate almost decapitated him with his stick.  Scott Clemmensen is the traditional backup in Florida, he’ll get a few starts here and there, but Vokoun is the main guy.

Boston Bruins:  Last year’s Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas got off to a slow start to begin the season which led to Tuukka Rask showing what he can do in net.  Rask played very well while the Bruins waited for Thomas to regain his form.  Now that Thomas is back to his normal self, Rask may find his starts fewer and harder to come by.  His is another name you might hear come trade deadline time.

Buffalo Sabres:  This year’s Vezina Trophy winner may be Ryan Miller if he continues his current pace.  He has been outstanding so far this season.  Like Lundqvist with the Rangers, I’d be concerned that playing for Team USA in the Olympics could lead to a lot of wear and tear later in the season.  The Sabres can also have goal scoring issues which can lead to Miller having difficulties producing wins.

Ottawa Senators:  Pascal Leclaire returned last week from a fractured cheek bone.  Leclaire got off to a rough start, but rebounded with back to back solid games to prove to everyone that he is once again the starter in Ottawa.  Backup Brian Elliott played better and better each game that Leclaire was out to prove to the organization that if the oft injured Leclaire were to get hurt again, he could handle the starting role.

Toronto Maple Leafs:  Jonas Gustavsson is the future in net for the Leafs and it was good to see him return after having surgery to repair his heart earlier this season.  He is still a work in progress, as is the rest of the Leafs team, and is someone you’re looking for in keeper leagues rather than someone who can help you right now.