NHL Fantasy Guide: Goalies, Hits and Blocked Shots in Leagues
Which skater categories pay, why goalie starts swing weeks, and how banger leagues reward physical defenders.
Published September 10, 2026
NHL fantasy leagues typically score a mix of goals, assists, plus-minus, power-play points and shots on goal, and in banger leagues, hits and blocked shots. Goalie categories are wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts. Goalies are the swing position: a hot starter on a strong team can win you a week single-handedly, but one bad start can wreck your ratios.
Because goalie starts are unpredictable, most managers carry two or three netminders and stream a third spot. Watch for back-to-back sets, when teams often split starts, and check whether a team alternates goalies or leans on one workhorse. A starter who has played four of the last five games is a hold.
Hits and blocks add value to physical defenders and bottom-six forwards who do not score much. In leagues that count them, a defenseman who blocks three shots and delivers four hits a night has real equity. Plus-minus rewards players on strong teams and punishes those on weak ones, so it is a tiebreaker rather than a target stat. Set your lines before puck drop at /nhl.