Today’s NHL Lineups: Start/Sit Calls, Goalie Streams and Injury Landmines

Today’s slate is light on games but heavy on fantasy decisions. With projected starts for Joel Hofer, Eric Comrie and Laurent Brossoit, plus injuries to stars like Auston Matthews and Sam Reinhart, you can’t just set-and-forget. Let’s break down where you can squeeze out goalie wins, how to handle elite injuries, and which short-term streams actually move the needle today.

What’s New & Why It Matters

The biggest fantasy drivers today are in net. The St. Louis Blues are expected to roll with Joel Hofer, while the Winnipeg Jets counter with Eric Comrie. In a likely tight matchup, both goalies carry realistic win and volume upside, which is rare on a short schedule. For many managers, this game alone could swing goalie categories.

Out west, the San Jose Sharks may give Laurent Brossoit his first NHL action since 2024. That makes him a classic boom-or-bust stream: the rest factor and unknown form create risk, but the opportunity for a surprise performance is very real, especially in leagues that reward saves and don’t punish goals against too harshly.

Up front, the injury news is brutal. Auston Matthews is sidelined with an MCL tear for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Sam Reinhart didn’t travel with the Florida Panthers. Both are automatic sits, but the ripple effects matter: Toronto and Florida will be auditioning players in prime offensive roles and on PP1. Even if those specific names aren’t widely rostered, it changes the environment for everyone around them and opens short-term streaming value on those top units.

With lineups in flux and several goalies in audition-like spots, today is about exploiting matchup context, trusting usage over name value, and being aggressive with short-term moves.

Fantasy Implications

Points-Only

In points-only formats, your main decisions today revolve around whether to trust the projected starters and how to react to the injuries up front.

Hofer profiles as a strong play in points leagues that reward wins and don’t overly punish goals against. The matchup against Winnipeg isn’t a layup, but his projected role as the clear starter gives him a stable floor and a realistic shot at banking a win. If your alternative is a backup or a timeshare, he should be in your lineup.

Comrie is more of a matchup-dependent start. He offers similar win equity to Hofer but with a bit more volatility if Winnipeg’s defensive play wobbles. In deeper points-only leagues where every goalie start matters, he’s a go; in shallow formats where you can afford to be picky, he’s more of a coin flip depending on your current goalie stats.

Brossoit is the pure upside swing. Coming off a long layoff, there’s real downside if he’s rusty, but in points-only leagues where you’re chasing volume and potential wins, he’s a viable stream if your alternatives are bench-bound or non-starting goalies. Think of him as a high-variance flex: not mandatory, but attractive if you’re behind in goalie categories this week.

On the skater side, Matthews and Reinhart are automatic sits due to injury. The key points-only takeaway is to be aggressive in replacing their production. Don’t cling to name value when they’re not in the lineup—use their IR spots (if available) to churn in hot hands or top-unit PP fill-ins from Toronto and Florida.

Categories / Bangers

In multi-cat formats, goalie volume and category balance matter more than pure win equity. Hofer and Comrie both project as solid options today because they should see enough shots to contribute in saves while still having a path to a win. If your GAA and save percentage are already fragile, lean slightly toward the goalie backed by the tighter defensive structure on your roster; if you’re chasing volume, start both if your format allows.

Brossoit is a classic categories streamer. If he starts, he could pile up saves simply because San Jose tends to give up plenty of shots. That’s attractive if you’re chasing saves and maybe wins, but it comes with real GAA/SV% risk. In head-to-head, he’s ideal if you’re trailing and need volatility to flip the matchup; in roto, be more cautious if your ratios are already stressed.

The injuries to Matthews and Reinhart hurt across the board: you’re losing goals, assists, power-play points and shots on goal. In bangers leagues, their absence also removes some peripheral production. Short term, look for their teammates stepping into PP1 roles—those players often see a bump in SOG and PPP even if they don’t match the star’s overall ceiling. If your league has daily moves, aggressively stream those PP1 auditions to cover the gap.

Dynasty / Keeper

Today’s slate has sneaky dynasty implications, especially in goal.

Hofer’s projected start reinforces his trajectory as a potential long-term solution in St. Louis. Every successful outing in a starter’s role nudges him closer to being a locked-in No. 1 for years, which matters in keeper formats where stable goaltending is scarce. If he’s somehow still available in a deep dynasty, this is another data point in favor of stashing or trading for him using tools like the NHL Trade Analyzer to gauge value.

Comrie is more of a depth piece in dynasty. A good performance today helps his case as a viable 1B or high-end backup, but he’s less likely to become a true cornerstone. In deep leagues with large benches, he’s worth monitoring as a cheap source of spot starts rather than a long-term building block.

Brossoit’s potential return is interesting for dynasty managers who like to speculate on goalies. If he shows well after a long layoff, he can quickly re-enter the conversation as a short-term starter or high-end backup, which has value in formats where you can carry multiple goalies. Today is a key evaluation point: if he looks sharp, consider adding him as a low-cost depth piece before the rest of your league reacts.

For Matthews and Reinhart, the dynasty impact is more about patience and roster management than panic. Injuries are part of the game; as long as there’s no indication of long-term decline beyond what’s noted here, they remain foundational assets. Use their absence as a chance to audition younger or fringe players in your lineup rather than overreacting with sell-low trades.

Who to Add / Stream / Watch

Joel Hofer – Add/Start (all but the shallowest leagues): Locked-in projected starter for St. Louis with a realistic path to a win and solid volume.
Eric Comrie – Short-term stream (standard/deep): Expected to start for Winnipeg; viable for saves and win upside if you need goalie volume today.
Laurent Brossoit – High-risk stream (deep): Possible first NHL game since 2024; swing for upside if you’re chasing goalie categories.
Auston Matthews – IR stash (all leagues): Out with an MCL tear; move him to IR and aggressively stream his roster spot.
Sam Reinhart – IR stash (all leagues): Injured and off the trip; stash where possible and replace his PP usage with short-term streams.
Toronto PP1 fill-ins – Watchlist/stream (standard/deep): Whoever grabs Matthews’ PP1 slot gains immediate points-only and PPP appeal.
Florida PP1 fill-ins – Watchlist/stream (deep): With Reinhart out, any forward promoted to PP1 in Florida is worth a speculative look.

Fantasy Takeaways

Start Joel Hofer confidently in most formats today; his projected role and matchup give him one of the better goalie outlooks on the slate.
Eric Comrie is a viable categories and points-only start if you need goalie volume and a realistic shot at a win.
Laurent Brossoit is a high-variance stream: great if you’re chasing saves and upside, risky if you’re protecting ratios.
Auston Matthews and Sam Reinhart are automatic sits due to injury—use their IR spots to churn aggressive short-term streams.
Monitor PP1 auditions in Toronto and Florida; whoever steps into those roles can provide short-term scoring and power-play value.

Source: NHL.com. See the original for full details.