AST: Always Start Thomas
Back in October, I made the claim that Tim Thomas was simply an elite starting goalie. The 37-year-old was coming off of one of the best seasons in NHL history which clearly showed he could elevate his game. He further proved that by backstopping the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup last June.
However, in fantasy hockey circles there was still some doubt. Thomas was old; he also shared starts with Tuukka Rask.
Despite those flaws, or question marks rather, Thomas continues to play at an elite level. Furthermore, he likely remains on that trajectory for the remainder of the season.
Yet we still are frequently asked whether owners should start Thomas against tougher competition. Those of you in Roto leagues already know to always start him as the result looks great — 24-11-0 record, 2.22 GAA, .928 SV% and four shutouts. Yet those of you in head-to-head leagues still have their doubts.
Well, fear not fantasy hockey general managers, as Thomas will rarely ever hurt you if you make sure to start him in every game he starts that week.
Below is the week-by-week breakdown of his excellent results. Now say it with me now: Always Start Thomas.
| Fantasy Week | Games | Wins | GAA | SA | SV | SV% |
| 1 | 4 | 2 | 2.00 | 118 | 110 | .932 |
| 2 | 2 | 1 | 2.50 | 57 | 52 | .912 |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 | 35 | 33 | .943 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 1.50 | 51 | 48 | .941 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 | 23 | 21 | .913 |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 1.50 | 53 | 50 | .943 |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | 1.67 | 109 | 104 | .954 |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | 3.00 | 30 | 27 | .900 |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | 1.67 | 100 | 95 | .950 |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 1.00 | 80 | 78 | .975 |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | 2.00 | 35 | 33 | .943 |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | 4.00 | 27 | 23 | .852 |
| 13 | 2 | 1 | 2.50 | 67 | 62 | .925 |
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 2.00 | 54 | 50 | .926 |
| 15 | 3 | 2 | 3.33 | 99 | 89 | .899 |
| 16 | 3 | 2 | 1.67 | 96 | 91 | .948 |
| 17 | 2 | 1 | 3.00 | 41 | 35 | .854 |