How exactly do you type in one of those really long sighs you hear from someone who hates themselves for the person they choose to be.
*Cue Michael Scott telling Toby "I hate, so much about, the things you choose to be"*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5d5jxJ5vbM
I can't deny the guy, even though it's easy to deny the entire city. Steve Mason has been one of the only bright spots in Philly this season (unless you count Tom Sesito's model airplane collection or Kimmo Timonen's streak of 10 games without an injury).
Despite having just three wins in nine starts this season, Mason has managed a .928 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average. To put that into perspective, the league leader in wins (Fleury or Niemi with nine wins each) have posted a .927 and .924 save percentage, respectively. While one could make the argument that both Fleury and Niemi have much better goals against averages (1.72 and 1.81), neither have done more with less as Mason has.
Looking at other goaltenders near the top of the wins column, Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles has eight wins. This all comes with a .909 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. These numbers aren't horrible, but I've never seen so much hype over a goalie stemming from a single season's performance. Yes, Jonny Q was the man in the 2011-12 season, posting a 1.95 GAA and a .929 save percentage, but the rest of his career, his statistics have been average at best. Steve Mason has far better numbers this season, but the team in front of him has been embarrassingly poor offensively.
So now that the comparisons have been made, let's make the case why you need him on your fantasy team.
All things considered, now may be a great time to grab him if your goaltending situation needs a boost. If you have Rinne or Ward, Mason could be a cheap option to get you back on track.
*Cue Michael Scott telling Toby "I hate, so much about, the things you choose to be"*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5d5jxJ5vbM
I can't deny the guy, even though it's easy to deny the entire city. Steve Mason has been one of the only bright spots in Philly this season (unless you count Tom Sesito's model airplane collection or Kimmo Timonen's streak of 10 games without an injury).
Despite having just three wins in nine starts this season, Mason has managed a .928 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average. To put that into perspective, the league leader in wins (Fleury or Niemi with nine wins each) have posted a .927 and .924 save percentage, respectively. While one could make the argument that both Fleury and Niemi have much better goals against averages (1.72 and 1.81), neither have done more with less as Mason has.
Looking at other goaltenders near the top of the wins column, Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles has eight wins. This all comes with a .909 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. These numbers aren't horrible, but I've never seen so much hype over a goalie stemming from a single season's performance. Yes, Jonny Q was the man in the 2011-12 season, posting a 1.95 GAA and a .929 save percentage, but the rest of his career, his statistics have been average at best. Steve Mason has far better numbers this season, but the team in front of him has been embarrassingly poor offensively.
So now that the comparisons have been made, let's make the case why you need him on your fantasy team.
- He's available in 14% of leagues, so he might be a free agent. If he is, grab him now.
- The team in front of him couldn't play worse, which means his value has nowhere to go but up.
- His backup is Ray Emery.
- Claude Giroux is much better than what he has been showing so far. He'll right the ship soon.
- Your other free agent options and probably not starters. Mason is a full time option in a part time world.
- You can trade for him relatively cheap right now.
- He's only 25. Although he's been in the league for a while, he's still learning. You can discount the couple of poor seasons in Columbus, because he was a young goaltender, and because he was in Columbus.
All things considered, now may be a great time to grab him if your goaltending situation needs a boost. If you have Rinne or Ward, Mason could be a cheap option to get you back on track.