Dan Ellis

Signed to a two-year deal, Ellis will give Dallas one of the more reliable backups in the NHL to starter Kari Lehtonen. And he may have decent value if Lehtonen goes down with another injury.

Ellis is a solid back-up goalie who could certainly eek out a .500 record in very limited action. He also won't completely ruin your cumulative categories (GAA, save %) if you press him into action. But there are better options out there for your depth twinetender.

Ellis went 21-10-7 in 44 games played (37 starts) splitting time between the Lightning and the Ducks last season while carrying a .898 save percentage and 2.77 GAA. The veteran backup could be called upon as the No. 1 netminder if Jonas Hiller remains sidelined by vertigo again this season. If he lands in the starting role, Ellis' win potential alone would make him a viable option in all formats, but Hiller's health will go a long way toward establishing his fantasy value.

Sure, the Bolts "say" Mike Smith will be their starter this year. But we think Ellis will rediscover his mojo in Tampa Bay and push Smith into a timeshare. Platoons are a fantasy owner's curse; platoons behind a sketchy defense corps are even worse. Be cautious on draft day.

Ellis lost his starting job last season to Pekka Rinne, and now Rinne has the job leaving Ellis as the backup. He's not likely to start more than 20 or 25 games barring injury, but he is a decent enough goalie that if you know he's starting and need a fill in there are worse options.

The Predators' goaltending situation took a turn for the unusual last season. After riding the bench for a few years, Chris Mason was rewarded for his patience by becoming the No. 1 goalie in Nashville. It took only a few bad starts early in the season for Mason to lose the gig, and the hot Dan Ellis stepped between the pipes and the rest is now history. Ellis' performances were so impressive late in the season that Mason became expendable in the offseason and has been shipped off to the Blues. Ellis' only flaw last season was conditioning. He regularly battled drastic weight loss after starts and usually required IV fluids and light practices afterward to recover. Aside from his conditioning, Ellis posted fabulous numbers once he wrestled the starter's role from Mason. He posted a 23-10-3 record with stellar averages of 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage. Ellis was a shutdown goalie as well, putting on the clamps to the tune of six shutouts. While we expect Pekka Rinne to spell Ellis occasionally, Ellis will still get most of the workload and should be a very productive goalie in the 50 or so starts that he'll get this season.

Ellis signed with Nashville as a free-agent during the off season. He has only 1 game of NHL experience, but he did post a 30-21-1 record with a 2.78 goals-against average and .894 save percentage last season at Iowa of the AHL. The coaching staff will give Ellis a shot at the back-up goalie role going into camp, but he will likely end up playing at Milwaukee of the AHL this season.

Enters camp behind Mike Smith as the primary competition to serve as the backup to Marty Turco.

Ellis will spend the year at Iowa of the AHL, splitting time in net with Mike Smith.