There’s no argument: we’re in a golden age of goaltending in the National Hockey League right now, but it’s a world of haves and have-nots. The gap between the greats in the game and everybody else feels bigger than it ever has before, and teams that don’t have one of the reliable studs are often scrounging for help (or suffering under an unwise contract handed out too soon).
It’s also a world where the hot hand dominates. Rookies can suddenly look unbeatable, and the goaltending greats can suddenly look like a sieve. We often now see teams make it deep into the playoffs relying heavily on a goalie who wasn’t their starter to start the postseason. Occasionally, that goalie wasn’t even on the roster entering the season.
At The Hockey Writers, we evaluate goaltenders several times a season, accounting for the instability of the position. Goalies change teams and lose their jobs more frequently than many others. Because of changes like that, we regrade goalies regularly. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the methodology for our evaluation.
Methodology
Because of the fleeting nature of goaltender success, our rankings prioritize numbers from the most recent season, in this case, the ongoing 2024-25 season. With that said it would be silly to ignore history or overemphasize a three-month run. Where two goalies are more or less equal, their track record will become a factor in determining a final position. Goalies who have performed at a high level for longer will receive the benefit of the doubt, whereas goalies with great numbers who are relative newcomers may sink a spot or two accordingly. With that said, in this article, you will see many top goalies from recent years further down than you might expect.
A number of statistics are considered. Two metrics were given primary emphasis:
- Save Percentage (SV%): The percentage of shots on net that a goalie stops from becoming a goal
- Goals-Against Average (GAA): The average number of goals the goaltender allows per 60 minute game
- Goalie Point Shares (GPS): An attempt to calculate a goalie’s impact on his team’s place in the standings, where the final number reflects the number of standings points the goalie helped his team gain (not dissimilar from baseball’s “wins above replacement,” aka WAR)
- Quality Start Percentage (QS%): Quality starts are those starts where the goalie’s save percentage surpasses the average save percentage from the league this season. The QS% takes the percentage of games started that are “quality.” Generally, 53% or .530 is considered “average” in this stat. Anything below 50% is poor, and anything above 60% is outstanding.
- Really Bad Starts (RBS): More or less the inverse of a quality start, these are games where the goalie’s SV% doesn’t surpass 85%
- Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA): An advanced statistic measuring a goalie’s performance against league average on the same number of shots. The higher your GSAA, the better your season has been.
Of these statistics, QS% and GSAA have been given particular emphasis, but all will be considered in evaluating goaltenders.
Related: Adjusting How We Evaluate and Analyze Goaltenders
Keep in mind that these rankings are, by nature, fleeting. A few goaltenders, especially those near the top, have cemented their place in goaltending history. But many of these goalies are still fighting to build a reputation. So, without further ado, let’s see who shakes out as the best goaltenders of the 2024-25 season so far.
32) Elvis Merzlikins: Columbus Blue Jackets
Previous Rank: 31
The Columbus Blue Jackets are one of the inspiring stories of the NHL season, rallying to fight for a playoff season after the shocking, tragic passing of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau last summer. As impressive and unexpected as their results have been so far, they might be significantly better still if they could get any kind of reliable goaltending. Unfortunately, Elvis Merzlikins, who still has two seasons on his expensive contract after this one, has cemented himself as one of the least reliable goalies in the league.
Merzlikins has been through a lot. He was also in Colombus for the tragic passing of his fellow goaltender and close friend, Matiss Kivlenieks, who, according to Merzlikins’ moving eulogy, sacrificed himself to save Merzlikins’ and others. Now, to suffer from the loss of another teammate, everyone has to have a lot of sympathy for the Riga, Latvia native. But sympathy can’t change the fact that his on-ice results don’t measure up to NHL standards. He has an .893 SV%, 2.99 GAA, and minus-7.4 GSAA. Unfortunately, his backups, Daniil Tarasov and Jet Greaves, hasn’t performed significantly better. If the Blue Jackets remain in touching distance of a playoff spot, they might have to look at options for shoring up the net and replacing Merzlikins. He simply hasn’t been good enough.
31) Sam Montembeault: Montreal Canadiens
Previous Rank: 27
It’s a testament to the appalling lack of depth in Team Canada’s goaltending battery that Sam Montembeault made their roster as the third goaltender for the 4 Nations Face-Off (although it also calls into question general manager Doug Armstrong’s shocking snub of Washington’s Logan Thompson). Montembeault hasn’t been good for the Montreal Canadiens, who, like the Blue Jackets, are still “outkicking their coverage” (to borrow a football metaphor) and battling for a playoff spot despite abysmal assistance between the pipes. Montembeault has an .899 SV%, a 2.99 GAA, and minus-1.8 GSAA. He also has 10 RBS, meaning that in a little over 20% of Montreal’s games, he’s barely given them a fighting chance. He might be (according to those who matter) Canada’s third-best goaltender, but he isn’t on track to go down in history amongst the Canadiens’ greats at that position, and he probably would already have lost his role to Cayden Primeau of the youngster wasn’t performing even more poorly this season.
30) Tristian Jarry: Pittsburgh Penguins
Previous Rank: 19
For a while, it looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins had finally found their long-term answer in net with Tristan Jarry. But his abysmal results this season might have them once again wondering if they need to go out and look for a playoff-quality netminder. And unlike the two teams above them in these rankings, they have not managed to stay in the playoff hunt despite poor goaltending.
Jarry has among the worst numbers in the league so far this season. His minus-10.1 GSAA ranks second-worst amongst the goaltenders we’ve ranked as starters in this list, only behind a netminder coming off a serious injury and recently starting his season in British Columbia (one guess who that will be). In fact, shortly before this writing, Jarry was placed on waivers to be sent to the American Hockey League (AHL) and cleared, with no team wanting his burdensome contract. Given the timing, we’ll still rank him as the team’s starter this time around, but if Alex Nedeljkovic (whose numbers are hardly setting the world on fire) continues to outperform him, it might be his job the next time we do these rankings.
29) Samuel Ersson: Philadelphia Flyers
Previous Rank: 30
Samuel Ersson is in an unenviable situation. Thrust into a starting role for a team that thought they had their long-term starter, the 25-year-old Falun, Sweden native drafted in the fifth round in 2018 is arguably doing his best. But his best isn’t at the level of an NHL starter. He has an .891 SV%, a 2.80 GAA, and a QS% well below .500 at .480. He also has minus-6.5 GSAA. Ersson might be able to be a decent goalie behind a team with better defense, but the Flyers leave a lot to be desired in that category.
28) Petr Mrázek: Chicago Blackhawks
Previous Rank: 23
The Chicago Blackhawks had no ambitions this season, and Petr Mrázek is a pretty decent goaltender for a team in that situation. Honestly, given the team around him, he’s been decent over the last several seasons. He has a .896 SV% and a 3.26 GAA, along with minus-4.6 GSAA.
Even so, his QS% is .536 and he’s only had 5 RBS, which is impressive on a team as bad as Chicago. Mrázek is 32 now, and while he’s never been the greatest NHL goaltender, he deserves some flowers for a long career of playing just well enough to stay at the top level. There’s another season on his current contract and the Blackhawks will have no problem keeping him as their starter, at least until they’re truly ready to contend.
27) Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen: Buffalo Sabres
Previous Rank: 14
Maybe this is too steep a decrease for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was outstanding with the Buffalo Sabres for much of last season. But for a franchise that seems to be perpetually stuck as Charlie Brown trying to kick Lucy’s football, having one of the worst goaltenders in the league statistically, and once again being stuck near the bottom of the NHL’s standings, has to be devastating. The Espoo, Finland native has a .897 SV% and a 2.99 GAA, along with minus-4.3 GSAA and .514 QS%. They’re all bad numbers, and for the Sabres, who thought they finally had their goaltender of the future in either Luukkonen or Devon Levi, the fact that both are struggling this season has to feel crushing.
26) Stuart Skinner: Edmonton Oilers
Previous Rank: 17
It’s not that Stuart Skinner is a terrible goaltender, it’s just that he’s an average goaltender potentially holding back the ambitions of one of the best teams in the league. His .899 SV%, 2.71 GAA, and minus-1.6 GSAA are all below average, and his .531 QS is just at league average.
Skinner hasn’t been especially good since the 2022-23 season when he rose to prominence as the Oilers’ starter. At 26, he could still have a great future starting for his hometown team, but he’ll need to lock in come playoff time. His poor performance did keep him off of the final Team Canada 4 Nations roster, although he’s among the names who arguably deserve the spot over Montembeault. Still, Skinner’s ambitions this season, like his team, are Stanley Cup or bust. At present, if it’s “bust,” he’ll be the leading suspect for why.
24) Pyotr Kochetkov: Carolina Hurricanes
Previous Rank: Unranked
The Carolina Hurricanes seem to always be on a quest for better goaltending. Frederik Andersen can’t stay healthy, and it seems to be Pyotr Kochetkov’s job for the foreseeable future (unless they can swing a rare deadline goaltending trade — John Gibson’s name has been mentioned). For his part, Kochetkov is fine. In fact, he’s just about league average in everything: a .904 SV%, a 2.47 GAA, .533 QS%, and 1.9 GSAA. Kochetkov is fine — just fine. But for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, he may not be good enough.
23) Yaroslav Askarov: San Jose Sharks
Previous Rank: 25
Yes, Alexandar Georgiev has gotten the majority of starts in San Jose since coming over in the Mackenzie Blackwood trade to Colorado. But Yaroslav Askarov is the goaltender of the future for the Sharks, and he’s the one we’ll rank on this list unless Georgiev becomes a permanent fixture (which, judging by his results, he likely won’t).
In his 10 NHL starts this season, Askarov has been good, posting a .903 SV% and a 2.93 GAA. For a rebuilding but feisty Sharks team, he’s impressed with a .600 QS% and 0.6 GSAA. For years, Askarov has been viewed as the best goaltending prospect of the future, and many viewed general manager Mike Grier’s move to acquire him from the Nashville Predators last summer as a coup. While he’s very early in his career, nothing that Askarov has done in San Jose so far should change either of those impressions.
23) Cam Talbot: Detroit Red Wings
Previous Rank: 10
Cam Talbot was sensational for the Los Angeles Kings last season and has been a quality, underrated goaltender for most of his career. But his move to the Detroit Red Wings hasn’t been a good one so far. He’s been adequate, but gone are the days of a 14.0 GSAA and .913 SV% that he posted in the City of Angels. Now, he’s got a .902 SV% and a 3.02 GAA in the Motor City, along with 0.7 GSAA. The Red Wings are still fighting for a playoff chance, but they were likely hoping for better results when they signed the veteran netminder in the summer.
22) Jordan Binnington: St. Louis Blues
Previous Rank: 9
At a notoriously inconsistent position, there may be no goalie more unpredictable than Jordan Binnington. At his very best, he is arguably one of the best goaltenders in the league, who is one of just five rookies to win a Stanley Cup as the starting netminder. At his worst, he holds back even a pretty weak Blues roster from competing for the postseason, as he’s doing this season. On top of that, his notorious on-ice antics add another layer of chaos to the enigma from Richmond Hill, Ontario.
Last season was one of Binnington’s best, but this season, he’s back in the doldrums. He’s got a .898 SV% and a 2.86 GAA, along with minus-2.9 GSAA. He’s also posted six RBS. After finishing the 2023-24 season as one of the NHL’s best goaltending tandems, he and Joel Hofer have both taken big steps back this season. If the Blues are to contend for a playoff spot, which general manager Doug Armstrong (yes, also the GM of Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off) claims is the goal, they will need more out of the men between the pipes.
21) Lukáš Dostál: Anaheim Ducks
Previous Rank: Unranked
After years of Gibson’s uncertain future with the Anaheim Ducks, they now have Lukáš Dostál as the heir apparent and goaltender of the future. The 24-year-old native of Czechia is now in his second season as the primary starter in Orange County, and he has a .907 SV% and 2.96 GAA, with a .630 QS% and 5.4 GSAA. Those numbers are above average in any circumstances, but with the not-so-mighty Ducks, they are truly impressive. His success is fueling the Gibson trade rumors, and while it might not materialize this season, it’s clear that there’s been a change in Anaheim. The era of Dostál is here.
20) Adin Hill: Vegas Golden Knights
Previous Rank: 21
Adin Hill is a good lesson on the fleeting nature of goaltending success, and the risks for a franchise of trusting a small sample size. He set the world on fire in the 2022-23 postseason, ultimately helping the Vegas Golden Knights capture the Stanley Cup. Approaching free agency, the Golden Knights capitalized and offered Hill a two-year, $9.8 million contract, which forced them in turn to trade Thompson to the Washington Capitals last summer. Hill has been fine, but, as you can probably guess by not having his name read yet, Thompson appears to be the better long-term option (though Hill did make the Team Canada roster for the Face-Off).
With that said, it’s not as if Hill has been terrible in Sin City. He was solid last season. This season has been a bit rougher, with a .900 SV% and 2.66 GAA, plus a putrid .433 QS% and minus-1.1 GSAA. He won the team a Stanley Cup, and fans will always be grateful, but it’s safe to question whether Hill will remain in Vegas for very long. He will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after this season, and the Golden Knights are notoriously cutthroat in moving on from anyone who isn’t helping them pursue another championship. Right now, despite his past, Hill is holding them back. And that might be all it takes for Vegas to look for another option this summer.
19) Anthony Stolarz: Toronto Maple Leafs
Previous Rank: Unranked
Lest any Toronto Maple Leafs fans feel hard done by, Anthony Stolarz could skyrocket up this list by season’s end if he continues on this current path. But with just 17 starts under his belt, it’s hard to rank him a lot higher, even though he has some of the best numbers in the league. And that he does: in fact, he leads the NHL in SV% (.927), and has 12.4 GSAA, along with a fantastic .706 QS%. The goaltending tandem of Stolarz and Joseph Woll might have seemed risky in the offseason, they’ve been one of the better tandems in the league, and as soon as he returns from injury, Stolarz can continue building his resume as the most valuable goalie in the NHL this season.
18) Karel Vejmelka: Utah Hockey Club
Previous Rank: Unranked
The Utah Hockey Club is fighting to be taken seriously in its first season in Salt Lake City, and Karel Vejmelka is doing everything he can to get them the recognition the team wants. They might not be in a playoff spot currently, but the league looks at them with an entirely different perspective than they have in years past, and the Czechian netminder is a big factor in why.
Vejmelka currently has a .913 SV%, 2.45 GAA, and 9.1 GSAA. All of those numbers are outstanding, and if there was any doubt entering the season that he was the starter over Connor Ingram, he has clearly erased it now. The only question remaining about Vejmelka is whether Utah can keep him. A UFA after the season, there will probably be other teams who would be eager to have him should the Hockey Club let him get away.
17) Darcy Kuemper: Los Angeles Kings
Previous Rank: 24
The Los Angeles Kings also took a big gamble in the offseason, letting Cam Talbot walk after a terrific season, and trading the troublesome contract of Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Capitals in exchange for the struggling Darcy Kuemper. Both players have done far better in their new homes, and Kuemper seems to be returning to the form that helped him win a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. In fact, his numbers are outstanding: 13.2 GSAA, .922 SV%, 2.06 GAA, and a .667 QS%. if he keeps it up, he’ll be higher up the list by the season’s end.
16) Joey Daccord: Seattle Kraken
Previous Rank: 12
You probably didn’t know that Joey Daccord’s legal first name is “Joel.” You also likely didn’t expect him to be the hottest goaltending commodity on the international market, as the tri-national holds American, Canadian, and Swiss citizenship, which led to some hopes that he could be Team Canada’s savior between the pipes. And you probably also didn’t expect him to be one of the strongest goaltenders. in the league with a .915 SV%, 2.47 GAA, .655 QS%, and 11.6 GSAA. But Daccord continues to defy the odds. And the only reason he isn’t much higher on this list is that a number of “bigger name” goalies are clinging (barely) to spots above him. But that could easily change by the season’s end.
15) Jeremy Swayman: Boston Bruins
Previous Rank: 5
We’re now entering a string of goalies who, based on numbers alone, arguably deserve to be lower on this list, but whose reputations have kept them higher for now. And number one with a bullet in that category is Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins. After a long, public, and occasionally nasty holdout, Swayman finally signed an extension with Boston on Oct 6. But such a late start to the season means that Swayman wasn’t truly “ready to go” on opening night.
Whether it’s a result of the holdout or not, Swayman is in the middle of his worst season by far. He’s allowed the most goals of any goalie in the league and has a 16-16-4 record. His GAA is 2.95, his SV% is .898, ad his QS% is .528, all the worst marks of his career. And his minus-3.2 GSAA is the first time he’s ever been close to negative in his career.
With that said, if you were a general manager drafting goaltenders to start a franchise, the 26-year-old Anchorage, Alaska native would still be very near the top of the list. For now, everyone assumes that this is a blip on the radar. But as of this writing, it’s a pretty ugly blip.
14) Ilya Sorokin: New York Islanders
Previous Rank: 6
Speaking of goaltenders having their worst season in the first year of an expensive contract extension, the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin is in the same camp as Swayman, although sans holdout. At this point, Sorokin’s extension is over a year old, but he’s playing in the first season on the new deal, and it’s not going well by his lofty standards. His .904 SV% is a career low, as is his 2.7 GSAA and his QS% at .606. Still, none of those numbers are that bad. And his 2.75 GAA is an improvement over last season. The problem for Sorokin isn’t so much that he’s playing badly, it’s that the Islanders need him to play like the elite goaltender he is paid to be to be relevant, and he’s not in that class right now.
13) Juuse Saros: Nashville Predators
Previous Rank: 8
Arguably more concerning than the last two goaltenders, Juuse Saros hasn’t even begun the eight-year contract extension he signed with the Nashville Predators in the summer of 2024, which itself started the domino reaction that led to Askarov’s move to San Jose. Saros leads the league in losses and overtime losses and has a .899 SV% with a 2.88 GAA on a Predators team that is disappointing the lofty expectations set for them after an explosive offseason.
Related: Nashville Predators’ Splashy Offseason Moves Have Quickly Turned Into a Disaster
While Saros might not be the primary issue in Music City, his minus-1.9 GSAA and .486 QS% certainly aren’t helping, although he has managed to secure four shutouts to this point of the season. General manager Barry Trotz packed the 29-year-old veteran over the 22-year-old top goaltending prospect Askarov. If Saros can’t return to his Vezina-caliber ways, that decision might haunt the Predators for years to come.
12) Sergei Bobrovsky: Florida Panthers
Previous Rank: 3
We now turn to the first future Hall of Famer on this list — and, make no mistake: Sergei Bobrovsky will join the Hockey Hall of Fame after his career is done. He spent most of a decade as the only active two-time Vezina Trophy winner until Connor Hellebuyck joined him last season, and he now has 400 wins and a Stanley Cup under his belt. He should cruise into the top seven or eight all-time in wins as well. His resume is without many equals among goaltenders currently playing.
But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s struggling this season. It might be a Stanley Cup hangover, it might be his tendency to follow a really good season with an inconsistent one. But he currently carries a .898 SV%, a 2.80 GAA, and minus-3.1 GSAA, to go along with eight RBS. With that said, he still has a .576 QS%, so it might be that his handful of truly awful performances are dragging his numbers down. Either way, the Panthers won’t really care if Bobrovsky can be at his best come playoff time.
11) Dustin Wolf: Calgary Flames
Previous Rank: 26
What a revelation Dustin Wolf has been for the Calgary Flames this season. Entering the season expecting to rebuild, he almost single-handedly has them in the midst of the playoff race. The 23-year-old native of Gilroy, California, drafted in the seventh round in 2019, has probably surpassed Askarov (at least temporarily) as the most promising young goalie in the league. He has a .916 SV%, 2.54 GAA, and an incredibly impressive 12.2 GSAA. He pairs these with a .593 QS% and just three RBS. He’s making a strong case to win the Calder Trophy, which hasn’t been won by a goaltender since Steve Mason in the 2008-09 season. And if he keeps playing like this, he’ll climb into the top five on this list very quickly.
10) Mackenzie Blackwood: Colorado Avalanche
Previous Rank: Unranked
What a turnaround for Mackenzie Blackwood. Entering the season, we ranked Askarov as the starter for the Sharks over him, given the excitement around the young Russian entering the Bay Area. Then, in early December, the Colorado Avalanche traded for Blackwood. To go from an arguable backup on one of the worst teams in the league to the unquestioned starter on one of the best is quite a turnaround, but Blackwood’s numbers so far justify the move.
Between San Jose and Colorado, Blackwood has a .915 SV% and 14 GSAA this season, but his numbers in Denver are even better: .925 SV%, 2.04 GAA, and a .786 QS%. It turns out that playing behind Cale Makar and Devon Toews might be better for a goaltender’s psyche than playing behind the Sharks’ defense. Blackwood’s strong play earned him a five-year contract extension very quickly, just a few weeks after the move that brought him to the Avalanche. He’s now playing for a team bound for the postseason with ambitions for another Stanley Cup. And he’s certainly giving them a better chance than Georgiev was.
9) Thatcher Demko: Vancouver Canucks
Previous Rank: 2
Thatcher Demko has only played 12 games this season after returning from a knee injury that kept him largely out of the playoffs last season. And there’s no sugar-coating it: those 12 games have been rough. He has an .867 SV%, a 3.47 GAA, and minus-10.2 GSAA. It’s ugly. But with all the chaos in Vancouver right now, Demko is flying under the radar a bit. And last season’s Vezina Trophy runner-up deserves a lot more runway before we panic. For now, he hangs on top a top-10 spot despite the anemic numbers. Hopefully, he gets back to his old form quickly.
8) Logan Thompson: Washington Capitals
Previous Rank: 20
At present, Logan Thompson has a jaw-dropping 22-2-3 record this season. It’s a truly astounding turnaround for the Washington Capitals, who were one of the worst teams in recent memory to make the playoffs last season, and now are distantly ahead in the Metropolitan Division. The offseason decision to trade away Kuemper and acquire Thompson is clearly one of the leading reasons why.
Despite his shocking snub from Team Canada, which gets more embarrassing by the day, Thompson is looking like one of the best goalies in the league and, like Daccord, probably deserves a spot even higher. He has a .925 SV% and 18.1 GSAA. If numbers like that continue, he’ll likely finish in the top three or four places in the offseason rankings. And with that goalie kit shown in the picture above, he’ll look awful good doing it.
7) Jake Oettinger: Dallas Stars
Previous Rank: 11
With one possible exception, everyone from this point forward on the list is an established top goaltender putting up great numbers this season. Jake Oettinger has been a stalwart for the Dallas Stars for four seasons now, and just inked an eight-year, $66 million contract extension to remain in the Lone Star State for the next decade. Unlike others on this list, though, the big new payday isn’t slowing him down. He’s got a .913 SV%, 2.28 GAA, and 10.5 GSAA. Two out of every three starts have been quality. One of three outstanding goalies representing the U.S. in the upcoming 4-Nations Face Off, Oettinger is one of the most reliable netminders in the game right now.
6) Linus Ullmark: Ottawa Senators
Previous Rank: 7
When the Ottawa Senators convinced the Boston Bruins to send them Linus Ullmark for the festering contract of Joonas Korpisalo, a prospect, and a late-first-round pick, everyone knew it was a wise gamble to make. The only real question was whether the 2022-23 Vezina and Jennings Trophy winner could finally solve the years-long goaltending search in Canada’s capital city.
Through 22 starts, Ullmark has answered that question with a resounding “yes.” He has a .915 SV% and 8.5 GSAA, with three shutouts and a .636 QS%. An unfortunate back injury has kept him out for nearly a month, but he is expected to return soon. And as for his impact on the Senators, they are sitting comfortably in a playoff position as of this writing, unfamiliar territory for a team that has seemed stuck in a perpetual rebuild for years.
5) Igor Shesterkin: New York Rangers
Previous Rank: 4
Like many other goalies on this list, Igor Shesterkin finally inked a long contract extension with the New York Rangers earlier this season, after months of dyspepsia about getting a deal done. Unlike any other goaltender on this list, though, the average annual value (AAV) of the deal, north of $11.5 million, will make him the highest-paid goalie in the NHL. But it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve it. In what is arguably a “down” season for the Muscovite, he still has a .914 SV%, 2.72 GAA, is offering a quality start more than two out of every three games, and has managed 12.9 GSAA. There are problems in the Big Apple, but Shesterkin isn’t one of them. And now, thanks to his shiny new extension, his looming UFA status isn’t one of them, either.
4) Jacob Markstrom: New Jersey Devils
Previous Rank: 15
It’s hard to say that moving out of Calgary can save a goaltender’s career, given how well Wolf is doing there this season, but it seems to have been a game-changer for Jacob Markstrom. The New Jersey Devils traded a first-round pick and defensive prospect Kevin Bahl to bring in the Swedish backstop as the solution to their goaltending woes, and they’ve been rewarded this season.
Markstrom has started 36 games this season, showing shades of the workhorse he’s been throughout his career. His .912 SV% and 2.20 GAA are both strong, and he’s got a .639 QS%, to go along with 9.6 GSAA and three shutouts. It doesn’t make him the best goaltender in the world, but it makes him a formidable last line of defense for a New Jersey team that was one formidable goalie away from being a real Stanley Cup threat. They’d make that trade again 100 times out of 100.
3) Filip Gustavsson: Minnesota Wild
Previous Rank: 28
The last three seasons have been quite a roller coaster for Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild. During the 2022-23 season, he looked unbeatable, managing an unbelievable 31.3 GSAA in 37 starts while splitting time with Marc-André Fleury. Last season was a disaster, with Gustavsson carrying a .899 SV% and minus-5 GSAA. So which version was the real Gustavsson? Well, so far this season, it looks more like the 2022-23 goalie was the one Minnesota will be leaning on going forward. He’s managed 11 GSAA during a run of 32 starts, with a .688 QS% and a .913 SV%. The Wild still have questions about their future, with top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt waiting in the wings to potentially replace Gustavsson. But for the time being, they are looking like one of the biggest threats in the NHL, with Gustavsson anchoring them as Fleury approaches the sunset of his career.
2) Andrei Vasilevskiy: Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous Rank: 13
The king is back. Andrei Vasilevskiy led the NHL in wins five seasons in a row, won back-to-back Stanley Cups, and took his team to three Stanley Cup Finals in a row. For many seasons, he was the unquestioned best goaltender in the world. Then, last season, whether because of recovering from an injury or because of overuse, he had his first poor season since his sophomore campaign, finishing with minus-5.2 GSAA and just a .900 SV%.
If there was any concern that the towering Russian might be entering a long-term decline, he has put those to rest this season, returning to top form. He has a .915 SV%, a 2.34 GAA, and 14.1 GSAA halfway through the season. Few goalies have ever built the resume that Vasilevskiy has, and he’s still just 30 years old. If he continues to play this well, there’s no telling the legacy he’ll have when he retires, but it will begin with a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame and a statue outside the Amalie Arena in Tampa.
1) Connor Hellebuyck: Winnipeg Jets
Previous Rank: 1
When you pull up Connor Hellebuyck’s stats page on Hockey-Reference, your eyes are instantly drawn to a sea of bold numbers, marking the times he’s led the league in a category. Whether it’s the four straight seasons he led the league in shots against and saves, or the five total seasons he’s led the league in games played, his two times (counting this season) as the wins leader, or his four seasons (counting this one) at the top of the list in goalie point shares (GPS), Hellebuyck has been one of the best goaltenders in the league for his entire career.
But in recent seasons, he’s gone from one of the best active goalies to one of the best all-time netminders, or, at the very least, he’s on one of the greatest runs in history. He’s claimed two of the last five Vezina Trophies, finishing last season with 31.8 GSAA and 13.6 GPS. And he looks well on his way to being the first goaltender to claim back-to-back Vezina Trophies since Martin Brodeur in 2006-07 and 2007-08. He currently leads the league in wins (31), saves (1,016), GAA (2.00), shutouts (6), GSAA (28) and GPS (7.9). It’s hard to come up with a superlative strong enough to describe his results over the last two or three seasons. But right now, he has his in the fight for the Presidents’ Trophy. The only thing left to capstone his incredible career would be to become the first active player to win his third Vezina Trophy, and to help be the first goaltender for a Candian team to lift a Stanley Cup since 1993.
What Do You Think?
Who did we get right? Who did we get wrong? Who is going to surprise us in the second half? Like we said at the start, goaltending is fickle by its very nature, and these numbers are a momentary snapshot of a season-long. fight to be the top goaltender in the league. Hellebuyck’s spot seems pretty solid, but we’ll see who rises and falls between now and the end of the season. And we’ll see which of these goaltenders lifts the Vezina Trophy and the Stanley Cup when all is said and done.
