At both the beginning and midway point of the 2023-24 season, The Hockey Writers put lists together on the top 10 players for each position, as well as coaches. It goes without saying that it is a very tough list to do given how subjective it is, but nevertheless, we are going to take another shot at it.
As you will see, there are names on this list that have changed, as this list is not based only on goaltenders’ play in the 2023-24 season, but the body of work they’ve put together throughout their career. Another partial factor is how they are expected to fare in the 2024-25 campaign. With that said, here are the top 10 goaltenders in the NHL entering the 2024-25 season.
10. Jake Oettinger
The 2023-24 season wasn’t very kind to Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger. In 54 appearances, he had a 2.72 goals against average (GAA) and a very mediocre .905 save percentage (SV%). Those numbers paled in comparison to the season prior, where he had a 2.35 GAA along with a .919 SV% in 62 appearances.
To his credit, Oettinger was able to bounce back in this year’s playoffs with a very strong 2.19 GAA and a .915 SV%. He’s also just 25 years old, which, as a goalie, means that he still has plenty of untapped potential. He could find himself much higher on next seasons list, as he has a very high skillset.
9. Juuse Saros
For the last several seasons, Juuse Saros has felt like he is teetering with the line of elite. The 29-year-old has yet to win a Vezina Trophy, but was a finalist in 2021-22 and finished fourth place in voting the following season.
Other THW Positional Rankings:
The 2023-24 season was a bit of a mixed bag for Saros, however. While he played great down the stretch to help the Nashville Predators get into the playoffs, he was average at best through the first few months, which resulted in his season totals being less than fans expect with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 SV%. He too could find himself much higher on this list moving forward given the greatness he has shown he’s capable of.
8. Linus Ullmark
The Boston Bruins made a great decision when they chose to sign Linus Ullmark to a four-year, $20 million contract prior to the 2021-22 season. He proved to be a fantastic tandem pairing with Jeremy Swayman, and won the Vezina in 2022-23 thanks to a ridiculous 1.89 GAA paired with a .938 SV%.
Some will argue Ullmark should come in higher on this list. That said, his numbers, while still very solid, did take a hit this past season. Even more so, he will be forced to play in front of a much weaker Ottawa Senators team in 2024-25. Whether he can continue his greatness in a tougher situation remains to be seen.
7. Jeremy Swayman
As mentioned, Swayman and Ullmark proved to be a great tandem for the Bruins the last several seasons. Now, Swayman will be looked at to carry the load following Ullmark being traded earlier this offseason.
Swayman did seem to take over a bit more of a starting role this past season, particularly in the playoffs. The 25-year-old has all the makings of a future Vezina winner, though it will be interesting to see how he handles a heavier workload given that he’s never made 50 appearances in an NHL season to date.
6. Ilya Sorokin
There’s no way around it. The 2023-24 season was a nightmarish one for Ilya Sorokin, who came in considered by many to be the best in the league. After back-to-back seasons of a .925 and .924 SV%, he stumbled to a 2.99 GAA and a .909 SV% in 56 appearances for the New York Islanders.
Related: The Top 10 NHL Goalie Prospects
Perhaps the worst of it all was that Sorokin was relegated to backup duties come playoffs, with head coach Patrick Roy instead choosing to go to Semyon Varlamov. His first three NHL seasons suggest he will bounce back, though it will certainly take some mental strength to do so given how things have gone recently.
5. Sergei Bobrovsky
Remember when Sergei Bobrovsky was considered by many to have the worst contract in the NHL? After seeing his game fall off out of seemingly nowhere after joining the Florida Panthers, Bobrovsky has turned back the clock, and was even a Vezina finalist earlier this year.
It all seemed to turn around for Bobrovsky during the 2023 playoffs, where he helped lead the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final. He not only continued his stellar play with a great 2023-24 campaign, but was able to not only get the Panthers back to the Cup Final, but led them to victory. While he’s a clear example that goalies are hard to predict, he seems poised to have another big season coming up.
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Similar to what was said about Sorokin, it can’t be denied that the 2023-24 season was an ugly one for Andrei Vasilevskiy. The goaltender most have considered to be the best in the NHL for years was far from, posting a 2.90 GAA and a .900 SV% in 52 regular season games. He was even worse in the playoffs, with a 3.22 GAA and a .897 SV% in five appearances.
As ugly as the season was, Vasilevskiy gets the benefit of the doubt given his extensive track record. He not only has a Vezina Trophy to his name, but helped lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021. That second championship even saw him named as the Conn Smythe winner, further proving just how elite he can be when at his best. Don’t be surprised to see him get back to that level this coming season.
3. Thatcher Demko
Many have been discussing Thatcher Demko’s greatness for a number of years, but he never seemed to quite get the recognition he deserved due to the Vancouver Canucks not having a ton of team success. That all changed in 2023-24, where the Canucks were able to win the Pacific Division title, while Demko was named a Vezina finalist.
Had Demko not been injured, there is a very good chance that the Canucks would have eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs and advanced to the Western Conference Final. Knowing that should only help fuel him and allow for him to have an even better 2024-25 season.
2. Igor Shesterkin
The 2023-24 season was by no means bad for Igor Shesterkin, but he wasn’t exactly his usual elite self, either. The 28-year-old put together a 2.56 GAA along with a .913 SV%, numbers below what he’s proven to be capable of in the past, particularly during his Vezina winning 2021-22 season.
Once the playoffs began, however, Shesterkin started playing like the truly elite goaltender he is. In 16 outings, he had a phenomenal 2.28 GAA and a .927 SV%. With any team support, the New York Rangers likely would have knocked off the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. His performance in the playoffs should help restore any potential lost confidence and points to him having a massive season ahead.
1. Connor Hellebuyck
Yes, it’s fair to criticize Connor Hellebuyck for his performance in this year’s playoff. He was flat-out horrendous in the Winnipeg Jets’ five-game loss to the Colorado Avalanche, compiling a ghastly 5.01 GAA and a .870 SV%. That said, it’s unfair to judge him on such a brief sample size compared to his overall body of work throughout his career.
If anything, Hellebuyck’s struggles helped prove just how much the Jets rely on him. They simply weren’t able to compete with the Avalanche without him at his best, despite finishing second in the Central Division with 107 points. Hellebuyck was the sole reason for that, as he picked up his second Vezina Trophy thanks to a spectacular 2.39 GAA and a .921 SV%. It’s scary to think just how much better those numbers could be playing behind a deeper roster.
