NHL goalie tandem power rankings: Evaluating all 32 teams in net this season

The NHL’s trade deadline came and went last Friday without much movement in the crease. There were a few backup goaltenders moved to solidify depth, but no team upgraded its starter and there’s a good chance at least one team will regret that decision come playoff time.

With the rosters locked, it feels like a good time to evaluate where all 32 teams stand in net by ranking each tandem. For this exercise, we’re going to focus on the top two goalies for each team. We’ll mention younger goalie prospects beyond that — especially for teams focused on the future — but for the purposes of ranking the tandems, we’ll only use the top two.

This isn’t a list of the teams in order of save percentage. Current statistics (entering Wednesday’s games) are obviously heavily weighted — particularly goals saved above expected (from Evolving-Hockey), because that is the best goaltending metric currently available — but the stats aren’t everything. The quality of play in front of the goalies is important, as is a goaltender’s history. If a goalie is historically elite but is having a rough season — such as Nashville’s Juuse Saros — we’re not going to completely throw out the fact that we know he’s a talented goalie.

Because this is a ranking of tandems and not just starters, the second goalie will be weighted in the ranking, but only to the extent that each team uses them. For example, Eric Comrie won’t count toward Winnipeg’s ranking as much as Charlie Lindgren will toward Washington’s, because the Jets lean on Connor Hellebuyck much more than the Capitals do on Logan Thompson. The goal here is to rank the quality of goaltending each team is getting as a whole (the actual play not just the base statistics), and there are multiple strategies to achieve that.

Without further ado, the list:

1. Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck has been brilliant. His 43.23 goals saved above expected are already the sixth-most in a single season over the last 18 years, and he’s on his way to joining Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek as the only goalies to win the Vezina Trophy three times since the criteria for the award changed in 1981.

Eric Comrie has been a solid backup, posting a .914 save percentage in limited starts. His poor win-loss record has more to do with a lack of goal support than his own performance. The Jets have averaged only 2.71 goals in Comrie’s starts, compared to 3.54 in Hellebuyck’s.

In the end, Winnipeg claims the top spot because of Hellebuyck. He’s a workhorse with the second-most starts in the NHL, and has been the league’s best goalie by a considerable margin.

2. Anaheim Ducks

What Lukáš Dostál and John Gibson have done this season is remarkable. They’ve both maintained great numbers despite playing behind the team that has allowed the most high-danger chances in the NHL. Dostál’s future looked promising prior to this season, but no one saw this rise to an elite level coming this early. He took over the starting duties early in the season when Gibson was out with an appendectomy, and never looked back.

Dostál’s 27.13 GSAx ranks third in the league. His processing speed and play-reading ability are impressive for any goalie, let alone a 24-year-old in his first season as a starter. He projects as a top goalie. Gibson isn’t the star he once was, but he’s proving this season he still has plenty of good hockey left in the tank, and he’s an elite second option.

3. New York Rangers

It has been an incredibly disappointing season for the Rangers, but not because of goaltending. Despite playing behind a defense that ranks in the bottom-five in nearly every metric, Igor Shesterkin has played admirably. He has stopped an impressive 26.53 goals above expected, which ranks fourth in the league, despite facing more high-danger shots than any goalie (386).

Jonathan Quick’s play has dipped a bit from his first year in New York, but he’s still played respectably in his 17 starts. His overall numbers are just below average, but his acrobatic style has given the Rangers a chance to win on enough nights to grade as a neutral backup. That, combined with Shesterkin’s heroics, gives the Rangers a strong duo in net.

4. Washington Capitals

What a season it has been for Logan Thompson. The 28-year-old Calgary native has stopped the second-most goals above expected (28.3) and has the fourth-highest save percentage (.916) in the NHL. He was rewarded with a six-year, $35.1 million extension in January, which will be an incredibly favorable deal for Washington if he maintains anything close to his current form.

The Capitals also signed Charlie Lindgren to a three-year, $9 million contract extension on March 3, locking in this duo through the 2027-28 season. They’ve truly embraced the league-wide trend toward tandems in net, and should have one of the most evenly-balanced duos for the foreseeable future.

Lindgren hasn’t been able to replicate last year’s .911 save percentage, but has still been solid. That’s kind of the point of this strategy with two strong netminders in rotation. You only need one to be in great form, and right now, Thompson has backstopped the Capitals to the league’s best record.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Speaking of evenly-balanced tandems, the American duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have given the Maple Leafs the best goaltending they’ve had in some time. They join the Ducks as the only team with two goalies inside the top 20 in GSAx. Stolarz ranks eighth with 21.47, while Woll is 17th with 11.34.

It will be interesting to see how the Leafs handle the crease in the playoffs. Stolarz has the better numbers despite missing significant time with an injury. As a big, blocking goalie, he also has the style that tends to thrive in the postseason. He has the best save percentage in the NHL on long-distance shots, allowing only one goal on 151 shots from the point.

While this is Stolarz’s first opportunity to play this many games, he consistently put up excellent numbers as a backup, suggesting this breakout campaign may be a sign of things to come, not an outlier. Woll is a cerebral young goalie who plays with composure and patience. This projects as a really strong tandem moving forward.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning

Andrei Vasilevskiy is back.

After a down 2023-24 following back surgery, the two-time Stanley Cup winner has returned to elite form this season. Vasilevskiy’s .920 save percentage ranks third behind Hellebuyck and Stolarz, and he’s faced the heaviest workload of any goalie.

The Big Cat leads the league in starts (51), shots faced (1,422) and saves (1,308). In fact, the only reason the Lightning aren’t higher on this list is because of their lack of depth in net, which forces them to lean on Vasilevskiy as hard as they do.

Considering Vasilevskiy’s talent and contract, it’s hard to blame the Bolts for starting him this often. The only question is where his energy level will be for the playoffs. If there’s anyone who can handle this workload, it’s him, especially considering he’s played a noticeably calmer style this year that’s easier on the body, but it is worth noting that his two best playoff performances (2020 and 2021) happened following seasons with his fewest regular-season starts.

7. Dallas Stars

Signing Casey DeSmith to a three-year, $3 million contract this past offseason was yet another shrewd move by two-time defending GM of the Year Jim Nill. DeSmith has played fantastic, with a .914 save percentage and 10.27 GSAx in 18 starts, and has been a great complement to Jake Oettinger.

Oettinger is having another strong season. Equally important, he’s on pace to start fewer than 60 games, which should allow him to be fresh for what he hopes is another deep playoff run. Oettinger’s 198 starts (regular season and playoffs) lead all goalies over the last three seasons.

DeSmith has allowed coach Pete DeBoer to give Oettinger a reasonable number of nights off this season, and the Stars are hoping to reap the rewards of that this spring.

8. Florida Panthers

Statistically speaking, the Panthers have had league-average goaltending this season. Sergei Bobrovsky’s .907 save percentage and 5.8 GSAx are fine, but nothing to be too excited about, and Florida traded Spencer Knight — who had been putting up better numbers — to Chicago at the deadline.

Still, I would bet there aren’t many teams who feel better about their goaltending heading into the postseason than the Panthers do with Bobrovsky. Over the last two years, he leads all goalies with 19.44 GSAx in the playoffs. He’s proven he can turn it on when the lights get bright, and his recent form is enough reason to believe he can do it again. He has a gear that few goalies possess, and while he hasn’t been amazing this season, he has played well enough to believe that gear still exists.

9. New Jersey Devils

Following last year’s disappointing season, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald made an effort to improve his goaltending, and executed it well. Trading for Jacob Markström in the summer, combined with acquiring backup Jake Allen at last year’s deadline, transformed New Jersey’s goaltending from a weakness to a major strength.

Markström’s overall numbers are good but not great. That falls in line with his style, which fits what the Devils need most. Very few goalies can make diving, desperation stops with the regularity that Markström does. He can singlehandedly shift the momentum of a game, and has done that plenty this year for the Devils.

When Markström missed significant time with an injury, Allen started nine of 11 games while posting an impressive 9.77 GSAx (second to only Vasilevskiy during that span). New Jersey could be in trouble after Jack Hughes’ shoulder surgery, but the Devils no longer have issues in net.

10. Colorado Avalanche

Goaltending might be the toughest position to upgrade in the middle of the season, so give Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland credit for this turnaround. Early in the season, Alexandar Georgiev struggled mightily, and MacFarland addressed the problem aggressively with two separate trades to acquire Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.

It has worked out nicely for Colorado, as both have performed well. Blackwood is finally looking like the goalie many believed he’d be when the Devils drafted him in the second round in 2015. He’s big, powerful and surprisingly acrobatic for a goalie his size. After two seasons of putting up relatively great numbers behind a poor Sharks defense, Blackwood transitioned to playing behind a contender seamlessly.

There are understandable questions about how he’ll perform under pressure (this will be his playoff debut) but his play this season inspires confidence.

11. New York Islanders

Ilya Sorokin ranks 21st in save percentage (.906) and 23rd in GSAx (9.91), but he has played better than those numbers indicate. The Islanders have continued their trend of allowing far too many high-danger chances, ranking in the bottom 10 of that stat for the third consecutive season. Sorokin has stood on his head plenty of nights, and his talent is visibly evident, but it’s tough to put up consistently elite numbers facing that kind of pressure.

When Semyon Varlamov is healthy, this is one of the most talented tandems in the league. He’s as close to a perfect backup goalie as there is in the NHL, but he has missed nearly the entire season with a lower-body injury. Marcus Högberg has played well at times, but the level of trust clearly isn’t the same as with Varlamov, and that has led to a heavy burden on Sorokin.

12. Montreal Canadiens

It might surprise you to know that Sam Montembeault ranks fifth in the NHL with 57.42 GSAx over the last three seasons. Over that span, he trails only Hellebuyck, Shesterkin, Sorokin and Ullmark. Those are the last three Vezina Trophy winners and Sorokin, who finished as the runner-up to Ullmark in 2023.

That’s pretty good company for Montembeault, especially considering he’s played behind a last-place team in each of the last two seasons. He has quietly put up excellent numbers, and has continued to do so this year with 22.25 GSAx.

Behind him, Jakub Dobeš has been a pleasant surprise. The 23-year-old rookie has performed well in limited starts, while Cayden Primeau has dominated the AHL since being usurped as the Canadiens’ backup. Throw in star prospect Jacob Fowler, who is having a spectacular sophomore season for Boston College, and the future is bright for Montreal in net.

13. Calgary Flames

It was fair to wonder if Dustin Wolf was ready to take over as the clear starter after the Markström era finally ended in Calgary, but he’s quickly proven the answer is a resounding “yes.”

Wolf is having the best season by a goalie 23 or younger since Evolving-Hockey began tracking goals saved above expected 17 years ago. His 24.34 GSAx are already the second-most ever, trailing Gibson’s 2016-17 season by only 0.04.

Wolf is quick, agile and reads the game so well that his perceived size disadvantage hasn’t hurt him at the highest level. If not for Macklin Celebrini, he would be an easy choice for the Calder Trophy.

Dan Vladař’s numbers are slightly below the league average, but he’s a solid veteran backup. If the Flames needed him to elevate his game with Markström’s departure, they would’ve been in trouble, but with Wolf’s emergence as a clear starter, Vladař’s relative struggles have been less impactful.

14. Vegas Golden Knights

It has been a streaky season for Adin Hill in Vegas. He has had stretches when he plays like a top goalie, and other stretches where he gives up four goals on fewer than 30 shots too often. Overall, Hill ranks 28th in save percentage (.904) and 21st in GSAx (10.36), and the truth is he has fluctuated with the Golden Knights’ defensive structure.

When Vegas is at the top of its game, it’s one of the toughest teams in the league to score on, and Hill is a big part of that. He’s a big goalie who understands angles well and gives shooters very little net to shoot at. When things break down in front of him, he can struggle with rebounds. He does have a high ceiling, though, shown by his .932 save percentage in 19 playoff games over the last two years.

Ilya Samsonov has been similarly inconsistent, with as many off nights as quality starts. He may not be a true starter the way the Maple Leafs used him at times, but he’s a good backup goalie.

15. Vancouver Canucks

With a fully-healthy Thatcher Demko, the Canucks would be a lot higher on this ranking, but that hasn’t been the case very often recently. Coming off a career year in which he finished runner-up in Vezina Trophy voting, Demko has played only 17 games this season while fighting through several injuries.

When Vancouver signed Kevin Lankinen to a one-year deal in the offseason, the plan was for him to replace DeSmith as a solid veteran backup. It turns out, he’s been much more than that. In his first season in Vancouver, Lankinen truly elevated his game and earned a five-year, $22.5 million extension. That, along with Demko’s long injury history, suggests he could be the starter moving forward.

Lankinen has already set new career-highs in starts (39) and wins (22), while putting up solid statistics. He plays bigger than he is by holding his edges longer than most, and moves well laterally, especially against rush chances.

16. Ottawa Senators

When the Senators traded for Linus Ullmark in June, the question was whether his success in Boston was a product of the Bruins’ strong team game. Through three quarters of this season, Ullmark is putting up similar statistics with the Senators, who are five points ahead of Boston in the Atlantic Division standings and are fighting for a playoff berth for the first time in eight years.

Ullmark’s only real concern has been staying healthy. He has missed quite a bit of time, but when he’s on the ice he gives the Senators the calm, steadying presence they hoped for.

Behind him, Anton Forsberg has struggled with a sub-.900 save percentage for a second consecutive season. On the bright side, rookie Leevi Merilainen played brilliantly for a stretch in January.

17. Los Angeles Kings

A reunion with Bill Ranford in Los Angeles has Darcy Kuemper playing like he’s 27 again. After two underwhelming seasons in Washington following his Cup win in Colorado, Kuemper looks rejuvenated playing behind a strong Kings defense. It’s a credit to Ranford — who was Los Angeles’ goalie coach when Kuemper first played there in 2017 and has since moved to director of goaltending — and Kuemper for rediscovering his game as he approaches 35.

Kuemper is tied for the fifth-highest save percentage in the NHL at .915, but he’s been very insulated playing behind a dominant defense. The true test will come in the postseason, but it’s hard not to like what we’ve seen from Kuemper this year.

David Rittich’s game has taken a step back after an impressive 2023-24, but he’s been reliable enough for the Kings to not overwork Kuemper, which is valuable.

18. Chicago Blackhawks

It feels like Chicago is building something great in the crease. Projecting goalie prospects can be difficult, so the Blackhawks are stocking up with multiple lotto tickets hoping one ends up being the franchise goalie when this rebuilding squad is ready to contend.

Adding Knight at the deadline obviously was a huge boost to that potential. The 2019 first-round pick is one of the top young netminders in the world, and has played like it since arriving in Chicago. Knight ranks 16th in the NHL with 13.62 GSAx in limited starts, and plays a technical game with very few flaws.

Behind him, Chicago still has Arvid Söderblom, who is still only 25 and having his best season yet, and prospect Drew Commesso, who is showing well in his second season in the AHL. That’s a lot of young talent in net.

19. Carolina Hurricanes

Statistically, the Hurricanes’ goalies should be ranked higher than this. Both Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen have produced solid numbers, but Carolina’s possession-dominant, goalie-friendly system has certainly played a role in that.

The Hurricanes haven’t made things quite as easy on their netminders as in past years. After two consecutive seasons of allowing the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes, Carolina has dropped to 11th in that metric this season, and Kochetkov’s numbers reflect that. His save percentage is actually the lowest it has been in his three NHL seasons, but he has more than doubled his goals saved above expected.

20. Seattle Kraken

On his own merits, Joey Daccord deserves to be much higher on this list. Over the last two seasons, he ranks third in save percentage behind only Hellebuyck and Ullmark, and fifth in GSAx. Not only has he proven he has the talent to be a starter, but his fiery demeanor permeates to his teammates. He has been a revelation, and should be an incredible deal for the Kraken with a $5 million cap hit for the next five seasons.

The reason Seattle comes in at No. 20 is that Philipp Grubauer’s struggles have not only continued, they’ve gotten worse. His .870 save percentage ranks last among the 54 goalies with at least 20 games this season, and he still has two more seasons left on his deal with a $5.9 million cap hit.

As good as Daccord has been, he isn’t on the level of Hellebuyck or Vasilevskiy to take on a 60-game workload, so having a solid 1B goalie is important for Seattle. Finding that moving forward while navigating Grubauer’s contract won’t be easy.

21. Minnesota Wild

This has been a tale of two seasons for Filip Gustavsson. He looked like a Vezina contender through the first few months of the season, with a .926 save percentage in 27 games up to Jan. 4. Since then he has a .898 save percentage in 16 starts, and the Wild have slowly slipped in the standings.

Even at 40, Marc-André Fleury has had some great individual performances in his farewell tour. Jesper Wallstedt is the future, although he is having a terrible sophomore season in the AHL. The question is, can Gustavsson be good enough to help Minnesota make a run in the playoffs? He’s very good technically but needs to prove he can make big stops when the structure breaks down in front of him.

22. Nashville Predators

I still have a lot of confidence in Saros moving forward, but there’s no sugar-coating how bad this season has been in Nashville. The Finn is on pace to finish with a save percentage below .900 and negative GSAx for the first time in his nine NHL seasons.

Saros actually started the season well. He was the only thing holding the Predators in games early on, but eventually broke down with the poor play around him. If there’s a takeaway from his subpar season, it’s that at 5-foot-11, he can’t afford to be off his game even slightly.

This is a lost season for Saros and the Predators, but bet against him at your own peril moving forward.

23. Boston Bruins

The Bruins missed Ullmark more than anticipated, especially early in the season when Jeremy Swayman was finding his footing as a true starter for the first time in his career. After signing his eight-year, $66 million contract this summer, Swayman stumbled out of the gates with a 9-10-2 record and .885 save percentage through the first two months.

Swayman eventually found his game, and has quietly had a solid season from the middle of December on, but it’s still a disappointing campaign overall. Joonas Korpisalo has predictably bounced back with a minimized role in Boston, after a horrid year in Ottawa. He’s an above-average backup goalie, but with a sizable $3 million cap hit for the next three years.

24. Utah Hockey Club

For a while, it seemed Karel Vejmelka was one of the few potentially difference-making goalies who could be available at the trade deadline, but Utah shut that idea down by signing him to a five-year, $23.75 million extension on March 6.

Vejmelka is having a stellar season, with the eighth-most goals saved above expected (20.75). He has alternated between good and poor seasons in his four years in the NHL, which makes projecting his future tough. Even still, having Vejmelka and Connor Ingram locked up for next season with a total cap hit of only $6.7 million seems like good value.

25. Buffalo Sabres

It’s been a disappointing season for Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s development. Last season, he took a major step in his second full NHL season and looked well on his way to becoming a high-end starter. This season, he has regressed to a .892 save percentage and -2.75 GSAx. The play in front of him certainly hasn’t helped, as the Sabres are bottom five or six in most defensive metrics, but unlike last season, Luukkonen hasn’t been a bright spot in Buffalo.

The potential is still there. He has all the physical tools and quick reads and makes plenty of highlight saves, but Luukkonen is still searching for the desired consistency. James Reimer, whom Buffalo claimed off waivers, has been steady in limited starts. He is on an expiring contract and the hope is Devon Levi, 23, is ready to take the leap to the NHL next season.

26. St. Louis Blues

Jordan Binnington had a sensational 2023-24 season. He finished second behind Hellebuyck with 29.74 GSAx and probably should’ve been a Vezina finalist. This season hasn’t gone as well, outside of his gold medal for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Joel Hofer is still only 24 years old, but with an .899 save percentage, he hasn’t taken the step in development St. Louis was hoping for in his second NHL season. He’s still a big, athletic goalie who plays the puck well and could be the future for the Blues.

27. Edmonton Oilers

Of all the fan bases hoping their team would upgrade in net before the deadline, Oilers fans might be the most disappointed by the lack of movement. Stuart Skinner was one win away from hoisting the Cup last June — and played well in Game 7 — but hasn’t inspired a lot of confidence lately.

Overall, Skinner ranks 38th in save percentage (.896) and 42nd in GSAx (2.62). He’s struggled even more lately, with a 4-7-1 record and .885 save percentage since Jan. 18, but Oilers GM Stan Bowman believes he will turn it around.

Part of the issue is the lack of a strong backup. Calvin Pickard had made only 19 NHL starts in five seasons prior to joining the Oilers, and has -3.28 GSAx in 41 starts over the last two years in Edmonton. This postseason is a big moment for Skinner to prove he’s a goalie the Oilers can win it all with. He has risen to the occasion in the past.

28. Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings’ strategy in goal has been confusing to say the least. Detroit began the season with three goalies on the roster, finally cut it to two after waiving and eventually trading Ville Husso to Anaheim to unload his contract. GM Steve Yzerman then traded for 33-year-old Petr Mrázek, who is under contract for another year with a $4.25 million cap hit.

All of this while the Red Wings have fallen out of the playoff picture, on track to miss the postseason for the ninth consecutive season, and have two stud goalie prospects in Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine waiting in the wings.

Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon have each played well for stretches — as did Mrázek in Chicago — but all three are on the wrong side of 30, behind a team that clearly isn’t inside its window for competing.

29. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks gutted their goaltending room this season, trading away Blackwood and Vítek Vaněček, who were playing relatively well behind a struggling team. It’s all about the future for San Jose, and that looks bright with Yaroslav Askarov continuing to develop.

He has made only 12 starts this season, with mixed results, but has already shown plenty of flashes of what he could become down the road, which is a highly entertaining franchise goalie.

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NHL this season, but the Blue Jackets have done it mostly through a high-powered offense that’s averaging the sixth-most goals per game. Elvis Merzļikins has improved from last season but is still on pace to finish with a sub-.900 save percentage for the third consecutive season.

Daniil Tarasov, 25, seems to have taken a bit of a step back with his lowest save percentage yet for Columbus (.883). Jet Greaves has once again played well in very limited opportunities, but can’t seem to force his way into a bigger role than the third goalie who is called up in case of injury.

31. Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh has played three different goalies at least 15 games this season, and none has a save percentage above .891.

Tristan Jarry has shown signs of improvement with a couple nice performances since returning from a stint in the AHL, which is good considering he still has three more years left on his contract with a $5.375 million cap hit. Both he and Alex Nedeljkovic are under contract next season.

32. Philadelphia Flyers

Of the 90 goalies to appear in NHL games this season, Samuel Ersson ranks 90th with -12.89 GSAx, Ivan Fedotov ranks 83rd (-7.93) and Aleksei Kolosov ranks 84th (-8.33). The Flyers haven’t just had the worst goaltending in the league; they are on their own planet.

It certainly hasn’t all been on the goalies. Ersson is young and still projects to be a solid tandem goalie, but Fedotov’s struggles since coming over from the KHL are worrisome.

(Photo of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)