Now that the 2021-22 season has hit its midpoint for several teams, it’s time to rank the teams by position once again. Starting with the goaltenders since that position seems the most solidified on paper across the league as of today. When it comes to ranking goaltenders, starters still carry the most weight despite the fact it’s becoming a two-goalie league, and positional depth is more important than ever before.
Related: 20 Biggest NHL Trades in the Past Year
With that in mind, in the first of a four-part series, here are the goaltender rankings where they stand right now — counting down from No. 32 to No. 1.
32) Montreal Canadiens
Previous Ranking: 2
Sam Montembeault
Cayden Primeau
Carey Price (LTIR)
ANALYSIS: Not much has gone right for the Montreal Canadiens this season. With Carey Price yet to play a game and his NHL future in jeopardy, they have had to rely on Allen and Montembeault to carry the mail. Unfortunately, Allen’s days of being a solid starter are well behind him and Montembeault is still trying to find his way as an NHL backup.
Between them and Cayden Primeau, they have allowed a league-high 172 goals against and have only won a grand total of eight games. Allen, while brilliant in some games, is carrying a career-worst 3.15 goals-against average (GAA) and .901 save percentage (SV%) along with two shutouts. He also has seven really bad starts (RBS) on his ledger too. His backup has been even worse, as Montembeault is sporting an ugly 4.10 GAA and .891 SV% in 13 starts. Needless to say, they have missed Price’s presence in the crease this season.
31) Arizona Coyotes
Previous Ranking: 32
Karel Vejmelka
Scott Wedgewood
Carter Hutton
ANALYSIS: Despite Vejmelka’s many valiant performances this season, the Coyotes still toil in the basement when it comes to their goaltending. That may be more of a commentary on their defence, but their netminders still haven’t been up to the task when it comes to giving them a chance to win. As a team, they rank 31st in goals against and all of their goaltenders have a GAA of over three.
To his credit, Vejmelka has done his best to stop the puck when he is in goal. His numbers don’t scream Vezina Trophy, but having a .902 SV% on one of the worst teams in the league is nothing to sneeze at. Wedgewood has also been pretty good since arriving from the New Jersey Devils. As a whole, however, they are still not the strongest tandem when you compare them to the rest of the league.
30) Edmonton Oilers
Previous Ranking: 29
Mikko Koskinen
Stuart Skinner
Mike Smith (LTIR)
ANALYSIS: The Mike Smith-Mikko Koskinen tandem has reached the end of the line, ladies and gentlemen. As long as they are the duo, the Edmonton Oilers are going nowhere. Their offence led by generational talent and human highlight reel Connor McDavid and sniper Leon Draisaitl will get them to the playoffs, but they won’t go very far with the goaltending they have right now.
They are better defensively with the additions of Duncan Keith and Cody Ceci, but their goaltending has been a question again this season. Smith has struggled to stay healthy at 38 years old and Koskinen has been spotty as the starter. Skinner might be the future, but until head coach Dave Tippett tries him in the role for more than a few games, they will never know. Bottom line is, they need to upgrade their goaltending to give fans any hope of more than a quick first-round exit in April.
29) Seattle Kraken
Previous Ranking: 6
Joey Daccord
ANALYSIS: After a season where he put up a stingy 1.95 GAA and .922 SV% along with a league-leading seven shutouts, Grubauer has come crashing down to earth in his first season with the newly-minted Seattle Kraken. Possibly the product of a strong, structured team in Colorado, he has struggled to match the form that got him named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2020-21.
With a career-worst 3.20 GAA and .885 SV% along with a big goose egg in the shutout column, Grubauer looks like a shell of his former self. After playing behind powerhouse teams in Washington and Colorado, his goals saved above average (GSAA) has plummeted to a minus-21 with seven RBS for the first time in his NHL career. Talk about a fall from grace.
His backup, Chris Driedger has also suffered a similar fate after playing for a playoff contender in the Florida Panthers. His solid 2.07 GAA and .927 SV% from 2020-21 has been reduced to 3.18 GAA and .895 SV% along with a minus-4.3 GSAA and two RBS.
28) Buffalo Sabres
Previous Ranking: 31
Malcolm Subban
Dustin Tokarski
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
ANALYSIS: After a resurgent performance in the 2021 Playoffs with the Washington Capitals, veteran Craig Anderson signed on with the Buffalo Sabres before the 2021-22 season. I don’t think anyone thought he was going to be the backup, let alone the starter. Starting the season 2-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .954 SV%, he was one of the surprises of the first two weeks. Unfortunately, an injury derailed his hot start and he’s only played six games since then.
Due to injuries and COVID protocol, the Sabres have used a total of six goaltenders this season ranging from the 22-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to the 40-year-old Anderson. Surprisingly, they have all played quite well whenever they have been called upon as only Malcolm Subban and Aaron Dell have a save percentage of under .900. That’s one of the reasons why they don’t find themselves at the bottom of these rankings.
27) New Jersey Devils
Previous Ranking: 22
Jon Gillies
Akira Schmid
ANALYSIS: Only a couple of seasons ago, Blackwood was a rising star in the goaltending world. Recently, he’s been just average. The team he plays behind hasn’t helped him out very much either. Despite overhauling their defence with Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Graves, they still have allowed the fourth-most goals in the NHL and both their goaltenders have a GAA of over three and a SV% of under .900.
Blackwood is still a talented goaltender, but he’s got to be a lot better for the Devils to take the next step in their rebuild/retool. They have a lot of young talent in Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, Alexander Holtz and Luke Hughes, but goaltending and defence will ultimately decide whether they become an elite power in the NHL again. Right now, they are far from that.
26) Columbus Blue Jackets
Previous Ranking: 21
Cam Johnson
ANALYSIS: The Blue Jackets entered what many would call a rebuild when they traded Seth Jones to the Chicago Blackhawks and Cam Atkinson to the Philadelphia Flyers. Then they started the 2021-22 season with a 7-3 record. Merzlikins and Korpisalo looked like a formidable tandem in net and everything appeared to be sunshine and rainbows. Fast forward to midseason, and the story has changed. Merzlikins has regressed to an average goaltender with a career-worst 3.39 GAA and .905 SV% and Korpisalo has followed suit with a career-worst of his own in a 3.82 GAA and .887 SV%.
The Blue Jackets were expected to deal Korpisalo in the offseason when his value was relatively high. With his mediocre numbers and overall performance, they might not get as much for him now.
25) Ottawa Senators
Previous Ranking: 27
Matt Murray
Anton Forsberg
Filip Gustavsson
ANALYSIS: The Senators tried to move on from Matt Murray by placing him on waivers, but no team wanted to take on his $6.25 million cap hit for the next two seasons. So, he’s still the main man in the crease, at least for now. Since coming over from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade for Jonathan Gruden and a second-round pick in 2020, his numbers have not looked good. This season has been no different as he currently holds a 2.85 GAA and .910 SV% in 13 games played. Clearly, he needs a good team in front of him to be an elite starter in the NHL.
Forsberg and Gustavsson have had their moments as Murray’s backup, but that has not been enough for the Senators to stay in the playoff hunt. Unless Murray starts playing like he did in Pittsburgh, goaltending will remain a sore spot.
24) Chicago Blackhawks
Previous Ranking: 3
Kevin Lankinen
Arvid Söderblom
ANALYSIS: After winning the Vezina Trophy with a 1.98 GAA and .928 SV%, Marc-Andre Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, a team going into a rebuild. For the first time in his career, he wasn’t going to have a playoff-calibre team in front of him. His numbers are decent, but not nearly at the level they were last season. With one more season left on his contract, interim GM Kyle Davidson might move him at the deadline to a Stanley Cup contender, if Fleury chooses to waive his no-trade clause, that is.
23) Philadelphia Flyers
Previous Ranking: 14
Felix Sandstrom
ANALYSIS: The Philadelphia Flyers were supposed to be a better team in 2021-22. With a revamped defence in front of him, Carter Hart was also expected to have a bounceback season from 2020-21 where he posted a 3.67 GAA and .877 SV%. While his numbers look better than last season (2.80 GAA, .915 SV%), his team has not. They currently sit closer to the basement of the Atlantic Division than the wildcard watermark.
Turns out a change of scenery was not the tonic Jones needed to turn his career around. After posting back-to-back seasons with a GAA of over three, he has sunk to a career-worst 3.56 GAA in 17 games. Now 32 years old, I think it’s safe to say that his days of being an elite goaltender in the NHL are over.
22) Detroit Red Wings
Previous Ranking: 7
Calvin Pickard
ANALYSIS: The Detroit Red Wings have been a better team this season because of three players, Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider and Alex Nedeljkovic. If not for them, they would probably be fighting to stay above water along with the Canadiens and Coyotes.
After struggling to start the season, Nedeljkovic has settled down to become a pretty good starting goaltender for the Red Wings. He’s kept his team in games and has given them a chance to win every night, which is exactly what you want from your number-one. If he can keep this up for the next few seasons, they can afford to be patient with their bluechip prospect, Sebastian Cossa.
21) San Jose Sharks
Previous Ranking: 30
Alexei Melnichuk
ANALYSIS: The 1a/1b tandem of Reimer and Hill has been a pleasant surprise for the Sharks this season. They have provided them with solid goaltending, which is something they have not had since Martin Jones was an adequate starter in the NHL.
Reimer has the better statistics, but he has only played two more games than his counterpart. Currently in the playoff hunt for the first time in a couple of seasons, goaltending has been one of the reasons why they have been successful.
20) Los Angeles Kings
Previous Ranking: 28
Cal Petersen
Garret Sparks
ANALYSIS: Like the Sharks, the Los Angeles Kings have surged back into the playoff conversation in the Pacific Division for the first time in a while. Goaltending has been one of the reasons why. Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have formed a tandem worthy of a playoff spot and could end up leading them to a division title when all is said and done.
19) Dallas Stars
Previous Ranking: 26
Jake Oettinger
Anton Khudobin
ANALYSIS:
After battling a nagging injury for the past couple of seasons, Ben Bishop decided to hang up the skates and call it a career. Fortunately for the Stars, another veteran in Braden Holtby found his game again and a rookie in Jake Oettinger emerged as a legitimate NHL goaltender.
Posting his best numbers since 2016-17, Holtby has proven that age is just a number and that you can bounce back from a couple of bad seasons. He may not be in the upper echelon of goaltenders anymore, but he can still perform at an elite level. In Oettinger’s case, Bishop’s retirement and former starter Anton Khudobin’s injury problems gave him a chance to show the Stars what he was made of. Selected 26th overall in the 2017 Draft, the 6-foot-5 Minnesota native has a 2.53 GAA and .912 SV% along with an 11-5-0 record. With his emergence, Khudobin might be on the move at the trade deadline.
18) Boston Bruins
Previous Ranking: 25
Tuukka Rask
ANALYSIS: With Tuukka Rask back in the fold, the Boston Bruins have a very solid three-man goaltending rotation. At least on paper. Unfortunately, Rask has experienced some growing pains since returning to the crease. In four games, he has an ugly 4.28 GAA and .844 SV%.
Before Rask was signed in January, Ullmark was doing a good job as the Bruins’ starter. In fact, he has since taken back the role. Swayman, who had a brilliant ten games in 2020-21, was also good as his backup/1b. With their performances this season, was Rask’s signing necessary?
17) Winnipeg Jets
Previous Ranking: 4
Eric Comrie
Mikhail Berdin
ANALYSIS: Connor Hellebuyck has been a workhorse for the Winnipeg Jets for six straight seasons now. It appears it’s finally catching up to him. After starting 45 of his team’s 56 games last season, he has already started 35 of 42 and is on pace to start over 50 for the sixth time in his career. That’s a lot of hockey for a goaltender, especially one that has to face a plethora of high danger chances every night.
The Jets as a team have to eventually tighten up in front of Hellebuyck. He can’t be expected to play the role of Superman every night. This season, the chinks in his armour are starting to show as his GAA is the worst it’s been since the 2018-19 season and he’s dangerously close to falling into the minus category when it comes to GSAA. If nothing else, they need to get him a backup that can be trusted to play at least 20 games a season. He’s not a superhero with unlimited energy. He needs a rest every now and then.
16) Vegas Golden Knights
Previous Ranking: 9
Logan Thompson
ANALYSIS: After splitting starts with Fleury last season, Robin Lehner has the crease all to himself in 2021-22. His numbers don’t look particularly elite, but he’s done enough to keep the Golden Knights atop the Pacific Division. He’s on pace to start the most games since his days with the Sabres, so they better hope he doesn’t get tired by the time the playoffs roll around. Laurent Brossoit hasn’t looked overly good as his backup, so it appears they will go as far as Lehner will take them.
15) New York Islanders
Previous Ranking: 5
Jakub Skarek
ANALYSIS: Currently with the least amount of games played in the NHL, the New York Islanders will be playing a lot in the coming months. Various injuries have kept Semyon Varlamov off the ice for most of the season, but 26-year-old Ilya Sorokin has done a masterful job in his absence. With a 2.31 GAA and .924 SV% along with four shutouts, he has given management something to think about going into the trade deadline.
If Sorokin can take over the crease full-time and put up similar numbers for the rest of the season, they could have an outside chance at the playoffs. Especially with how many games they have in hand on most of the teams in front of them.
14) Minnesota Wild
Previous Ranking: 23
Andrew Hammond
ANALYSIS: The Minnesota Wild have been an impressive team all season long. If they weren’t playing in the stacked Central Division, they would have a playoff spot all but locked up. Great offence, defence and goaltending have all contributed to their rise to playoff contender as Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen have formed a solid tandem in the crease. Along with the goal-scoring prowess of Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno, the Wild have been a tough out most nights.
13) Vancouver Canucks
Previous Ranking: 10
Spencer Martin
ANALYSIS: Without a doubt, Demko has been the Vancouver Canucks’ MVP this season. Without him, they wouldn’t be where they are today. If his numbers hold up until the end of the season, he will have career-bests in GAA and SV%. At 26 years old, he is only going to get better and that’s good news for the Canucks, who are hoping to become regulars in the playoffs for the foreseeable future.
12) Washington Capitals
Previous Ranking: 13
Pheonix Copley
ANALYSIS: After being selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft and then getting traded back to the Washington Capitals a few days later, Vanecek has formed a great tandem with Samsonov. Now a couple of seasons removed from the Holtby era, goaltending has not been a problem for the perennial playoff contenders.
11) Anaheim Ducks
Previous Ranking: 24
Anthony Stolarz
Lukas Dostal
ANALYSIS: John Gibson is back ladies and gentlemen. It took a couple of seasons, but he’s amongst the elite in the NHL once again. Recently named an NHL All-Star for the Pacific Division, he has been everything and more for the upstart Anaheim Ducks. As of this writing, he has a 2.49 GAA and .922 SV%, two numbers that he has not seen since the 2017-18 season when he recorded a 2.43 GAA and .926 SV%. Along with Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and a rejuvenated Ryan Getzlaf, he is a big reason why the Ducks are close to the Pacific Division crown.
Gibson’s backup, Anthony Stolarz has been pretty good too. Replacing the veteran Ryan Miller, he has a solid 2.76 GAA and .917 SV% along with two shutouts. As a tandem, they have given Ducks fans hope that they will see the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
10) Pittsburgh Penguins
Previous Ranking: 20
Casey DeSmith
Louis Domingue
ANALYSIS: It appears Tristan Jarry has developed into an elite goaltender in the NHL. Since taking over the starting position from Matt Murray, he has been just average. Until now. This season, he’s been almost lights out for the Penguins as he has a career-best 2.21 GAA and .923 SV% in 35 starts. He also has posted three streaks where he has won more than five games in a row. During one of those streaks, he had back-to-back shutouts against the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
9) St. Louis Blues
Previous Ranking: 17
Ville Husso
Charlie Lindgren
ANALYSIS: It appears a new starter has emerged in St. Louis. Yes, former Stanley Cup winner and current $6 million man Jordan Binnington has been overtaken by 26-year-old Ville Husso. Currently leading the NHL with a minuscule 1.90 GAA and sparkling .945 SV%, he has become as close to a brick wall as you can get.
Binnington, on the other hand, has looked average for a couple of seasons now. His last two starts, he’s allowed 13 goals and now holds a career-worst 3.27 GAA and .901 SV%. If Husso keeps playing like a Vezina Trophy finalist, he might be out the door when the offseason comes around.
8) Nashville Predators
Previous Ranking: 19
Connor Ingram
ANALYSIS: When Pekka Rinne retired and gave the reins to 5-foot-11 Juuse Saros, there were questions about whether he could handle it. Turns out he can. Now three seasons into his tenure as the number-one in Music City, he has proven to everyone that he is an elite starter in the NHL. His positioning and athleticism have been on display all season long as he has led the Predators back into the playoff conversation.
Unfortunately for the Predators, Rittich and Ingram have not been very good backups. Both of them have a GAA of over three and a save percentage just hovering around .900. For them to have a chance to win, Saros has to be in goal, which could limit their success down the road. Starting goaltenders can no longer play 70-plus games and expect to win a Stanley Cup. Fatigue eventually sets in, no matter how elite you are. If the Predators hope to go far in the playoffs, Rittich or Ingram have to step up and be trusted to spell Saros in order to give him some rest down the stretch.
7) Colorado Avalanche
Previous Ranking: 8
Pavel Francouz
Jonas Johansson
ANALYSIS: Despite losing Vezina Trophy finalist Phillip Grubauer to the Kraken, the Avalanche have not taken a step back in goal with new starter Darcy Kuemper. He doesn’t have insane numbers like Grubauer had last season, but with an elite team like the Avalanche, stellar goaltending isn’t usually needed.
Surprisingly, Kuemper has stayed relatively healthy this season. In fact, he’s on pace to start the most games since 2018-19 when he started 55 for the Coyotes. Fortunately for the Avalanche, they have Francouz backing him up if his body breaks down before the playoffs. The 31-year-old Czech goaltender has won his last seven starts which includes back-to-back shutouts against the Ducks and Blackhawks where he stopped 58 straight shots.
6) Florida Panthers
Previous Ranking: 16
Christopher Gibson
ANALYSIS: It took a couple of seasons, but Sergei Bobrovsky is finally living up to his $10 million AAV contract. His GAA and SV% are the best since the 2017-18 season and he’s only had one RBS in 32 starts. His GSAA is also in the black for the first time since the 2018-19 season when he had plus-5.3. As of this writing, he has a 10.2 GSAA, which ranks him 11th amongst goaltenders with at least ten starts. Needless to say, this is the goaltender that the Panthers thought they were getting when they signed him back in 2019.
5) Toronto Maple Leafs
Previous Ranking: 12
Michael Hutchinson
Joseph Woll
ANALYSIS: After Jack Campbell’s coming out party in 2020-21, the Maple Leafs decided to make him their full-time number-one goaltender when they allowed Andersen to enter free agency in the offseason. While Andersen is thriving with the Hurricanes in 2021-22, Campbell is matching his former mentor with a Vezina Trophy-like season of his own. As of this writing, he has a 2.30 GAA and .925 SV% along with four shutouts. He also has a career-high 21 wins in 31 starts.
If Mrazek can figure out how to stay healthy and provide the Maple Leafs with some solid backup goaltending, they might have a chance at getting out of the first round of the playoffs for once. Like Hellebuyck in Winnipeg, Campbell can’t play every game and still be rested enough to win a playoff round or two. He needs someone to spell him once and a while.
4) Tampa Bay Lightning
Previous Ranking: 1
Maxime Lagace
ANALYSIS: Now a two-time Stanley Cup winner, Vasilevskiy has solidified himself as one of the best goaltenders in the world. Calm and controlled almost every game, he has earned that title through hard work and humility. He doesn’t think he’s the best, and that is what keeps him in a constant state of improvement. Now in his eighth season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, his game keeps getting better with each and every season. Like clockwork, he’s turning in yet another solid season in 2021-22. He leads the league in wins with 25, is top-10 in GAA and his SV% is above .900 for the eighth-straight season.
3) Calgary Flames
Previous Ranking: 18
Daniel Vladar
Tyler Parsons
ANALYSIS: After a solid first season with the Calgary Flames in 2020-21, Markstrom has become even more Mikka Kiprusoff-like in his second go-around. With a career-best 2.20 GAA and .923 SV% along with a league-leading seven shutouts, he’s been the Flames’ MVP yet again. When Kiprusoff won the Vezina Trophy in 2005-06 with a 2.07 GAA and .923 SV%, he had ten shutouts. He only needs four more to best that and there’s still half a season to go. If all goes well, he could be matching his greatness in a few short months.
Somewhat overshadowed as the backup to Markstrom, Vladar has been pretty good when called upon too. His numbers don’t look as stingy, but they aren’t horrible either. When the big man needs a rest, the Flames feel comfortable putting him in goal.
2) New York Rangers
Previous Ranking: 15
Alexandar Georgiev
Keith Kinkaid
Adam Huska
ANALYSIS: Like most teams near the top of the league, the New York Rangers also have elite goaltending leading the charge. Igor Shesterkin, AKA the new Henrik Lundqvist, has been nothing short of spectacular so far this season. Amongst goaltenders with at least 20 starts, he leads all of them with a .937 SV% and is second only to Frederik Andersen with a 2.10 GAA. He also has three shutouts and an impressive 25.7 GSAA, which also paces the NHL. Finally, he only has one RBS in 29 starts. Talk about goaltending worthy of the second spot on our list.
1) Carolina Hurricanes
Previous Ranking: 11
Alex Lyon
ANALYSIS: The Carolina Hurricanes’ retool of their goaltending has been a massive success. Going from Petr Mrazek, James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic to Andersen and Raanta has proven to be one of the best decisions general manager Don Waddell made in the offseason. Andersen is currently second only to Ville Husso with a minuscule 2.01 GAA and behind only Shesterkin and Husso with a .929 SV%. Now in his ninth season in the NHL at 32 years old, he’s having a career year and could have his name etched on the Vezina Trophy for the first time.
When Andersen needs a rest from his brick wall routine, Raanta has done very well in his stead. In 10 starts, he has a 2.21 GAA and .914 SV% along with one shutout. Between the two of them, they have led the Hurricanes to a league-low 98 goals against. If they can keep it up, a Jennings Trophy and maybe a Stanley Cup will be in their future.
All stats are from Hockey Reference and NHL.com and are current as of Feb. 6, 2022
Recapping Goaltender Rankings
1) Carolina Hurricanes
2) New York Rangers
3) Calgary Flames
4) Tampa Bay Lightning
5) Toronto Maple Leafs
6) Florida Panthers
7) Colorado Avalanche
8) Nashville Predators
9) St. Louis Blues
10) Pittsburgh Penguins
11) Anaheim Ducks
12) Washington Capitals
13) Vancouver Canucks
14) Minnesota Wild
15) New York Islanders
16) Vegas Golden Knights
17) Winnipeg Jets
18) Boston Bruins
19) Dallas Stars
20) Los Angeles Kings
21) San Jose Sharks
22) Detroit Red Wings
23) Philadelphia Flyers
24) Chicago Blackhawks
25) Ottawa Senators
26) Columbus Blue Jackets
27) New Jersey Devils
28) Buffalo Sabres
29) Seattle Kraken
30) Edmonton Oilers
31) Arizona Coyotes
32) Montreal Canadiens
Feel free to disagree with those rankings and share your own in the comments below.
