Power Ranking Every NHL Team's Goalie Tandem Early in 2023-24
It's a tale as old as ice hockey time: Offense wins awards, defense wins championships.
And perhaps no defensive position, in any sport, is as important as goaltender.
Simply put, no players have more impact on the outcome of an NHL game than the mask-wearers standing 200 feet apart at opposite ends of the ice.
They can steal games on good nights. They can lose games on bad nights.
It's not a gig for the faint of heart.
Driven by past performance alongside results of this season through Wednesday, the B/R hockey team looked across the NHL with designs on power ranking the goalie tandems from Nos. 1 to 32 as an early preview in the race for the 2023-24 Jennings Trophy.
Some established commodities are off to poor starts, while some suspect performers are playing over their heads. So, there's no doubt that a list made even a few weeks from now could look far different. Take that into account as you see what we came up with and leave a comment.
Closed Eyes, Crossed Fingers
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32. Montréal Canadiens
There's a reason the Canadiens are first (which means last) on this list. They're still missing Carey Price three years since his last stretch as a full-time player. And neither 26-year-old Sam Montembeault nor 33-year-old Jake Allen will remind us of him anytime soon.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
Elvis Merzlikins and Spencer Martin have been on the short end of a 30-shot deficit through three games and have held up well enough, surrendering nine goals on 105 shots. But it's not a model for sustainable success.
30. San Jose Sharks
The punchless Sharks are expected to plummet and they're heading that way, but it's not due to Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen, who have allowed 11 goals on 126 shots. In fact, San Jose has been outshot 42-20 on average through three games.
29. Edmonton Oilers
A .750 save rate might make a Beer League All-Star, but Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner going 36-of-48 through two games pushed an already stressed fanbase to the brink before Campbell, who's making $5 million annually, stoned Nashville (43 saves) on Tuesday.
28. Anaheim Ducks
Any goalie for the Ducks knows he'll have a heavy workload. Lukas Dostal and John Gibson have faced 72 shots in two games while teammates have managed just 48. It doesn't figure to get a whole lot better with a team outshot by a 39-28 clip per night last season.
27. Buffalo Sabres
He won't be 22 until a couple days after Christmas, so it's way too early to be concerned with Devon Levi. But a long stretch with an .893 save percentage will ensure veteran backup Eric Comrie stays relevant for the time being.
26. Chicago Blackhawks
It's all about Connor Bedard in Chicago, but the prolonged relevance of the Blackhawks will depend on Arvid Söderblom and Petr Mrázek, who have faced 144 shots and stopped 137 of them while going .500 across four games.
Desperately Seeking Stability
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25. Los Angeles Kings
The preseason vibe on the Kings was that they're a Stanley Cup contender if Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley hold up their ends. The former has done his bit through his first two starts but the latter, with five goals allowed on 19 shots, has not.
24. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto will outscore a lot of mistakes. Still, having Ilya Samsonov (.839 save percentage through two starts) struggle out of the gate is only going to increase volume on the calls for Joseph Woll to get more starts.
23. Seattle Kraken
Losing four straight isn't ideal, but don't blame it entirely on Kraken goalies Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord, who have allowed nine combined goals while getting just three goals of offensive support.
22. Ottawa Senators
Offseason arrival Joonas Korpisalo did just fine when Ottawa kept the shots down against Tampa Bay, but he was less sharp in allowing five on 42 shots against Carolina. Meanwhile, Anton Forsberg has a .933 save percentage and wins in two straight starts.
21. Detroit Red Wings
There may be some debate over the No. 1 job in Detroit, where Ville Husso has been ordinary in three starts (.881 save percentage) and James Reimer got a shutout in his lone outing.
Top of the Bottom
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20. Tampa Bay Lightning
Everyone knew Andrei Vasilevskiy's injury absence, expected to last through late November or early December, would make Lightning fans' hearts grow fonder for him. And neither Jonas Johansson nor Matt Tomkins have done anything to change that.
19. Washington Capitals
Darcy Kuemper became a father and earned a win in a hectic opening week, stopping 38 shots to beat Calgary before giving up six two nights later at Ottawa. Charlie Lindgren is a capable, if unspectacular, No. 2 on a team that begs for consistency.
18. New Jersey Devils
How Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid handle the net will essentially determine whether the Devils live up to the preseason Cup hype. Early returns are largely "meh" with an .898 save percentage through three games and a 1-1-1 record.
17. Florida Panthers
The Panthers have ridden veteran Sergei Bobrovsky through three games and seen the red light lit 10 times. Half came in one game, so consistency is required. Journeyman Anthony Stolarz backs up while 2019 first-rounder Spencer Knight returns from rehab.
16. Arizona Coyotes
Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram have been solid in the early going for Arizona, which has a 2-2 record this season, with 11 goals scored and eight conceded.
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Bottom of the Top
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15. Philadelphia Flyers
It's a familiar story for the Flyers and Carter Hart, who's been both spectacular and awful since a banner first two seasons in the NHL. When he's good he can keep a mediocre team afloat. If he falters, only Samuel Ersson (10 starts) and Felix Sandström (23 starts) remain.
14. Winnipeg Jets
Connor Hellebuyck is a past Vezina winner and one of the NHL's best at the position, but his .843 save percentage through three games isn't stellar. He's backed up by offseason arrival Laurent Brossoit, who started last season's Cup run as the Vegas starter.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Crosby/Malkin/Letang nostalgia tour is in full swing in Pittsburgh, and it's been Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic doing the heavy lifting on the back end with 108 saves on 120 shots. If they play well, the Penguins' needle moves toward contention.
12. Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta were Jennings winners after the 2021-22 season, and they've got the chops to do it again. But 19 goals allowed on 117 shots through five games are at least reason for a Category 1 hurricane warning.
11. St. Louis Blues
No one's suggesting the Blues will be relevant come playoff time, but Jordan Binnington has burst from the gate a lot like the guy who backstopped their Cup run in 2019. The pickings are slim beyond him, though, with youngster Joel Hofer having made just eight NHL starts.
Raising Their Levels
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10. Calgary Flames
It's been an up-and-down tale in Calgary, where Jacob Markström had one dud in three starts when he surrendered five goals on 28 shots. Limit those bumps from the starter and the Flames will thrive, with veteran Dan Vladar providing relief spells.
9. Vancouver Canucks
It was a been a banner start for the Canucks against powerful Edmonton, which managed just four goals in 62 shots with a start apiece from Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith. Demko, in fact, is a dark-horse Vezina pick (+2200) with DraftKings.
8. Nashville Predators
It's been a tough sled for the Predators, who opened with four playoff teams, but past performance suggests Juuse Saros and capable backup Kevin Lankinen will find their way toward the top of the league even if the team as a whole doesn't follow.
7. Minnesota Wild
A 41-save shutout of Florida was an opening salvo for Filip Gustavsson, who followed it with seven goals allowed on 33 shots against Toronto. Marc-André Fleury jumped in for a 26-save win in Montreal to steady the early-season ship.
6. Vegas Golden Knights
The whole Adin Hill thing had to be a fluke, right? Not so fast say the Golden Knights, who, with Hill and Logan Thompson, have all the elements in place for a repeat title chase and a Jennings pursuit thanks to 100 saves after their first 105 shots.
Jennings in the Making
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5. Dallas Stars
Dallas had played just twice through Wednesday so it's a small sample size, but Jake Oettinger is a stud and everyone knows it. If he has a good year, the Stars are a real threat. Backup Scott Wedgewood has 86 starts since 2016 but won't get many more this year.
4. New York Rangers
Igor Shesterkin has Vezina chops and the Rangers take liberties knowing he's their final line of defense. If he maintains his 2.75 goals-against average, they'll win more than they lose. Jonathan Quick is a three-time Cup winner as the No. 2.
3. Colorado Avalanche
The Avs are a season past from a title backstopped by Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz. Now, Alex Georgiev's 91 saves on 95 shots through three games are holding the fort while Francouz nurses a groin injury. If they're sturdy the Avs are a Cup favorite.
2. Boston Bruins
The Bruins ran roughshod across the NHL thanks to Jennings winners Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark last season. Three goals on 57 shots indicate they may be up for the challenge again.
1. New York Islanders
It's only been two games, but it seems like the same Ilya Sorokin for the Islanders, who's stopped 40 of 42 shots against Buffalo and Arizona. Semyon Varlamov provides capable backup work, and the Islanders won't be blown out too often.
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