Stock Watch for the NHL's Hottest Goaltenders in 2015-16

Scoring is down in the NHL this season. Again.

Some of the league's top snipers are putting up pretty good numbers. Still, the drag on overall offense is inching ever-closer to the levels of the Dead Puck Era that preceded the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Experts are offering suggestions to increase scoring, but one thing's for sure—there are plenty of outstanding goaltenders working in the NHL these days, and the list of the league's best remains fluid from year to year. New names surface near the top of the statistical charts every season, keeping pressure on the veterans who are locked into their long-term contracts.

Some backup goalies appear on this list, but none have played in fewer than seven games so far this season. Stalwarts like Jonathan Quick and Pekka Rinne have been passed over because they've been overshadowed in the early going in one or more categories.

Some of these goaltenders are putting up stunning personal numbers. Others are delivering big wins for their respective teams. A couple have caught hockey fans' attention by playing far above their expected level.

As always, I look forward to seeing who you think belongs in the top 10 and which netminders deserve to be ranked higher up the list.

10. Michal Neuvirth: Philadelphia Flyers

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

2015-16 Stats: 9 GP, 3-3-1, 2.08 GAA, .939 save percentage, 3 shutouts

His Season So Far: Signed as an unrestricted free agent during the offseason, Philadelphia Flyers backup Michal Neuvirth, 27, has earned three shutouts in nine appearances—tying him with Jake Allen of the St. Louis Blues for the NHL lead so far this season.

Neuvirth spent a week on injured reserve with an upper-body injury after taking a puck to the mask against the Boston Bruins on October 21. Since his return to the lineup, he has given up just 12 goals in five games behind a porous Philadelphia defense that ranks 29th in the league with an average of 34.1 shots surrendered per game.

Due to a lack of run support from the skaters in front of Neuvirth, the Flyers have earned just three points in those five games, putting up a record of 1-3-1.

Philadelphia starter Steve Mason is also 1-3-1 in his last five games, but he gave up 17 goals. Mason has played just twice so far in November, while Neuvirth has played four times.

Future Outlook:  Rising.

Neuvirth is showing that he can succeed as a starter, even on an underperforming team. The Flyers can try to ride his strong play to get themselves back into the playoff race, or they could consider trading Neuvirth for some help on defense.

With a cap hit of just $1.625 million over the next two seasons, according to General Fanager, Neuvirth could offer an inexpensive upgrade for a team that's dissatisfied with its current goaltending situation.

9. Reto Berra: Colorado Avalanche

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

2015-16 Stats: 7 GP, 3-3-0, 1.58 GAA, .948 save percentage, 2 shutouts

His Season So Far: Last season, Colorado Avalanche backup goaltender Reto Berra watched minor-league call-up Calvin Pickard outplay both the goalies above him on the depth chart, finishing the season with Colorado's best goals-against average and save percentage.

This year, Berra has grabbed the brass ring, outplaying Semyon Varlamov by a wide margin even before the Avalanche announced on November 11 that the starter was day-to-day with a groin injury.

Berra has given up just 10 goals in seven appearances for Colorado this season and is offering some back-end stability to a team that has yet to rebound from a tough 2014-15 season.

Future Outlook: Rising.

Berra, 28, is reasserting himself as a better option than 23-year-old Pickard—and possibly Varlamov as well—as he plays the best hockey of his NHL career.

8. Petr Mrazek: Detroit Red Wings

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2015-16 Stats: 9 GP, 5-3-0, 2.07 GAA, .938 save percentage, 1 shutout

His Season So Far: The Detroit Red Wings have split their goaltending duties between stoppers Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek almost right down the middle this season. Both have been good, but Mrazek's numbers are a hair better. He has played one more game than Howard, has two more wins and has better personal numbers compared to Howard's 2.20 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.

Mrazek has won his last three starts. His last appearance was a 38-save shutout performance against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on November 10.

Future Outlook:  Unstable.

As long as Mrazek and Howard can use the internal competition to help fuel their performances, the Red Wings will benefit from the knowledge that they'll get good goaltending no matter who starts. But expect to see ice time cut quickly as soon as either netminder shows signs of faltering.

The leash will be short. Mrazek currently holds the edge, but one or two subpar games could quickly shift the advantage back in favour of Howard.

7. Devan Dubnyk: Minnesota Wild

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2015-16 Stats: 14 GP, 10-3-1, 2.41 GAA, .910 save percentage, 2 shutouts

His Season So Far: Devan Dubnyk's personal stats this season aren't on par with the incredible 1.78 goals-against average and .936 save percentage during his 39 games after joining the Minnesota Wild last season. Still, Dubnyk's delivering on on two other important fronts.

Once again, he's a workhorse: Dubnyk has taken just one game off so far this season. And once again, the Wild are winning games with Dubnyk in net. He's the first goalie in the NHL to hit the 10-win mark this season and has helped keep the Wild in the heart of the playoff mix in the ultra-competitive Central Division.

Future Outlook: Steady.

The Wild may not be the stingiest team in the NHL this season, but 12 of Minnesota's 15 games have been decided by one goal or in overtime, and the Wild have won eight of them. As long as Dubnyk continues to make the key saves that give the Wild a chance to win, his six-year, $26 million contract will be considered money well spent.

6. Cory Schneider: New Jersey Devils

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2015-16 Stats: 13 GP, 8-4-1, 2.13 GAA, .924 save percentage, 0 shutouts

His Season So Far: Much improved. Last year, Cory Schneider managed only a 26-31-9 record even though he put up strong individual numbers and faced a ton of rubber. Schneider saw 1,982 shots over 69 games—third-highest in the league behind only Braden Holtby and Tuukka Rask.

This year, Schneider's still carrying a heavy workload, but he's not working quite so hard. He's now ranked 10th in the league in shots faced. His save percentage is steady, but his goals-against average has dropped from 2.26 to 2.13—and his New Jersey Devils are earning points from his efforts.

Schneider is hitting his stride in his second year as a full-time starter. The Devils are one of the surprises of the season as they sit in a wild-card spot after finishing 20 points out of playoff position last year.

Future Outlook:  Rising.

Schneider's now 29 years old and looks like he's finally in a situation where he'll get a chance to live up to his potential.

His talent has never been in doubt. Now, he's showing that he can handle the responsibilities that come with being a No. 1 netminder on a playoff-caliber team.

5. Jake Allen: St. Louis Blues

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

2015-16 Stats: 11 GP, 7-3-0, 1.79 GAA, .941 save percentage, 3 shutouts

His Season So Far: In another 1A-1B situation similar to that of Detroit, Jake Allen has clearly earned the upper hand in his crease battle with Brian Elliott on the St. Louis Blues.

The early-season workload was distributed fairly evenly, but Allen got on a roll in late October that has now seen him appear in the Blues' last eight games, recording six wins and just one loss.

Allen's most recent game was a stumble, however. Coming into Madison Square Garden after back-to-back shutouts, Allen surrendered three goals on five shots in 14:38 before being lifted. Elliott ended up taking the loss as St. Louis fell 6-3.

Future Outlook:  Rising.

Both Allen and Elliott are signed for the next two seasons at similar money and have similar career stats. But Allen, 25, is five years younger. He's the Blues' goalie of the future.

Both netminders have the luxury of playing behind a very good defense. Barring injury, Allen will continue to move closer to bona fide No. 1 status as the season wears on.

4. Marc-Andre Fleury: Pittsburgh Penguins

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2015-16 Stats: 14 GP, 8-6-0, 2.01 GAA, .936 save percentage, 2 shutouts

His Season So Far: Marc-Andre Fleury turned heads last year with his 10 shutouts and consistently strong goaltending during a turbulent season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fleury is carrying his usual heavy workload in 2015-16 while putting up some of the best numbers of his career. His 2.01 goals-against average and .936 save percentage are light-years ahead of his career average of 2.57 and .912 or even the .921 he logged in 2014-15.

Future Outlook:  Steady. 

Now 30 years old, Fleury seems to have shaken off the inconsistencies and lapses in concentration that plagued him in his younger days, especially in big-game situations.

The Penguins are now playing a tighter defensive game in front of him. It's not unreasonable to think that Fleury could maintain career-best numbers throughout 2015-16. 

3. Braden Holtby: Washington Capitals

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

2015-16 Stats: 13 GP, 9-4-0, 2.01 GAA, .919 save percentage, 0 shutouts

His Season So Far: Much like Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh, Braden Holtby plays huge minutes behind a typically high-scoring Washington Capitals team that seems to be developing a defensive conscience.

Holtby's .919 save percentage this season is below his career average of .921, but his goals-against average is down by 0.21 goals per game compared to his excellent 2014-15 season, when he led the league in minutes played and shots faced and finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting.

Future Outlook:  Rising.

Holtby's helping the Capitals carve a niche for themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and he's not even playing his best hockey.

There's some upside still on the table for the brawny 26-year-old, who's in just his second season as an uncontested No. 1 netminder.

2. Mike Condon: Montreal Canadiens

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2015-16 Stats: 8 GP, 6-0-2, 1.73 GAA, .936 save percentage, 0 shutouts

His Season So Far: It's no surprise that we're talking about a Montreal Canadiens goaltender as one of the big goaltending stories of the new season, but who'd have thought the player in question wouldn't be Carey Price?

When he has played, Price's numbers this season have once again been excellent, but Mike Condon gets the nod here thanks to an unbelievable start to his NHL career as Price recovers from a lower-body injury.

Condon's goals-against average ranks second among goalies who have appeared in six or more games, behind Reto Berra. He also remains undefeated in regulation time, helping to keep Montreal at the top of the NHL standings even while Price is sidelined.

Future Outlook:  Definitely rising.

Condon will have to shift back into a supporting role once Price comes off injured reserve, but the Canadiens players and management now know that they have a gamer on their hands in their 25-year-old backup.

Price can take all the time he needs to recover, and he won't need to carry a workload like the 66 games he played last season when Condon's a reliable option in net. A better-rested Price could be a valuable asset if Montreal can turn a great start into a long playoff run next spring.

1. Henrik Lundqvist: New York Rangers

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2015-16 Stats: 13 GP, 9-2-2, 1.76 GAA, .942 save percentage, 1 shutout

His Season So Far: Henrik Lundqvist, arguably the NHL's best-dressed goaltender, will turn 34 in March. He's in his 11th season with the New York Rangers, a team that has established itself as one of the best in the East.

Lundqvist and the Rangers have made five straight trips to the playoffs and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. The goaltender has been putting a lot of mileage on his no-longer-youthful body.

Somehow, he's better than ever this season. Lundqvist is ranked second in the league in save percentage among goaltenders who have appeared in at least six games. He's also tied for second with nine wins and third in goals-against average. 

First in the league with just 28 goals against in 16 games, the Rangers are currently on a seven-game winning streak. They're three points ahead of their rivals from Washington, holding down top spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Future Outlook: Perhaps a slight dip.

Lundqvist's early-season numbers are extraordinary. So are those of his new backup, Antti Raanta, who has surrendered just two goals in his first three games with the Blueshirts.

Even if the netminding numbers come back to earth a little bit, the Rangers look like they could issue a serious challenge to become repeat Presidents' Trophy winners in 2015-16.

Lundqvist is the early front-runner for the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals against and should also be considered as a serious candidate for the Vezina Trophy, an award he captured back in 2011-12.

All stats from NHL.com, current through games November 13.