NHL Power Rankings: Rating the Top 15 Goaltender of the Year Candidates
The 2010-11 NHL season is only two weeks old, but it's never too early to make assessments and draw conclusions on the goalies' performances thus far.
Which goaltender will reign above the rest at the end of the 2010-11 NHL season? Will the strongest between the pipes be able to bring home a Stanley Cup to his team, or possibly a Vezina Trophy?
It's way too early to tell, but based on the two weeks of the NHL hockey that fans have witnessed, there's no doubt that there are some surprises that could be added to the list of greats by the end of the season. However, with the tumultuous journey that is the NHL season, a bad guess could be just as accurate as a good guess.
With that said, now is a good time to break down the numbers and see who could be a top goalie contender this season.
To make this easier, I have taken the top 15 overall save percentages in the NHL through Monday, only including goalies who have played in three or more games. I will rank them in that order and briefly analyze their play and chances of becoming "Goaltender of the Year."
As a warning, there will be deserving goalies who will not make the list. I want to emphasize that this is organized by statistics primarily and there will be names of goalies who will never be considered as the best in the biz.
Here's what the numbers show.
Laura Falcon is a Featured Columnist for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a college writing intern for Bleacher Report. Follow her on Twitter or email her at lfalcon@mail.umw.edu with any comments.
15. Niklas Backstrom: Minnesota Wild
1 of 15
SV%: .916
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: Battling the injury bug has been Backstrom's biggest fight since his time in the NHL. Because of his susceptibility to injury, the Wild have had a tough time making it into the playoffs the past few seasons. Fortunately for Backstrom, many of these injuries have been freak accidents that he could not control.
The Wild brought in some defensive forwards that should help his cause, even his stats for the most part. As a team, however, the Wild need to perform better and help out their goalie.
Ultimately, the Wild need to win more hockey games and make the playoffs in order for Backstrom to be taken more seriously.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
14. Chris Mason: Atlanta Thrashers
2 of 15
SV%: .917
Games played: 5
How's he doing?: Mason took the reins after starter Ondrej Pavelec went down with a fainting spell in the season opener against the Washington Capitals and has started well with wins over yearly cup contenders, namely the Capitals and San Jose Sharks.
He's the type of goalie who will steal games for his team, but can't be depended on doing so on a regular basis. His veteran experience will help Pavelec, but he isn't the guy to look at to backstop the Thrashers for a deep run in the playoffs.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
13. Marty Turco: Chicago Blackhawks
3 of 15
SV%: .920
Games played: 5
How's he doing?: An interesting signing for the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, Turco is up there in age, but it comes with an incredible amount of puck smartness and coolness in the crease.
Turco is joining a team that is strong in defense and offense, so he should have a successful season because he'll receive a lot of help. Depending on Turco shouldn't be a problem; however, his numbers aren't getting any better. This could arguably be because of the ups and downs of the Dallas Stars the past few seasons.
We'll see if Turco will raise his game on a far more skilled team, but I don't anticipate Vezina work from the seasoned vet.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
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12. Roberto Luongo: Vancouver Canucks
4 of 15
SV%: .920
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: This could very well be the year for Luongo and the rest of the Canucks.
Luongo posts consistently solid numbers every season and is coming off a respectable year where he backstopped Team Canada to a gold medal and fell in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. Luongo learned a lot about himself and his game last season, which will be put to the test as they come into this season as favorites to win the Cup.
He has shown that he can win the big games after a not-so-good reputation dictated otherwise. With an improved defense in front of him, Luongo could lead the Nucks very deep into the playoffs,
Final rating: A strong goaltender of the year candidate.
11. Anders Lindback: Nashville Predators
5 of 15
SV%: .921
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: Lindback is new to the NHL scene, having spent his career thus far in the Swedish Elite League, but is now making his premiere after being drafted in 2008.
As the backup for Pekka Rinne, who sustained a lower body injury, Lindback's biggest asset is his size: 6'6" and 205 pounds, something he has used since starting the season.
It will take some time for Lindback to become truly accustomed to the NHL, but this will be difficult since Rinne is expected to return to the Preds' lineup today to face the Calgary Flames.
For now, he's getting a good taste of what it will take to become a good goalie in the NHL. He should take this as a learning experience and he's done well given the circumstances.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
10. Kari Lehtonen: Dallas Stars
6 of 15
SV%: .921
Games played: 5
How's he doing?: The numbers don't do Lehtonen any sort of justice.
He has single-handedly led the Stars to their fantastic start, and the team openly acknowledges his incredible heroics in net. However, the Stars are going to have to give him some help.
Lehtonen has a big history of injuries and asking him to become an acrobat in net every single game while facing 35-plus shots a night could be trouble. For now, Lehtonen claims to feel fine, but who knows how long that will last.
An injury-free Lehtonen could be good news for the Stars, but solely depending on a goalie doesn't always work come April.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
9. Craig Anderson: Colorado Avalanche
7 of 15
SV%: .925
Games played: 5
How's he doing?: Anderson became a breakout star last season when the Avalanche put some faith in him and offered him the starting job in net. After five games this season, so far so good, despite allowing a few softy goals.
Many people argue that Anderson might not have what it takes to win the big games when they count. If he can match his play from last season and focus it into some consistency that carries over into the playoffs, then fans might be pleasantly surprised.
The looming question then is, "can he match last season?" Time can better answer this, but for now, it's very questionable.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
8. Nickolai Khabibulin: Edmonton Oilers
8 of 15
SV%: .925
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: The Bulin Wall is looking to rebound after missing a majority of his season from a herniated disc that required surgery. And then there's the DUI incident.
So far, he's exceed expectations, which were never very high being on a rebuilding Oilers squad and keeping his past experiences in mind. Khabibulin has backstopped the Oilers to a shutout against Calgary.
Khabibulin might not be what the Oilers are looking for to bring the team to their first playoff run since 2006, but he also might not be as bad as people anticipated.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
7. Michal Neuvirth: Washington Capitals
9 of 15
SV%: .930
Games played: 5
How's he doing?: Neuvirth had a small stint in the NHL last season and performed well as a rookie. Now he's Washington's No. 1 goalie after seeing success in the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, and the pressure is on.
He doesn't have the luxury of a veteran goalie to lean on, as his fellow goalie teammate is Semyon Varlamov who is also 22 years old. Neuvirth has started well with the Caps, but he's still a rookie and has a lot to learn about the NHL.
Expect a decent season from Neuvirth, but don't be surprised if either he or Varlamov get traded for a legit No. 1 goaltender.
If I were the Caps, I wouldn't depend on either of them to take the team far into the playoffs—clearly a problem that has to be acknowledged.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
6. Ilya Bryzgalov: Phoenix Coyotes
10 of 15
SV%: .938
Games played: 3
How's he doing?: The Coyotes had a brilliant story line last season, and it was largely due in part to Bryzgalov who answered the call and led his team from a possible move to securing home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
Rewarded for his efforts, Bryzgalov was nominated for the Vezina last season and there hasn't been reason to doubt he will have a falling out. The Coyotes are a team full of fighters, and they will be fighting the odds once again as fantasy leagues have them placing third in the Pacific Division.
Expect Bryzgalov to continue his domination of the net as he already has, but unless the Coyotes can get their offense going, it could be a tough ride.
Final rating: A strong goaltender of the year candidate.
5. Jimmy Howard: Detroit Red Wings
11 of 15
SV%: .941
Games played: 3
How's he doing?: Howard is fresh off a strong rookie season that almost won him the Calder Trophy for best rookie. The problem with finishing a rookie season strong is the dreaded sophomore slump.
Could Howard become "one of those guys?"
So far the answer is no. He did dethrone Chris Osgood as Detroit's No. 1 goalie and showed a strong showing in the playoffs. Howard will look for some help from his defense and offense to take off the pressure, but expect him to stumble at some points.
Overall, expect Howard's strong start to follow through the rest of the season, though it might pale in comparison to last year.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
4. Dwayne Roloson: New York Islanders
12 of 15
SV%: .942
Games played: 3
How's he doing?: This might be more of a surprise than the fact that the Islanders are currently leading the Atlantic Division.
Not much is expected of the Isles because of the team's numerous injuries and the effect they will have on the team as a whole. Despite these low expectations, Roloson has been a shining light for the team, while star players John Tavares and Kyle Okposo have been/were out with injury.
Roloson has bailed out the Islander multiple times this season, shrugging away high shot numbers in a way that comes with experience. But Roloson may not be the man to depend on as the season rolls (no pun intended) on.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
3. Brent Johnson: Pittsburgh Penguins
13 of 15
SV%: .950
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: Who would have thought the Penguins would have started 0-3 with starter Marc-Andre Fleury in net and 4-0 with backup Brent Johnson in net?
Johnson has really found his stride after consistently poor performances with Fleury between the pipes and has been a major factor in all of the Pens' wins this season. Nothing more could be asked of the backup who has had problems with injury in the past.
With that said, barring extreme circumstances, Johnson will find himself on the bench when Fleury regains his composure. But until then, Johnson has been just what the doctor ordered for the Pens who kicked off their season with a slow start.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
2. Tomas Vokoun: Florida Panthers
14 of 15
SV%: .952
Games played: 4
How's he doing?: Easily one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL, Vokoun could be a star if the team in front of him performed like he does day in and day out.
The Panthers allowed the most shots per game last season with an average of 34. Even with those numbers, Vokoun always found a way to make a game out of each match. This guy doesn't give up on a puck and his tenacity despite the average team he plays for is admirable.
Unfortunately, the Panthers took a hit during the offseason so hopes for help on the defensive end simply aren't there. If the Panthers make the playoffs, then it would largely be in part due to Vokoun.
Final rating: A small chance as a goaltender of the year candidate.
1. Jonathan Quick: Los Angeles Kings
15 of 15
SV%: .963
Games played: 3
How's he doing?: Quick has started the season with a strong performance in net with very sharp play, despite looking tired in the 2010 playoffs. On a side note, who wouldn't be tired in the playoffs after play 72 games in the regular season?
It's questionable whether this is Quick's true form or if this is merely a fluke from a hot and confident start from the young goalie who was called to be the second backup for Team USA in the Vancouver Olympics. What isn't questionable is if he keeps it up, the Kings will be a pleasant surprise in the West, especially since he has a solid backup in Jonathan Bernier.
With Quick's strengths established, don't expect him to be heralded as one of the better goalies by the end of the season. However, that shouldn't take away from any success he will see.
Final rating: Not a goaltender of the year candidate.
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