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At both the beginning and midway point of the 2022-23 season, The Hockey Writers put lists together on the top 10 players for each position, as well as coaches. It goes without saying that it is a very tough list to do given how subjective it is, but nevertheless, we are going to take another shot at it.
As you will see, there are names on this list that have changed due to some goaltenders exceeding expectations last season, while others faltered. while some other names who were on previously have struggled. With that said, here are the top 10 goaltenders in the NHL as we are slowly nearing the 2023-24 season.
10. Jeremy Swayman
Jeremy Swayman would be the undisputed number one goaltender on a lot of NHL teams. The issue is that he plays for the Boston Bruins, where his teammate from this past season in Linus Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy. Given that he is splitting the net with such a talent hurts his recognition, but make no mistake; he is one of the best in the business.
At just 24 years old, Swayman has put together a fantastic career so far which includes a goals against average (GAA) of 2.24 and a save percentage (SV%) of .920. He is only continuing to get better, and should be a consistent member of this list for years to come.
9. Filip Gustavsson
Heading into the 2022-23 season, Filip Gustavsson had just 27 games of NHL experience and was considered a gamble as the Minnesota Wild’s back up goalie to Marc-Andre Fleury. Whether it was just fluke season or not remains to be seen, but simply based off of last seasons work he was one of the best in the business.
Gustavsson nearly split the net 50/50 with Fleury last season, and had far better numbers. In 39 appearances, the 25-year-old recorded a stellar 2.10 goals against average along with a .931 save percentage. If he is able to record similar numbers in 2023-24, he will find himself much higher on this list.
8. Alexandar Georgiev
Alexandar Georgiev’s first season with the Colorado Avalanche couldn’t have gone much better than it did. Appearing in a career-high 62 games, the 27-year-old put together his best season yet with a 2.51 GAA along with a .919 SV%.
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Georgiev’s skill was always apparent during his time with the New York Rangers, but he had a tough time earning starts given that he was first playing behind Henrik Lundqvist and soon after Igor Shesterkin. That said, he is a hard goaltender to rank given that we have seen plenty post great numbers with the Avalanche only to see them regress afterward, with two recent examples being Philipp Grubauer and Darcy Kuemper.
7. Jake Oettinger
Jake Oettinger may still only be 24 years old, but he is quickly establishing himself as one of the best goalies in the world. If there was a goalie for young kids to model their game after right now, he may be the one. Not only is he technically sound, but he has the composure of a veteran, seemingly never getting rattled even when things aren’t going his way.
Appearing in 62 games with the Dallas Stars this past season, Oettinger recorded a 2.35 GAA along with a .919 SV%. However, he regressed in the playoffs, which was rather surprising to see given how well he played in the postseason a year prior. It will be worth monitoring to see if that has any effect on him moving forward, but it doesn’t seem very likely.
6. Juuse Saros
Nashville Predators fans won’t like this ranking, and they are justified in that feeling. Truth be told, numbers 4-6 on this list are a bit of a toss up, as they are all very similar in terms of skill. While Saros comes in at sixth on this ranking, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see him finish the 2023-24 season as a Vezina Trophy finalist for the second time in his career.
Saros is an electric goaltender to watch, and one that serves as an inspiration to other undersized goalies in the world. Despite being only 5-foot-11, he is so quick on his feet that he is one of the league’s toughest to beat night in and night out. In 64 appearances this past season, he had a 2.69 GAA and a .919 SV%.
5. Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck is a bit of question mark heading into 2023-24 given that we don’t know for sure what team he will play on. Entering the final year of his contract, there was plenty of chatter that the Winnipeg Jets may look to move him, but to this point a deal hasn’t taken place.
You can certainly understand why the Jets would be hesitant to move Hellebuyck, as he has been one of the league’s best goalies for several years. The 30-year-old won the Vezina back in 2019-20, and has finished as the runner up in two other seasons, including this past one where he recorded a 2.49 GAA along with a .920 SV% in 64 games.
4. Linus Ullmark
This is another pick that may frustrate some, as many will argue Linus Ullmark deserves to be in the number one spot after winning the Vezina Trophy this past season. There is no denying the 30-year-old’s 2022-23 campaign, as he was nothing short of spectacular, recording a 1.89 GAA along with a .938 SV% in 49 appearances.
The reason for Ullmark not being higher on this list comes down to experience. Prior to the 2022-23 season, he was considered a good goalie, but one who was still a bit of a question mark given that he had never truly been used in a number one role. Even this past season, he still split the net with Swayman quite often. That said, if he is able to do anything remotely similar to what he did this past season, he will move up on this list, and could very well find himself in the number one slot.
3. Andrei Vasilevskiy
Though he didn’t have his best regular season and really struggled in the playoffs, it is impossible to put Andrei Vasilevskiy outside the top three on this list. Some may disagree, but you’d be hard pressed to name another goaltender you would prefer to have in a must win game than Vasilevskiy, who has two Stanley Cup rings and a Conn Smythe Trophy to back that up.
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This past season, Vasilevskiy recorded a 2.65 GAA and a .915 SV% in 60 games. For many goalies, that is a great year. For the 29-year-old, however, it felt like a bit of a disappointment. By no means was he bad, proven by his sixth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting but if he has another season like it he may see himself fall a bit on this list.
2. Igor Shesterkin
After a 2021-22 season which was one of the better we have ever seen from a goalie, Igor Shesterkin struggled at times in 2022-23. His overall numbers of a 2.48 GAA and a .916 SV% don’t look bad, but New York Rangers fans know he wasn’t nearly as consistent as he had been a season prior.
Despite a step backward last season, however, he is truly elite, and is very capable of being the best goalie in the world. He takes a lot of pride in that, as well, which would make it come as little surprise if he is able to pick up his second Vezina Trophy in 2022-23. At just 27-years-old, he should continue to be among the elite for several years to come.
1. Ilya Sorokin
Ilya Sorokin hasn’t gotten his hands on a Vezina Trophy yet, but it’s coming. Had it not been for Ullmark’s unfathomable stat line, the 28-year-old Russian would have certainly won the award, as his 2.33 GAA and .924 SV% in 62 games were more than deserving.
Had it not been for Sorokin this past season, the Islanders may very well have been a lottery team rather than one that made the playoffs. The fact he has been able to put up the numbers he has in the past few seasons behind them is phenomenal, and makes you wonder what he would be capable of if put on one with more skill.
Plenty Can Change
As is the case with lists like these, some fans will agree, and many more will disagree. There is no way of pleasing everyone when it comes to them, but they are fun to do nonetheless, and can spark some great debate between hockey fans. How accurate it is remains to be seen, but this list will be updated around the midway point of the 2023-24 season.
