Welcome back to the final of our four positional rankings at the midseason mark of the 2022–23 NHL season. Today we will be looking at goaltending tandems around the NHL. We did the same thing before the season started, so we can see which teams have moved up, down, or stayed the same as our preseason ranking. Goaltending is voodoo as they say, so it’s always the toughest position to rank. But we will do our best.
If you missed our previous three midseason rankings, you can catch up with the links provided below:
- 2022–23 midseason NHL centre depth rankings
- 2022–23 midseason NHL winger depth rankings
- 2022–23 midseason NHL defensive depth rankings
We will be followed our goaltending rankings with our consolidated rankings of all four major positions. So make sure to keep an eye out for that in the next couple days!
Now, let’s focus on goaltending, which has definitely seen things change from our preseason rankings. Let’s start off with the shared number one, the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning:
#1A: New York Rangers (-)
Tandem: Igor Shesterkin, Jaroslav Halak
Call me chicken, but I still won’t give a clear number one or number two between Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy. I have the Rangers listed as the 1A, but that’s really only because I have Shesterkin in fantasy and he’s carrying my team. Shesterkin ranks top ten in SV%, GAA, GSAx, and is just a total stud.
#1B: Tampa Bay Lightning (-)
Tandem: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Brian Elliott
As mentioned above, you can easily put the Lightning at number one and I won’t fight you. Vasilevskiy also ranks top ten in SV%, GAA, and GSAx. There’s a reason the Lightning have been to the finals in three straight years.
#3: New York Islanders (-)
Tandem: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov
Sorokin follows Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy as the third Russian goalie on this list. Crazy to think they would have these three as a goaltending tandem for a future Olympic games—should Russia be able to compete. Sorokin ranks fourth in SV% and GAA, and second in GSAx. He might not be behind Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy for long. Varlamov hasn’t been too shabby, either.
#4: Boston Bruins (+6)
Tandem: Linus Ullmark, Jeremy Swayman
Ullmark has been the best individual goaltender this season, no question. Ullmark is first in wins, SV%, GAA, and GSAx! Crazy. Swayman is very good as well. This tandem is the number one this season, but a half season of great results still can’t make me put them above the previous three tandems. I’m sorry, Bruins fans.
#5: Nashville Predators (-)
Tandem: Juuse Saros, Kevin Lankinen
Saros is the only reason the Predators are remotely relevant this season. He ranks third in GSAx, behind Ullmark and Sorokin. He’s got the Predators on his back, and they will go as far as he takes them. Lankinen looks much better than he did in 2021–22.
#6: Winnipeg Jets (+3)
Tandem: Connor Hellebuyck, David Rittich
Hellebuyck is a total stud, what else is there to say. He’s tied for second in SV% and shutouts, and ranks eighth in GAA, and fourth in GSAx. Like Saros, he is carrying the Jets, and they will go as far as he takes them. Rittich has been fine.
#7: Dallas Stars (+5)
Tandem: Jake Oettinger, Scott Wedgewood
As the Flames found out in last year’s playoffs, Oettinger is a total stud. He’s tied with Hellebuyck for second in SV%, third in GAA, and fifth in GSAx. Pretty incredible for a 24-year-old. Wedgewood is a perfect backup.
#8: Carolina Hurricanes (-2)
Tandem: Frederik Andersen, Antti Raanta, Pyotr Kochetkov (AHL)
If you would have told me someone named Pyotr Kochetkov would rank among the NHL goaltending’s best, I would have given you a blank stare. But, here he is, and he was fantastic before Andersen returned from injury. He’s the reason the Canes remain among the NHL’s tops, as Raanta and Andersen have both struggled a bit in the games they’ve played.
#9: Washington Capitals (+5)
Tandem: Darcy Kuemper, Charlie Lindgren
We knew Kuemper was going to be good, but its the play of Lindgren that has shot the Capitals up these rankings. Lindgren had to take over when Kuemper got injured, and helped to turn the Capitals season around. He also has a fantastic moustache. Kuemper ranks 1st in shutouts, 12th in SV% and GAA, and 13th in GSAx. Lindgren ranks 15th in GAA, 20th in SV%, and 22nd in GSAx. They are two very solid goaltenders.
#10: Toronto Maple Leafs (+12)
Tandem: Matt Murray, Ilya Samsonov, Erik Kallgren (AHL)
Take a bow, Kyle Dubas. Your goaltending tandem that everyone criticized heading into the season has worked out well. The first of two Senators blunders when it came to goaltending this offseason. Murray is 11th in GSAx, tied for 12th in SV%, and 13th in GAA. Samsonov is tied for fifth in GAA, 14th in SV%, and 16th in GSAx. Kallgren was average in the games he played when injury has struck. Will this tandem hold up?
#11: Minnesota Wild (+5)
Tandem: Marc-Andre Fleury, Filip Gustavsson
I’m bumping the Wild up the rankings, due to the incredible season Gustavsson is having. Do the Senators regret trading the 24-year-old Gustavsson for 35-year-old Talbot yet? They probably should. Gustavsson has played 17 games, and ranks second in GAA, fourth in SV%, and 10th in GSAx. Those are incredible numbers for his sample size. Fleury has been very average. The Wild are seemingly set in goal for years to come with Gustavsson and Wallstedt in the AHL.
#12: Pittsburgh Penguins (-1)
Tandem: Tristan Jarry (injured), Casey DeSmith
The Penguins stay the same, as Jarry and DeSmith have been average. Jarry ranks eighth in SV%, 23rd in GAA, and 40th in GSAx. Not terrible numbers at all. DeSmith has been an average backup and nothing more.
#13: Colorado Avalanche (+4)
Tandem: Alexandar Georgiev, Pavel Francouz
Taking a bet on Georgiev was a massive risk, but it’s paid off. He ranks 12th in GSAx, 14th in SV%, and 23rd in GAA. Those numbers are all while playing behind a very depleted Avs team that is battling the injury bug. Francouz is a perfectly fine backup.
#14: Calgary Flames (-10)
Tandem: Jacob Markstrom, Dan Vladar
This tandem should be even lower this season, based on Markstrom’s performance. I’ve kept them here because of the results we’ve seen from Markstrom in years past, demonstrating he should bounceback. Vladar has been fine, and looks to be slowly growing into a better goalie as the days go by. The team has definitely played better with Vladar in net this season.
#15: New Jersey Devils (+9)
Tandem: Vitek Vanecek, Mackenzie Blackwood, Akira Schmid (AHL)
The Devils are risers, as Vanecek has worked out perfectly. Vanecek ranks eighth in GAA, 14th in SV%, and 17th in GSAx. A huge reason to the Devils success is that they’ve finally found a goaltender that can save pucks. They will probably need an upgrade over Blackwood next year. Schmid was solid in the games he played.
#16: Florida Panthers (-9)
Tandem: Sergei Bobrovsky, Spencer Knight (injured)
The classic Bobrovsky story is unfolding. Good one season, bad the next. This year it’s bad. Knight hasn’t taken the steps he should have, after signing his big extension in the summer. Bobrovsky and Knight rank 60th and 63rd out of 83 goalies in terms of GSAx this season, respectively. A major reason why the Panthers have fallen hard this season is due to goaltending.
#17: Vancouver Canucks (-9)
Tandem: Thatcher Demko (injured), Spencer Martin, Collin Delia
This one is so difficult to rank. Demko has been injured for most of the season but didn’t play well in the action he saw. Martin has also been quite bad, but what can you expect when a guy who was virtually unknown before the season must take the reigns. Demko and Martin rank 77th and 81st out of 83 goalies in terms of GSAx, respectively. I didn’t drop this tandem further because I believe Demko can rebound, similar to Markstrom.
#18: Edmonton Oilers (-5)
Tandem: Stuart Skinner, Jack Campbell
This is a Jekyll and Hyde tandem. Skinner has been a great story, taking the reigns from the struggling Campbell and playing very well. Skinner ranks 14th in SV%, and 28th in GSAx. Very good numbers playing behind the Oilers defence. He also has a fantastic moustache. Campbell on the other end, has been one of the worst goalies this season. He ranks 78th out of 83 goalies in terms of GSAx. Not ideal for the first season of his new contract.
#19: Vegas Golden Knights (+8)
Tandem: Logan Thompson, Adin Hill
You’re probably a little surprised this tandem isn’t higher. Thompson is 18th in SV%, and 21st in GAA. Hill is 16th in GAA, and 23rd in SV%. Those are both pretty decent numbers, so why are they ranked so low? Well, in terms of GSAx, Thompson ranks 59th out of 83 goalies, while Hill ranks 68th. That tells me that the SV% and GAA numbers are a product of the Golden Knights terrific defence, and neither goalie is playing like an All-Star.
#20: Los Angeles Kings (-2)
Tandem: Jonathan Quick, Phoenix Copley, Cal Petersen (AHL)
Both Quick and Petersen have struggled mightily. Copley and his play are the only reason the Kings don’t drop further. Copley is 14th in GAA and 37th in GSAx. The Kings are very lucky Copley has come up from the AHL and been so successful, as Quick and Petersen are among the NHL’s worst.
#21: Philadelphia Flyers (+5)
Tandem: Carter Hart, Felix Sandstrom, Samuel Ersson
The Flyers are also risers, due to the season from Hart. Hart is currently 10th in GSAx, on a very poor Flyers team. He’s young and will probably only get better as the years go by. Ersson has also been very solid in the games he’s played.
#22: Ottawa Senators (-7)
Tandem: Cam Talbot, Anton Forsberg
This tandem is just very average. Talbot has not been where he should be, although he has fought injuries. Forsberg is 21st in GSAx, so there are positives to his game. But this goaltending tandem just doesn’t do it for me.
#23: Detroit Red Wings (-4)
Tandem: Ville Husso, Magnus Hellberg, Alex Nedeljkovic (AHL)
The Red Wings drop a few spots, as neither Husso or Nedeljkovic have been overly fantastic. What can you expect when you’ve been playing Ben Chiarot on your top pairing, though. Nedeljkovic has been so bad; he’s cleared waivers and been assigned to the AHL to try and fix his game. I think Husso has been just average, and Hellberg has been able to fill in as a backup when necessary.
#24: Seattle Kraken (+4)
Tandem: Martin Jones, Philipp Grubauer
The Kraken are risers due to the season Jones is having. Grubauer has rebounded from being the worst goalie in the league in 2021-22, so that’s a huge positive. But, Jones is currently third in wins, 25th in GAA, and 36th in GSAx.
#25: Arizona Coyotes (+7)
Tandem: Karel Vejmelka, Connor Ingram
The Coyotes are huge risers, due to the season from Vejmelka. He’s getting a little bit of Vezina love, because he is 8th in GSAx, on the Coyotes! The Coyotes probably want him to let in some more goals to help the tank, but Vejmelka is playing very well. Ingram hasn’t been good at all.
#26: Buffalo Sabres (+3)
Tandem: Eric Comrie, Craig Anderson, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
The Sabres jump up a few spots, due to the body of work both Anderson and Luukkonen have put up. Comrie has been below average, but Anderson ranks sixth in SV%, and 19th in GAA and GSAx. Luukkonen on the other hand ranks 23rd in GSAx in the 16 games he’s played. This group would probably rank much higher, but Comrie brings them back. The Sabres have a great one in Luukkonen.
#27: St. Louis Blues (-4)
Tandem: Jordan Binnington, Thomas Greiss
If Binnington spent more time stopping pucks and less time trying to fight guys, the Blues would be much higher. Binnington just sucks now, ranking 72nd out of 83 goalies in terms of GSAx this season. Greiss is no help, either.
#28: Montreal Canadiens (+2)
Tandem: Jake Allen, Sam Montembault
The Canadiens move up a few spots, due to the play of Montembault. Allen has been average, but Montembault ranks 16th in GSAx, and 22nd in GAA. Probably not what a rebuilding team wants to see, but a lot of positives from Montembault.
#29: Anaheim Ducks (-9)
Tandem: John Gibson, Anthony Stolarz, Lukas Dostal (AHL)
Gibson just isn’t the goalie he used to be. He’s been very bad in all statistical categories for years. Playing behind the Ducks probably hurts that a bit. Stolarz has just been below average. Dostal was a great story when filling in for injuries, and actually played above average in his seven games played.
#30: Columbus Blue Jackets (-5)
Tandem: Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo, Daniil Tarasov
This tandem is the story of Goldilocks. First, you have Merzlikins, who has been the worst goalie by any metric you look at. Then, Tarasov, who’s been just average in the games he’s played. The last porridge, Korpisalo, who has actually been very good. Korpisalo ranks as the 19th best goalie in GSAx and 24th in SV%. Pretty incredible numbers for a guy playing behind Columbus’ defence.
#31: Chicago Blackhawks (-)
Tandem: Petr Mrazek, Alex Stalock, Arvid Soderblom
This tandem is doing it’s job; tanking for Connor Bedard. The only exception is Stalock, who has actually been very solid this season, ranking eighth in SV%, 19th in GAA, and 26th in GSAx. Mrazek and Soderblom have been where they are expected to be, near the bottom. Mrazek ranks as the 80th goaltender in terms of GSAx.
#32: San Jose Sharks (-11)
Tandem: James Reimer, Kappo Kahkonen
This hurts me, because I like Reimer and he has a fantastic first name. But this is more of just how bad Kahkonen has been. He ranks 82nd out of 83 goalies in terms of GSAx. Reimer has also struggled, ranking 73rd in GSAx. That probably has something to do with the Sharks awful defence, but the goalies have been incredibly underwhelming, which drops them to last in our rankings. If the Sharks had average goaltending, they’d probably be fighting for a playoff spot, based on the seasons Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier are having.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
