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theatlantic.com

Welcome to the second installment of the 4th Annual Top 30 Goaltenders List! This time around we will be ranking goaltenders 20-11. In case you missed it, the 30-21 bracket, in addition to all this year’s housekeeping considerations can be found right here. Since that all that good stuff was covered in the first post, let’s jump right in…

  1. Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg Jets. Last Year’s Ranking: N/R
Pavelec

Pavelec

  • Let’s start off with the one I know just I will get burned on for next year. Pavelec’s physical gifts are undeniable. He has a tremendous amount of talent and athleticism. His work ethic and hockey IQ are, let’s say suspect. He seemingly turned a corner this year in the latter part, after losing his starting job to Michael Hutchinson at the beginning of the season. Let’s see how long it lasts, but when he is on, his talent deserves top-20 status.
  1. Eddie Lack, Carolina Hurricanes. Last Year’s Ranking: N/R
Lack

Lack

  • There are few more likeable players in the NHL than Eddie Lack. His long distance bromance with Roberto Luongo is the stuff of legend. On the actual playing side, Lack is a classic late blooming, large goaltender. The 6’5” Swede had his breakout year at age 27 and was shipped to the Carolina Hurricanes at the Draft for two 3rd round picks. He will be a very good goalie on a very bad team.
  1. Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers. Last Year’s Ranking: N/R
Talbot

Talbot

  • This is the ranking that I’m sure Rangers fans have been the most curious about. I still have some long-term consistency issues with Talbot’s ultimate upside as a starter, but his tangible changes in technique and execution have me very bullish on his chances to stick as a full-time goaltender. I don’t think his upside is the .941 sv% guy we saw in New York, but I think his floor is fairly high. He should provide some much needed stability to a (still!) rebuilding Edmonton club.
  1. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild. Last Year’s Ranking: N/R

Dubnyk

  • This time last season, Dubnyk had basically played himself out of the NHL. I liked his upside as he developed in Edmonton, but seemingly fell off a cliff. Apparently, Dubnyk began to experiment with a new puck-tracking system and it paid off massively. Upon his trade to Minnesota, he ran off a truly Vezina-worth half a season for the Wild. They generously rewarded him with a 6-year deal. Risky move, but it will be fascinating to see how it plays out.
  1. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins. Last Year’s Ranking: 26
Fleury

Fleury

  • After years of post-season struggles and inconsistency plague the former number one overall pick, possibly interim GM Jim Rutherford rewarded Fleury with a shiny new 4-year contract. It was curious, to say the least. Fleury, however, responded with the best statistical season he has ever put up. He was solid if unspectacular in the playoffs and has seemingly settled in. The Penguins had several problem areas last season, but Fleury was not one of them.
  1. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets Last Year’s Ranking: 12
Bobrovsky

Bobrovsky

  • After a Vezina-winning, Lock-out shortened season, Bobrovsky has settled in with the Jackets as a slightly above average starter with some consistency issues. His tendency to wander and overplay his angles has long-plagued his upside, but as we have seen, he can be absolutely lights-out in short spurts. He is the type of guy that could win a playoff series or two all on his own. He just has to get you there first.
  1. Steve Mason, Philadelphia Flyers. Last Year’s Ranking: 20
Mason

Mason

  • Outside of Jake Vorecek, Mason was far and away the Flyers’ best player last season. Tasked with supporting a ridiculously over-paid and under-performing blue line, Mason delivered the best statistical season of his career. At age-27, he should be entering his prime and the Flyers will be all the more relevant because of it.
  1. Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs. Last Year’s Ranking: 15
Bernier

Bernier

  • Bernier is a tricky ranking for me. He still has all the talent in the world and is getting into his prime years. On the other hand, the Leafs are an absolute tire fire and it’s extremely difficult to see how a goaltender is actually performing under those conditions. Bernier just signed a two-year deal in Toronto, but something tells me he will be begging to leave when that term is up, unless something changes drastically.
  1. Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings. Last Year’s Ranking: 5
Howard

Howard

  • Everyone talks about what a brutal year Howard had, however his year was not all that statistically dissimilar to his 2014-2015 campaign. He lost the confidence of coach Mike Babcock, but still delivered passable numbers. I think Howard should rebound for next year, as motivation not to lose his job to the very talented Petr Mrazek becomes the focus. Howard slipped a big in my rankings due to last season’s performance inconsistencies, but he has a track record of quality play that makes it very difficult to give up on him.
  1. Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning. Last Year’s Ranking: 8
Bishop

Bishop

  • Bishop’s performance slipped a bit from last year and he found his first taste of playoff action a bit challenging. All is to be expecting from a late bloomer learning the ropes of backstopping a contender. Bishop is still one of the most talented goaltenders in the league based on physical tools alone. I think he should begin to focus more on the mobility side of his game as the league gets faster and he gets a little older. With Andre Vasilevskeiy waiting in the wings, I wonder is Bishop will get a little long in the tooth quicker than he would like…

That does it for our middle section. Make sure to stop by next week to see the epic conclusion of this year’s edition. Make sure to drop your opinions of the rankings in the comments below!

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