My all-time favorite

Welcome to the 5th Annual Pre-season Top 30 Goaltenders List. It’s that time of year again, and after five years of putting this list together, the one thing I have learned is the value of consistency. Many a goaltender has now passed through this list with worlds of talent and bright futures’ ahead. The NHL, however, often has other ideas. The mainstays at the top are some of the most talented and hard working athletes on the planet, and it is truly a pleasure to watch them work.

This year’s list felt a little bit thinner than in seasons’ past, as performance attrition reared its ugly head on more than a few tenders this season, both vets and rookies, alike. There are a few bounce back performances and some steady steps forward, but I feel like this list has been scrambled quite a bit over last season.

Before we begin, I want to reiterate the criteria and give some remarks on a few honorable mentions. For the uninitiated, the function of this list is to advise a hypothetical “team” of my preference for pursuing a one year solution between the pipes, irrespective of age, contract status, incumbent goaltender, contention window and basically all of the other factors team’s evaluate when pursuing a goaltending solution. It’s all about the current talent level, here. Since this type of exercise is incredibly subjective feel free to disagree/ridicule me in the comments section below. Let’s start with the Honorable Mentions…

Honorable Mentions

Eddie Lack- Carolina Hurricanes (last years ranking: 19): Let’s start by acknowledging Lack’s absolutely gagbysmal season in ’15-’16. In fairness, the Hurricanes were pretty terrible, but Lack took a big step back in his first starter’s audition. I still really like the talent there, but I need to see more consistency and stability before fully buying in again.

Mike Smith- Arizona Coyotes (last year’s ranking: N/A): Smith, who missed a big chunk of this past season due to injury, had a nice bounce back campaign when he was on the ice. He is still massively overpaid for three more seasons and has ceded the starting job to Louis Domingue, but he could still be a very effective platoon option, even at age 34.

Jaroslav Halak- New York Islanders (last year’s ranking: 22): Halak has simply become too streaky for me. He puts up about league average numbers, but you never know what you are going to get on a game-by-game basis. There are just too many talented goaltenders putting up better numbers consistently.

Now, with all of the house keeping items out of the way, let’s get to goaltenders 30-21…

  1. Robin Lehner- Buffalo Sabres (last year’s ranking: 30):
buffalonews.com- Lehner

buffalonews.com- Lehner

Lehner suffered a recurring ankle injury last season that more or less derailed his entire campaign. I still believe in his talent, but if he is going to be the man in the crease for the rebuilding Sabres, this is going to be a big year for him to show that he is healthy and ready to shoulder the load.

  1. Michal Neuvirth- Philadelphia Flyers (last years ranking: n/a):

sonsofpenn.com- Neuvirth

Neuvirth reinvented himself in Philly last season, stepping into the Flyers’ crease in the playoffs and opening some eyes with his stellar play. What most did not notice is that his solid play began well before the second season started. Entering his prime years, Neuvirth has begun to show again why he was so highly touted with the Caps all those years ago.

  1. Andre Vasilevskiy- Tampa Bay Lightning (last year’s ranking: n/a):

tbo.com- Vasilevskiy

The talented Russian has had some ups and downs during his brief NHL career, but the talent is absolutely undeniable. He has been somewhat prone to soft goals, but at 21 years old, I feel very confident that once the maturity and some experience set it, he will be a top-flight goaltender in this league for years to come.

  1. Joonas Korpisalo- Columbus Blue Jackets (last year’s ranking: n/a):
todaysslapshot.com- Korpisalo

todaysslapshot.com- Korpisalo

The young Finn was thrust unto the Blue Jackets’ crease last year after a rash of injuries decimated their depth chart. Despite this less-than-ideal introduction into the league, Koorpisalo acquitted himself quite well, posting very solid rate stats and advanced metrics. Still very young, at age 22, he could allow Columbus to move on from the expensive and injury prone Sergei Bobrovsky sooner rather than later.

  1. John Gibson- Anaheim Ducks (last year’s ranking: 27):
usatoday.com- Gibson

usatoday.com- Gibson

Last year was a step forward for Gibson, despite some unspectacular production. He managed to stay healthy, and with the trade of Frederik Andersen, should be well positioned to carry the load for the Ducks in 2016-2017. Crazy to think he is still only twenty-three, after having been rushed to the show, but he is still one of the most talented young goaltenders in the game.

  1. Louis Domingue- Arizona Coyotes (last year’s ranking: n/a):

rotoprofessor.com- Domingue

Domingue may have had one of the most under-the-radar debut seasons in recent NHL memory. The twenty four year old southpaw slipped in quietly and stole the crease in Arizona to little fan-fare. Domingue is a former 5th round pick and another ECHL success story. A big, athletic tender, who is starting to put it all together should help grow with the ‘Yotes young core as they move back into contention.

  1. Pekka Rinne- Nashville Predators (last year’s ranking: 6):
todayslapshot.com- Rinne

todayslapshot.com- Rinne

Rinne takes by far the biggest tumble on this list, as both his scouting report and underlying metrics have taken a big step back as he enters his mid-30’s. Body control is very difficult for big goaltenders to begin with, but Rinne was all over the place last season. His technical discipline has evaporated and he gets caught running around and scrambling far too much these days. He still has some of the most raw talent in this league, but I fear father time is catching up to him.

  1. Ryan Miller- Vancouver Canucks (last year’s ranking: 26):

todaysslapshot.com- Miller

Speaking of father time, Ryan Miller keeps working on defying him. Despite playing behind a very deficient Canucks’ roster, Miller put up stellar numbers this past season at age thirty-five. His style should age well, as he is not overly reliant on athleticism to control the play, but he isn’t quite as dominant as he once was, either. Miller is still highly effective at this stage of his career, and will be interesting to see if he draws mid-season trade interest as he enters his walk year, if the Canucks aren’t in contention.

  1. Cam Talbot- Edmonton Oilers (last year’s ranking: 18):
usatoday.com- Talbot

usatoday.com- Talbot

Our old friend, Cam. He had a big of a rough introduction into being the starting goaltender for the defense starved Oilers, losing his job and then gaining it back, midseason. He was rewarded with a three-year extension at $4.16m (with a NMC!). I think getting his feet wet with a starter’s workload should be a big positive for Cam, and I expect the numbers will catch up (to the extent possible with Edmonton’s blue line) this season.

  1. Connor Hellebuyck- Winnipeg Jets (last year’s ranking: n/a):
millcitysports.com- Hellebuyck

millcitysports.com- Hellebuyck

Hellebuyck had his first cup of coffee this season, playing twenty-six games and putting up stellar numbers. A scouting darling, the twenty-three year old Michigan native has all the size, athleticism, positional instincts and poise you could ever hope for. He is on a trajectory to be a star for the Jets, sooner rather than later. Look for him to step into the number one job this season, if the Jets can figure out how to rid themselves of Ondrej Pavelec, who in entering the last season on his contract.

That’s it for the first installment. Stayed tuned over the next few weeks for the rest of the list. Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any other thoughts in the comments below. Have a great week, everyone.

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