The performance of hockey goalies from one season to the next is notoriously volatile and difficult to predict. That said, there are certain things that we can look at to help us guess which keepers will be the best for the upcoming season. This article will go over the goalies that I believe will be ranked 4-6 overall in the NHL this year.
4. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
Juuse Saros is an absolute beast. The Nashville Predators know this well and signed Saros to an eight-year, $61.92 million contract even though last year was a bit of a down year overall for the Finnish keeper. This is because, despite being the shortest goalie in the NHL, Saros stands tall and even stands on his head when needed. For three years in a row, Saros has started the most games of any goalie, and for two years, he has had the most saves in the league. But it isn’t just the workload that makes him a standout. Saros’s .917 career save percentage puts him in elite company with the likes of Carey Price, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and the aforementioned Connor Hellebuyck. Now, he will have the pleasure of playing behind a significantly improved Nashville squad, who have made exciting additions both offensively and defensively in the offseason. This could be a team that competes for the Stanley Cup this year, and Saros has what it takes to carry them there on his back.
5. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
While last year was a down year for Andrei Vasilevskiy, he is still in the top five in the NHL in both wins and save percentage among goalies who have started at least 400 games over the past decade. Vasy’s subpar performance last season may have had to do with the back surgery he had just before the season’s beginning. His recovery held him out for the first two months, which means he likely did not have much of a chance to ramp up before getting thrown back into the fray. If Vasilevsky is back to full health, there is a strong likelihood that we see a bounceback season from him in 2024-25, as he is too good of a netminder to keep underperforming for long.
SUNRISE, FL – APRIL 21: Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning warms up prior to the game against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Amerant Bank Arena on April 21, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
6. Jacob Markstrom, New Jersey Devils
After being the primary netminder for the Calgary Flames for the past four years, Markstrom has a new home in New Jersey. This is a welcome change for both sides, as the Devils have been searching for a rock-in-the-net to build around, and Markstrom was sick of dealing with Calgary’s management and ready to move on. The Swedish Meat Wall will be looking to do just that this year for a Devils team with an improved defense after an active offseason. While he hasn’t played particularly well over the past two years, Markstrom had a phenomenal season as recently as 2021-22 when he had 37 wins and an awesome .922 save percentage over 63 starts. Although this was undoubtedly a career year for him and looked like an outlier compared to the vast majority of his other seasons, it at least shows that he is capable of that kind of ceiling as a team’s primary goalie. I suspect that Markstrom will play inspired this year, relishing this chance for a fresh start and capitalizing on it for a team that is also looking forward and moving upwards.