Ranking every starting goalie in the NHL

The usual suspects at the top are mostly the same, but one man takes the No. 1 spot for the first time. Is it the obvious choice, or did someone else steal his thunder?

Darling was terrible last year. There's no nice way to say it. After three solid years as a backup in Chicago, he flopped big time in Carolina, posting a truly awful .888 save percentage. The Hurricanes are counting on him to be much, much better, and if he's not, they're in trouble. Darling belongs last on the list by merit. But admittedly, he has a better chance of bouncing back with a good season than several of the players listed immediately in front of him. Until he does, though, it's the cellar.

Fun fact! Carter Hutton led the league in save percentage last year, posting a .931 mark. "But Chris," you say, "if that is the case, why is he second-to-last on this list?" Glad you asked. Hutton is a career journeyman, will be 33 early this season, and he only put up average numbers on defensive-minded Nashville and St. Louis teams until last year's breakout, which covered only 32 games. Buffalo is taking a major risk with Hutton, and while stranger things have happened, his replicating last year's numbers would be up there.

Howard was pretty mediocre last year for a Red Wings team that needed him to be great. At 34, it's fair to wonder if his best days are behind him, and even if they aren't, how good he can actually be. A .910 save percentage last season does not do much to inspire confidence. The Wings are rebuilding, and Howard fits the mold of the type of goalie you'd trot out 55-60 times if your team were in that same scenario.

As recently as 2016-17, Anderson was posting very good numbers and backstopping a stingy Sens team all the way to within a game of the Stanley Cup Final. Mirroring the team and franchise, the bottom fell out for Anderson last season. His save percentage dropped all the way to .898, and the Sens dealt away superstar Erik Karlsson after an offseason filled with internal turmoil. At 37, and without much help around him, it might be asking too much to expect a big rebound from Anderson this season.

Crawford is presumably the Blackhawks' starting goalie, and if everything was normal with his health, he'd be much higher up on this list. There are questions, however, about how right he is after dealing with significant concussion issues last season. You don't want to put a guy near the bottom of the heap for injury reasons, especially when something as sensitive and nebulous as concussions have proved to be, but until Crawford can demonstrate his durability while flashing his old form, he's got to be placed near the bottom of the league.

Flyers fans are just waiting for Carter Hart to be ready. Elliott has some superb seasons on his resume, including two separate ones when he led the league in save percentage, including a stunning .940 in 2011-12. However, that year was spent in the defensive cocoon concocted by Ken Hitchcock in St. Louis. Elliott's real level is much lower, judging by the majority of the rest of his seasons, a few of which saw him post save percentages around or below .900.

The Canucks are rebuilding, and Markstrom is about as average of a goalie as there could be for such a situation. None of his numbers really jumps out, and a weaker Vancouver team around him means that he might find himself on the wrong end of a lot of losses. The Sedin twins' retirement at least means that if things get ugly, Markstrom will be toiling in relative anonymity.

The book on Talbot comes down to one word: workload. Talbot started 73 games two years ago and 67 last season, and his numbers dropped across the board. Edmonton was much worse last year for a variety of reasons, and Talbot was one of them. He seems like a classic case of less is more — one imagines that his stats would improve if he wasn't playing virtually every night. 

The Sabres parted ways with Lehner, and he found his way to the Islanders, but Isles fans can't be too excited about Lehner or his backup, Thomas Greiss. Lehner has put up decent numbers in his past, but New York doesn't have John Tavares anymore, and Lehner doesn't profile as a major difference-maker who can put the team on his back.

This feels like the perfect picture to use for Smith, as it shows him jousting with tough guy Milan Lucic. Smith is one of the league's feistiest goalies, never afraid to mix it up, and while his stats haven't been great outside of his career year for the Coyotes in 2011-12, he's been relatively consistent since. He's getting into his late 30s, so this might well be his last chance to capture lightning in a bottle.

Lundqvist has been arguably the most famous goalie in the game for the better part of a decade, if not longer. But he can no longer be considered a top netminder on reputation alone. Lundqvist is coming off two straight seasons with a save percentage below .920, and at 36 years old, with his 37th birthday approaching, in March, it seems a safe bet that King Henrik's best days are behind him. 

Schneider's first three seasons in Newark? Very good. Schneider's last two seasons in Newark? Not great! He's in his early 30s, so there's still time left in his "prime" window, but one wonders if he's going to regain his form. New Jersey could certainly use great play from him, as it was mostly the Taylor Hall Show last season.

This probably strikes people as too high for Allen, who is too "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for many people. Having that kind of reputation at a position known for volatility means that Allen truly is a roller coaster ride between the pipes. Allen, entering his age-28 season, could be in make-or-break mode as far as being looked at as a true franchise goalie.

Playing goalie for the run-and-gun Stars is a tall task, but at 6-foot-7 Bishop might be the guy to handle it. Ken Hitchcock turned Dallas into more of a defensive club last year, but no one knows what new head coach, Jim Montgomery, will bring to the table. If Bishop can return to his prime form from his Tampa Bay days, Dallas might find itself back in the playoffs.

Luongo, at 38, is still kicking and still stands as the Panthers' starter. He was excellent last year, posting a .929 save percentage in 35 games. That earned him a ninth-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting, but it wasn't enough to get Florida to the playoffs. If Luongo has another great year, the Panthers might take the next step forward, and he'll cement himself as an ageless wonder.

Want a true dark horse Vezina candidate? It might be Raanta, who posted a .930 save percentage last year for a truly bad and offensively challenged Coyotes team. If Arizona is any better overall, Raanta's job might get easier and his stats even more impressive. If the Coyotes surprise anyone and Raanta does win the Vezina, you heard it here first. Unless, of course, someone else you know already predicted this.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Jones' playoff numbers are clearly superior to his regular-season stats. He raises his game when the stakes go up, which is clearly a feather in his cap. Perhaps it's a case of East Coast bias, but Jones isn't really much of a household name for many hockey fans. Yet he's still a solid talent.

Varlamov recovered from a terrible 2016-17 season to post a .920 save percentage for the Avs last year. That is much more in line with his career numbers, but it might not be enough to save his starting job, as Philipp Grubauer was acquired via trade with Washington this off-season and might well end up taking the job from Varlamov. For now, we'll put him here, which is actually a pretty ringing endorsement of Colorado's goaltending situation.

Dubnyk's numbers have been remarkably similar for all three of his full seasons in Minnesota. There is an argument to be made that he is the most important factor for the Wild, and there's a case to be made that Dubnyk should be higher on this list. But his playoff numbers are underwhelming. If he gets the Wild to the postseason and they make a deep run, you'll suddenly be hearing a lot more about him.

Andersen is like so many guys in the middle of this list, insofar as he could move several spots in either direction based on how he does this year. John Tavares' presence is going to raise expectations through the roof in Toronto, and the Leafs' array of offensive weapons will both put more pressure on Andersen and make his job tougher. If he's up to the task, Leafs fans might end up being very happy come mid-June. One thing to watch is whether or not Andersen suffers any ill effects from playing 66 regular-season games last year.

Rinne's story could be the same as Bobrovsky's, just with more playoff success. He had a strong campaign last year but was powerless to stem the Winnipeg offensive tide, as the Predators were bounced by the Jets in a thoroughly entertaining series. Rinne is reliable year in, year out, but it's fair to look at his age and relative lack of postseason success and put him a notch below the league's elite.

There's no question that Rask is one of the league's steadiest goalies consistently each year, and in any given stretch, he could get red-hot and play at a level few others can attain. Boston has pivoted to a more offensive-minded style in recent years, and while its goals-against numbers were gaudy last year, its defensive reputation isn't quite what it was at the beginning of the decade. That makes things a little tougher for Rask, but he's still one of the league's best in net.

Some would say that this is criminally low for Bobrovsky. They'll point to his gaudy regular-season numbers and his two Vezina Trophies and tell you that judging a man by his playoff performances is unfair. But, those playoff flameouts are just too awful to look past. A career .898 playoff save percentage plus a reputation for spectacular meltdowns when the bright lights are shining knocks Bobrovsky down several notches.

Gibson had the most impressive combination of games played and save percentage in 2017-18, proving himself as a reliable workhorse for Anaheim. He started 60 games and posted a .926 save percentage and seems to have solidified the position for the Ducks. If you're looking for a non-household name to make a big move and gain more attention this year, Gibson might be the guy.

Hellebuyck is the big riser on this list. There were plenty of justified questions about him heading into last season, but he silenced doubters by leading the league in games played and wins, and more importantly, he did it all with an impressive .924 save percentage. The Jets were a go-go-go offensive team, which makes Hellebuyck's strong numbers all the more impressive. Another big year could vault him near the top of the heap and the Jets to untold heights.

Price is normally a fixture in the top five of any goalie list, but a career-worst .900 save percentage last year knocks him out of that rarefied air this year. The Habs seem like they'll be kind of a mess this season, and if Price has another subpar year, he could find himself sliding further down. If, on the other hand, he carries Montreal to a respectable campaign, he could have a case for the top spot.

Though the Kings haven't won a Stanley Cup in several years, and Quick's 2016-17 season was plagued by injury, he remains one of the league's elite goalies. He is more than a product of a heavy-hitting, traditionally defensive system in Los Angeles and is one of the league's most technically sound and steady players between the pipes. The Kings are always a threat so long as Quick is healthy. If he backstops another Stanley Cup run, his legacy as one of the best of his generation will be cemented.

Murray didn't win a third Stanley Cup, so his season was a huge disappointment in many ways. While such a proclamation is obviously facetious, things were getting to the point where many Penguins fans just assumed Murray would find a way to raise his game in the playoffs and carry the Pens to victories. The magic finally faded, but Pittsburgh is left with one of the league's elite young goalies with a high ceiling and only some injury worries as the only major question dogging him.

The Golden Knights' Cinderella season was largely due to Fleury's stunning play. His .927 save percentage was the best of his career, and he matched that number in the playoffs, with four shutouts to boot. He fell off at the tail end of the postseason, but getting an expansion team to within three wins of a Stanley Cup is enough to vault Fleury from the middle of the pack to right near the top. The question now is whether the encore will be just as good.

Vasilevskiy has twice been on the precipice of the Stanley Cup Final and twice been denied by a red-hot opponent: Matt Murray in 2016 and Braden Holtby in 2018. Had the Lightning finished off the Capitals this past season, Vasilevskiy likely would have made it to the top of the heap. His youth, obvious skill and experience in pressure situations (a .919 post-season save percentage) makes him a likely Vezina Trophy candidate for the foreseeable future.

Finally, it's Braden Holtby's time. It's hard to believe that a guy who lost his net midway through the season could top this list a few months later. But playing the role of hero riding to the rescue suited Holtby well. Once he took over against the Blue Jackets, Holtby never looked back, downing Columbus, finally vanquishing the Penguins and then guiding the Capitals past Tampa Bay and Vegas to lead the franchise to its first Stanley Cup. Now that he's put previous playoff failures behind him, the sky is the limit for Holtby.