Unveiling the Top 10 Best and Worst Performing NHL Goalies This Year

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Hunter Bowman
December 30, 2023 (4:40 PM)

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Goaltending has been a major talking point in the NHL this season, with several teams facing challenges. Notable demotions, like those of Jack Campbell from the Edmonton Oilers and Antti Raanta from the Carolina Hurricanes, have stirred discussions about potential moves and trades.

In a refreshing twist, unexpected names have emerged as top performers. Recently, JFreshHockey gathered data from TopDownHockey to highlight the 10 best goalies this season, using the goals saved above expected metric. This advanced stat compares a goalie's performance to the league average, factoring in shot quality.

Surprisingly, Connor Ingram of the Arizona Coyotes leads the list with a +13.0 goals saved above expected. Following closely are Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks (+12.3), Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins (+11.7), Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights (+10.7), and Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins (+10.4).

However, not all goaltenders have fared well. Using the same metric, the list of the 10 worst goalies this season reveals some surprising names.

At the bottom sits Toronto Maple Leafs Ilya Samsonov with a staggering -16.1 goals saved above expected, making him the least effective goalie in the league. Even Antti Raanta, demoted to the AHL, holds second place with a goals saved above expected of -12.7.

Completing the bottom 5 are Vitek Vanecek of the New Jersey Devils (-11.5), Joonas Korpisalo of the Ottawa Senators (-11.1), and Arvid Soderblom of the Chicago Blackhawks (-10.8).

Source: Hockeyfeed