Sports Betting

All 32 NHL Teams Ranked by Goaltending: 2025/2026 Season

Goaltending wins games. It also wins bets — if you know what you're looking at. Backing a team with a shaky starter is one of the fastest ways to burn your bankroll. A team can have a top-five offense and still lose three in a row when their goalie is letting in soft goals. That's why understanding where each team stands between the pipes matters before you place anything. This ranking covers all 32 NHL teams by goaltending strength for the 2025/2026 season. It factors in starter quality, backup depth, save percentage trends, and how much each netminder actually impacts betting outcomes.

March 26, 2026

Who Has the Best Goaltending in the NHL Right Now?

The top tier is small for a reason. Truly elite goaltending is rare, and when you find it, it changes how you bet those teams entirely.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets — Back-to-back Vezina winner and still the best in the league by most metrics. Winnipeg games are almost always worth a look on the moneyline when he starts.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning — Aging slightly but still elite when healthy. One of the best big-game goalies in recent NHL history. Tampa's playoff betting value starts and ends with him.
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators — Consistently among the league's best save percentage leaders. Nashville's team in front of him isn't great, which makes him a value play on underdogs.
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins — Took over as Boston's starter and hasn't looked back. Strong positional goalie, excellent in low-event games. Great for under bettors.
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars — Elite when healthy. Dallas leans on him hard, and he delivers. Watch injury reports carefully because the Stars' odds shift noticeably when he's out.

Which Teams Have Solid but Not Elite Goaltending?

These goalies are good enough to win games but won't carry a bad team on their own. Reliable, with some variance baked in.

Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders — One of the most underrated starters in the league. Keeps the Islanders competitive in games they have no business being in. Good value on Islanders moneyline underdogs.
Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks — Injury-prone but elite talent when available. Vancouver's betting value drops significantly without him. Always check the starting goalie before betting Canucks.
Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes — When healthy, he's a top-10 starter. When hurt, Carolina's numbers fall off. Depth matters here.
Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights — Stepped up huge in the 2023 playoffs and held his spot. Solid performer in a defensive system that makes his job easier.
Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado Avalanche — Serviceable but inconsistent. Colorado's offense covers for him, which matters when betting totals.
Spencer Knight / Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers — Bobrovsky is the veteran anchor, Knight is developing. The split makes Florida's goaltending harder to predict. Bobrovsky can be brilliant or leaky depending on the stretch.

Want to see how the latest predictions stack up against the market? Check the Live Odds on Shurzy to track real-time lines, futures, and betting movement across the biggest leagues.

Which Teams Are in the Middle of the Pack?

These starters are fine. They won't lose you games on their own, but they're not winning them either. Bet based on matchup, not goaltending.

Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators — Former Vezina winner who had a rough 2024/25. Still capable of elite stretches, but the consistency isn't there right now.
Tristan Jarry / Alex Nedeljkovic, Pittsburgh Penguins — Both have had their moments, neither has locked down the job. Pittsburgh's goaltending situation is murky, which makes them tough to trust in close spots.
Cam Talbot / Joel Hofer, St. Louis Blues — Veteran depth with question marks. Joel Hofer is the interesting piece — young, athletic, worth watching as a breakout candidate.
Ville Husso / James Reimer, Detroit Red Wings — Neither instills massive confidence. Detroit's rebuild means this position likely won't be settled for another season or two.
Pyotr Kochetkov, Carolina Hurricanes — The backup stepping in when Andersen is hurt. Not bad, but a clear downgrade. Carolina's odds shift accordingly.
Philipp Grubauer, Seattle Kraken — Has never quite recaptured his Colorado form. Seattle games tend to be lower-scoring, which helps mask some of the inconsistency.

Which Teams Have Goaltending Concerns Worth Knowing?

These teams have real questions in goal. They can still win games, but the goaltending is a liability you need to price into every bet.

Stuart Skinner / Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers — This is the Oilers' Achilles heel. The offense is elite, but Skinner has been inconsistent. Edmonton moneyline bets carry more variance than the odds suggest.
Petr Mrazek, Chicago Blackhawks — Veteran presence on a rebuilding team. The Blackhawks are a long way from competing, and their goaltending reflects that.
Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks — Young and developing. Anaheim is rebuilding, and Dostal is part of that project. Backing Ducks as favorites is generally a hard sell.
Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames — Highly touted prospect making his push for the starting job. Exciting long-term, but raw right now. Calgary bettors need to watch his development closely.
Kaapo Kahkonen / others, San Jose Sharks — San Jose is near the bottom of the league in most metrics. Their goaltending situation matches the overall rebuild. Sharks games can produce big totals because of it.

Which Teams Have the Weakest Goaltending in the League?

These teams have significant goaltending liabilities right now. That doesn't mean you can't profit — just means you need to know what you're getting into.

Ilya Samsonov / others, Toronto Maple Leafs — Toronto's goaltending question has been a running theme for years. They've struggled to find a reliable long-term starter, and it keeps showing up at the worst moments.
Samuel Montembeault, Montreal Canadiens — Has been solid given his situation, but Montreal is still rebuilding. He's carrying a young team and the numbers show it.
Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres — Highly promising young netminder on a team that hasn't made the playoffs in over a decade. Elite potential, limited support.
Daniil Tarasov / Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets — Columbus is in full rebuild mode. Tarasov has shown flashes, but neither option is a betting confidence play.
Connor Ingram, Utah Mammoth — The newest franchise in the league is still figuring things out. Ingram is a capable NHL starter, but Utah's overall roster needs time to develop around him.
Samuel Ersson, Philadelphia Flyers — The Flyers' goaltending has been unsettled for a few seasons. Ersson has taken on a larger role, but this is still a patchwork situation on a team fighting for relevance.
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers — Shesterkin remains elite in terms of raw talent, but his contract situation and the team's overall transition make this a position to monitor closely heading into the season.

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How to Use Goaltending Rankings When Betting

Knowing who's starting is step one. Knowing what that means for your bet is the actual edge.

Here's how to apply this:

Moneyline bets — Tier 1 goalies cover for weaker rosters. A Hellebuyck or Saros start makes their team a stronger pick than the odds sometimes reflect.
Puck line bets — Avoid laying -1.5 goals with Tier 4 or 5 goalies. The variance is too high. Tier 1 and 2 teams covering a puck line still need more than just a good goalie — check the offense too.
Totals betting — Tier 1 goalies push games toward the under. Tier 5 situations often produce higher-scoring games. Factor in both goalies before betting a total.
Live betting — If a Tier 1 starter gives up an early soft goal, the market tends to overreact. The team's odds to win still improve in many cases because of who's in net.
Check the starter every game — Goalie confirmations usually come out 1 to 2 hours before puck drop. Never bet a goalie-sensitive line without confirming who's actually starting.

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