Having a good goaltender will always be important for a hockey team.
• Also read: The CH agrees with Jake Allen on two more years
• Also read: 50 years of Nordics: Friends for life
• Also read: Hockey School and Country Club
And it’s a similar story for those hoping to win their pool, depending on the format.
However, the safe bets on the net in the NHL are not so numerous, some teams sometimes have two goalies sharing the task.
Andrei Vasilevskiy—Tampa Bay Lightning
Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy is an excellent candidate to achieve 30-40 wins per season or even more. Even in 2020-2021, when he’d only played 42 games with Lightning, he’d managed to hold a record of 31-10-1 while also signing an additional five shutouts. Last year, when the NHL returned to an 82-game regular schedule, Vasilevskiy had 39 wins. At 28, he still has many good years ahead of him.
Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers
Rangers goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin, who won the Vézina Trophy at the end of last season, has established himself as one of the best in his field. In 53 games last season, he had a 36-13-4 record, along with 2.07 goals against average and 0.935 percent saves. Shersterkin also did well in the playoffs, leading the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Juuse Saros – Nashville Predators
Finland’s Juuse Saros has not disappointed in Nashville since replacing compatriot Pekka Rinne as the Predators’ number one goaltender. Saros, 27, played in 67 games last season, an NHL-high. He also signed 38 wins for his team.
Award:
Jacob Markstrom – Calgary Flames
Even Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom can be worth his weight in gold in a hockey pool. Not only is he part of a good team in Calgary, but he led the NHL in shutouts with nine last season. He had also started the 2021-2022 season with three shutouts in his first six games.