Pool hockey season is upon us and while productive forwards are attractive, the importance of a good goaltender cannot be overlooked.
There is no shortage of good goaltenders in the National Hockey League (NHL), but a pool needs a player who can win and play on a good team.
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Here are six you should access as soon as possible:
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Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado Avalanche
In his first season as number 1 goalkeeper, Alexandar Georgiev showed that he could play around sixty games without much difficulty. He tied for the top of the win column with 40 wins and maintained a very good save percentage of .919.
There have been few changes ahead of the Bulgarian and with good defenders like Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews, the Avalanche are giving Georgiev all the tools he needs to be successful. He is also expected to inherit a significant workload as his assistant Pavel Francouz will miss the start of the season. A replacement like Jaroslav Halak, who is part of the rumors, should only take a few games away from him.
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Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
In fact, Georgiev and Halak are Igor Shesterkin’s two youngest understudies in the Big Apple. The Russian has established himself as one of the best in his field for two seasons. He achieved a total of 36 and 37 victories and won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-2022.
The Rangers have ambition again this season and most of their best players are in their prime. The aging Jonathan Quick will be Shesterkin’s sidekick in front of the net and, again, we shouldn’t expect him to steal minutes.
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Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Even though he didn’t have his best season last year, especially in the playoffs, Andrei Vasilevskiy remains one of the most consistent masked players in the National League. He has achieved at least 30 wins in the last six years and his save percentage has always remained above .915 during that time.
While it may seem a little less solid than before, the Lightning will not be overwhelmed in 2023-2024 and several young attackers could emerge. If things don’t go well, Vasilevskiy can take several wins on his own.
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Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
It’s impossible not to include the most recent Vezina Trophy winner on this list. Linus Ullmark surprised everyone with his 40-6-1 record, .938 save percentage and 1.89 goals against average. The 30-year-old goalkeeper was simply phenomenal.
However, many expect a regression for the Bruins after having nothing less than the best regular season in history. The loss of players like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci could occur and Ullmark is constantly being upstaged by the dashing Jeremy Swayman. The young man has ambitions and could share tasks with the Swede like last year.
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Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
How far will Jake Oettinger go? Despite his 24 years, the American is already a mainstay among the stars and continues to gain experience. His record of 37-11-11 in 2022-2023 was already impressive and he should add more as the team in front of him will still be impressive.
No. 2 goalie Scott Wedgewood was injured last year, forcing Oettinger to take on more responsibility. As he returns to form, we should expect the youngster’s playing time to decrease, but his efficiency and goals allowed average could improve.
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Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
It’s natural to wonder if Connor Hellebuyck will focus entirely on the Jets after the departure rumors that surfaced during the offseason. The Michigan native, like Vasilevskiy, is one of the most consistent goaltenders on the Bettman scene and has just earned 37 wins, his second-highest total of his career.
Even though they lost Pierre-Luc Dubois, things should be exciting for the Jets in 2023/24. Hellebuyck will certainly be looking to impress as he is in the final season of his six-year contract.
Honorable Mentions: Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators), Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders), Vitek Vanecek (New Jersey Devils).