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NHL goalie confidence meter, 2022-23: Our early season ratings for all 32 teams

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Two weeks into the 2022/23 NHL season, the goaltending fires have already been blazing in high expectations markets.

Toronto Matt Murray’s injury has thrust Ilya Samsonovto play a larger role than the Maple Leafs imagined. Colorado is the reigning champion AvalancheThey are adapting to a new, unknown No. 1 Alexandar GeorgievHowever, mixed results were achieved. In Minnesota, Marc-Andre FleurySet alarm bells off as soon as you can WildThey gave up 20 goals in their first three games. This was the highest total for the season. NHLIn 33 years.

Which teams panic? Which team feels like they have the edge in net? Which are still trying to figure what they have

The Athletic asked its writers for a way-too-early confidence reading on each team’s goaltending. Here’s what they said, on a scale from 5 (Vezina caliber) to 1 (AHL quality).

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

These are the early numbers John Gibson Anthony Stolarz aren’t eye-popping this season, but it’s been more a function of Anaheim’s decidedly leaky play in front of them than a function of bad goaltending. The Ducks made a significant step forward in their holding efforts on Thursday. BostonGibson stopped 35 of 36 shots, and Gibson scored only one goal in 65 minutes. Gibson and Stolarz should see an improvement in forwards and defensemen at Anaheim. — Eric Stephens

Rating: 2 – It can be a bit sieve-like

Most nights, for the Coyotes to have any chance to win, they need their goaltender to be their best player, because they don’t have any elite offensive or defensive difference-makers to fall back on. Karel VejmelkaThey received the help they needed last year, and he is ready to do it again this year. He is used to seeing high shot volumes and endless Grade-A chances. Back-up Connor IngramHe is still unknown, he was only so-so in the debut. — Eric Duhatschek

Boston Bruins

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

Is there a category for 3.5? Linus UllmarkHe has been excellent after three starts. He’s at a .938 all-situations save percentage and 2.0 goals saved above expected, per Moneypuck. He’s been far sharper at the start of this season than 2021-22, when he was transitioning from Buffalo. Conversely, Jeremy SwaymanThere is still work to be done (.816 saving percentage, 3.6 more goals saved than expected). He’s been leaky over two starts. He didn’t have a sharp preseason either. — Fluto Shinzawa

Buffalo Sabres

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Goaltending has been a big reason for the Sabres’ early success. Craig AndersonHe was strong in Game 1 and helped to win against the Senators. And Eric ComrieSince then, has had back-to–back 40-save attempts in wins over Edmonton Calgary. Buffalo has a five on five save percentage of.950 which is close to the top of league. Goaltending has been a strength. — Matthew Fairburn

Calgary Flames

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

This is a tough one, because we’re talking about a goalie in Jacob Markstrom who finished second in Vezina voting last year, but two weeks into this season, he hasn’t looked all that sharp. The Flames have yet not seen him at his best. He was sick in the first week, then he scored three goals in 12 shots against Buffalo. On Thursday, he was pulled for Dan Vladar. Markstrom has allowed 8 goals against him in his three starts. He has also allowed almost two goals (1.71) less than expected. He has a minus-2.33 goals-saved-above-average rate. It’s not great and certainly not what we are used to. Vladar is currently enjoying a win against the Oilers. He will reportedly be used once per week to keep him fresh. The team offered Vladar a two year contract extension through 2025 in a gesture of faith. The Flames are still 3-1 to begin the season and Markstrom has enough track record to make us believe he will be fine. He then went on to record four shutouts in his seven subsequent starts. I think we will go with No. 3. Check back in a few more weeks! — Hailey Salvian & Julian McKenzie

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

The Hurricanes were able to score only one goal in their first three games. They also received solid performances from both ends of the net. Frederik Andersen Antti Raanta. Thursday’s game in Edmonton showed a bit more vulnerability — Andersen had a turnover that led to an open-net goal and failed to make stops in a couple of key moments in a 6-4 loss. Still, Andersen has been reliable and unflappable since coming to Carolina, and Raanta has to be considered one of hockey’s top No. 2 goalies. There are concerns about durability, but Pyotr Kochetkov is a top-flight prospect. — Cory Lavalette

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Given their recent injury/health history, the Blackhawks’ goaltending duo of Petr Mrazek Alex StalockThere were many questions about them when they came to this season. Mrazek leaving Friday’s win over the Red WingsWhile the injury may have raised some concerns, the duo’s play on ice has so far answered all of them. Stalock and Mrazek were among the top 20 league goalies in terms of goals saved above the average. Stalock also stopped 10 out of 10 shots that he faced against Detroit. We’ll see how that unfolds over time, but it’s a solid start. — Scott Powers

Colorado Avalanche

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

Alexandar Georgiev has been better than his .893 save percentage suggests — the Avalanche’s struggling penalty kill has done him no favors — but he’s still unproven as a starter. Pavel FrancouzHe has proven himself to be a reliable No. He is coming off a season that saw him win six playoff games, including four of the Western Conference finals. — Peter Baugh

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

It was a difficult start to the season. No. 1 Elvis MerzlikinsThe flu struck the week before the opener. Joonas KorpisaloStill recovering from hip surgery, the job was made available to those who are still recovering. Daniil Tarasov. Tarasov was excellent in two starts and Merzlikins is doing well since his return to live action. They have not stolen any wins, but they haven’t been to blame for any losses, either. Although this isn’t an easy team to play goal for it is a good one to be a part of. — Aaron Portzline

Rating: 5 – Vezina caliber

This season, there have been at least two games started by goaltenders. Jake OettingerFirst in NHL save percentage (.966), and first in goals against average (1.00). These categories have the next-best figures: Tristan JarryAt.952 to 1.67, respectively. While those numbers are likely unsustainable, Oettinger’s play has picked up right where it left off in the team’s playoff series against the Flames. Based on the first two weeks of the season, the Stars don’t have anything to worry about in net. In addition, there is a backup goaltender Scott WedgewoodHis first game of the season was in Toronto on Thursday. He stopped 43 of 43 shots. — Saad Yousuf

Detroit Red Wings

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

They started out great. Ville Husso Alex NedeljkovicHusso was a big performer in the opening weekend. However, recent overtime losses in Los Angeles and Chicago should be cause for concern. The fact that they now have two talented young netminders is reason for optimism that Red Wings should be improved in goal, but as the season’s first week showed, consistency will make or break them. — Max Bultman

Edmonton Oilers

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Jack Campbell‘s performance to start the season has been uneven. The bad: being pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots — with little help in front of him — in the first act of the Battle of Alberta. The good news: making timely stops in victories over the Hurricanes and Canucks. There’s nothing to worry about just yet, but more is expected of him. He also expects more from himself. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

Florida is basically in the middle of the team save percentage table (.905), and that’s thanks mainly to one start by Spencer KnightThe Panthers won with a 24-of-27 performance against Buffalo Starter Sergei Bobrovsky has been fine (.916 save percentage, 13th in the NHL with 2.43 goals saved above expected) without any meltdowns thus far, but it’s tough to give the pairing anything better than a satisfactory grade thus far. If this is the caliber of goaltending we see league-wide all season, though, we’ll have to adjust upward. — Sean Gentille

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

There is a small qualifier to this rating. Jonathan QuickIt is keeping it from falling further. Quick hasn’t been lights out by any means, but he hasn’t cost them games, and Cal Petersen’s struggles in the exhibitions and his first three starts are causing some pause. Todd McLellan, Kings coach pointed him out on Thursday night after he scored three goals in nine shots against. PittsburghHe was able to get an early hook. L.A.’s team play can be tighter, but Petersen needs to right the ship, especially if Quick can’t mimic his resurgent 2021-22 season. — Eric Stephens

Minnesota Wild

Rating: 2 – It can be a bit sieve-like

In their three first games, the Wild were plagued by major goalstending problems. Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled in game two after giving up seven goals. Filip Gustavsson struggled in Minnesota’s third game, including muffing a dump-in. The encouraging news is how good Fleury looked in Thursday’s overtime win. “Fantastic,” coach Dean Evason said. Wild’s goaltending is something that Wild will have to be on the watch as the season progresses. This could ruin a season that had high expectations. — Joe Smith

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

The defensive results overall have been better than anticipated out of the gate. No. 1 goalie Jake AllenThis was his decision. Allen may not steal games but he keeps the Canadiens fighting. The new two-year contract he signed at camp shows the trust the organization has placed in him. Backup Sam MontembeaultHe is known to sometimes give up on bad goals. A more competitive team might look into an upgrade. However, the Montreal outlook gives him a longer leash. — Marc Antoine Godin

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

The team has given up 17 goals in regulation over a four-game span, with the two previous losses leading to blown two-goal leads at the end of the third period. But this team has defensive-zone-coverage/costly-giveaway issues. Most of these goals have been scored by goaltenders who have had little or no success. Juuse SarosHe will be a great player (if he can get any help), as well as backup Kevin LankinenIt has been a pleasant surprise. — Joe Rexrode

Rating: 2 – It can be a bit sieve-like

This season, the Devils have had two solid periods of goaltending. That’s about it. New Jersey’s fourth win of the season was due to the fact that they kept their goalie.Mackenzie Blackwood) as protected as possible with speed and skill in front of the blue paint. As impressive as that performance was, it’s not exactly the most sustainable. In theory, the team at the net has the chops; they now need Blackwood or other. Vitek VanecekThey will do their part by providing average goaltending. — Shayna Goldman

New York Islanders

Rating: 5 – Vezina caliber

Despite having lost two of his three first games, he won the rest. Ilya SorokinLooks primed to run for the Vezina. He will be picking up from last season’s success, which saw him emerge as one of top league players. Backup Semyon VarlamovHe remains a solid No. 2 and got his feet on the ground with a win against the Ducks in his first and only start. The Islanders will need both of them, particularly over the next few weeks as the skaters acclimatize themselves to coach Lane Lambert’s systemic tweaks. — Kevin Kurz

Rating: 5 – Vezina caliber

Well … they do have the reigning Vezina winner. Igor Shesterkin hasn’t put up award-winning numbers yet, but the Rangers are scoring enough that they don’t yet need him to be Superman in net. And he’s still saving a goal above expectation on high-danger chances against, so he may be just dry-cleaning the cape for now. — Arthur Staple

Ottawa Senators

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

With Cam TalbotThis month, sidelined Anton ForsbergHe has provided consistent, steady goaltending for Senators. Although his save percentage of.903 and goals-against mean (3.03) may not be impressive, they reflect the wild 7-5 game Ottawa won. He should continue to provide the same level of goaltending for the team until Talbot is back. The team should then be well positioned to have the desired 1-2 punch in their crease. — Ian Mendes

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Carter Hart’s leaguewide reputation has dipped a bit in recent years, but I don’t think that’s fair. He openly struggled with the mental challenges of the pandemic in 2020-21, and his metrics were quite strong in 2021-22 — while backstopping an awful club — until his last few starts, when he was playing through injury. In other words, he’s still a perfectly solid, true-talent goalie. And so far this season, he’s been even better than that, holding a .943 save percentage through his first three starts and standing as the biggest reason for the Flyers’ strong 3-1-0 record. Hart will Hart be able to keep this up? Although Hart is unlikely to stay this good, the Flyers may make an unlikely push toward the playoffs if he does. Teams with goalies that stop 94 percent of the shots don’t lose too often. At the very least, though, Hart is sending a reminder to the NHL that he remains a quality netminder — and one of the Flyers’ few legitimate roster strengths. — Charlie O’Connor

Pittsburgh Penguins

Rating: 5 – Vezina caliber

Tristan Jarry has the physical ability to be one of hockey’s best goaltenders and appears to be on the verge of entering the top tier, off to his best start to a season and showing signs of maturing into a gem. He has only allowed five goals in three games, and he stopped 39 of 40 shots against Kings. Casey DeSmithHe was, however, a stellar performer in his one performance. He is usually a notch above dependable. The issue for both is how healthy they can stay, but when they’re available — as they have been so far — they seem to be finding a higher level than in previous seasons. — Josh Yohe and Rob Rossi

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Although there have been many problems with the Sharks, goaltending is still a top priority. James Reimer has been outstanding and became the first goalie to “break serve” and get an extra start after alternating with Kaapo Kahkonen. He has kept San Jose alive in games that it was outplayed. Kahkonen’s two starts have just been OK, but the team’s overall goaltending depth is also better than it has been in a while. — Corey Masisak

Rating: 1 – AHL quality

There wasn’t a ton of confidence in Philipp Grubauer coming into the season after last year’s disaster, but he did have a chance to prove that 2021-22 was an outlier after having put up Vezina-like numbers in Colorado. It was also helping that Seattle now has scoring support. But an .860 save percentage so far isn’t inspiring confidence in a comeback, and an injury sustained last night in Colorado puts his season on hold. There’s no update on his status so far. This leaves us with no other options. Martin JonesThis will drop the confidence meter further. Joey Daccord could however bring some intrigue to the table if promoted. — Shayna Goldman

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

The Blues haven’t played many games — Saturday’s matinee in Edmonton will be just their third of the season — but No. 1 netminder Jordan BinningtonHis early performances were electric. His biggest question was whether he could continue where he left off in 2022’s playoffs. He has. Given his $36 million six-year deal, the Blues expected this to happen. A new backup Thomas Greiss has yet to appear in a game, but that’s good news because it means Binnington is playing well. — Jeremy Rutherford

Rating: 5 – Vezina caliber

If there’s one team that shouldn’t worry about its goaltending, it’s the Lightning. Andrei VasilevskiyIt is undoubtedly the best in the entire world. Brian ElliottHe has been a good backup in 2021. Vasilevskiy helped end Tampa Bay’s skid Friday by stopping 36 of 38 shots in an overtime win over Florida. He’s a big reason the Lightning should still be Cup contenders even with key offseason departures. — Joe Smith

Toronto Maple Leafs

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

So far, Ilya Samsonov is steady. He’s won his first three starts with the Maple Leafs and has, for the time being anyway, quieted some of the serious concern that arose when Matt Murray suffered an injury days after his first start with the team. It’s still too early to make much of anything, though, when it comes to the Leafs’ goaltending. Samsonov still hasn’t proven he is a reliable No. 1 (or even 1B) in the NHL, and Murray won’t be back for a while. Can Samsonov keep it up for another month? Can he keep up this pace all season? Can Murray get healthy? Can he stay healthy? Murray can he perform well? All season, the question marks surrounding goal performance will remain. — Jonas Siegel

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Thatcher Demko is not the reason the Canucks are losing, but he also isn’t playing up to our sky-high expectations of him, posting an .861 save percentage with an 0-3-1 record. Demko was the Canucks’ best player last season, though, so the confidence level in him should remain high. Even if he regresses somewhat, he’s likely to have an extended stretch carrying this team and is, without question, one of its unqualified strengths. The bigger problem for the Canucks is that they just don’t have enough answers for those blips when Demko isn’t performing. Spencer Martin’s a bit of a wild card since he hasn’t been an NHL backup before, but he’s looked decent whenever he’s gotten into games. — Harman Dayal, Thomas Drance

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Goaltending was the Golden Knights’ biggest question mark entering the season, with the team leaning on the inexperienced duo of Logan Thompson Adin HillHowever, to this point it has been a pleasant surprise. Both have done what they’ve been asked, giving Vegas a chance to win every night, and Thompson has exceeded expectations with some sensational saves. It’s still really early, so I’m not ready to crown them “Vezina caliber,” but I think “rock solid” has been a perfect descriptor for Thompson and Hill. There’s plenty of optimism around the Golden Knights’ goalies, especially with Thompson’s impressive start. — Jesse Granger

Rating: 4 – Rock solid

Darcy Kuemper’s numbers (2-2-0, .902 save percentage, 3.04 goals-against average) don’t look so hot after his first four starts in D.C. In his case, though, stats don’t tell the entire story. Washington’s big free-agent signing has been the victim of a couple of weird bounces, and it should also be noted that the defensive pairs recently received a rare shakeup in an effort to generate a “spark.” New backup Charlie Lindgren(0-1-0),.923, 3.18) was good in his first game, a loss of 3-2 to Ilya Samsonov, former Caps netminder in Toronto. Bottom line: It’s super early and Kuemper has a long track record of excellence. No need to be too concerned — yet. — Tarik El-Bashir

Rating: 3 – Not great, but not killing them

Connor HellebuyckIt is off to a great start. David Rittich isn’t. That’s the story in Winnipeg. Three games, two wins and a.922 Save Percentage. A strong showing. Evolving-Hockey’s goals-saved-above-expected metric are numbers reminiscent of Hellebuyck’s 58-game, Vezina Trophy-winning performance in 2019-20. It would be more difficult to limit Hellebuyck’s season to 58 games, as Rittich gave up four goals against Vegas in the first period. That said, the video of those goals against — other than his awful giveaway to Jack Eichel — is kinder to Rittich than to his team. Don’t count on him but don’t count him out yet, either. — Murat Ates

(Top photo by Marc-Andre Fleury / Brace Hemmelgarn USA Today


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