It feels like a BUNCH of teams need an upgrade in net

[Chessarmy]

Whenever I lurk on team boards other than my own I notice a common sentiment - fans want their GM to fix their goaltending issues

Is it just me, or does it feel like a BUNCH of teams want an upgrade in net? Is this unusual?

Of the playoff teams remaining this year, you could argue Carolina, Edmonton and Colorado are weak in net.

And I haven’t even mentioned everyone not playing right now.

What does this say about the state of goaltending in the league?

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[ACLEVERNAME]

The goaltending position is dead as we once knew it. It's a mix between the contrived push for 'higher scoring' and the 'scientification' of the position. The best goaltenders that have ever stepped on the ice were playing 'jazz' while almost everyone today is reading off of sheet music - if that makes any sense. There is very little to no 'flow' or 'soul' to the position any more. It's all practiced and repeated movements/actions burned into them through schools and academies. Robotic almost and that's why it almost always feels uninspired and soulless.

There will never be another Hasek/Roy/Brodeur/Belfour. The 'system' won't allow it.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Whenever I lurk on team boards other than my own I notice a common sentiment - fans want their GM to fix their goaltending issues

Is it just me, or does it feel like a BUNCH of teams want an upgrade in net? Is this unusual?

Of the playoff teams remaining this year, you could argue Carolina, Edmonton and Colorado are weak in net.

And I haven’t even mentioned everyone not playing right now.

What does this say about the state of goaltending in the league?

Andersen is a top-10 goalie year after year, and Kochetkov is one of the better backups in the league. Carolina can’t upgrade on that without going and getting a Vezina contender.

 

[TheBeard]

Andersen is a top-10 goalie year after year, and Kochetkov is one of the better backups in the league. Carolina can’t upgrade on that without going and getting a Vezina contender.

Fringe top ten in some years and he's turning 35 at the start of the 24-25 season. He's not the answer.

 

[ViD]

Elvis is available

 

[tarheelhockey]

Fringe top ten in some years and he's turning 35 at the start of the 24-25 season. He's not the answer.

Post-2020 he’s 9th in save%, tied with Demko and Oettinger who were notably not mentioned in the “weak” category here.

This season he posted a .932, mostly in games played in a return after missing months to a blood clot, which is why he’s a Masterton finalist.

Maybe he slows down next year, but let’s let that actually happen before we label him as anything other than what he has actually consistently been for the past several years.

 

[kabidjan18]

People say this because of a confusion of the real issue which is the defensemen in front. If you're not clearing the front of the net, and the opposing forward's ass is constantly on top of your goalie's face, it does not matter who is your goalie you will give up tons of goals every game.

Conversely, goalies are extremely good at stopping shots that they see all the way. So if your doorstep is really clean then your goalie will look like he's standing on his head.

I believe that most goalies in the NHL are virtually interchangeable. Yeah, there are some differences on the margins, as with all players. But most will stop a puck they see all the way, or a puck from a sharp angle if you do a good job pushing the action to the perimeter. Most will not consistently stop a puck they never see and/or a puck shot at them from in close and a good angle, like a rebound.

The Colorado/Winnipeg series was a great example. Helle was constantly breathing down a forward's farts and all the uninformed fans are like "wow, how is he saving so few shots, what a noob." No, it's because you have Neal Pionk trying to push Valeri Nichushkin out of the crease, how else is that supposed to end?

 

[JAK]

Goalie equipement were shrunk, goal post shaved slightly.
Hockey stick technology advances, humans reflexes do not evolve that quickly.
Expansion diluting talent, widening gap of top players vs bottom players.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

Mackenzie Blackwood is available

He's a big kid., covers so much net. Mobile, he used to have feet injuries in NJ but not this past year.

He's extremely calm and nothing phases him (he was on the friggin Sharks last season and not once did he show frustration or show his teammates up).

His numbers may not look great but in the context of the Sharks defensive zone play and by the eye test, wow, he was awesome last year.

Bidding starts at a 2nd rd pick.

 

[Toene]

I think that any comparisons between eras must be take with a grain of salt. That said, I'm pretty confident in my belief that we are in a weak spell for goaltending. We didnt know how spoiled we were in the last few decades : Price, Rask, Lundqvist, Luongo, prime Vasilevskiy, Thomas, etc. Imo the best goalie in the league is Hellebuyck and he's not even close to the level of a Rask for example. Maybe my perception is wrong, idk, but I feel like goalies were better from the DPE up until the mid 2010s.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

Where are the Quebecois?

 

[syz]

I think that any comparisons between eras must be take with a grain of salt. That said, I'm pretty confident in my belief that we are in a weak spell for goaltending. We didnt know how spoiled we were in the last few decades : Price, Rask, Lundqvist, Luongo, prime Vasilevskiy, Thomas, etc. Imo the best goalie in the league is Hellebuyck and he's not even close to the level of a Rask for example. Maybe my perception is wrong, idk, but I feel like goalies were better from the DPE up until the mid 2010s.

Starting to think technique and training are a big part of it. Lotta goalies feel like they're being taught to just butterfly and pray growing up now. Just play the percentages but the percentages are worse now after the equipment nerfs.

 

[Grub]

Teams need to invest in goalie coaches.

 

[alko]

Do we want a 10-15 goalies with 93 % efficiency or do we want to see more goals?

If B, then A is not more realistic. A goalie with 90 - 91 % will be still a good NHL goalie. A goalie with 92 % will be a star goalie.

What is interesting on Patrick Roy career is, he has only 3 regular seasons with 92 %. And is considered one of the best in history of NHL.

 

[Namejs]

There has been a notable league-wide increase in scoring efficiency over the last 10 years.

We were used to the 90% threshold. If you're sub -.900, you're trash. Right? Wrong.

We have returned to the early 90s in terms of goalie SVS%. We need to adjust our expectations accordingly.

In 2024, a goalie saving 90.3% SOG is better than 50% of NHL goalies.

 

[JoVel]

I don't think a lot of teams have a goalie problem, there's just a lot of fans who still live in a world where the average goalie puts up a .915 save percentage.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Do we want a 10-15 goalies with 93 % efficiency or do we want to see more goals?

If B, then A is not more realistic. A goalie with 90 - 91 % will be still a good NHL goalie. A goalie with 92 % will be a star goalie.

What is interesting on Patrick Roy career is, he has only 3 regular seasons with 92 %. And is considered one of the best in history of NHL.

He also played during Gretzky's prime

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Goalie number averages are dead its an all offensive league with guys putting up 140 points lol what do you expect.

Or do you think suddenly all the goalies suck

 

[GrumpyKoala]

I don't think a lot of teams have a goalie problem, there's just a lot of fans who still live in a world where the average goalie puts up a .915 save percentage.

Perception problems for sure but .915 never been the league avreage per say.

Since league avreage is a tracked stats .915 or more happened a wooping 4 times

.915 2014
.915 2015
.916 1963
.919 1955

 

[Namejs]

Perception problems for sure but .915 never been the league avreage per say.

Since league avreage is a tracked stats .915 or more happened a wooping 4 times

.915 2014
.915 2015
.916 1963
.919 1955

.915 has never been the league average
*goes on to list the exact seasons when .915 was the league average*

 

[GrumpyKoala]

You can't read don't you...

Never been the league avreage per say. As an abstract generalization. Gosh you debate like you running the presidential.

 

[Namejs]

You can't read don't you...

Never been the league avreage per say. As an abstract generalization. Gosh you debate like you running the presidential.

The league average was a over a percentage point higher 10 years ago. It has steadily decreased to .903.

I'm not being nitpicky, it's just that it's the entire point

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Well maybe I can't understand why some people take a 2 year sample to establish what normative.

That on me, maybe I watch too many games in the 80ies

 

[Mickey Marner]

2023-24, 3 goalies played 60+ games.

2013-14, 8 goalies played 60+ games.

2003-04, 12 goalies played 60+ games.

Do weaker starters lead to a platoon situation or does a platoon situation lead to weaker starters? Both? Neither? Certainly seems to be some sort of correlation.

 

[scoopscj]

NJ Devils have entered the chat. This is on Santa's wish list.