Is Dubnyk a top 5 goalie in the NHL?

[PuckInTheNards]

16 even strength goals allowed in his last 18 starts.

 

[42]

Not only is he a top 5 goalie right now but he is the leading Vezina candidate at this point.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Totally agree. Dubs has been unshakable. The Wild are starting to play more consistent again in front of him, too, which only helps.

 

[Al Lagoon]

They showed a graphic during the Wild-Panthers game last night that broke the season into 3 segments.

Dubnyk's GAA and save % have been pretty steady all season. His wins took a hit when the Wild scored 4 goals over a 4 game stretch, one of which he managed to win.

He has been consistently excellent this season, and makes it look easy. If there are 5 better goalies in the NHL this season, I'd like to see them.

 

[rynryn]

well sure, THIS season. but IMO there are like 9 in front of him because I'm ignoring statistics through three years.

 

[Mubiki]

Consistent is right. He hasn't allowed more than 3 goals once.

That's basically the definition of "gives his team a chance to win every night".

 

[DANOZ28]

this is a great ?. our coach BB just said if he played in toronto he'd be daily news. im happy dubnyk has been standing on his head but i feel team defense concept has alot to do with those #s. i dont see other teams blowing by our D & getting breakaways. i would say all our forwards play 2 way. i would call us a blue collar working mans team.

 

[bolobow]

Could win the Vezina this season (based on play up to now), probably should have won it 2 seasons ago (2014-2015) as well.

Dubnyk's problem that year was that he started as a backup and worked into a starter role (while Price was an established starter from the beginning), but his numbers were simply amazing.

2014-2015 Arizona 9-5-2 (103 pt pace in a backup role)
Dubnyk's win percentage here would've put the Coyotes 2nd place in their division. This was on a team that finished with 56 pts and would've been worst in the league if not for Dubnyk's wins (speculation was that Arizona traded Dubnyk to tank harder). For an apples to apples comparison, starter Mike Smith had a 14-42-5 on the exact same team (44 pt pace) meaning Dubs won 2.3x more than the Coyotes starting goalie.

2014-2015 Minnesota 27-9-2 (121 pt pace)
Put on a decent (not exactly world beating) team, Dubnyk wins at a rate that would've easily captured the President's trophy (winner that season was Rangers with 113 pts). Easily beats Kuemper and Backstrom

Doubters think that Dubnyk is a product of Minnesota's system, but that doesn't account for how he won so much on an awful Arizona team and completely outplayed other starters that year as well. Maybe he's simply a good goalie now and easily top 5 in the league.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Playing for Minessota, I would say yes.

That's the problem he's playing for Minnesota

 

[Drewcifer]

That's the problem he's playing for Minnesota

I don't understand why it always comes back to this. Minnesota is one of the largest hockey markets in the US. Cities like NY, LA, Philly, etc may be bigger cities but they aren't bigger hockey markets. The problem is the hockey media tends to live in an east coast or Canada bubble.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't understand why it always comes back to this. Minnesota is one of the largest hockey markets in the US. Cities like NY, LA, Philly, etc may be bigger cities but they aren't bigger hockey markets. The problem is the hockey media tends to live in an east coast or Canada bubble.

You know exactly why it comes back to that all hockey fans do

The wild play a style that can make an average goalie into a star

 

[rynryn]

You know exactly why it comes back to that all hockey fans do

The wild play a style that can make an average goalie into a star

That is not true anymore. Our D is good and certainly helps, but what about our system now does this? playing defense?

 

[Nsjohnson]

You know exactly why it comes back to that all hockey fans do

The wild play a style that can make an average goalie into a star

Why wasn't Backstrom a star before he retired (he was great until about 2009- but because he was playing great)? Why isn't Keumper a star?

Bryzgalov?

Why just Dubnyk?

I know why, because he is playing AMAZING hockey right now. And he's saved our *** a bunch of times this year.

 

[Mubiki]

Could win the Vezina this season (based on play up to now), probably should have won it 2 seasons ago (2014-2015) as well.

Dubnyk's problem that year was that he started as a backup and worked into a starter role (while Price was an established starter from the beginning), but his numbers were simply amazing.

2014-2015 Arizona 9-5-2 (103 pt pace in a backup role)
Dubnyk's win percentage here would've put the Coyotes 2nd place in their division. This was on a team that finished with 56 pts and would've been worst in the league if not for Dubnyk's wins (speculation was that Arizona traded Dubnyk to tank harder). For an apples to apples comparison, starter Mike Smith had a 14-42-5 on the exact same team (44 pt pace) meaning Dubs won 2.3x more than the Coyotes starting goalie.

2014-2015 Minnesota 27-9-2 (121 pt pace)
Put on a decent (not exactly world beating) team, Dubnyk wins at a rate that would've easily captured the President's trophy (winner that season was Rangers with 113 pts). Easily beats Kuemper and Backstrom

Doubters think that Dubnyk is a product of Minnesota's system, but that doesn't account for how he won so much on an awful Arizona team and completely outplayed other starters that year as well. Maybe he's simply a good goalie now and easily top 5 in the league.

These are great points.

It's decently known by now that his time in Edmonton affected him negatively. He's talked openly about almost quitting hockey.

The truth is that Dubnyk isn't the same hockey player he was 4 years ago. He plainly states he's not even close to the same person. He got married, had a kid, and he managed to change his life/career around.

It's so weird that some people seem unable to grasp that these aren't numbers in a video game, and that just because something was doesn't mean it still is.

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Not at all.

 

[Inflict]

If he wins the Vezina this year, then I am going to have to say yes. This isn't the first time he has put up these numbers. He was really good in the 2014-2015 season too.

 

[AKL]

He's certainly been playing like one overall since he got here. This year so far he has to be the Vezina front runner unless just being named Carey Price is a huge determining factor of winning it.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Why wasn't Backstrom a star before he retired (he was great until about 2009- but because he was playing great)? Why isn't Keumper a star?

Bryzgalov?

Why just Dubnyk?

I know why, because he is playing AMAZING hockey right now. And he's saved our *** a bunch of times this year.

Backstrom was a star for a while, Bryz was a backup Keumper is also a backup

 

[10coach*]

You know exactly why it comes back to that all hockey fans do

The wild play a style that can make an average goalie into a star

lol wut?

 

[AKL]

Backstrom was a star for a while, Bryz was a backup Keumper is also a backup

I don't know if I'd call Backstrom a star. He was a solid starter but never really top 5. HE was the one that benefited from the system, if anyone.

Bryz was actually our starter for a while, but never took off.

Same with Kuemper, we tried him as a starter, it didn't work, that's why we got Dubnyk.

Having an elite defense in front of him certainly helps, but as Kuemper and Bryzgalov have shown, it doesn't make an average goaltender a star. Dubnyk is the real deal and certainly a top 5 goalie in the league right now.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't know if I'd call Backstrom a star. He was a solid starter but never really top 5. HE was the one that benefited from the system, if anyone.

Bryz was actually our starter for a while, but never took off.

Same with Kuemper, we tried him as a starter, it didn't work, that's why we got Dubnyk.

Having an elite defense in front of him certainly helps, but as Kuemper and Bryzgalov have shown, it doesn't make an average goaltender a star. Dubnyk is the real deal and certainly a top 5 goalie in the league right now.

So you think that if Dubnyk was say a Leaf and had Hunwick and Polak on his D core, he'd put up similar numbers?

IF that is what you think know that Polak and Hunwick aee the worst D men in the NHL particularly Hunwick

 

[Fataldogg]

As the frontrunner for the Vezina almost halfway through the season... I'd say yes.

 

[Mubiki]

So you think that if Dubnyk was say a Leaf and had Hunwick and Polak on his D core, he'd put up similar numbers?

IF that is what you think know that Polak and Hunwick aee the worst D men in the NHL particularly Hunwick

That isn't what he suggested, at all.

For the record, I think every goalie would give up more goals on a bad defense than a good one.

Are you trying to suggest that there are a select few goalies that aren't affected by the defense?

 

[Mubiki]

This thread is a giant example of what happens when your conclusion comes before your evidence.

Dubnyk plays slightly below average on a famously bad Edmonton team, and it's used as evidence he sucks.

Dubnyk plays great on a good Minnesota team, and it's evidence that he's getting carried by the team.

So basically, the only way to be considered good is to be great on a terrible team. Weirdly enough, none of the other goalies named like Price, Rask, Quick, Holtby, etc., were ever on a team as bad as the Oilers, and some of them, like Quick, haven't really played behind a bad defense ever.

So basically, people decided Dubnyk was bad 5 years ago, and no matter what happens they'll never change their minds. Sad.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

That isn't what he suggested, at all.

For the record, I think every goalie would give up more goals on a bad defense than a good one.

Are you trying to suggest that there are a select few goalies that aren't affected by the defense?

I think there are a few who if they are affected it's VERY minimal

Price comes the mind. I think if Carey Price were a leaf it wouldn't matter that he would have Polak and Hunwick and Marincin although Marincin is currently injured.

I think the way this team can score and for all it's issues it can score,and with how good Price is if those 2 elements came together Price would put up Similar numbers because he's that good.

Rask is another guy that comes to mind, he basically has Boston in a playoff spot by himself because he sure as hell isn't playing behind the 2011 Bruins D.

There aren't many but there are some goalies who aren't really impacted by their D