Goalie Musical Chairs: Breaking down the 2023-24 Central Division tandems

Credit: Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit (© James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports)

With almost two weeks of free agency in the books, the NHL’s goaltending landscape is beginning to come into focus for the 2023-24 season. After all the turnover we’ve seen in net, let’s break down every team’s goaltending situation. First up: the Central Division, which has very little turnover going into next season.

CENTRAL DIVISION

Arizona Coyotes: Karel Vejmelka & Connor Ingram

Reason to be happy: Vejmelka and Ingram were sneaky good for Arizona last year. While Vejmelka was already something of a known commodity, it was Ingram who turned heads and solidified himself as an NHL netminder. The puckstopper from Saskatoon earned a three-year, one-way contract extension.

Reason to be hopeful: The Coyotes finally have some stability in the crease. Vejmelka and Ingram both have room to grow. And after several key free agent signings, Arizona should be better in front of them.

Reason to be nervous: The organization doesn’t have much depth, and there’s always the risk that Ingram or Vejmelka regresses. But realistically, Arizona doesn’t have much to lose anyway.

Chicago Blackhawks: Petr Mrazek & Arvid Soderblom

Reason to be happy: Mrazek is entertaining. And Soderblom has been strong at the AHL level.

Reason to be hopeful: Some guy named Connor Bedard. And Soderblom will have a legit shot at making the roster out of training camp. He’s armed with a two-year, one-way NHL contract: this season could be make it or break it for the 23-year old Swede. And you never know what to expect from Mrazek. Maybe he surprises.

Reason to be nervous: The Blackhawks are still in rebuild mode and the team’s goaltenders might be in for a long year. Mrazek needs to find a way to stay healthy. And Soderblom needs to prove he belongs.

Colorado Avalanche: Alexander Georgiev & Pavel Francouz

Reason to be happy: Georgiev proved to be a capable No. 1 goaltender during the 2022-23 season: exactly what the Avalanche were hoping for.

Reason to be hopeful: A healthy tandem of Georgiev and Francouz is in the upper half of the NHL. Colorado is capable of winning a Stanley Cup with either. And Justus Annunen isn’t far away from NHL duty: he had a tremendous season in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.

Reason to be nervous: Over his time with the New York Rangers, Georgiev’s game declined. Can he put together two solid campaigns in a row for the Avalanche? And can Francouz stay healthy? Colorado probably doesn’t want Georgiev to play 62 games again.

Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger & Scott Wedgewood

Reason to be happy: Oettinger is among the game’s elite netminders. And the Stars have stability with a capable veteran like Wedgewood returning. Dallas can play with confidence in front of either goaltender.

Reason to be hopeful: Even though Oettinger’s 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoff performance left something to be desired, he was battling injury and still managed to steal a handful of games. He’s only going to get better over time.

Reason to be nervous: Oettinger is a workhorse, but can Wedgewood stay healthy behind him? Dallas doesn’t have much depth in goal.

Minnesota Wild: Filip Gustavsson & Marc-Andre Fleury

Reason to be happy: In his first year with the Wild, Gustavsson had a huge season and looks primed to be the No. 1 goaltender in Minnesota for the long haul.

Reason to be hopeful: Jesper Wallstedt – the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft – had a very strong rookie season in the AHL with the Iowa Wild. Fleury has one year remaining on his contract, which makes the timing perfect for Walletadt to make the NHL jump for the 2024-25 season.

Reason to be nervous: Gustavsson is an RFA and still in need of a new contract. Wild fans better hope that process goes smoothly: GM Bill Guerin isn’t one for drama. And Marc-Andre Fleury had an inconsistent 2022-23 campaign.

Nashville Predators: Juuse Saros & Kevin Lankinen

Reason to be happy: Saros is a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate in the prime of his career.

Reason to be hopeful: New GM Barry Trotz is dedicated to changing the culture in Nashville, and with that comes an expectation of winning. Saros should play a huge role for the Predators well into the future. Lankinen was also a very nice surprise last season and top prospect Yaroslav Askarov showed well in his rookie AHL campaign with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Reason to be nervous: Can Saros be expected to play 64 games again during the regular season and have anything left for the Stanley Cup playoffs? I think that’s asking a lot. But Saros thrives with a heavy workload. I’m interested to see how new head coach Andrew Brunette doles out playing time.

St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington & Joel Hofer

Reason to be happy: Hofer is the young blood needed to push Binnington. The soon-to-be 23-year-old had a mega year in the AHL and looked the part with St. Louis during a brief NHL cameo.

Reason to be hopeful: The Blues lineup isn’t much different, but half of the coaching staff is. If the team is better defensively, Binnington has a better chance of success. And Hofer is riding a major wave of momentum from the 2022-23 season.

Reason to be nervous: There’s no way around it: it’s been two full seasons since Binnington was the dominant force that won the Stanley Cup for the Blues in 2019. If he doesn’t rebound, Hofer will face a ton of pressure early in his NHL career.

Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck & Laurent Brossoit

Reason to be happy: As of this writing, Hellebuyck is still a member of the Jets.

Reason to be hopeful: Hellebuyck’s contract demands could price him out of the trade market. If that’s the case, maybe Winnipeg ends up keeping him to start the 2023-24 season and the team surprises. Best-case on-ice scenario: Hellebuyck becomes a self-rental for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Reason to be nervous: If Hellebuyck gets traded, Brossoit is the Jets new starting goaltender. Although he was fantastic in a limited sample size for the Vegas Golden Knights last year, he’s never played more than 24 games in an NHL season. And he spent the bulk of the 2022-23 campaign in the AHL after recovering from offseason hip surgery.

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