McKENNA: Ranking NHL Goalie Tandems From Best To Worst

By: Mike McKenna

Ranking the NHL’s goalie tandems is tricky. It’s about the overall strength of the tandem, sizing up that team’s opportunity to win every night – no matter who is in the crease those 20 or 30 other nights per season while the starter rests.

For this exercise, we decided to judge based on the tandem at full health. For instance, we assume Carey Price will be back on the ice with the Montreal Canadiens at some point this season.

We’ve taken into account athlete history, expected playing time, strength of the team in front of them, travel considerations and more. Of course, it’s all debatable and that’s the fun of it.

This will be a living, breathing list. Your favorite team’s tandem may rise or fall as the season progresses.

Away we go, ranking the NHL’s netminding tandems from top to bottom:

1 New York Islanders: Semyon Varlamov & Ilya Sorokin

The Islanders are comfortable using a true tandem and either could win a Stanley Cup. Varlamov is a proven winner and Sorokin will only get better with more time in North America. I expect one of them to take hold of the crease by the end of the season.

2 Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price & Jake Allen

The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs proved everything. Carey Price is one of the most feared goaltenders on earth and Jake Allen is capable of playing No. 1 minutes. In my opinion they’re the best puckhandling tandem in the league.

3 Colorado Avalanche: Darcy Kuemper & Pavel Francouz

The Avs lost Philipp Grubauer to the Kraken in free agency, but GM Joe Sakic swooped up the best goalie on the market in Kuemper. Francouz – when healthy – has been fantastic. With the Avalanche in front of him, I think Kuemper wins the Vezina.

4 Seattle Kraken: Philipp Grubauer & Chris Driedger

Grubauer is an outstanding skater that’s been remarkably consistent throughout his career. The Kraken will need him to stay healthy. Driedger only has 38 NHL games played, but he was outstanding for the Panthers over the past two seasons. I’d bet on Grubauer to keep proving people wrong.

5 Vancouver Canucks: Thatcher Demko & Jaroslav Halak

Demko is poised to become an NHL star. The Canucks may have struggled last year, but his advanced stats were phenomenal. Halak will provide quality starts just like he did in Boston. It was a smart move to retain Ian Clark as goalie coach, something Demko lobbied for publicly.

6 Vegas Golden Knights: Robin Lehner & Laurent Brossoit

Lehner hasn’t logged true No. 1 minutes since he was in Buffalo, but he should have no problem carrying the load on a gifted team like the Golden Knights. Brossoit plays a controlled game that should mesh well with teammates in Vegas. And I think he’ll be used a fair amount because of the Western Conference travel schedule.

7 Florida Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky & Spencer Knight

If you believe competition is a good thing, this is your dream scenario. Bobrovsky – who’s won more games than people realize in Florida – is looking to rebound statistically. Spencer Knight has the tools of a world-class goaltender and showed well during his pro audition at the end of last season. I love the dynamic and think these two will feed off one another.

8 Tampa Bay Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy & Brian Elliott

Vasilevskiy is widely considered to be the best goaltender in the world. He’s won two Stanley Cups and eats up a ton of minutes. On the other hand, Elliott has not posted a save percentage above .910 since he was with the Blues in 2015-16. The Lightning are in great shape with Vasilevskiy. But winning a third straight Stanley Cup with Elliott guiding the ship would be surprising.

9 New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin & Alexander Georgiev

Shesterkin has the keys to the Big Apple and his play through 48 NHL games backs it up. He’s one of the brightest young talents in goaltending and Georgiev isn’t far behind. I like the Rangers this season and a big reason why is their young, talented netminders.

10 Chicago Blackhawks: Marc-Andre Fleury & Kevin Lankinen

It’s not often the reigning Vezina champion gets traded for nothing. Fleury’s arrival is an upgrade in the crease – something the Hawks have needed since moving on from Corey Crawford. Lankinen won a job last season and should continue to improve.

11 Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck & Eric Comrie

Hellebuyck is always a threat to win the Vezina. He’s durable, plays true No. 1 minutes, and the Jets are a preseason Cup contender. Eric Comrie has been on the goalie carousel for a few years and has shown talent at the AHL level. The Jets are gambling that Comrie rises to the occasion.

12 Nashville Predators: Juuse Saros & David Rittich

Last season, Saros willed the Nashville Predators into the playoffs. His advanced stats were top five in the league. And he’s just now coming into his own as a starting NHL goaltender. Saros owns the net in Nashville. Rittich should be an adequate backup if he can find consistency.

13 Minnesota Wild: Cam Talbot & Kaapo Kahkonen

Talbot has brought stability to the crease in Minnesota and will likely play the majority of games. But many, myself included, were surprised Seattle passed over Kahkonen in the Expansion Draft. He’s going to be an NHL starter in the near future.

14 Carolina Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen & Antti Raanta

What a sigh of relief for Andersen getting out of Toronto and heading south to Carolina. Last season wasn’t up to par but he has the tools to regain form. Raanta is a quality netminder but health is always a concern. I think this duo could surprise.

15 Columbus Blue Jackets: Elvis Merzlikins & Joonas Korpisalo

When Merzlikins came over from the Swiss National A League, I was surprised when he made the Blue Jackets out of camp. Merzlikins didn’t win a game for months. But once he did, the light switch flipped and confidence came. He’s an NHL starter. Korpisalo has shown flashes of brilliance but hasn’t taken the next step. This is a big season: he’s a pending UFA.

16 Detroit Red Wings: Thomas Greiss & Alex Nedeljkovic

Greiss performed admirably on a bad team last year in Detroit. He’s made the most out of his career and I’d expect that to continue. Nedeljkovic went on a tear with Carolina last season but the team decided to part ways when a suitable contract couldn’t be reached. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman was smart to trade for him.

17 Los Angeles Kings: Cal Petersen & Jonathan Quick

It’s Petersen’s net. Quick is a legend in LA but his game continues to erode. Petersen is armed with a new contract and numbers to back it up. LA is poised to jump up the standings. This will be Petersen’s first 82-game season in the NHL and from my chair, LA has let him develop properly. He’s ready. And Quick will still pull off a few vintage performances.

18 Dallas Stars: Anton Khudobin & Braden Holtby

Khudobin is the incumbent but last season saw a regression in his game. At times he was outplayed by rookie Jake Oettinger, who is headed back to the AHL for further development. Holtby comes in as a free agent after being bought out by Vancouver in the offseason. He’s had a good preseason and needs that strong play to continue.

19 Toronto Maple Leafs: Petr Mrazek & Jack Campbell

Mrazek and Campbell are capable NHL goalies. But I don’t know if either can win a Stanley Cup. Mrazek is erratic and Campbell has never played No. 1 minutes over the course of an 82-game season. Toronto chews up goaltenders. Anything less than a Stanley Cup is unsatisfactory. The Maple Leafs are fine in goal. But fine isn’t enough.

20 New Jersey Devils: Mackenzie Blackwood & Jonathan Bernier

I like Blackwood’s game and he’s shown glimpses of stardom. However, Blackwood is one of the few unvaccinated NHL players. He’s talked about reconsidering his stance, but until he gets the shot, it forces him to miss a handful of games played in Canada. Bernier is a good pickup in a tandem role. But New Jersey isn’t the same without Blackwood available and at 100 percent.

21 Calgary Flames: Jacob Markstrom & Dan Vladar

Markstrom enters his second season as a Flame and once again, he’s doing it without much support. When the Flames weren’t able to sign a veteran backup, they picked up Dan Vladar via trade. I think Markstrom is one of the best goalies in hockey when he’s healthy. But who knows what to expect from Vladar. He’s played five career NHL games for Boston.

22 Washington Capitals: Ilya Samsonov & Vitek Vanecek

Last season Vanecek and Samsonov finished in the bottom half of the NHL statistically. Regardless of age or rookie status, that’s not good enough for a team like Washington with Stanley Cup aspirations. Samsonov has a higher ceiling than Vanecek. They both need to improve this season.

23 Anaheim Ducks: John Gibson & Anthony Stolarz

Anaheim hasn’t been doing Gibson any favors and I wonder if it’s taken a toll. While he occasionally steals games, he also lacks the technical details necessary to find consistency in today’s game. Stolarz has done well in limited NHL appearances.

24 Pittsburgh Penguins: Tristan Jarry & Casey DeSmith

Jarry won 25 games last season for Pittsburgh. DeSmith put up a .912 SV%. But it’s Jarry’s dreadful -11.8 Goals Saved Above Expected that causes concern. The Penguins are going to be without Crosby and Malkin to start the season. I think this could be a challenging season for the Penguins tandem.

25 St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington & Ville Husso

If anything happens to Binnington, the Blues will be burning up the phone lines for a replacement. Husso wasn’t trusted last season despite winning nine of his sixteen starts as a rookie. I like Binnington’s game when he’s playing with swagger and his Blues teammates feed off it. He has to stay hungry.

26 Edmonton Oilers: Mike Smith & Mikko Koskinen

After last season’s 21-6-2 performance, it’s borderline insulting to have Mike Smith this far down the list. He posted some of the best traditional and advanced numbers of his long NHL career. Smith’s game looks cleaner than ever and his puckhandling is a perfect match for the highly skilled Oilers. Koskinen was the polar opposite of Smith, only winning 50 percent of his starts. I’d expect Edmonton to be active in the goalie market.

27 Philadelphia Flyers: Carter Hart & Martin Jones

Hart has the skill set to thrive in the NHL. And he did briefly until it all fell apart last season. Jones had the skill set to thrive in the NHL. And he did for a while until it all fell apart three seasons ago. Which of these two goalies will get their game back on track? My money is on Hart. But he’s going to have to earn the net. Jones has 186 NHL wins.

28 Boston Bruins: Linus Ullmark & Jeremy Swayman

I think this tandem has a huge potential. Ullmark was sneaky good for Buffalo – when he was healthy. And Swayman was lights out in junior, college, the AHL and his 10-game stint with the Bruins last season. The NHL is a tough place to survive as a No. 1 goalie and it’s going to be sink or swim for these two. They could make a huge leap in the rankings. They need to prove it.

29 San Jose Sharks: Adin Hill & James Reimer

The Sharks have not provided a hospitable environment for goaltenders lately. This offseason they acquired Hill, who played admirably in 49 NHL appearances with Arizona. He is a potential starter and I think he could be a pleasant surprise. Reimer will likely see limited action.

30 Buffalo Sabres: Craig Anderson & Dustin Tokarski

The race is on! No, not for Shane Wright, the potential first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. For Anderson to reach 300 NHL wins! He’s currently sitting on 291 and when Buffalo came calling, he couldn’t resist the opportunity. It might get ugly in Sabreland this season, but bank on Anderson stealing a few games. Tokarski continues to grind, beating out Aaron Dell in training camp. (And yes, the race for Shane Wright is actually on, too.)

31 Ottawa Senators: Matt Murray & Anton Forsberg

Murray’s first season in Ottawa was a massive disappointment. He signed a big ticket in the summer of 2020, only to be left unprotected in the 2021 Expansion Draft. The Seattle Kraken passed on the two-time Stanley Cup Champion. Forsberg has had several chances to stick in the NHL. Maybe this is his year.

32 Arizona Coyotes: Carter Hutton & Josef Korenar

Hutton won one game for the Sabres last season in twelve starts. He’s an outstanding teammate that battles hard, but I think a lot of people were surprised that he landed another NHL gig. The Coyotes are incredibly thin and this season will be a challenge. Josef Korenar needs to dominate the AHL before he’s ready for NHL duty. He hasn’t done that. Yet he has an NHL roster spot.

Mike McKenna joined Daily Faceoff as an NHL analyst in Oct. 2021. He recently spent three seasons as television analyst for the Vegas Golden Knights on AT&T Sportsnet after wrapping a 14-year professional playing career that saw him dress for nine different NHL franchises in goal. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeMcKenna56.