SERAVALLI: Sizing up the NHL’s summer goaltending market

Around and around they go, when it stops on Wednesday – we will know.

The music is playing on the NHL’s annual game of goaltending musical chairs ahead of the opening of free agency on Wednesday at 12 noon ET. There are 10 goaltenders on Daily Faceoff‘s Top 75 Free Agents list.

A few chairs have already been taken. The Seattle Kraken selected @Chris Driedger, @Vitek Vanecek and @Joey Daccord in the Expansion Draft. The Detroit Red Wings traded for their goaltender of the present in @Alex Nedeljkovic one day before selecting their goaltender of the future in Sebastian Cossa.

There are as many as eight teams searching for a starting netminder: Buffalo, Chicago, Colorado and Toronto are for sure. Is Boston comfortable with @Jeremy Swayman and @Dan Vladar holding down the fort until @Tuukka Rask (if re-signed) is back in early 2022? What will Arizona do if they trade @Darcy Kuemper? Are the Sharks going with @Adin Hill? And is @Martin Jones being bought out?

Then there is the Carolina Hurricanes, who don’t have any NHL goalie under contract – in the market for both a starter and backup, or two good ones to go in tandem. They are still working on trying to sign @Jonathan Bernier.

The backup space is equally crowded. Calgary, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, and Washington are all in the mix. The Canucks will be if they move on from @Braden Holtby, which is likely to happen by buyout if no trade materializes. Will @Mikko Koskinen still be in Edmonton? Both the Flyers and Devils are looking for established veterans to pair up with @Carter Hart and @Mackenzie Blackwood. @Jaroslav Halak is the in-demand backup with the most interest, followed by Bernier, then @Antti Raanta and @David Rittich.

(One name to keep an eye on: @Henrik Lundqvist is continuing his rehab from open heart surgery in early January. He is waiting for a green light from doctors later this month in an attempt to continue his career.)

The trade market is still percolating. The Avalanche and Maple Leafs viewed Kuemper as a primary target but the acquisition price was high. The Blackhawks were among the teams interested in Holtby. The Vegas Golden Knights have dangled both @Robin Lehner and @Marc-Andre Fleury at varying points this offseason.

Unfortunately, the Stars won’t know until closer to training camp the health of @Ben Bishop. If he’s healthy, that could make for a crowded crease with @Anton Khudobin and @Jake Oettinger. But they can’t move Khudobin now with Bishop’s uncertainty.

Then there are the free agents. All eyes are on @Philipp Grubauer, the man expected to set the market. Talks between Grubauer and the Avs are going down to the wire for the Vezina Trophy finalist. The belief is Colorado is holding firm at 5 years, $25 million. Grubauer’s camp is believed to be seeking a deal north of $6 million.

The Sabres are similarly making a last ditch play to keep @Linus Ullmark, who will have no shortage of suitors should he make it to Wednesday. Buffalo shockingly protected Ullmark in the Expansion Draft, which indicated their interest, but the thinking was Ullmark was ready to move on even dating back to the trade deadline. Ullmark will be the premier goalie available if Grubauer re-signs in Colorado. Teams are justifiably concerned about his injury history though.

@Petr Mrazek and @Frederik Andersen are near statistic matches, close in save percentage and games played over the last three seasons, but Mrazek is two years younger.

Here are the contract comparables: