Top five goaltenders thriving with new teams in 2024-25

Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

There’s no position more fickle in the NHL than goaltender. One year, you can be a serious Vezina Trophy candidate – the next, you’re fighting to keep your career alive.

That’s why teams should be cautious when signing guys to long-term, expensive deals unless you’re fully confident you’ve got an elite No. 1 option. Some teams have spent the past few years shifting to more of a 1A/1B setup – spending less on one guy to hopefully maximize value in the crease.

In the case of these five goalies below, none of them was a clear No. 1 heading into the season. Cam Talbot had the best chance of making it happen with the Detroit Red Wings, given his experience, but Alex Lyon did his best to prevent it early. But in all, these five goalkeepers have managed to stand out after switching to their new teams during the offseason:

Anthony Stolarz, Toronto Maple Leafs

Fresh off winning a Stanley Cup as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup last year, Stolarz wanted a chance to prove he could lead a team to greatness. So far, he has allowed just eight goals at 5-on-5 in 10 games and boasts a second-place 9.9 goals saved above expected. The 6-foot-6 keeper has a 6-2-2 record with one shutout and a surface-level save percentage of .930 – second to only early Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck on the Winnipeg Jets. It’s still really early in the season, and Leafs fans have been burned by goalies starting hot and fizzling out in the past. But Stolarz has managed to steal the No. 1 job early on while trying to show he can be a No. 1 goalie for the first time in his career.

Cam Talbot, Detroit Red Wings

Alex Lyon outplayed Talbot early on, but the veteran has managed to steal the spotlight back. Talbot has allowed two or fewer goals in his past three starts and has a 4-2-1 record with a .926 save percentage. His 7.9 GSAx at 5-on-5 is third in the NHL, with his 1.32 GAA better than expected ranking first of any goalie with at least five games played. Talbot has played a lot of hockey against non-playoff teams, but he has been the backbone as of late for a club trying to crack the postseason for the first time in more than half a decade. After making the NHL All-Star Game a year ago, the 37-year-old has continued to establish himself as one of the best older goalies in the NHL. Between Talbot and Lyon, the Red Wings will need all the help they can get as the season wears on if they’re going to make a serious postseason push. Don’t ignore Talbot as a threat to make Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off team, either.

Kevin Lankinen, V ancouver Canucks

With Thatcher Demko still out for now, and Arturs Silovs struggling mightily, things could have easily gone south for the Canucks. Instead, Lankinen – who signed an NHL deal on Sept. 21 – has managed to keep things afloat with a 7-1-2 record through 10 games. His most recent outing was a seven-goal blowout at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, but Lankinen started the year off as one of the best keepers in the league. His advanced analytics aren’t great, though, with his GSAx sitting at -4.0. In the end, a fully healthy Demko should be the team’s No. 1, but Lankinen has at least kept things moving with some quality wins along the way.

Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals

A big reason for the Capitals’ revival this season has been due to the excellent play between the pipes. Thompson has shared the crease with Charlie Lindgren, with Thompson boasting a perfect 7-0-0 record. It’s not surprising that he has played so well – he has a career record of 63-32-11, primarily with the Vegas Golden Knights – but he’s doing it at the ultra-low AAV of $766,667. The pending UFA has a 4.3 GSAx to put him eighth among goalkeepers with at least five games played, which is a fair bit above Lindgren’s -3.1. Still, they’re delivering wins and keeping the Capitals relevant – alongside the great play of Alex Ovechkin, of course.

Casey DeSmith, Dallas Stars

The past few years have proven that just about anyone can look good in a Stars jersey, but DeSmith has the numbers to prove he’s playing some of the best hockey of his career. He has the 17th-best GSAx at 2.9 and a regular save percentage of .929. He started the season with a shutout over the Seattle Kraken but then was given some tough assignments against Florida and Washington. For the most part, DeSmith has done a good job of giving the team a fighting chance when they’ve needed to rest Jake Oettinger, and that’s all you can ask for. But the fact he’s had to deal with some quality teams early on shows that the coaching staff seems to believe in him.

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