Top five most interesting goaltending battles to watch during 2024-25 NHL preseason

Credit: USA Today Sports

We’re nearly a week into NHL training camps already, with teams having hit the ice for what will soon feel like a never-ending slate of tuneup games.

While the preseason can be a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to getting a good read on a player’s performance for the season, you still need to perform. And for goaltenders, where confidence is everything, this time matters a lot to make sure you start the year on the right foot.

With some teams bringing in new goaltenders to the fray, or others looking to bust through and become a full-time NHLer, here’s a look at five of the most interesting battles to watch over the next few weeks as teams look to iron out their crease situation. And whatever you do, don’t assume any goaltender has a spot locked up – it’s the most voodoo position in hockey:

Detroit Red Wings

Goalies: Alex Lyon, Ville Husso and Cam Talbot

*Cam Talbot (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)*

The Red Wings appear ready to run with a three-headed monster for the second year in a row – but with a slightly different trio. Lyon and Husso are back to challenge for starts, while Talbot enters the ring as a newcomer with the most NHL experience. Of the two returnees, Lyon established himself as the team’s top goaltender last year, going 21-18-5 with two shutouts and a .904 save percentage. Husso, meanwhile, took a step back, performance-wise, but also suffered multiple lower-body injuries. If Husso can stay healthy, he’s still a decent goaltender capable of good hockey.

But the Red Wings clearly weren’t fully confident in the crease and brought in Talbot over the summer. Talbot was one of the top goalies on the market, and his two-year deal suggests the Red Wings still believe in him late in his career. Talbot had his struggles with L.A., but he still participated in the All-Star Game in a year that saw him play 52 games despite being one of the oldest keepers in the league.

The Red Wings have about $198K in cap space to work with. An easy move would be sending one of the goalies down and hoping for the best – Husso is paid the most at $4.75 million. But don’t be surprised if they keep all three around for added flexibility like they did a year ago.

On paper, Talbot should be Detroit’s No. 1 goalie. But at the very least, they’ve got three guys that have spent time as an NHL starter over the past few years. All they need is just one to take control.

And if none of that works… maybe they give Jack Campbell a chance again after playing some decent hockey in the AHL later in the 2023-24 season? He’ll be damn hungry to prove people wrong after getting bought out by the Edmonton Oilers last year.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Goalies: Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz

*Joseph Woll (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)*

The Leafs haven’t had many clear-cut goaltenders in the salary cap era – Freddy Andersen was the most recent, having guarded the crease from 2016-21. That’s not expected to change in 2024-25, with the Leafs going with a young keeper with injury issues in Woll and a career backup in Stolarz. But each goalie has the best chance of their career to become a truly impactful goaltender. Woll showed the past few years that he can play some excellent hockey and is capable of being a No. 1 for stretches. Stolarz, meanwhile, is coming off the best season of his career, helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Statistically, both were quite solid last year. Stolarz’s 21.7 goals-saved above expected put him seventh in the NHL, while Woll was 28th with a 8.57. The most realistic situation will see another year of Toronto employing a 1A/1B strategy, something new coach Craig Berube had in St. Louis at points in his tenure there. But he doesn’t have any long-term connections with either of these goalies, so it’s hard to say if he’s got a real preference right now. Woll was drafted and developed by Toronto so that could give him a bit of a leg up if they’re really close, especially if he stays healthy. But if Stolarz can replicate his performance from Florida, it’s going to make that decision so much more difficult.

There might not be a clear favorite in Toronto right now, but there’s going to be plenty of intrigue.

Boston Bruins

Goalies: Joonas Korpisalo, Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro

*Brandon Bussi (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

After having the best goaltending duo in the NHL for the past two years, the Bruins find themselves entering 2024-25 with way more questions than answers. Linus Ullmark is in Ottawa, and Jeremy Swayman won’t join the team until his contract situation is sorted. With no indication as to how long that’ll take, it could be a rough few weeks for a team that suddenly looks to be in danger.

At the very least, it’s a good thing the Bruins didn’t look to unload Korpisalo after acquiring him in the Ullmark deal. Of the 38 NHL goaltenders with at least 30 games played last year, Korpisalo’s -13.6 GSAx was dead last – and by a fair margain, too. For comparison, Swayman was fifth with a 22.79 GSAx, while Ullmark was seventh with a 21.62. Once seen as a decent backup who often played above expecatations, Korpisalo needs a huge bounce-back season to get his career back on track – especially with a cap hit of $3 million until 2028.

The other two options are DiPietro, who has three games of NHL experience, and Bussi, who has had a few good years in the AHL but hasn’t been given a fair chance in the NHL as of yet. Bussi looked like the natural replacement for Ullmark had another goaltender not been involved in the deal and, realistically, he might even be better than Korpisalo at this stage. But with no NHL experience right now, it’s hard to feel too confident. If DiPietro outplays Bussi in camp, maybe they’ll give him a shot instead, but Bussi deserves a chance after two great years in Providence.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens when Swayman signs. The Bruins might look to save some cash by keeping Bussi up and putting Korpisalo on waivers instead of potentially losing Bussi. Either way, this team isn’t going to be as dangerous without Swayman, so they need him back – and fast.

Washington Capitals

Goalies: Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson

The Capitals have one of the most interesting goaltending duos in the NHL. Lindgren was exceptionally valuable for the Capitals and was a big reason why they stormed into a playoff spot in the first place. He outperformed Darcy Kuemper in just about every aspect last year, finishing in the top 10 in many notable categories – including eighth in GSAx with a 18.58. This year, he’ll be joined by Thompson, who was an NHL all-star as a rookie in 2022-23. Thompson has shown in his short career that he can be a difference maker. His advanced analytics weren’t far off Adin Hill last year in Vegas and did a lot of the heavy lifting while Hill was on the sidelines. When he’s fully healthy, Thompson is above average.

Lindgren should have the edge as the returning option coming off a mega season. But Thompson should push the envelope while looking to prove himself as a pending UFA. But neither goalie has really shown a proven track record of leading the charge, which is part of the issue. Thompson has played 103 games over four seasons, while Lindgren split time between the NHL and AHL for six years before eventually making it to Washington in 2022-23.

Either way, you’ve got two goalies who want to prove they’re legit starters. That’s going to be fun to watch.

San Jose Sharks

Goalies: Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanecek

*Mackenzie Blackwood (Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports)*

The Sharks are going to be awful, and there’s no real way around that. They’ll be better than last year, but it’s still a weak group that won’t contend for a playoff spot. But the team’s two goalies – Blackwood and Vanecek – have a lot to prove, especially if defensive support is limited.

Of the 61 goalies with at least 1,000 5-on-5 minutes played last year (23+ games), both Vanecek (-7.98, 51st) and MacKenzie Blackwood (-9.19, 54th) finished in the bottom 10 in goals saved above average. Blackwood was much more respectable in GSAx at 11.07 (24th), but Vanecek had a brutal -10.67 to place him 58th. Ugly? Absolutely. But with both entering the season as pending UFAs, there has never been a more crucial time for them to up their value. And that’s still possible even on a team as bad as the Sharks.

The former Devils teammates will likely split starting duties until one of them ultimately shines through. Based on last year alone, Blackwood has the edge, but things can change in an instant. Both these keepers know that all too well. And the pressure is on with newly acquired Yaroslav Askarov ready to kick in the door and take the job before long. The fact he’s injured to open camp could put him behind in the short-term competition, though.

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