The Goalie Report: Risers and Fallers

In this week's column, we'll take a look at goalie performances over the past two weeks. Some are surprising developments, while others aren't so much.

Trending Up

Joseph Woll, Toronto (.934 Save Percentage, 2.00 GAA)

The Leafs' goaltending situation has been a big reason for their rise toward the top of the Eastern Conference. The fact their success continues despite a knee injury that has sidelined Anthony Stolarz for four weeks is because his tandem partner, Woll, has risen to the challenge of a heavy workload for the first time in his injury-plagued career. He's already established a career-high in wins (14) and ranks near the top of all key league-wide goalie stats through 20 appearances this season. His economy of movement is indicative of a guy who's in control and at the top of his game right now.

Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota (.927 Save Percentage, 2.50 GAA)

A key factor in the Wild competing for the top of the Central Division, while carrying over $14.4 million in dead cap money, is the continued excellence of Gustavsson. He's on pace for the heaviest workload of his career and his stat line is among the best in the league. His career year is also among the biggest individual surprise developments in the entire league. Future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury's usage has been sparse, largely aimed at carving out a rest spot for their top goalie.

Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado (.945 Save Percentage, 1.38 GAA)

When the move was made to acquire Blackwood, the Avs had to expect better numbers than he was posting in San Jose. He has exceeded those expectations with the early returns in his first weeks with the Avalanche. This outcome is not a total surprise for a couple of reasons. First, it was expected they might improve a bit because the Avs have a deeper roster than the Sharks. That part of the bump was anticipated. Second, Blackwood did post good numbers in his first two years as a pro in New Jersey, so he's reached these heights before, but that happened several years ago. Undoubtedly, he's well aware of the new opportunity before him and is motivated to take full advantage.   

Darcy Kuemper, L.A. (.957 Save Percentage, 1.31 GAA)

The Kings have emerged as a surprise competitor for the top of the Pacific Division title. Pundits knew they would have good depth on offense, but their defense would be compromised with Drew Doughty on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and goaltending was a question mark. Kuemper has emerged as a very positive story here. His current 2.22 goals against average through 19 games played is his best mark since his six-game effort in his debut campaign in the 2012-2013 season. He and the rest of the Kings will get a boost from Doughty's return to the lineup in a couple of weeks.

Stuart Skinner, Edmonton (.937 Save Percentage, 1.76 GAA)

When we think of the Oilers, the tendency is to fawn over the offensive skills of the forwards and be concerned with the defense and goaltending. Skinner is in his fifth year with the Oilers and his current season's stats are consistent with his prior years with the club. Overall, they remain in a positive range, but concerns linger nonetheless. A deeper dive into his game logs reveals six poor starts (four or more goals against ) out of 27 appearances. That measures up a little below the standard of the top goalies in the league, but he's been much more consistent and impressive in the last month.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay (.934 Save Percentage, 2.03 GAA)

While there have been significant changes to the Lightning's roster over the last couple of seasons, Vasilevskiy's workload as the team's primary goalie has remained consistent. He's once again among the league leaders in games played and has put up his lowest goals against mark (2.36 GAA) since the 2020-2021 season through his 30 appearances to date. His efforts are a big reason why Tampa is once again in line for a playoff spot in the very competitive Atlantic Division. In his 11th season, he shows no sign of slowing down. He will have the unprecedented benefit of a three-week break in February to get refreshed before a final push to end the regular season while the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament takes place.   

Trending Down

Kevin Lankinen, Vancouver (.880 Save Percentage, 2.80 GAA)

The recent news around the Canucks has not been very positive. First, they saw Thatcher Demko's return from injured reserve (IR) cut short with a minor back injury. Then the locker room rift between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson emerged. Both events will put more pressure on Lankinen to continue to hold the fort. While he's done an admirable job for the most part, two of his worst starts have occurred during his last five appearances. The locker room rift threatens to drag Lankinen and the rest of his mates down. That's a troubling outlook for a team that was thought to be a serious contender in the Pacific Division. Lankinen's stats line will probably suffer for it. He'll also lose playing time when Demko returns. That part was expected all along.

Cam Talbot, Detroit (.841 Save Percentage, 4.65 GAA)

The veteran has lost playing time due to Alex Lyon's recent run of success. At the same time, Talbot's last five starts have yielded only one solid outing. It's been clear for much of the past month Lyon has edged ahead significantly in this goalie-share battle. Lyon sustained an upper-body injury in his last start. While he's listed as day-to-day, this will give Talbot a quick opportunity to make his case for a larger role. He has to come through with a big effort to turn the tables in his favor or he'll remain in the back seat.

Juuse Saros, Nashville (.880 Save Percentage, 3.36 GAA)

As the Predators have stumbled out of the gate and are far short of pre-season expectations, we've been waiting to see if they can turn things around. While a 5-4-1 mark in their last 10 games is an improvement, they need to be much better than that to make up ground. Saros' stats this season-to-date are only a little off career norms, but with the trade deadline looming on March 7, there have already been some indications the club will be in sell mode. That doesn't bode well for a big finish and a more positive turn for Saros' stats. Additionally, his most recent game log reveals only one solid start in his last four appearances. It looks like the writing is on the wall for Saros and the Preds.