Ranking the goalies 1-40

[yave1964]

 I have a list of the top 40 goalies, ranked 40-1 absolutely open for debate, it is my own list scientifically put together within about five minutes. So feel free to jump in with any changes in order that you would make.

 

I left youngsters off the list, Vasilevskiy, Mrazek, Gibson,Jake Allen, Ortio and Markstrom, I did put a few players such as Hammond on the list however. Anyway, her they are, my top 40:

 

40) Robin Lehner Given multiple chances has yet to secure a job

39) Darcy Keumper was innefective last year and lost job to Dubnyk

38) Cam Ward aging badly.

37) Alex Stalock took a step back last year, but still worth a look

36) Ben Scrivens did a good job with a bad team

35) Anton Khubodin Meh. Just a body.

34) Karri Ramo Did a decent job when healthy

33) Eddie Lack split time with Miller and at times outplayed him

32) Scott Darling In limited duty he more than held his own.

31) Ondrej Pavelec defines inconsistency

 

30) Antti Niemi maybe a bit underrated

29) Mike Smith Fell hard. REALLY hard

28) Jonas Hiller played very well with the Flames

27) Michael Hutchinson showed promise last year

26) Kari Lehtonen a bad year has his career on the ropes

25) Andrew Hammond The hamburgler was one of the best stories in the game last year

24) Martin Jones if he is available on the market, someone better snag him up

23) Jonathan Bernier good one game, bad the next

22) Cam Talbot one hot commodity on the market

21) Brian Elliott still not sure why Hitchcock hates him so much as to not use him in the postseason

 

20) Jaroslav Halak One of the truly underrated in the game

19)Ryan Miller One of the truly overrated

18) Jimmy Howard the very definition of inconsistent

17) Devon Dubnyk I cannot justify ranking him higher based off 3 months of elite play

16) Roberto Luongo Still loving life in Sunrise

15) Ben Bishop solid postseason on the resume including 2 game 7 shutouts

14) Craig Anderson health is his only concern

13. Frederik Andersen could move way up the list next year, if he holds off super prospect Gibson

12) M.A. Fleury a Cup, a trip to the finals and 5 straight years of GAA of 2.30 to 2.39

11. Steve Mason has found a home

 

10) Corey Crawford two cup wins in 3 years earns him a top ten place

9) Semyon Varlamov makes some filthy saves. very underrated

8) Sergei Bobrovsky when healthy he is top 5

7) Corey Schneider the only reason the Devils aren't getting Conner McDavid

6) Jonathan Quick 2 cup wins, textbook for positioning

5) Braden Holtby Anyone who thinks he is rated too high needs to watch a Capitals game. It is truly his team now

4) Tuukka Rask slipped a bit last year and may be rated a bit high

3) Pekka Rinne if healthy he may be rated 2 spots too low

2) Henrik Lundqvist absolutely the most important player on his team. Hall of fame lock

1) Carey Price The only thing missing is a Stanley Cup

 

The kids who I left off the list, I rank in this order:

6 Markstrom

5 Ortio

4 Allen

3 Vasilevskiy

2 Mrazek

1 Gibson

 

Well there ya go. Jump on in!

 

[pilldoc]

@yave1964

pretty solid list...however I don't think I would put Niemi that far down on the list.  maybe around 20 or so.  He had streches of great play last year and stretches of sheer ugliness.  SJ is gonna have to make a decison regarding their goaltending situation this year.  I don't think splitting time between Stalock and Niemi is going to work for another season.

[yave1964]

@yave1964

pretty solid list...however I don't think I would put Niemi that far down on the list.  maybe around 20 or so.  He had streches of great play last year and stretches of sheer ugliness.  SJ is gonna have to make a decison regarding their goaltending situation this year.  I don't think splitting time between Stalock and Niemi is going to work for another season.

Niemi is being shown the door, they are looking for a starter with Stalock being retained as the backup. They are in on Craig Anderson but everything I have read has the Sharks in a wait and see mode as the Devon dubnyk situation is becoming more and more contentious in Minnesota. If Dubnyk makes it to free agency July First the Sharks, with 15 million in cap space are going to go all out for him. Niemi is going to have a difficult time landing a full time job next year, he wore out his welcome in San Jose, he may end up with a job with Buffalo or Edmonton.

[blocker]

You put a lot of effort into that list.  Very interesting.  My comment would be that I don't think Rask should be included in the top twenty. 

[J0e Th0rnton]

Niemi is being shown the door, they are looking for a starter with Stalock being retained as the backup. They are in on Craig Anderson but everything I have read has the Sharks in a wait and see mode as the Devon dubnyk situation is becoming more and more contentious in Minnesota. If Dubnyk makes it to free agency July First the Sharks, with 15 million in cap space are going to go all out for him. Niemi is going to have a difficult time landing a full time job next year, he wore out his welcome in San Jose, he may end up with a job with Buffalo or Edmonton.

Actually, Dubnyk just tweeted through an intermediary that the issues are not disagreement on price. it is cap space.

 

Craig Custance ‏@CraigCustance 4m4 minutes ago

Devan Dubnyk says lack of a deal with Wild more of a cap issue than disagreement over terms.

Craig Custance ‏@CraigCustance 2m2 minutes ago

Dubnyk says his agent Mike Liut has meeting planned at draft with Wild GM Chuck Fletcher.

[ruxpin]

21) Brian Elliott still not sure why Hitchcock hates him so much as to not use him in the postseason

 

Because he sucks.  He's a small time goaltender who comes up smaller when the defecation hits the wind gust.

 

I'll comment on the rest later (the order overall seems good, except I seem to be the only who thinks Carey Price is vastly overrated).

[ruxpin]

@yave1964

 

Overall a pretty good effort, sir.

 

You grouped in tens.  Within those groupings I think I don't have any argument  (for example, I don't think I'd put anyone from your 11-19 list in the top 10, etc.).

 

But for my money, there is no way I rate Craig Anderson ahead of Ben Bishop.  I'm actually wondering to myself if I wouldn't put Bishop all the way up ahead of Mason.  

I already commented on Price.

 

I think I'd do my top 10 like this, but I'm okay with yours:

 

1)  Henrik Lundqvist

2)  Pekka Rinne (health is definitely a problem)

3)  Jonathan Quick

4)  Tukka Rask

5)  Braden Holtby

6)  Corey Crawford

7)  Carey Price

8)  Corey Schneider

9)  Sergei Bobrovsky

10)  Semyon Varlamov

 

I guess I'm thinking in terms of "money" goalies.  YMMV

[yave1964]

@ruxpin

 

Elliott always puts up good numbers and gets replaced. Three years ago Halak, two years ago Miller, last year Allen. It ended badly every time.

Is he a regular season goalie and a postseason flameout? Hard to say, he has went 44-20-5 in the past two regular seasons and benched in the playoffs. He deserves a chance to see if he can win in the postseason or if not, move on to greener pastures.

 

 I love Price as a goalie (hate him personally, every interview I have ever seen he comes across cocky and like a jerk) but his lack of postseason success is a hige black mark. As far as Craig Anderson, i may have had him a bit too high. Swap Bishop and him, I am fine with that.

@blocker

Rask not in the top 20? Wow, that is harsh, pretty tough comment. I know he slipped last year, I have been on record as feeling he is a bit overrated but not in the top 20, ooof.

 

@J0e Th0rnton

Liut is meeting with Fletcher at the draft? So 3 or 4 days that they can try to get something done are going to pass before then. I wonder who the Wild have to move out to make room to resign Dubnyk. If he doesn't get it done, would you want the Sharks to sign him? for what kind of term/price?

[ruxpin]

Is he a regular season goalie and a postseason flameout? Hard to say, he has went 44-20-5 in the past two regular seasons and benched in the playoffs. He deserves a chance to see if he can win in the postseason or if not, move on to greener pasture

 

Not that this means everything, but I had four goalies down the stretch.  Elliott was firmly planted on my bench and when I absolutely had to start him, for whatever reason, I horribly regretted it.  He was flat out terrible the last month or so.  The closer they got to the playoffs the worse he got.  I think Hitch should have been fired instantly if he started him.

 

The problem is that I don't think Allen is any good, either.

 

But seriously, he seems to flame out at the end of the season whether in Ottawa or St. Louis.  I can only figure they see something (I don't watch enough to claim to see it--just results/stats) they don't trust in him.  

 

B the way, completely aside, I've said this before but if I'm St. Louis I'm trading Allen, getting a starter, and Elliot is my backup for now.

[J0e Th0rnton]

@ruxpin

 

Elliott always puts up good numbers and gets replaced. Three years ago Halak, two years ago Miller, last year Allen. It ended badly every time.

Is he a regular season goalie and a postseason flameout? Hard to say, he has went 44-20-5 in the past two regular seasons and benched in the playoffs. He deserves a chance to see if he can win in the postseason or if not, move on to greener pastures.

 

 I love Price as a goalie (hate him personally, every interview I have ever seen he comes across cocky and like a jerk) but his lack of postseason success is a hige black mark. As far as Craig Anderson, i may have had him a bit too high. Swap Bishop and him, I am fine with that.

@blocker

Rask not in the top 20? Wow, that is harsh, pretty tough comment. I know he slipped last year, I have been on record as feeling he is a bit overrated but not in the top 20, ooof.

 

@J0e Th0rnton

Liut is meeting with Fletcher at the draft? So 3 or 4 days that they can try to get something done are going to pass before then. I wonder who the Wild have to move out to make room to resign Dubnyk. If he doesn't get it done, would you want the Sharks to sign him? for what kind of term/price?

I'd rather help them get cap space by offering Goldobin and our 2016 2nd for Spurgeon.

 

But if he were available? 3 years, 4.5 million.

[TBLightning1993]

@blocker

 

I couldn't agree more. Rask is good but compared to Lundqvist, Quick and Price he quickly falls off the pedestal.

 

After the postseason Crawford had for the Hawks (as much as I don't favor them) he deserves a much better spot than 10. Move Rask to 10 to be generous and give that spot to the man that shut down the regular season powerhouse of the NHL!

[Samifan]

I think Bishop should be listed ahead of Varlamov. I also think Quick is a Top 5 guy, possibly ahead of Rask.

 

Still waiting for a certain someone to protest Miller's ranking....  

[92WickedHockey]

I agree with most of the list. I'd put Crawford a little higher though, sure he plays behind a dynasty but the same argument can be said for Quick. Price is definitely #1 without him Habs are a bubble playoff team fighting tooth and nail for the wildcard.

[ruxpin]

I agree with most of the list. I'd put Crawford a little higher though, sure he plays behind a dynasty but the same argument can be said for Quick. Price is definitely #1 without him Habs are a bubble playoff team fighting tooth and nail for the wildcard.

 

 

See, I completely agree with this.  In fact, I think that's inarguable.  But he comes up so pedestrian in the playoffs that I can't put him ahead of some other goalies.  To be fair, the playoffs aren't exactly entirely his fault, but he always seems to ultimately get outplayed.

 

Overall, really a fairly good list though, huh?

[92WickedHockey]

he comes up so pedestrian in the playoffs

 

Well he did have a great playoffs in 2014, he was perhaps the biggest reason Montreal got past the Presidents Trophy Bruins that year, he was incredible in that series. Overall a pretty accurate list. 

[teenagemutantninjahertl]

I think it impossible to rank them effectively 1-30, so I am going to rank them in groups of 5. (only doing starters) Goalies trending downward are in red.

 

1-5: Lundqvist, Price, Rinne, Rask, Schneider

The first two are on great teams. Pekka is on a team that has been bad, but he has been outstanding. Rask and Schneider are on bad teams, but they are still great goalies.

6-10: Crawford, Bobrovsky, Luongo, Miller, Holtby

They all seem to get less credit than they deserve lately, but they put up spectacular numbers and can steal games. There is a lot to love in this category.

11-15: Elliot, Mrazek (Sorry Jimmy Howard), Bishop, Quick, Fleury

Somewhat over analyzed and scrutinized, but still above average in the NHL. Quick is only here due to two poor regular seasons. In the playoffs, who else would you want besides Quick?

16-20: Andersen, Varlamov, Dubnyk, Mason, Halak

Average goalies, but still better than several options out there. Varlamov, Dubnyk, and Mason have limited playoff experience, and that really boosts your credibility in this league. Not bad choices, but there is room for improvement. These guys could jump up a group or two.

21-25 M.Jones, Talbot, Lack, Hiller, Bernier

Mostly prospects here. Look for these guys to jump up the list. They have great potential, but lack experience, and that keeps them down here. Hiller probably should be higher on the list, but he seems to fade with the increased pressure, and sometimes looks shaky.

26-30: Hutchinson, Ottawa, Dallas, Smith, Lehner

Questions all across the board. There is tons of room for movement here. Lehner is here because he was bad last (when healthy).

[teenagemutantninjahertl]

I think Bishop should be listed ahead of Varlamov. I also think Quick is a Top 5 guy, possibly ahead of Rask.

 

Still waiting for a certain someone to protest Miller's ranking....  

 

I don't know that I would put Quick in the top 5. He is fantastic in the playoffs, but looking at some of his games in the regular season, he is far from elite. Definitely top 10.

 

Rask goes unnoticed because he plays on a bad team or a team that can't score. He is rock solid back there. He has more elite performances (in the regular season) than Quick. Cups do speak, though.