Top 10 NHL Goalies For 2018-19 NHL Season
In building this list, we weighed everything imaginable—from stats and advanced metrics, to play style and team importance. Our breakdown includes all of the following:
- A comprehensive ranking of NHL starting goalies
- Statistics and rankings
- Stanley Cup Futures
- Analysis of MVP credentials
- More!
Please note that all Stanley Cup odds come courtesy of Bovada and are accurate as of Monday, Jan. 7. Also, when we site Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) to help illustrate a goalie’s placement, we’ll also put their league ranking in that category inside parenthesis.
Betting Tips
- 110. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
- 29. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
- 38. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
- 47. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
- 56. Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
- 65. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
- 74. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
- 83. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
- 92. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
- 101. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
10. Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins
Save Percentage: 91.3
GSAA: 1.87 (26)
Penguins Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
Matt Murray provides a nice balance in performance. He isn’t the stingiest goaltender, but he’s elite. He would be even better if the Penguins put better protection around him. As a team, they’re eighth in total shots allowed on the season.
Consider Pittsburgh a Stanley Cup dark horse so long as murray is healthy.
9. Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Save Percentage: 90.8
GSAA: 1.08 (30)
Blue Jackets Stanley Cup Odds: +2000
Sergei Bobrovsky benefits from a pretty good defensive line, but he’s a pest between the posts himself. Though his save percentage is down from last year, he’s on pace to still get paid in free agency this summer—even if it’s not by the Blue Jackets.
Oddsmakers paint the Blue Jackets as a mid-tier contender. Bobrovsky is a big reason why.
8. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Save Percentage: 91.0
GSAA: -4.79 (64)
Jets Stanley Cup Odds: +1100
Don’t be fooled by Connor Hellebuyck’s less-than-shiny GSAA. The Jets are consistent on their defensive line and great at preventing transition opportunities. Hellebuyck doesn’t need to face a ton of difficult shots. What’s important is he provides an anchor night in and night out. Only five goalies have logged more minutes than him this season.
Keep an eye on the Jets‘ odds. You’ll want them to dip a bit before investing in them, since stamina could be an issue for Hellebuyck down the stretch of season.
7. Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild
Save Percentage: 91.2
GSAA: -12.22 (100)
Wild Stanley Cup Odds: +4500
Devan Dubnyk is in the same boat as Hellebuyck. He has a great defensive line in front of him and doesn’t need to make a ton of MVP-like plays. That being said, he’s a whiz at keeping track of opponent puck-handling. He’s become one of the more underrated stoppers in the league this season.
It’s not a bad idea to lay some money down on the Wild as a result. Some sportsbooks consider them a second-tier favorite, but others, like Bovada, still have them on dark-horse watch. You get a nice bang for your buck.
6. Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Save Percentage: 92.3
GSAA: 8.89 (4)
Penguins Stanley Cup Odds: +450
Frederik Andersen should be higher. Much higher. He has the highest save percentage among everyone on this list, and he leads the league in quality-start percentage.
However, a groin injury has sidelined him for a few games, and it’s not quite clear when he’ll return. With the Maple Leafs comfortably in the hunt for the Atlantic Division title, chances are they will slow-play his recovery, which impacts his standing on this list.
5. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
Save Percentage: 91.7
GSAA: 0.26 (32)
Bruins Stanley Cup Odds: +2300
Tuukka Rask has an interesting case to be higher as well. But he just doesn’t play enough. The Bruins have warmed up to something more of a co-opt between the post. He is very clearly their starter, but he isn’t asked to shoulder the workload of some of his peers.
Still, he’s a goal-stopping machine. And the Bruins are an interesting Stanley Cup play in large part because of him.
4. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Save Percentage: 92.0
GSAA: -6.04 (66)
Lightning Stanley Cup Odds: +300
Andrei Vasilevskiy is being rewarded for his stoutness amid volume. Tampa Bay’s defense is designed to invite shots on goal, albeit from a distance. That Vasilevskiy is turning back about 92 percent of them is absurd, and the second-best mark on this list.
Bovada has the Lightning as a Stanley Cup favorite. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to find out why. Their offense is terrifying, and their talent between the posts is close to just as good.
3. John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
Save Percentage: 92.3
GSAA: 17.37 (1)
Ducks Stanley Cup Odds: +4000
John Gibson is tied for the highest save percentage on this list. He would have a real case to be No. 1 if he allowed slightly fewer goals per game (2.64).
But even that is hardly his fault. The Ducks are fourth in shot allowed on the net this season. Gibson is constantly facing difficult pressure. For his save percentage to be where it is, it’s pretty unbelievable.
Don’t bother with the Ducks as a Stanley Cup bet just yet. They’re not even guaranteed a playoff spot.
2. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
Save Percentage: 91.2
GSAA: -5.31 (65)
Golden Knights Stanley Cup Odds: +1500
The secret’s out on the Golden Knights: Their goalie is terrific. Marc-Andre Fleury leads the NHL in shutouts with six. None of the other goalies have more than three.
Treating the Knights as a Stanley Cup threat is fine. But you have to believe in Fleury’s ability to hold this workload for an entire season. No goalie has logged more minutes, which could mean he’s due for some late-season fatigue.
1. Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators
Save Percentage: 91.9
GSAA: 8.2 (5)
Predators Stanley Cup Odds: +1300
Goalies seldom with the NHL’s MVP award. Carey Price was the last one to do it, in 2014-15. Before him, there was Jose Theodore, in 2001-02. These days, there are only a couple of goalies with the talent necessary to do the same. Frederik Andersen is one of them. Pekka Rinne is the other.
If Rinne played more, in fact, he might even be in this year’s race. But since he’s not an almost-everyday-player, he’ll have to settle for this crown—one he clearly deserves when looking at the Predators’ overall defense, which is second in total goals allowed this season.
Check out the best online sportsbooks below so you can pick out which one is right for you: