There’s two ways to win an NHL hockey game: scoring goals and stopping your opponent from scoring goals. In the case of the latter, the final responsibility for ensuring pucks don’t cross the red goal line rests with the team’s goaltender, making it one of the hardest positions to play in all of professional sports.
A select few have the agility, presence of mind and resilience to put on the big pads and stand between the pipes, and an even more select group of those players rise to the level of being considered elite.
So, which lucky NHL teams can say they have a true fortress in goal? Here’s our list of the top 10 best NHL goalies right now.
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The Top 10 NHL Goalies Right Now (2026)
Here’s our ranking of the best goalies in the NHL currently rostered to a team based on their recent performance and career accolades. After this ranking, we’ll take a look at leading goalies for the 2026-27 season based on some key statistics that goaltending performance is measured with.
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
2025-26 Key stats: .912 Save %, 2.31 GAA, 2 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 2
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 2
A common presence in the Stanley Cup Final who has back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, multiple Vezina Trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy to his name, Andrei Vasilevskiy has established himself as one of the most accomplished goaltenders of his generation.
Vasilevskiy is considered one of the faces of NHL goaltending in the 2020s and one of the most dominant postseason performers in modern memory. He’s pretty big as far as NHL goalies go at 6’4″ and 220lbs, but he’s “lightning” quick despite his frame. He’s able to quickly execute lateral movements and recover from the butterfly (that’s when a goalie drops to their knees to block low shots) with ease.
He also plays extraordinarily well in high-stakes situations, making him a dependable and near-impenetrable force in playoff games. That ability has, in part, made him the winningest goaltender in Lightning history.
His latest Vezina Trophy win in 2026 further cemented his position among the NHL’s elite, proving that even after more than a decade in the league, Vasilevskiy remains one of the toughest goaltenders to beat.
2. Ilya Sorokin – New York Islanders
2025-26 Key stats: .906 Save %, 2.68 GAA, 7 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
The New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season after a stellar career in Russia, and he’s been a staple of their lineup ever since.
He’s another consistent and reliable workhorse goalie who, despite his team’s defensive struggles, gives them a fighting chance in numerous matchups. He’s as mentally tough as they come and has top-tier reflexes, making him particularly difficult to beat in one-on-one situations.
Sorokin’s ability to shut down opposing offenses was especially evident in 2025-26, when he led the NHL in shutouts and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting. His performance further established him as one of the league’s most dependable goaltenders.
3. Logan Thompson – Washington Capitals
2025-26 Key stats: .912 Save %, 2.44 GAA, 4 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 1
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Logan Thompson has taken an unconventional path to becoming one of the NHL’s top goaltenders. After going undrafted, he worked his way through the minor leagues before eventually earning a starting role with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Thompson was part of Vegas’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2023, although an injury kept him out of the postseason. He was traded to the Washington Capitals in 2024, where he’s since established himself as one of the team’s most important players.
His arrival in Washington marked a turning point in his career, as he took on a larger workload and helped the Capitals emerge as one of the Eastern Conference’s strongest teams. Thompson followed up his impressive first season with another strong performance in 2025-26, earning a spot on the NHL’s Second All-Star Team.
Known for his quick reflexes and ability to remain composed under pressure, Thompson has developed into a reliable starting goaltender capable of handling the demands of a full NHL season.
4. Igor Shesterkin – New York Rangers
2025-26 Key stats: .912 Save %, 2.50 GAA, 1 shutout
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 1
Igor Shesterkin has been one of the NHL’s most reliable goaltenders since taking over as the New York Rangers’ starter, following in the footsteps of franchise legend Henrik Lundqvist.
Shesterkin made an immediate impression after arriving in the NHL in 2020, and his breakout 2021-22 season earned him the Vezina Trophy. His exceptional performance that year also helped lead the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final.
Even as New York struggled during the 2025-26 season, Shesterkin continued to provide a dependable presence in net. His ability to make difficult saves and keep the Rangers competitive despite their struggles has helped maintain his reputation as one of the league’s elite goaltenders.
Shesterkin is known for his quick reflexes, excellent positioning and ability to anticipate plays as they develop. He’s also established himself as a strong postseason performer, regularly delivering some of his best hockey when the stakes are highest.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, Shesterkin will miss the rest of the 2026-27 NHL season after suffering a severe injury to his right knee. Despite that, he still makes our list.
5. Jeremy Swayman – Boston Bruins
2025-26 Key stats: .908 Save %, 2.71 GAA, 2 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Jeremy Swayman has steadily established himself as one of the NHL’s best young goaltenders since making his debut with the Boston Bruins in 2021.
After spending several seasons sharing goaltending duties with Linus Ullmark, Swayman took over as Boston’s primary starter following Ullmark’s departure in 2024. His first full season in that role proved challenging, but he bounced back in impressive fashion in 2025-26.
Swayman helped the Bruins return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year, earning his first nomination as a Vezina Trophy finalist along the way.
Known for his athleticism, quick reactions and ability to remain composed under pressure, Swayman has become a major part of Boston’s plans for the future. His improvement over the past season suggests he could remain among the league’s top goaltenders for years to come.
6. Jesper Wallstedt – Minnesota Wild
2025-26 Key stats: .916 Save %, 2.61 GAA, 4 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Jesper Wallstedt is one of the youngest goaltenders on this list, but his performance during the 2025-26 season has already established him as one of the NHL’s most promising players at the position.
Selected by Minnesota in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt spent several seasons developing in the minor leagues before earning a more substantial role with the Wild. His first full NHL season proved to be well worth the wait.
Wallstedt quickly demonstrated the talent that made him such a highly regarded prospect, leading all rookie goaltenders in shutouts and ranking among the league’s best in save percentage. He also helped Minnesota advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
At just 23 years old, Wallstedt has already demonstrated the composure and reflexes expected of an experienced NHL starter. With plenty of room to develop, he could become a fixture among the league’s top goaltenders for years to come.
7. Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets
2025-26 Key stats: .895 Save %, 2.86 GAA, 0 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 1
Vezina Trophies: 3
Despite a difficult 2025-26 season by his standards, there’s almost no way that Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck doesn’t earn a spot on this list. Just one season earlier, Hellebuyck put together one of the best years of his career, winning both the Vezina Trophy and Hart Trophy after helping the Jets secure the top seed in the Western Conference. He was also a key presence in net for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team during the 2026 Winter Olympics, helping the United States take home the gold medal in ice hockey for the first time in decades.
Hellebuyck is easily one of the NHL’s most impactful goalies, and some have gone as far as calling him one of the best American-born goalies to ever play the game. He’s been backstopping the Jets since 2015, picking up three Vezina Trophies along the way.
Hellebuyck is the epitome of a workhorse goalie, regularly logging some of the heaviest minutes in the league. While his performance dipped considerably in 2025-26, his accomplishments over the previous several seasons have firmly established him among the NHL’s elite.
What makes Hellebuyck such an elite netminder? It’s his ability to remain calm amid chaos, which often erupts at the front of the net as players scramble to stuff the puck in or keep it out. He also possesses incredible puck sense, seemingly always able to locate the puck and position himself just right to make clutch saves.
8. Dan Vladar – Philadelphia Flyers
2025-26 Key stats: .906 Save %, 2.42 GAA, 0 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Dan Vladar has spent much of his NHL career working toward a full-time starting role, and his first season with the Philadelphia Flyers proved he was more than capable of handling the responsibility.
Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in 2015, Vladar spent several seasons developing in the minors before joining the Calgary Flames in 2021. After four seasons in Calgary, he signed with Philadelphia ahead of the 2025-26 season and quickly established himself as the team’s primary goaltender.
Vladar’s arrival helped stabilize the Flyers’ goaltending situation, and his consistent play was a major factor in the team’s return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020.
His strong play continued into the postseason, where he proved capable of handling the pressure of playoff hockey. After years of splitting time in net, Vladar’s breakout season has earned him recognition among the NHL’s top goaltenders.
9. Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars
2025-26 Key stats: .899 Save %, 2.59 GAA, 4 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Jake Oettinger has been a fixture in net for the Stars since making his NHL debut in 2020, three years after Dallas drafted him in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Since then, Dallas has been a force to be reckoned with, making perennial Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances, including consecutive trips to the Western Conference Final from 2023 on.
Oettinger is also one of the largest goalies in the sport’s history, matching Anthony Stolarz’s 6’6″ but weighing in about 20 pounds lighter. Like Hellebuyck, he’s well-known for his composure in net amid chaotic conditions on the ice.
Although his individual numbers dipped during the 2025-26 season, Oettinger remained one of the NHL’s winningest goaltenders and continued to play an important role in Dallas’ success. His experience in high-pressure playoff situations also makes him one of the Stars’ most valuable players.
10. Jakub Dobes – Montreal Canadiens
2025-26 Key stats: .901 Save %, 2.78 GAA, 0 shutouts
Stanley Cups: 0
Hart Trophies: 0
Vezina Trophies: 0
Jakub Dobes is another young goaltender who made a name for himself during the 2025-26 season, emerging as an important part of the Montreal Canadiens’ success.
Originally selected by Montreal in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Dobes spent two seasons developing with the Laval Rocket in the AHL before making his NHL debut in December 2024. He quickly impressed, earning a larger role with the Canadiens heading into the following season.
Dobes helped Montreal reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs and continued to impress during the postseason, where he started every game of the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. His performance earned him a place on the NHL All-Rookie Team.
While Dobes is still early in his professional career, his strong debut as a full-time NHL goaltender suggests he has the potential to become one of the league’s most reliable starters.
Top NHL Goalies by Goals Saved Above Expected
You can tell a lot about a goalie from their save percents and goals against averages, but there are advanced statistics that go beyond those at-a-glance numbers.
One of those stats is known as Goals Saved Above Expected, or GSAx. GSAx measures how many goals a goalie is preventing versus how many goals the league’s average goalie would allow under similar circumstances. It also considers the quality of the shots they are facing and the difficulty in stopping them, and accounts for when their team’s defense breaks down.
You can also measure GSAx on a per-game (every 60 minutes of play) basis. We’ll look at GSAx here to get a solid current-season-so-far ranking of the NHL’s goaltenders. You’ll notice a few of the names from the above list pretty high up on this one, too, while others are having a bit of a rough start to the 2026-27 season. Positive is better, negative is worse.
NHL Goalies – Goals Saved Above Expected as of October 20, 2026.
| Rank | Name | Team | Goals Saved Above Expected | Goals Saved Above Expected Per 60 |
| 1 | Jake Oettinger | Dallas Stars | 9.2 | 1.533 |
| 2 | Ilya Sorokin | New York Islanders | 7.9 | 1.325 |
| 3 | Linus Ullmark | Ottawa Senators | 7.8 | 1.151 |
| 4 | Jeremy Swayman | Boston Bruins | 6.6 | 0.939 |
| 5 | Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 6.4 | 0.796 |
| 6 | Logan Thompson | Washington Capitals | 5.5 | 0.926 |
| 7 | Daniil Tarasov | Detroit Red Wings | 5.4 | 2.147 |
| 8 | Igor Shesterkin | New York Rangers | 4.9 | 1.098 |
| 9 | Joseph Woll | Philadelphia Flyers | 4.7 | 0.776 |
| 10 | Sergei Bobrovsky | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4.5 | 0.635 |
| 11 | Alex Nedeljkovic | San Jose Sharks | 4.2 | 1.322 |
| 12 | Dylan Garand | New York Rangers | 4.2 | 0.705 |
| 13 | Philipp Grubauer | Seattle Kraken | 4.2 | 0.947 |
| 14 | Pyotr Kochetkov | Carolina Hurricanes | 3.6 | 0.713 |
| 15 | Semyon Varlamov | New York Islanders | 3.3 | 1.591 |
| 16 | Leevi Merilinen | Vancouver Canucks | 2.8 | 0.585 |
| 17 | Stuart Skinner | Winnipeg Jets | 2.7 | 0.532 |
| 18 | Jacob Fowler | Montreal Canadiens | 2.2 | 0.529 |
| 19 | Jet Greaves | Columbus Blue Jackets | 2.1 | 0.493 |
| 20 | Juuse Saros | Nashville Predators | 1.7 | 0.24 |
| 21 | Carter Hart | Vegas Golden Knights | 1.5 | 0.251 |
| 22 | Jacob Markstrom | Florida Panthers | 1.4 | 0.257 |
| 23 | Michael DiPietro | Boston Bruins | 1.3 | 0.662 |
| 24 | Joel Hofer | St. Louis Blues | 1.3 | 0.264 |
| 25 | Adin Hill | Vegas Golden Knights | 1 | 0.245 |
| 26 | Dennis Hildeby | Tampa Bay Lightning | 0.9 | 0.452 |
| 27 | Ville Husso | Anaheim Ducks | 0.9 | 0.396 |
| 28 | Matt Murray | Nashville Predators | 0.8 | 0.739 |
| 29 | Casey DeSmith | Dallas Stars | 0.8 | 0.389 |
| 30 | Lukas Dostal | Anaheim Ducks | 0.7 | 0.123 |
| 31 | Charlie Lindgren | Washington Capitals | 0.3 | 0.153 |
| 32 | Colten Ellis | Buffalo Sabres | 0.2 | 0.08 |
| 33 | Cam Talbot | Columbus Blue Jackets | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Yaroslav Askarov | San Jose Sharks | -0.3 | -0.05 |
| 35 | Scott Wedgewood | Colorado Avalanche | -0.3 | -0.144 |
| 36 | Andrei Vasilevskiy | Tampa Bay Lightning | -0.4 | -0.068 |
| 37 | Clay Stevenson | Winnipeg Jets | -0.5 | -0.171 |
| 38 | Devon Levi | Edmonton Oilers | -0.6 | -0.121 |
| 39 | Akira Schmid | Florida Panthers | -0.6 | -0.163 |
| 40 | Dan Vladar | Philadelphia Flyers | -0.8 | -0.159 |
| 41 | Spencer Knight | Chicago Blackhawks | -1 | -0.144 |
| 42 | Anthony Stolarz | Toronto Maple Leafs | -1 | -0.332 |
| 43 | Spencer Martin | New York Rangers | -1.1 | -1.867 |
| 44 | Arturs Silovs | Pittsburgh Penguins | -1.1 | -0.184 |
| 45 | Sergei Murashov | Pittsburgh Penguins | -1.4 | -0.35 |
| 46 | John Gibson | Detroit Red Wings | -1.5 | -0.268 |
| 47 | Karel Vejmelka | Utah Mammoth | -2.1 | -0.289 |
| 48 | Anton Forsberg | Los Angeles Kings | -2.1 | -0.789 |
| 49 | Calvin Pickard | Minnesota Wild | -2.2 | -2.2 |
| 50 | Mackenzie Blackwood | Colorado Avalanche | -2.3 | -0.333 |
| 51 | Joey Daccord | Seattle Kraken | -2.4 | -0.518 |
| 52 | Brandon Bussi | Carolina Hurricanes | -2.5 | -0.496 |
| 53 | Devin Cooley | Calgary Flames | -2.6 | -0.869 |
| 54 | Tristan Jarry | Edmonton Oilers | -2.7 | -0.892 |
| 55 | Sebastian Cossa | Utah Mammoth | -2.7 | -1 |
| 56 | Nico Daws | New Jersey Devils | -2.7 | -0.912 |
| 57 | Arvid Soderblom | Chicago Blackhawks | -2.8 | -1.426 |
| 58 | Jake Allen | New Jersey Devils | -2.9 | -0.576 |
| 59 | Samuel Ersson | Ottawa Senators | -4.2 | -1.842 |
| 60 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | Buffalo Sabres | -4.3 | -0.644 |
| 61 | Jordan Binnington | St. Louis Blues | -5 | -1.671 |
| 62 | Darcy Kuemper | Los Angeles Kings | -5.3 | -1.601 |
| 63 | Jakub Dobes | Montreal Canadiens | -5.8 | -1.493 |
| 64 | Dustin Wolf | Calgary Flames | -8 | -1.618 |
| 65 | Kevin Lankinen | Vancouver Canucks | -11 | -2.133 |
Data from: MoneyPuck
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