NHL Goalie Situations: Central Division

After struggling to join the ranks of the NHL’s elite the past couple seasons, <strong>Corey Crawford </strong>has settled down. He is no superstar, but certainly a solid goalie that a stacked team like Chicago just needs to compete. However, after a scare in the first round of the playoffs, 26-year-old <strong>Scott Darling </strong>was thrown onto the big stage. Crawford eventually reclaimed his throne and was lights out for the rest of the playoffs. The team will also have veteran <strong>Michael Leighton</strong> in the organization for insurance.. . . Chicago Blackhawks . 1. player. 94

151. <strong>Pekka Rinne </strong>had an awesome comeback campaign last year by sporting a 2.18 GAA and .923 save percentage. <strong>Carter Hutton </strong>and <strong>Marek Mazanec, </strong>both of whom saw extended playing time in the 2013-14 season when Rinne was injured, will battle for the backup spot. Hutton has an edge due to experience. Prospect <strong>Juuse Saros </strong>was excellent at the 2014 World Juniors, and the Preds cannot wait for him to develop.. . . Nashville Predators . 2. player

Dallas Stars . 3. player. 98. The Stars will have the most interesting goaltending scenario this season. After watching starter <strong>Kari Lehtonen</strong> struggle for most of last season, they brought in <strong>Antti Niemi, </strong>who also struggled in parts of last season to help bolster the crease. The team will be sporting the most expensive goalie duo in the league. Both are 31-year-old Finnish veterans, and will likely split time, though Niemi has an upper hand right now. 2010 first round pick <strong>Jack Campbell </strong>took a stumble in his development last season by getting demoted to the ECHL, but will be looking to live up to near his expectations this year.. .

player. 98. The Jets had a great situation in the crease last season. They saw the rise of 24-year-old <strong>Michael Hutchinson</strong> and the resurgence of <strong>Ondrej Pavelec </strong>at the same time. Although Pavelec is still the starter for this team, Hutchinson could take over as early as this season if he consistently plays well. Prospects <strong>Eric Comrie </strong>and <strong>Connor Hellebuyck </strong>are young guys to watch for.. . . Winnipeg Jets . 4

. St. Louis Blues . 5. player. 99. The team will go with the duo of <strong>Brian Elliott </strong>and <strong>Jake Allen </strong>again this year. Allen, who played 37 games last season, will get more playing time as he transitions into being the starter one day. 22-year-old <strong>Jordan Binnington </strong>will compete for the starter’s job in the minors..

Minnesota Wild . 6. player. 98. Is <strong>Devan Dubnyk </strong>the real deal? After almost single-handedly carrying the team into the playoffs, his ability to be consistent will be tested as he goes into a full season. <strong>Darcy Kuemper </strong>is gaining more experience each season and is turning into a decent backup goalie who could step up if injuries become a problem. Oft-injured 37-year-old <strong>Niklas Backstrom </strong>is past his time and it won’t be surprising if he is put on waivers at the end of training camp. But who knows what can happen to a guy’s confidence, just ask Dubnyk.. .

103. It will be very hard to predict what kind of season incumbent starter <strong>Semyon Varlamov </strong>will have due to his inconsistent play as of late, but we do know that he will probably be the starter of this team again. His biggest competition will be <strong>Reto Berra, </strong>who had a decent 19-game stint with the team last season. A trio of prospects in <strong>Sami Aittokallio, Spencer Martin, </strong>and <strong>Calvin Pickard </strong>need to make the next step soon.. . . Colorado Avalanche . 7. player