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Metropolitan Division: Ranking the goaltending for each team

By Ant Barberio

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 24: Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals prepares to play against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 24: Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals prepares to play against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Capital One Arena on April 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Uncertain Middle

6. Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers have seemed to find their goaltender of the future in Carter Hart. If he lives up the hype, he’ll be everything that Flyers fans want and more. The Flyers also went all-in on Hart at the deadline by trading for his mentor, Cam Talbot, from the Edmonton Oilers.

This reunion between the two on the Flyers roster was short-lived as Talbot signed in Calgary this past off-season. Why are the Flyers ranked so low? Hart still remains relatively unproven. By no means is this saying that Hart is going to be a bad goaltender, but at the current moment, it’s hard to rank him until we see more of him. Hart’s back up in Brian Elliott is a good insurance policy, but you have to ask how effective Elliott would be, even in a backup role, at age 34.

5. New Jersey Devils

Maybe the Devils are ranked higher than they should in this category, but there’s a reason behind this. Last season, goaltending prospect Mackenzie Blackwood was called up to the NHL and gave Devils fans a lone bright spot in a terribly forgettable season that saw them finish last in the division a year removed from a playoff spot.

It might be too soon to call him the next Brodeur, but Blackwood posted a respectable goals against average of 2.61 and a save percentage of 0.918% in his first year. With youth on his side, and the confidence of the Devils coaching staff, it seems the only way to go is up for Blackwood.

Then there’s the matter on Jersey’s other goaltender – Cory Schneider. Once considered an elite goalie, years of injuries, a winless streak that spanned two seasons and declining stats have relegated me to the number two overall role.

With that issue since corrected, since coming back from surgery last season, Schneider has begun showing some flashes of his old self. His win-loss record was still seven games under .500, so he’ll obviously never be the goaltender that New Jersey traded their ninth overall pick in 2013 for again. If he can continue to return to form, it’ll be a pleasant surprise for the Devils.  That reason is why they’re ranked just a hair above their rivals from the City of Brotherly Love.

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