NHL: Ranking the starting goaltenders of the Metropolitan Division

Faced with injury, Joonas Korpisalo’s regular season was solid, but his true emergence came in front of everyone’s eyes in the postseason. Yet, the goaltending’s depth in this division combined with his regular-season numbers leaves him fifth on this list.

A 19-12-5 record, 2.60 GAA, and a .911 SV% will not leap off the page at you, but a QS% of 60 will. Korpisalo managed a mere 1.14 GSAA (7.91 in the postseason), a number which was surely detrimental to his spot on these rankings. Additionally, he had 5 RBS, but his high danger numbers were nothing to sneeze at.

With an HDSV% of .812 and an HDGAA of 1.38, Korpisalo showed glimpses of his postseason breakout but failed to sustain that level of play. If Korpisalo’s postseason play can carry over to 2021, he won’t be fifth on this list much longer.

Mackenzie Blackwood is one of the rising young goaltenders in the NHL and will continue his uptick in production next season. Under the tutelage of veteran Corey Crawford, Blackwood should reduce his workload and play at an even higher level.

He finished the 2019-20 season with a 22-14-8 record, a 2.77 GAA, and a .915 SV%. At times, his play and the play of his defense would turn erratic, leading to a 51.2 QS%, which falls below league average. That combination would lead to six RBS, but Blackwood’s skill alone allowed him to own a 7.29 GSAA.

High danger situations unleashed just how talented Blackwood can be, as he put up an astounding 1.25 HDGAA and a .838 HDSV%. Blackwood is a rising young goaltender in this league whose presence will be felt in the Metro.