NHL: Ranking the starting goaltenders of the Atlantic Division

The first person to tell you that 2019-20 was a horrid season for Sergei Bobrovsky would be Bobrovsky himself. After signing a massive contract to backstop the Florida Panthers, Bobrovsky failed to live up to expectations in his first year. He finished the campaign with a record of 23-19-6, to go along with a 3.23 GAA and a .900 SV%.

It was astounding how Bobrovsky, who looked so dominant in Columbus, could look so human in Florida, yet that is exactly what happened, leading to a GSAA of -14.91 and a QS% of just 41.7. Despite his lackluster performance in almost all categories, including RBS with 10, Bobrovsky was still excellent when it came to quality chances against.

He had an HDSV% of .836 and an HDGAA of 1.55, making some typical jaw-dropping saves. Despite his bad numbers last season, Bobrovsky’s track record suggests a turnaround is coming, thus his fifth ranking on the list.

Frederik Andersen has been a unicorn amongst goaltenders in the NHL, having stretches of brilliant play lapsed into poor runs. The Leafs goaltender has been a mainstay between the pipes, starting at least 50 games in each of his four seasons with Toronto. Andersen posted a 29-13-7 record in the shortened campaign, with a 2.85 GAA and .909 SV%.

The 31-year old had eight RBS and a GSAA of -0.40, despite having a QS in 51.9% of his starts. It was not the best year for the Denmark native but was still solid in goal for Toronto. I had flip-flopped him and Bobrovsky in my head, but his overall play in 2019-20 earned him the fourth spot.

Andersen finished the season with a .806 HDSV% and a 1.54 HDGAA, ranked 47th and 40th, respectively. Although not a member of the elite NHL netminders, Andersen has been consistent with the Leafs and remained sturdy in goal during his Toronto tenure.