NHL: Ranking the starting goaltenders of the Central Division

Freshly signed to a three-year, $11 million contract, Cam Talbot is now the number one option in Minnesota. Talbot had a solid pandemic-shortened season, registering a record of 12-10-1, with a 2.63 GAA and a .919 SV%. He played well for Calgary, earning the trust of head coach Geoff Ward and getting the nod as the starter come the postseason.

Talbot should be a serviceable goaltender for the Wild if he continues to post similar numbers to last season. In 2019-20, the 33-year old had a QS% of 50 while only tallying two RBS and compiling a GSAA of 7.53.

Where he has to improve is making big saves, especially those from high-quality chances. Talbot finished with a below-average .799 HDSV%, but he did post a 1.36 HDGAA, which was good for 23rd. Talbot has yet to transition to a new home flawlessly, so expect some hiccups from the goaltender during his first year in the state of hockey.

It is still not confirmed that Saros will officially end Pekka Rinne’s reign in Nashville’s goal, but a Henrik Lundqvist-like situation is brewing in Smashville. Saros was the Predators’ starter in the postseason, and all signs point to him remaining in that role next year. He finished 2019-20 with a 17-12-4 record to go along with a 2.70 GAA and a .917 SV%.

Saros had always been a serviceable backup, making a tough transition to the starting job rather seamlessly. He had a QS% of 61.8 and a GSAA of 5.26 while tallying just three RBS. The 25-year old benefited from Rinne’s tutelage, remaining calm and poised despite some long offensive stretches by the opposition.

Saros did struggle in high-danger chances, recording a .798 HDSV% and a 1.65 HDGAA, numbers that will have to improve in 2021. Yet, the Finnish netminder had an excellent season and should improve upon his numbers if given a distinct role right out of the gate.

Many people viewed the Colorado Avalanche as the most complete team in hockey outside of their goaltending situation. Still, Philipp Grubauer proved that he is more than capable of manning the pipes for the Avalanche. In fact, Colorado fell apart after his injury in the postseason, eventually falling in seven games to the Dallas Stars.

Grubauer had an 18-12-4 record in 2019-20, posting a GAA of 2.63 and an SV% of .916. The 28-year old had suffered an injury during the regular season and raised concerns about his health moving forward. But when Grubauer plays, he plays well, as he had a GSAA of 6.48 while only having four RBS and a QS% of 47.1.

The Avs goaltender did have an outstanding .819 HDSV% and an HDGAA of 1.58, proving his ability to make the big save. When healthy, Grubauer is a solid starting netminder that benefits from playing behind possibly the best overall team in the league.

Jordan Binnington’s incredible Stanley Cup run in 2019 was all but forgotten after a miserable 2020 postseason. His post-pandemic struggles should not blur the fact that he is still a very talented goaltender. Before the pause, Binnington was 30-13-7, with a 2.56 GAA and a .912 SV%.

The 27-year old had performed well again for a St. Louis team that was a bottom feeder before his arrival two seasons ago. He had a QS% of 56 and a GSAA of 3.30, making the saves he had to make to backstop the Blues, turning in just five RBS in his 50 starts.

A 2020 NHL All-Star, Binnington showed glimpses of his rookie year, playing well despite the lofty expectations he imposed on himself with his otherworldly play during the 2019 postseason. He was still magnificent in high-danger chances, with an HDSV% of .867 and a 1.13 HDGAA, indicating that his lackluster bubble performance was a fluke.

Ben Bishop has consistently been one of the NHL’s best goalies, posting a GAA below 2.55 in each of the last seven seasons. 2019-20 was no different, finishing with a 21-16-4 record, a 2.50 GAA, and a .920 SV%. Bishop was deemed unfit to play in the postseason, leading to the emergence of Anton Khudobin, but make no mistake; this is still Bishop’s team when he is healthy.

The 6-foot-7 goaltender uses his size and positioning to cut down angles, leading to a QS% of 62.8% and a GSAA of 13.28. With only five RBS in 2019-20, Bishop showed that Dallas is a tough team to beat when he is in goal.

Every facet of Bishop’s game is composed and succinct, preventing goals from the outside and in-tight with ease. He had an HDGAA of 1.31 and an HDSV% of .849, miraculous numbers that allowed Dallas to boast the second-lowest Goals Allowed per Game Played total last year.

It only fits that the man who was awarded the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender is ranked first in the Central Division. Carrying a Winnipeg team that had lost a lot of defensive depth into the postseason, Connor Hellebuyck was a man on a mission for the Jets in 2019-20.

He went 31-21-5 with a 2.57 GAA and a .922 SV%, turning away glorious chances and an abundance of shots to carry the Jets. His GSAA was an absurd 22.40, and his QS% was a ridiculous 64.3, proving just how phenomenal of a netminder he truly is and was last campaign.

Despite starting 56 games, Hellebuyck had only six RBS in all of 2019-20. His high-danger numbers were solid, boasting a .823 HDSV% and a 1.65 HDGAA. Whenever a big performance was asked of Hellebuyck, he delivered, putting together a phenomenal season for Winnipeg.

The Central Division’s goaltending situation is certainly a mixed bag, but there is a lot of quality amidst the chaos. Hellebuyck, Bishop, and Binnington will be expected to continue their exceptional performances. Still, the remaining four goaltenders will be asked to raise their play level for their teams to succeed in 2021.

Did I get it right? Let me know what you think of these rankings in the comments below, and be on the lookout for the final starting goaltender rankings, featuring the NHL’s Pacific Division.