NHL: Ranking the starting goaltenders of the Central Division

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.