Ranking every NHL starting goalie 31-21

What a change a couple of years can make. For a long time, Jonathan Quick was highly regarded as one of the top goalies in the entire league. His resume speaks for itself, as he has two William M. Jennings Trophies, two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe to his name. However, both he and the LA Kings have fallen off dramatically over the past couple of seasons.

Given Quick’s past, it is too soon to completely write him off. Is it possible he bounces back and re-establishes himself as a top tier goalie? Of course it is but, given the fact the Kings will more than likely struggle again during the 2020-21 campaign, it does leaves little room for optimism. That’s what makes ranking Quick so tough. Has he really fallen off this much, or is it more a result of the team in front of him?

The good news for Quick and the Kings organization is that they have the best prospect pool in the entire league, meaning it shouldn’t be too long until they are once again a dominant team. Quick, however, is 34-years-old, so there are no guarantees he will still be around once their prospects turn into impactful NHLers.

Another goalie like Jonathan Quick who has fallen off in a big way is Pekka Rinne. Though Rinne doesn’t possess as much hardware as Quick, he does have a Vezina Trophy which he won during the 2017-18 campaign, and has been regarded as an elite goalie for quite some time. However, Rinne had a disaster 2019-20 season, going 18-14-4 with a 3.17 GAA and a .895 SV%, and ended up finding himself playing in fewer games than Juuse Saros.

Saros, who has been Rinne’s backup for a number of seasons now, was the much better of the two last season. He posted a .914 Save Percentage and a 2.70 Goals Against Average to go along with a 17-12-4 record. That has many questioning whether or not he is officially this franchise’s starter.

Given Rinne’s past, much like Quick’s, a bounce back certainly isn’t out of the question. However, also like Quick, age is not on his side as he is 38-years-old.

Given Rinne’s age, even if he does have a bounce-back season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Predators have them start about 50/50 again this season in order to keep him from fatiguing. The Predators, despite struggling last season, have a good team and still have a chance to do some damage if Rinne is able to play like he has in the past. If he isn’t, they will be forced to rely heavily on the inexperienced Saros.

Not all that long ago Cam Talbot was viewed as one of the better goalies in the league. He had finally been given a shot as an NHL starting netminder with the Edmonton Oilers and, early on, made the most of it. However, both he and the team struggled during his last few seasons as an Oiler. As a result, he was forced to sign a one-year deal with the Flames and began the 2019-20 season as their backup.

Thanks in large part due to his play down the stretch of the season, and even more so in the Playoffs, Talbot has been given a chance as a starting goaltender again after signing a three-year, $11 million contract with the Minnesota Wild. This is great news for Talbot, as he was able to secure one last big pay day and will get a chance to be a starting goaltender again.

The bad news, however, is that the team he will be playing behind isn’t very good. That played a huge part in why Devan Dubnyk struggled last season, and may continue on with Talbot if they aren’t able to clean things up.

While Talbot is a good goalie, he is not elite, and will not be able to singlehandedly carry them. If he is to have a good 2020-21 season, he will need his teammates to be at their best. Given the lack of talent on that roster, along with the fact that he is 33-years-old, means it could be a long year for both Talbot and Wild fans.