Several goalies made strong cases last season, but when you stack the league’s best netminders side by side, the list for the 2026-27 season still starts with proven stars who have already carried heavy loads and delivered big results.
At No. 1, Igor Shesterkin sits alone.
The Rangers made the biggest goalie commitment in NHL history when they signed him, and that deal was built on the kind of numbers he keeps posting. Last season, Shesterkin won 25 games in 51 appearances and added one shutout.
His .912 save percentage tied for third in the league, and he did it while working behind a New York defense that didn’t exactly make life easy. The Rangers finished with a 79.9% PK and allowed the 15th most goals.
Right behind him is Andrei Vasilevskiy, who keeps piling up elite seasons for Tampa Bay. He delivered back-to-back strong campaigns, finished with nearly 40 wins in both of those seasons, and picked up 8 shutouts over the past two years. His goals-against average rose this season and his save percentage dropped by 9 points, but he still belongs near the top because he continues to make difficult stops look routine.
Connor Hellebuyck comes in at No. 3, and the case for him is built on consistency more than anything else. He has posted a .920 SV% in each of the last three seasons before his down year in 2025.
Winnipeg’s team performance dipped, and Hellebuyck’s numbers followed, as he finished with a .895 SV%. Even so, he remains one of the league’s most trusted goalies because he can handle volume and has logged multiple seasons of 60-plus games in his career.
Ilya Sorokin takes the No. 4 spot and brings a different kind of résumé. He has already established himself as one of the league’s premier goalies, and his shutout total jumps off the page: 26 shutouts in 286 games over the past five seasons, the most in the NHL during that span.
Logan Thompson rounds out the top five, and there’s a real argument that he could be even higher if not for the names ahead of him. He led the NHL in goals saved above expected and was outstanding even though Washington missed the playoffs. Thompson was one of the league’s best shot stoppers last season, but the team in front of him simply didn’t do enough to get into the postseason.
In Other News...
Capitals Could Be Lurking In A Massive Wild Defense Story
The Capitals appear largely settled for the 2026-27 season, but the bigger roster questions could arrive later, when the 2027 trade deadline opens a path for teams to reshape their futures. If Washington is looking to stay aggressive, a high-end defense upgrade would naturally be the kind of swing that fits the moment, especially if the right player becomes available on the market.
Minnesotas Quinn Hughes is the name to watch, with contract talks still ongoing and the possibility of a trade hanging over the situation if no extension comes together. Washington is viewed as a possible landing spot, but any pursuit would have to start with an uncomfortable reality for the Capitals: finding room under the cap before they could even enter the race. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Finally Have A Draft Pick That Could Change Their Timeline
The Capitals are heading into the draft in a place they have not been in a long time, armed with the 15th overall pick and a chance to add a prospect with real long-term upside. It will be Washingtons highest selection since 1982, and general manager David Poile made clear the approach is not about squeezing help out of the pick right away. The priority is to take the best player available, even if the payoff comes down the road.
For a team that still has a need at left wing, the pick carries extra significance because it is one of the few ways to reshape the roster without waiting on trades or free agency. It also comes with a familiar reminder of how thin the Capitals recent draft return has been, since several of their past first-rounders are already wearing other NHL sweaters. This one has a different feel, though, because the organization finally has a chance to add a player who could alter its timeline instead of just filling a hole. [Read more 🡒]