Leon Draisaitl discovered it exhausting to reply the query of who’s one of the best goaltender on the earth.
“There’s too many good guys,” the Edmonton celebrity stated.
Of course, he did point out one title: Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is taken into account one of the best by a large margin. When NHL gamers had been surveyed by their union for which goalie they’d need to win one recreation, Vasilevskiy was the selection for over than half of those that answered,. More than a half-dozen skaters requested final month got here to the identical conclusion.
“He’s one of the best goalies to ever play the game – certainly one of the best athletes,” teammate Mikhail Sergachev stated. “What is he capable of? Winning a Stanley Cup for us. He can do it by himself.”
One downside: Vasilevskiy is anticipated to overlook the primary two months of the season after present process again surgical procedure. That’s a significant headache for Tampa Bay and will open the door for Nashville’s Juuse Saros or one of many two goaltenders in New York – the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin – to win the Vezina Trophy.
Last yr, that honor went to Linus Ullmark of Boston, who put up a spectacular season with a 40-6-1 file together with a 1.89 goals-against common and a .938 save share, each league bests. He will get an opportunity this season to place his title among the many goaltenders most frequently talked about as elite.
Draisaitl was removed from the one participant to call drop Vasilevskiy, who backstopped the Lightning to the Cup in 2020 and ‘21 and earned playoff MVP honors for the second title run.
“You look him and you see no net,” Montreal ahead Cole Caufield stated. “That’s what makes him so special — that he’s still able to move and be quick in that way, too. It’s frustrating as a shooter, but you’ve got to beat him off the pass almost every time.”
Vasilevskiy’s dimension – 6-foot-4 and 220 kilos – makes the 29-year-old Russian an ideal instance of contemporary goalies. But he doesn’t simply depend on that.
“Just how big he is and how he moves – his positioning as well,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin stated. “Pucks hit him when he can’t see it. You get him looking at the puck squared up to you, it’s hard to score on him.”
Larkin specifically marvels at Vasilevskiy in video games wherein the Lightning can remove an opponent and win a playoff collection. Dating to 2020, Vasilevskiy is 11-0 in potential clinching conditions with a 0.76 goals-against common and .973 save share.
The goalie who bought probably the most love from gamers exterior of Vasilevskiy is Saros, who is available in on the polar reverse finish of the spectrum from a heigh standpoint. The 29-year-old Finn is listed at 5-11.
Buffalo heart Tage Thompson, who scored 47 targets final season, stated Saros has his quantity.
“He’s so athletic,” Thompson stated. “He’s not a big guy. He’s pretty undersized, and just how much of the net he somehow takes up for being a little guy, and just the athleticism he has, is pretty amazing.”
Thompson likened Saros’ potential to learn performs to longtime NHL goalie Craig Anderson.
“I don’t know anything about goalies, so I’m not going to pretend I do,” Thompson stated. “But from what I see, it looks like he’s really good at anticipating where the puck is going to be.”
Predators teammate Filip Forsberg, for all of the reward he gave Vasilevskiy, believes Saros is one of the best proper now. General managers aren’t far off that evaluation, as Saros completed fourth in Vezina voting final season.
Quinn Hughes knew Shesterkin was an excellent goalie. When the Vancouver defenseman watched his brother Jack and the New Jersey Devils play the Rangers within the playoffs, Shesterkin stood out.
“Some of the saves he made, he was pretty impressive,” Quinn Hughes stated.
Even although New York misplaced that collection, Shesterkin was to not blame. He stopped 189 of 203 pictures and allowed below two targets a recreation.
The hockey group knew he was able to that. Shesterkin received the Vezina in 2021-22 when he led the league with a 2.07 GAA and .935 save share.
Shesterkin’s good buddy and countryman who performs not far-off, down the Long Island Expressway, can be within the dialogue. He was the primary title that got here to Chicago defenseman Seth Jones’ thoughts.
“Sorokin,” Jones stated. “He’s pretty dialed in right now.”
Sorokin completed second in Vezina voting to Ullmark final season after main the league with six shutouts. The Islanders made certain he’s not going wherever, both, signing him to a $66 million, eight-year extension that begins in 2024.
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