Top Five NHL Goalie Tandems Entering 2025-26

The NHL off-season is in full swing, with most teams making significant moves to improve their organization. This is as good a time as any to identify the NHL’s best teams by position. 

We’ve already looked at the best defense corps and the top groups of forwards. It’s time to look at the five teams with the best goaltending, as well as some honorable mentions.

These are the tandems that either have a superstar starting goalie and a good-enough backup or two strong options, even if they aren’t stars on their own. This past season’s results are a significant factor, but there is an exception for a tandem with subpar results but high potential. Let’s get straight to it.

1. Winnipeg Jets

Goalies: Connor Hellebuyck, Eric Comrie

In Hellebuyck, the Jets have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner for the past two seasons and the 2024-25 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP. He was especially dominant this past season, in particular, putting up a .925 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against average in a whopping 63 appearances. Nobody was a better workhorse than the 32-year-old veteran, who is a bargain at $8.5 million per season. His playoff performance remains a concern, but he’s undoubtedly a superstar goalie.

Hellebuyck’s dominance means the 30-year-old Comrie hasn’t had much of a workload, appearing in only 20 games this past year. But Comrie’s numbers – a .914 SP and 2.39 GAA – are exactly what Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is looking for in an understudy for Hellebuyck. Comrie also earns only $825,000 this coming season, so paying him and Hellebuyck less than $10 million is quite the coup for Winnipeg. 

The Jets will remain one of the best teams in the NHL, partly because Hellebuyck and Comrie are delivering as advertised.

Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

Goalies: Anthony Stolarz, Joseph Woll

In their first season working together, Stolarz and Woll were a smashing success for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz recorded a .926 SP and 2.14 GAA in 34 games for the low cost of only $2.5 million, while Woll had a .909 SP and 2.73 GAA in 42 appearances while earning only $766,667. When factoring in the quality of the shots they faced, Stolarz had 25.8 goals saved above expected, while Woll had 16.8, according to moneypuck.com. That’s good for fourth and 11th among all goalies, making Toronto the only team with two netminders in the top 15. Toronto also had the fourth-best team save percentage in the NHL, according to naturalstattrick.com, and the second-most goals against below expected, per Money Puck.

Stolarz missed time due to an injury, but when he was healthy, he was stellar in his first season as a Leaf. And while Woll’s cap hit in 2025-26 rises to about $3.67 million, you’re still looking at a Toronto goalie tandem that costs a little more than $6 million. Any way you cut it, that’s terrific value at a key position, and Woll and Stolarz can move into next season confident that they’ll be splitting time almost evenly and being fresh once the Stanley Cup playoffs roll around. 

There may be no more evenly balanced tandem than this one, and now, it’s all about reproducing their regular-season success in the post-season. 

3. Dallas Stars

Goalies: Jake Oettinger, Casey DeSmith

It’s true Oettinger didn’t have the best post-season for the Stars last year, as he had a rough Western Conference final series against the Edmonton Oilers. But by and large, the 26-year-old’s save percentage dropped only slightly, from .909 in the regular season to .905 in the playoffs. Oettinger can also find another gear, as he did in 2022-23, when he had a career-high .919 SP.

Oettinger is still regarded as one of the top goaltenders on the planet, and that hasn’t changed because he slipped a bit this past season. He’s beginning the first year of an eight-year contract extension paying him $8.25 million per year, and the Stars believe Oettinger is worth every penny.

Oettinger’s 58 appearances last season left backup DeSmith with only 27 games played, but DeSmith posted a .915 SP and 2.59 GAA, as well as a team-leading 15.9 goals saved above expected. DeSmith was in the first season of a three-year deal paying him only $1 million annually

Together, Oettinger and DeSmith were about as good as it gets for an NHL tandem, and the former can play even better if he returns to the form he had in 2022-23. New Stars coach Glen Gulutzan will rely on Oettinger and DeSmith to stand tall in net.

4. Vancouver Canucks

Goalies: Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen

The Canucks had some bad luck with injuries last season, specifically with Demko, who has been the franchise’s top netminder for four years now. But Demko is now healthy. Combined with Lankinen, who posted a .902 save percentage and 2.62 GAA in a career-high 54 games this past season, he gives Vancouver a one-two punch to rival any other team’s goaltending situation.

When Demko is in form, he’s a Vezina Trophy candidate. He was truly elite in 2023-24, with a 2.45 GAA, .918 SP and five shutouts before his injury troubles began. Being in and out of the lineup in 2024-25 with a 2.90 GAA and .889 SP could be nothing but a blip.

Demko and Lankinen are signed for at least the next four seasons at a combined salary cap hit of $9.5 million in 2025-26, followed by a combined $13-million cap hit for the following three campaigns. That’s good value for what the duo can bring to the table at the height of their potential. The Canucks are almost assuredly going to battle for a playoff spot in large part because of Demko and Lankinen providing stellar play between the pipes.

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5. New York Rangers

Goalies: Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick

Shesterkin appeared in a career-high 61 games for the Rangers last season, but the 29-year-old had a down year by his standards, putting up a .905 SP and 2.86 GAA. That said, the Rangers’ defense corps was porous, doing no favors for Shesterkin and Quick, who also posted a rough .893 SP and 3.17 GAA. Shesterkin still had the seventh-most goals saved above expected, with 21.6.

The duo is on this list because we expect a better season from Shesterkin, who will have an improved defense corps in front of him. Shesterkin has posted a save percentage of .913 or better in his previous five NHL seasons, and if used sparingly, Quick still has the muscle memory of his best days in the league. So the Rangers will almost certainly get better performances from their netminders, and Shesterkin will underscore his status as one of the NHL’s top five goalies.

Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Florida Panthers

It wasn’t easy picking only five goalie tandems, and the Lightning, Islanders and Panthers all had merit to be argued as employing one of the better goalie duos.

The Lightning have superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy, who returned to his dominant form last season by putting up a .921 SP and 2.18 GAA in 63 games. Meanwhile, the Islanders’ duo of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov has the experience and ability to keep them in games, although the latter missed most of this past season due to injury. And finally, in Florida, Panthers star Sergei Bobrovsky has won back-to-back Cups, has two Vezina wins and is entering the final year of his lucrative contract.

For different reasons, the Bolts, Panthers and Islanders all have difference-making starting goalies, which is why they deserve to at least be in this conversation. If things go well for them during the season, they could move higher on this list. But for now, at least, they’re among the best netminders the NHL has to offer.

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Report: Kings' Adrian Kempe Asking Price On Next Contract Revealed

The Los Angeles Kings will soon have to focus on trying to re-sign forward Adrian Kempe, and while there is no indication he has any interest in leaving the organization, his asking price was revealed in a recent report from The Fourth Period, and the two sides are expected to ramp up contract talks soon.

Kempe, who is 28 years old, scored 35 goals and added 38 assists for 73 points through 81 games last season. Throughout his career, he has scored 194 goals and added 207 assists for 401 points through 630 games, which comes out to a 0.64 points-per-game average.

According to PuckPedia, the Kings should currently have around $37.8 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season, which leaves them plenty of room to re-sign everyone they want to bring back, including Kempe. 

A deal should get done at some point, but for now, nothing is close to being done.

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Must-Watch NHL Games In The 2025-26 Season To Get Excited About

The NHL released its 2025-26 schedule on Wednesday, a day when it was almost as hot as it will be for the league's two outdoor games in Florida this season.

It might be a little tough to get jacked up for hockey when it's this hot out and the dog days of summer are upon us, but there are some matchups in the schedule to get the juices flowing. Jonathan Toews returning to Chicago, Brad Marchand to Boston and Mitch Marner to Toronto are three of them.

Mitch Marner (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

And watch for those two San Jose-Pittsburgh games (ahem). There are a few NHL milestones that are within reach as well.

Watch today's video for the full list.

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Blackhawks Sign Intriguing New Goalie Prospect

The Chicago Blackhawks have added a new goalie prospect to their system. 

The Blackhawks have announced that they have signed goaltender Stanislav Berezhnoy to a two-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, he will carry a $975,000 cap hit. 

Berezhnoy spent most of this past season in the VHL, where he thrived. In 27 games split between Omskie Krylia and SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, he had a 12-10-2 record, a 2.50 goals-against average, and a .928 save percentage. He also made one KHL appearance with SKA St. Petersburg in 2024-25, where he saved nine out of 11 shots. 

Overall, with the Blackhawks still rebuilding, there is no harm in them taking a shot on a very intriguing goalie prospect in Berezhnoy. The 6-foot-4 goalie showed promise this past season in the VHL, and he could be a solid addition to the Blackhawks' prospect pool if he continues to trend in the right direction with his development. 

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Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The NHL Releases 2025-26 Regular Season Schedule

Denver, Colo. - Well, opening night might still be a few months away, but getting the full schedule for the 2025-26 season sure feels like a very eager step in the right direction.

The NHL announced the regular season schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday.

Avalanche fans will be in for a treat in January, as the club is scheduled to host a 7-game homestand from January 8th to January 23rd.

Notable Games This Season:

The Colorado Avalanche, as previously announced, will be one of six teams playing on opening night. They will open up the season at Crypto.com Arena against the Los Angeles Kings at 7:00 P.M. MT. 

Their home opener is set for October 9th against the Utah Mammoth at 7:00 P.M. MT. This is the Mammoth's first game since declaring their official name, moving on from being known as the Utah Hockey Club.

Their third game, also at home, will be against their Round One opponents from the most recent Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Dallas Stars, at 7:00 P.M. MT. 

Jonathan Drouin, who became a free agent this offseason, signed with the New York Islanders on July 1st. He will return to Ball Arena on November 16th, and they will meet again on the road on December 4th.

Ryan Lindgren, acquired by the Avalanche at the trade deadline this past season, signed with the Seattle Kraken on July 1st. He will return to Ball Arena on April 16th, but they will meet in Seattle on December 16th and March 12th. This is Colorado's last scheduled game of the regular season.

Avalanche fans will be in for a treat in January, as the club is scheduled to host a 7-game homestand from January 8th to January 23rd.

In contrast, the longest stretch of games the club will be four games, which will occur three times this upcoming season:

  • December 4th - December 9th: NYI, NYR, PHI, NAS
  • January 25th - January 31st: TOR, OTT, MTL, DET
  • March 20th - March 26th: CHI, WSH, PIT, WPG

2025-26 Divisional Matchups:

Chicago Blackhawks:

  • November 23rd, 5:00 P.M. @ Chicago
  • February 28th, 4:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • March 20th, 6:30 P.M. @ Chicago

Dallas Stars:

  • October 11th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • March 6th, 6:00 P.M. @ Dallas
  • March 18th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • April 4th, 1:00 P.M. @ Dallas

Minnesota Wild:

  • November 28th, 1:30 P.M. @ Minnesota
  • December 21st, 4:00 P.M. @ Minnesota
  • February 26th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • March 8th, 12:00 P.M. @ Colorado

Nashville Predators:

  • November 22nd, 6:00 P.M. @ Nashville
  • December 9th, 7:30 P.M. @ Nashville
  • December 13th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • January 16th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado

St. Louis Blues:

  • December 31st, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • April 5th, 7:30 P.M. @ Colorado
  • April 7th, 6:00 P.M. @ St. Louis

Utah Mammoth:

  • October 9th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • October 21st, 8:00 P.M. @ Utah
  • December 23rd, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • February 25th, 7:00 P.M. @ Utah

Winnipeg Jets:

  • December 19th, 7:00 P.M. @ Colorado
  • March 14th, 2:00 P.M. @ Winnipeg
  • March 26th, 6:00 P.M. @ Winnipeg
  • March 28th, 5:00 P.M. @ Colorado

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