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Five NHL goalkeepers to excel in 2022–23


The goalkeeper carousel has been spinning this season, but it looks like the ride is coming to an end. Most NHL teams are preparing for the 2022–23 season and I think some of the goalkeepers who struggled last year will be able to return.

Philipp Grubauer

Not much went right for the Seattle Kraken in the team’s first year of existence, including scoring. What was expected to be a strong position for the franchise expansion quickly turned into a nightmare between the pipelines when Grubauer couldn’t find his game.

Grubauer has five years left on his contract with a salary of $5.9 million a year, not the same as the 0.889 savings rate he posted in 55 games last season. Historically, Grubauer is a .915-,920 percent savings goalscorer in the NHL and I think he can come back.

It’s double. First, Kraken will be better next season, or at least they should be. That should provide a slightly easier working environment for Grubauer.

I also think that hiring Steve Briere as the team’s new goalscoring coach is likely to make the biggest difference. After a forgettable season, sometimes a goalkeeper just needs a new eye and perspective. Grubauer’s game flaws – excessive depth and flow – are fixable.

I don’t expect Grubauer to top the scoring charts next season. Seattle won’t be good enough as a team to support such form, but I hope he improves a lot.

MacKenzie Blackwood

As the 2021-22 NHL season began, there were rumors that Blackwood would join the Canadian Olympic team. Then a spate of injuries, coupled with the protracted decision to get vaccinated against COVID-19, culminated in what could be described as the most disappointing season for the 25-year-old to arrive. from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Blackwood could only play 25 games last year, and his performance was nowhere near what was expected from the Devils’ second-round pick in 2015. Blackwood posted a 0.892 save and drop rate. missed a significant portion of the season. with a persistent heel injury.

As a team, New Jersey didn’t play very well, and it wasn’t just Blackwood that had trouble stopping the Devil’s net. There wasn’t much confidence in New Jersey’s last season, no matter who had the upper pad.

Although his name has been raised during the trade talks, Blackwood will be back for another season in New Jersey and hopefully a sane bill. Obviously watching Blackwood last season he didn’t feel comfortable. It’s hard to do when your body is fighting.

New Jersey picked out a few key pieces this season. The team should be better, and Blackwood is on contract five. He should have a lot of motivation to become a real No. 1 scorer. Blackwood just needs to stay healthy and focused.

Alexander Georgiev

For Georgiev, there was no choice. He has to be a better member of the Colorado Avalanche than he was when he joined the New York Rangers, and that’s exactly the gamble Colorado took in signing the 26-year-old from Bulgaria to a three-year contract. , worth $3.4 million per year.

It was 2019 when the NHL last saw the best version of Georgiev. His savings rate has dropped every year since his rookie campaign in 2017-18, hitting a career low of 0.898 last season.

It was always believed that increasing playing time would benefit Georgiev. However, he has been unable to confirm Rangers’ ascent over the past five seasons.

There are elements in Georgiev’s game that make him attractive. He is explosive and dynamic, but often lacks precision in his movements. Georgiev struggled significantly with traffic last season: He ended up sinking deep into his wrinkles, a sign of a goalkeeper lacking confidence.

Colorado is probably the best place Georgiev can go. The team just won the Stanley Cup, where scoring is not top-notch. There’s not much pressure on Georgiev to assume that Avalanche can win anyway.

His career needs a restart and I think it would be really good for Georgiev to work with Colorado goalkeeping coach Jussi Parkkila who has done an amazing job since joining Avalanche in 2017. With a few tweaks to Georgiev’s game and a fresh mindset, he has the talent to turn things around.

Alex Nedeljkovic

That’s the story of Nedeljkovic and the Red Wings’ two seasons last year. Round one was awesome. The second half was terrible, and the life of a goalkeeper reflects that.

Sure, there were a few explosive games that Nedeljkovic conceded, but Detroit’s defense last season – especially in the second half – was an absolute betrayal. The fact that Nedeljkovic can hit 0.901 saves in 59 games is a small miracle.

The Red Wings have added significant talent to their roster and brought in Derek Lalonde as head coach. There’s every reason to believe that Detroit will not only improve next season, but that the Red Wings can also make it to the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

There will be stiff competition with upcoming goalscoring partner Ville Husso, but never count someone on a one-year contract. Nedeljkovic’s contract comes into effect at the end of the 2022–23 season. Behind a replenished and rejuvenated team in Detroit, I fully expect his numbers to improve.

Thomas Greiss

Like Nedeljkovic, Greiss suffered in Detroit last season. His 3.66 goals against average is the fifth worst in the NHL among goalkeepers who have played at least 15 games. Greiss has won just 10 times in 31 appearances and has faced a number of injuries.

But if you look at his career, the 2021–22 season is different. In 11 full-time NHL seasons, Greiss only had a save rate of less than 0.900 twice.

The days of Greiss vying for number 1 are over, but in the past he has shown that he can carry mail for short periods of time. Greiss has been the definition of a “1B” for the better for seven seasons, which is reflected in his respectable .912 save rate.

Greiss is joining a solid team in St. Louis with one of the NHL’s best goalscorers, David Alexander. He has played a key role in developing winning goalscorers for the Blues, and his nuanced positional approach would be a perfect fit for a veteran like Greiss.





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