Five AHL Goalies That Deserve NHL Minutes This Season, But Probably Won't Get Them

It's a crowded field of goaltenders at the NHL level, meaning deserving netminders in the AHL may be left out in the cold

The AHL season is only a few weeks old, but already we're finding out which goaltenders have solidified starter status, and which can be knocking on the door for an NHL call-up in the foreseeable future.

Crease-kings like Dustin Wolf (Wranglers), Matthew Villalta (Tucson), Chris Driedger (Coachella Valley), and Spencer Knight (Charlotte), should, and likely will see NHL ice over the course of the season, though a log-jam in net at the highest level in North American sports will likely result in some very deserving candidates holding the fort in the American League for now.

Here are five thriving AHL goaltending who deserve an NHL call-up this season, but likely won't get one. 

Mads Sogaard

The American Hockey League's goaltender of the month for October, who has suited up for Ottawa for 21 games over the past two seasons, has been exceptional to start the 2023-24 campaign.

Sogaard has put together three wins, including one shutout with a 2.15 GAA and sparkling .931 save percentage in six starts for Belleville.

The knock, which will be repeated throughout this list ad nauseam, lies in the Senators NHL tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg, and both goalies owning one-way, big-money contracts. Barring an injury or bottom-out resulting in a trade, Sogaard can continue to mature at the AHL level.  

Jesper Wallstedt 

The recent AHL Player of the Week for the Iowa Wild is in a near identical situation as Sogaard, finding himself on a team with, at times, struggling goaltending, but lacking in the roster-wiggle room to accommodate change.

The Wild have Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury locked up, meaning even with Wallstedt's hot start - 2.35 GAA and .919 save percentage - the 20-year-old will chew considerable minutes in the AHL. 

David Rittich 

Multi-team NHL veteran David Rittich has found his form with the Ontario Reign.

The 31-year-old native of the Czech Republic has suited up for 172 NHL games, most recently for the Jets in 22-23. He's pieced together a solid six games with the Reign, with a 2.73 GAA, .912 save percentage, and one shutout.

The thriving Los Angeles Kings currently sit with a tandem of veteran Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley. Copley's three games with the Kings have been rough, at best, with a 4.98 GAA and .788 save percentage, so there's a chance LA could roll the dice on Copley clearing waivers for a swap of big league veteran backups. 

Matthew Murray 

25-year-old Matthew Murray - the Texas one - has been rock solid through five games of the season, backstopping the Stars to a shutout with a 1.80 GAA and .938 save percentage.

Jake Oettinger is the unquestioned ace in Dallas, and veteran Scott Wedgewood is a solid plan B. Murray struggled with a 3.39 GAA and .844 save percentage through three NHL starts last season. He could see some action barring an injury, but otherwise, he can continue to backstop Texas toward a deep Calder run. 

Justus Annunen 

Through four NHL games across two seasons, third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche Justus Annunen wasn't exactly inspiring when called upon, putting up a 3.93 GAA and .859 save percentage.

His numbers in the AHL, in contrast, have been stellar. Last year for the Eagles Annunen put up a strong 2.55, .916 run with 22 wins in 41 games, matching the marker with four wins through seven games and a 2.26 GAA and .912 save percentage this season. 

The powerhouse Avalanche often ride with their Stanley Cup-winning twosome of Alexander Georgiev and Pavel Francouz, though Ivan Prosvetov has seen two games of action with Francouz down with injury.

And while he's received call-ups but has yet to see ice time, continued success in the AHL could see Annunen leapfrog Prosvetov in a temporary backup role. 

Joel Blomqvist 

21-year-old Finnish goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist enters his third season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton riding high with four wins, a 1.91 GAA and .920 save percentage through seven games to start the young season.

Pittsburgh's unanimous number one is solidified in Tristan Jarry, with a rotating backup between Alex Nedeljkovic and sometimes WBS starter Magnus Hellberg. 

Blomqvist could theoretically shoehorn his way into NHL minutes with continued struggles in the Pens crease.