Four of the Top Ten Goaltenders in the AHL are Rookies, Eight are Under 25-Years-Old

If you want to see the future of goaltending in North America, look to the AHL. 

Of the top ten goaltenders in the league for the 2023-24 season, three of the top ten for goals-against average are rookies, with eight of the top ten under 25 years of age. 

Clay Stevenson HER 1.70 0.934 24-Years-Old

Dennis Hildeby TOR 1.80 0.927 22-Years-Old

Erik Portillo ONT 1.96 0.931 23-Years-Old

Jesper Wallstedt IA 2.09 0.933 21-Years-Old

Louis Domingue HFD 2.18 0.924 31-Years-Old

Chris Driedger CV 2.20 0.916 29-Years-Old

Michael DiPietro 2.24 0.925 24-Years-Old

Isaac Poulter UTC 2.36 0.920 22-Years-Old

Yaroslav Askarov MIL 2.39 0.908 21-Years-Old

Matthew Villalta TUC 2.42 0.921 24-Years-Old

Of the top ten for GAA only Hartford's Louis Domingue, 31, and Coachella Valley's Chris Driedger, 29, are over 25 years old. 

Both men are seasoned veterans with numerous NHL games to their credit. A log-jam of quality goaltenders at the NHL level, not a lack of personal quality, is the only reason both hands currently find themselves at the AAA level. 

Conversely, the top three goalies in the league based on GAA are Hershey's Clay Stevenson, 24, Toronto's Dennis Hildeby, 22, and Ontario's Erik Portillo, 23, alongside Utica's Isaac Poulter, 22, are all competing in their AHL rookie season. 

The bottom line? The future of goaltending for the National Hockey League and beyond is currently thriving in the AHL. 

Young goalies are earning minutes and coaches are giving ample opportunity for the new breed of netminder to find their way at the pro-level.

The results, and prospects for the future, are simply spectacular.