Training camp is fast approaching and while some teams have confidence and security in their netminding groups, there are questions and concerns surrounding others.
The calendar has flipped to September, so it won’t be long before NHL training camps begin.
Before that, players will start to gather in their teams' cities for informal skates, and news tidbits will start to surface as we head into a new year.
Already, though, some goalie situations are worth monitoring. Some of that is due to recent news about health and contract concerns. For other teams, it’s about roles and chemistry in new tandems.
Then there's the New York Islanders, with Ilya Sorokin locked up on the kind of long-term deal that’s becoming less common for goalies. But since Patrick Roy took the reins last January, he has favored Semyon Varlamov, who was also his No. 1 stopper when he coached the Colorado Avalanche. Everyone played nice last year, but that could change if the scenario persists.
While we wait to see, take a look at these five teams that already have question marks around their current goalie situations for the new season.
Vancouver Canucks
A week ago, the Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending situation abruptly changed from a strength to a question mark with the news that esteemed goalie coach Ian Clark was stepping aside from his day-to-day duties — and that Thatcher Demko might not be ready for game action until the regular season begins.
The situation got even murkier when presumed backup Arturs Silovs was left off Latvia’s roster for its Aug. 29 - Sept. 1 Olympic qualifying tournament.
Reports suggest that Silovs has a knee problem of his own, which has flared up due to overtraining. And while missing the Olympic qualifier is definitely a big deal for the 2023 world championship MVP, his Latvian goalie coach, Arturs Irbe, has poured cold water on the possibility that Silovs might not be ready for the Canucks training camp.
Still, the Canucks are now in an unnerving spot. Even in a best-case scenario where Demko and Silovs are both ready for opening night, are these the types of injuries that could recur as the season wears on?
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have enjoyed elite goaltending for almost the entire salary-cap era, winning three William M, Jennings Trophys for the lowest team goals against during that time: Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez in 2008-09, Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak in 2019-20 and Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman in 2022-23.
Ullmark’s move to Ottawa has opened the door for the Jeremy Swayman era to begin, but the restricted free agent is still without a new contract. Rumors are swirling that the 25-year-old is looking for $10 million a year — and with Ullmark gone, Swayman’s bargaining position is extremely strong.
If the two sides can agree on a long-term extension, the Bruins should be set in net for years to come. But for every day that passes without a deal in place, fans get a little more nervous and wonder whether their team will be opening training camp with Joonas Korpisalo in the No. 1 slot.
Toronto Maple Leafs
While the Bruins always seem to be set in net, the Toronto Maple Leafs never seem to have stability between the pipes. They’ve never won a Jennings award, which was introduced in 1982. Their last Vezina was earned by Johnny Bower and Terry Sawchuk back in 1964-65 when they racked up the fewest goals against in the six-team NHL.
Last season, riding Ilya Samsonov, Joseph Woll and Martin Jones, the Leafs finished 21st in the league with 261 goals against, and their 5-on-5 save percentage of .9092 was 24th.
Numbers like that lead to changes. But can this year’s tandem of Woll and Anthony Stolarz get the job done?
Now 26, Woll has essentially been handed the starter’s job off a grand total of 36 games of NHL experience — and a significant injury history which has limited his availability. He has never played more than 37 games in a season, and that was during his junior year at Boston College, back in 2018-19.
The Leafs signed 30-year-old Anthony Stolarz to provide a veteran backup presence. He’s coming off an excellent season, with a 2.03 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 27 games with the Florida Panthers, and his 20.1 goals saved above expected per MoneyPuck.com suggests that his success wasn’t just because he was playing behind one of the NHL’s best defenses in Sunrise.
But the 6-foot-6 Stolarz has only 108 NHL games on his resume. He should provide some strong minutes for the Leafs, but their season may hinge on whether he’s able to successfully manage a heavy workload if Woll goes down again.
Vegas Golden Knights
As an example of what happens when a team leans too hard on an unproven starter, look no further than the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Stanley Cup champs appeared to have unlocked a new path to success when they relied on Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit to successfully take them through their playoff run. But at 27, Hill had just 101 games of regular-season experience when he started last season. He was also coming off a high-for-him 43 total games played in 2022-23 with playoffs included.
Barely two months into last season, Hill was dealing with injuries that continued to plague him. He ended up missing the first four games of the Golden Knights’ first-round series against the Dallas Stars, which they ultimately lost in seven games.
Hill will be back in Sin City this fall — and hopefully, healthier. He’ll share the Vegas net with Ilya Samsonov, who will be looking for a fresh start after two inconsistent years in Toronto. Akira Schmid, who’s still exempt from waivers, will provide some extra insurance after he was picked up in a trade with the New Jersey Devils.
Los Angeles Kings
Building off of Vegas’ goalie plan and crunched by salary-cap restrictions, the Kings took a low-budget approach to their crease in 2023-24. They allocated $1.5 million to Pheonix Copley and just $1 million to Cam Talbot.
Copley was another journeyman who’d come off the busiest NHL season of his career in 2022-23, with 37 games played. But he managed just eight games before going under the knife for season-ending knee surgery last January.
David Rittich played well after his call-up and the Kings finished the year ranked third in goals against and 10th in 5-on-5 save percentage. But Talbot and Rittich couldn’t contain the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, and the Kings’ season was finished after just five games.
Rittich and Copley are both returning, and the Kings brought in a more pedigreed starter to join them as Talbot moved on. Now 34, Darcy Kuemper has a Stanley Cup ring from his time in Colorado and also spent a tremendous four-and-a-half months as Jonathan Quick’s backup in Los Angeles in the 2017-18 season. He put up a 10-1-3 record and .932 save percentage before he was moved to the Arizona Coyotes ahead of the trade deadline.
Washington wasn’t a good fit for the Saskatoon native. A return to the Western Conference and a chance to play behind the Kings’ strong defensive structure could help him rediscover his game.