Team USA's Connor Hellebuyck, Sweden's Filip Gustavsson and Canada's Logan Thompson are some of the NHL netminders to watch at the Olympics.
Strong goaltending separates playoff contenders from Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL.
It's the same deal for the men's hockey tournament at the Olympics in Milan. With so many talented rosters in this competition, goaltending could decide the eventual gold medal winner.
Within those talented rosters at the Games are elite goaltenders. In no particular order, here are some of the best goaltenders going into the competition, who could set their nation apart from the others.
Connor Hellebuyck, USA (Winnipeg Jets)
Connor Hellebuyck has a lot to prove in these upcoming Olympics.
There's no doubt that he is one of the most talented goaltenders in hockey. After all, he's coming off a campaign where he won his third Vezina Trophy and the Hart Trophy as the NHL's regular-season MVP.
While he's still that same person who backstopped the Winnipeg Jets to the Presidents' Trophy last season, he's come up short in the games with the brightest lights, specifically in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
In last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, Hellebuyck had an impressive .932 save percentage and 1.59 goals-against average. But in the final, he allowed three goals on 27 shots for an .889 save percentage and lost in overtime.
All that aside, any hockey fan knows that Hellebuyck is as good as anybody between the pipes when he's in the zone. That could be the recipe for the Americans as they look for their first Olympic men's hockey gold medal since 1980.
Lukas Dostal, Czechia (Anaheim Ducks)
Czechia could upset some of the tournament favorites. Not only do they have a solid team on paper, but Lukas Dostal's goaltending could be the reason the Czechs make it on the podium.
The Anaheim Ducks netminder has been red-hot going into the Olympic break. In his last nine starts, he won eight games, including six in a row. In that span, Dostal registered a .930 save percentage, the second-best in the NHL among goalies who played more than five games.
His .897 SP and a 2.92 GAA this season don't tell the whole story, and teams, such as Group A counterpart Team Canada, should be wary of him stealing a game.
Logan Thompson, Canada (Washington Capitals)
Logan Thompson has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL all season long.
In 39 starts for the Washington Capitals, Thompson has a .912 SP, a 2.45 GAA and a 19-16-4 record. Among goaltenders to play at least 25 games this season, he's tied for fifth-best in SP and GAA, and no goalie ahead of him will be competing in Milan.
With Team Canada's rock-solid defense on paper, the 28-year-old likely won't be as busy as he typically is in the NHL with the Caps.
According to BetMGM, Thompson has the third-shortest odds for the Vezina Trophy this season, behind Russians Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin.
Filip Gustavsson, Sweden (Minnesota Wild)
Filip Gustavsson stands in the crease for one of the best teams in the NHL, the Minnesota Wild. Up to this point in the NHL, he has a 20-9-6 record, .907 SP and 2.64 GAA in 36 games.
The Swedish goaltender will be hoping to have a better tournament than he did at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year. In two appearances, he put up a 4.18 GAA and a .813 SP, losing both contests.
Luckily for Sweden, Gustavsson isn't the only great goaltender in their lineup, as they brought the other half of the Wild's tandem, Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt is averaging a .914 SP and has four shutouts in just 23 games.
Philipp Grubauer, Germany (Seattle Kraken)
Philipp Grubauer has revived his NHL career this season with the Seattle Kraken. After a disappointing campaign last year, recording a 3.49 GAA and .875 SP across 26 games, Grubauer has been steady in his fifth season with the Kraken.
While he has been the No. 2 behind Joey Daccord in terms of games played, the German has been putting up numbers that could see him inch closer to a starting position.
In 22 appearances and 19 starts this season, Grubauer has an 11-6-3 record, posting a 2.43 GAA and .916 SP going into the break.
The 34-year-old has had a sheltered role at the club level, but at these Olympics, he'll get to be in the spotlight for Germany. Grubauer would be an X-factor in upsetting any of the powerhouses in this tournament.
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