These NHL goalies either have ups and downs or are on the rise, but Jacob Stoller explains why they deserve more appreciation from across the league.
These NHL goalies either have ups and downs or are on the rise, but Jacob Stoller explains why they deserve more appreciation from across the league.
Hockey goaltenders truly are unpredictable.
Perhaps the ups and downs of the position are why so many don't get their flowers for so long — or at all.
But these three netminders deserve to be celebrated, either due to their brilliance, ability to defy father time or their impending stardom.
Without further ado, our three-part series on underappreciated NHL players finishes up with the goaltender section.
Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders
Ilya Sorokin is the heartbeat of the New York Islanders’ knack for preventing goals against, but let’s not discount Semyon Varlamov.
The Islanders wouldn’t have maintained the NHL’s fourth-best save percentage over the last three seasons (.917) if it weren’t for the 36-year-old. He might just be the NHL’s most valuable backup if he even qualifies as one.
Varlamov led the NHL in shutouts (seven) and posted a .929 save percentage during the 2020-21 season — the year before he passed the torch to Sorokin. Varlamov has also maintained a .914 save percentage since becoming Sorokin’s understudy, and he was the driving force behind the Islanders' late-season playoff push last year.
After Patrick Roy — his old coach from his Colorado Avalanche days — took over the Islanders' bench, Varlamov started in 23 of the team's final 37 games and posted a 5-1-0 record and a .941 save percentage in the team’s final 10 matchups. He appeared in all five of the Islanders’ playoff games, too.
Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
Wait, a goalie who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs not long ago is underappreciated? You betcha.
Andersen often flies under the radar, but he’s quietly evolved into one of the best goaltenders in the sport.
What Andersen did this year, despite missing a huge chunk of the season due to a blood clotting issue, was simply unbelievable — recording a 13-2-0 record and a .932 save percentage.
One may pick from the low-hanging fruit of "well, Carolina was a great defensive team, so of course he was good."
Taking that into account, he was still impressive. Andersen's .802 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes ranked second among goalies who played in at least 10 games, according to moneypuck.com.
Since joining the Hurricanes three years ago, only Linus Ulmark, Igor Shesterkin and Sorokin have recorded a higher save percentage than Andersen's .918. Through that same span, Andersen also ranks fifth in goals saved above average per 60 minutes (0.35) among goalies who played at least 3,000 minutes, per naturalstattrick.com.
Joel Hofer, St. Louis Blues
Joel Hofer is the best up-and-coming goalie that not many people are talking about.
The 24-year-old's stock rose two seasons ago when he posted a .921 save percentage in the AHL — earning himself an invitation to the league's All-Star Game — and backed up Team Canada en route to winning gold at the 2023 World Championship.
Last season, it skyrocketed.
Hofer may not have been the starter in St. Louis, but what he did while backstopping a Blues team that struggled defensively was nothing short of impressive.
Not only did the 6-foot-5 goaltender post a .914 save percentage, but he also ranked eighth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (0.379) among goalies who played 20 games. His save percentage even remained at .914 in the 11 of his starts he had against playoff teams.
Since the 2017-18 season, Hofer’s .910 career save percentage is the seventh-highest mark by any U-24 goaltender who played at least 20 games, according to eliteprospects.com.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.