Ranking the NHL's top 5 goalie tandems for 2024-25

Having two reliable goaltenders is imperative in today's NHL. Starters simply don't play 70 games anymore, and many teams across the league are content investing in a pair of good netminders rather than a single great one.

While it's a sound money-saving strategy, having two strong options in the crease is also vital due to goalie inconsistency. The roller coaster nature of life between the pipes can be illustrated by this list, as only one of the tandems who qualified last year made it ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The Boston Bruins, last year's slam-dunk leader of the pack, traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, removing them from the board completely. Some of the top goalies in the NHL, such as Connor Hellebuyck or Sergei Bobrovsky, weren't included due to uncertainty behind them on the depth chart.

Amazingly, all five tandems for this season's exercise reside in the same division. With that said, let's dive into the rankings.

Stats from 2023-24 (all situations)
GSAx: Goals saved above expected
GSAA: Goals saved above average

5. Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen

Combined cap hit: $6.05 million

The Devils turned their biggest weakness last season into a potential area of great strength. New Jersey acquired Allen before the 2024 trade deadline, and the veteran's numbers immediately improved after his move from Montreal. Allen's statistics don't jump off the page, but he's a lifetime .907 goalie with 11 years of experience. He's best suited for a backup role at this stage in his career and, with the strength of the Devils' roster in front of him, should be able to provide wins when called upon.

Markstrom was New Jersey's big addition this summer. If he brings last year's form with the Flames to the East Coast, the Devils should have no issue re-entering the playoffs. Despite backstopping a lousy Calgary squad, Markstrom ranked third in the NHL in goals saved above expected and won almost half his starts for a club that finished 17 points back of a wild-card spot. Age and health are a slight concern, but Markstrom's demonstrated he's still capable of carrying a team and is one of the league's most consistent goalies. Since 2015-16, 21 goalies have made at least 300 appearances. Markstrom ranks eighth among them in wins (202), 13th in save percentage (.910), and 12th in goals against average (2.68).

4. Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson

Combined cap hit: $1.866 million

This entry may surprise some, but the Capitals shrewdly rebuilt their crease this summer. Washington gave Lindgren the starting role last season, and his performance in leading the club to a playoff berth was impressive enough for the club to part ways with veteran Darcy Kuemper. Lindgren tied the league lead with six shutouts last season, ranked 10th in save percentage among goalies to make 40 appearances, and finished ninth in GSAx. It was an unexpected breakout, and Lindgren needs to prove it wasn't a one-off to be considered among the league's elite.

If Lindgren's excellence last season was a fluke, the Capitals put themselves in a prime position to succeed in goal by adding Thompson. He's inexperienced too, but he owns a .912 save percentage in 103 NHL appearances - enough to believe there's some real potential there. Washington also revamped its defensive corps over the offseason, which should insulate its pair of unproven goaltenders.

3. Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov

Combined cap hit: $5.4 million

The dynamic is shifting in Carolina's crease, but the Hurricanes have two steady options to pick from again this season. Kochetkov is likely the goalie of the future in Raleigh, and he's coming off a stellar year in which he set career highs in starts, save percentage, and goals against average. His efforts nearly earned him a Calder Trophy nomination, but the Canes chose Andersen to lead the charge in the playoffs after a strong return from a blood clotting issue.

Injuries have been a concern Andersen's entire career, and he'll be 35 when the campaign starts. Even though he posted dominant numbers in his minimal outings last season, he might be best suited in the 1B role to preserve his health. The Hurricanes had to use five different goalies in 2023-24, and they've seemingly been chasing dependable goaltending since they emerged as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. While it's unclear who the Carolina will turn to most frequently for the 2024-25 campaign, the club has two strong options at its disposal.

2. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov

Combined cap hit: $11 million

The Islanders' identity is goal prevention, and their duo is the richest on our list - for good reason. Sorokin had a down year in 2023-24 after two dominant seasons, but he's still unquestionably one of the most talented goaltenders in the world. He's been top-10 in Vezina Trophy voting - including a runner-up in 2023 - in each of his three full seasons with the Islanders and is on the short list of keepers who'd be worth building a team around. It should come as no surprise if he bounces back in a big way following offseason back surgery.

Varlamov, on the other hand, seems to be immune to aging. The 36-year-old posted stellar numbers over the 2023-24 campaign and was even the starter in the Isles' five-game playoff stint. A sharp decline could come at any time, but Varlamov gets the benefit of the doubt on our rankings for a career with hardly any blips on the radar. Across 16 years in the NHL, he's posted one season with a sub-.900 save percentage, and owns a .917 clip across five campaigns on Long Island.

1. Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick

Combined cap hit: $6.94 million

There's a lot of good goalies in New York. Although it was close, we gave the edge to the Blueshirts over the Isles after a season in which Shesterkin's performance topped that of his longtime friend Sorokin. The pecking order in The Empire State could easily flip-flop after this year's results, but Shesterkin wowed the hockey world with a .926 clip as the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final this past spring. The 28-year-old is now up to a .928 save percentage in 44 career postseason starts.

Quick is the big surprise on the list. He resurrected his career in his debut campaign in the Big Apple after registering a .897 save percentage over the previous four campaigns in Los Angeles and Vegas. It may have been an anomaly, but Quick has enough pedigree to think he can remain deployable for another season. Even if he takes a small step back - he exceeded expectations in 2023-24 - the Rangers should be comfortable in goal with Shesterkin shouldering the brunt of the workload.

Honorable mentions: Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer (Blues), Juuse Saros and Scott Wedgewood (Predators), Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs (Canucks).

(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey, Salary source: PuckPedia)