The 2026-27 NHL Goalie Tiers ranking has been released based on an anonymous poll of goaltending experts, evaluating the top 45 netminders heading into the new season.
Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy stands alone at the top. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner possesses elite process numbers and the NHL's top win total, with a sustained peak unmatched since Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist.
Vasilevskiy carries a heavy workload but is the only goaltender considered worth a top-two round selection in fantasy drafts, separated by consistency and high-end metrics.
Four other goalies delivered consistent, high-end performance with remarkably similar metrics last season.
Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers is expected to shoulder a heavy burden on a struggling team. Despite the Rangers' projected performance, his personal statistics are anticipated to be strong, though he may record the fewest wins among this elite group.
Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders led the NHL with 452 high-danger saves last season and finished as runner-up for the Vezina Trophy, solidifying his top-tier status.
Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins is recognized as a Vezina-caliber goalie playing for a playoff team. The assessment excludes his underperformance in the 2024-25 season following a contract holdout.
Logan Thompson of Washington drew attention after one predictive model suggested he should have won the Vezina in 2025-26. He is projected to be the last available among this top group in drafts yet deliver strong results.
Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets possesses the highest ceiling among the goalie class. He is the first goalie named league MVP since Carey Price, though he had a poor performance last season, creating uncertainty about his future with Winnipeg or a potential trade.
Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators returned from mental health leave to strong form, posting a 14-4-3 record with a 2.43 goals-against average and.904 save percentage in his final 21 starts. Ottawa's direction following Brady Tkachuk's departure remains a key question.
The Colorado Avalanche features a strong goaltending tandem with Mackenzie Blackwood as the primary starter. Scott Wedgewood's breakout performance in 2025-26 was not a fluke, with positive goals saved above expected in four of the last five seasons. Wedgewood led the NHL in save percentage last year with a career.909 mark.
Other notable goalies include Karel Vejmelka of Utah, who finished second in wins with 38 in 2025-26 but ranked outside the top 30 in save percentage at.896 among goalies with at least 20 starts. John Gibson of Detroit had his best season since 2017-18, though he will need to be sharper without Dylan Larkin's offense. Jakub Dobes of Montreal had an early breakout, ranking second in goals saved above expected and securing 29 wins to help the Canadiens reach the postseason.
