Platoon: In which a team can reasonably expect a rotation between the two goaltenders. These teams will primarily be weighted on their starting goalie, secondarily weighted on their backup option expecting to see 20-25 games of play.Ģ. Starter/Backup: In which an expected starting goaltender consumes the lion’s share of available starts. Teams have been broken up into two categories which generally follow the league-wide trends:ġ. (Similarly, they have also become gun-shy about using their most valuable draft picks to select goaltenders.) Teams are more likely to look for platoon options that may be friendlier on the cap, which also reduces single-player volatility risk. Franchises have been increasingly gun-shy about allocating big portions of their salary cap to one goaltender. Having a rested elite goaltender heading into the postseason may be the biggest advantage a team can carry.ģ. Teams have recognized that rest, even for elite talents, increases durability and reliability. Last season, only five goalies cleared the 60-game threshold. Workhorse goaltenders are increasingly harder to find. Teams have had dramatic success finding talented goaltenders outside of North America the increase in European imports has created more talent and depth at the position.Ģ. Consider just some of the forces working together to alter how we evaluate the position:ġ. The position has changed dramatically in the past decade. Now, let’s talk about the goaltending evaluation process.įor starters, it is imperative to note we are evaluating the position at aggregate for each franchise. If you missed the prior articles, they are referenced below – please check them out. Ever the mysterious (and unpredictable) position, we will evaluate the goaltending depth charts across all 32 teams.Īs a bit of housekeeping if you are just catching up on the series. Our multi-series talent tiers feature continues, now shifting to the goaltenders.