Considering all the games of the year 2022, playoffs included, there is no doubt. The goaltender of the year is Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers.
With a regular season total of 38-14-6/.928/2.19, and 10-9-0/.929/2.59 in the playoffs, Shesterkin has 48 wins, six more than the 42 Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper. In the playoffs, Shesterkin led the Rangers to two wins in seven games over the Penguins and Hurricanes before losing in six to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Kuemper was 32-16-6/.924/2.47 in the season (Avalanche and Capitals games included) and 10-4-0/.902/2.57 in the playoffs. Linus Ullmark and Ilya Sorokin are also in the fight.
Ullmark, the leader in our standings this season, is 32-16-6/.924/2.47 overall since Jan. 1 and 0-2-0/.860/4.16 in the playoffs. Ilya Sorokin, who did not make the playoffs last spring, is 29-21-4/.925/2.36.
Ullmark tops our rankings for a third week in a row. Moreover, the seven leading positions have not changed since last Tuesday. Alexandar Georgiev (4th) is our goalkeeper of the week (2-0-0/.949/1.43).
Top rookie
The Carolina Hurricanes do not seem to suffer too much from the absence of Frederik Andersen. Since his recall in early November, 23-year-old Russian Pyotr Kochetkov 10-1-4/.928/1.94 has been uncompromising.
The Hurricanes appear to have had quite the bargain as Kochetkov’s new contract (8th in the top 30) at two million dollars per season will not come into effect until next year and will end at the end of the 2026-2027 season. Logan Thompson (10th), of the Golden Knights, is the other rookie par excellence.
Best Duo
If we only consider the teams whose two goalies have played at least eleven games each, the Toronto Maple Leafs are betting on the best duo in the NHL in Matt Murray (13th) and Ilya Samsonov (20th).
It gives Coach Sheldon Keefe options.
Best defector
Several goaltenders changed addresses last summer and, in the majority of cases, they served their new team well. There are obviously the two Leafs goalies, Murray and Samsonov, but also Ville Husso in Detroit, Filip Gustavsson in Minnesota, Vitek Vanecek in New Jersey, Cam Talbot in Ottawa and also Darcy Kuemper in Washington.
However, we have no choice but to give the title of best defector to Alexandar Georgiev, who took his place in Colorado and is keeping his people in line despite injuries. In contrast, the Edmonton Oilers are very disappointed with Jack Campbell.
The new owners
Stuck behind Henrik Lundqvist, then Igor Shesterkin, Alexandar Georgiev could never prove that he was a number one goalkeeper for the New York Rangers, but he is taking on his new responsibilities very well in Colorado. The position was already acquired for Jake Oettinger in Dallas, but he confirms that he deserves the confidence of the organization. Logan Thompson also does the job in Vegas.
Best Auxiliary
If we stick to the strict definition of goalkeeper number two in terms of use, Samuel Montembeault (3-2-0/.912/2.89) is in the fight for the title of best auxiliary behind Filip Gustavsson (23rd ) of the Wild.
