December 16, 2024 by Bob Schmidt

Every month, I will be tabulating a goaltending power rankings chart and sharing the top 10 here on The Heavy Hockey Network. This chart comes to form based on calculations stemming from 25 statistical categories from five different sources. There is a minimum requirement of there games played for this list.

1. Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets

Season stats: 15-3-0, 2.11 GAA, .928 SV%, 3 shutouts

November stats: 8-2-0, 2.10 GAA, .931 SV%, 2 shutouts

November rank: 7

Key November performance: 35-save shutout in a 1-0 win vs Colorado Avalanche – Nov 7

Connor Hellebuyck completed a personal six-game winning streak to begin the month and won eight of his first nine games in November. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner posted back-to-back shutouts over the Utah Hockey Club on November 5 followed by the above mentioned November 7 game vs the Avalanche. The Commerce, Michigan native also dazzled in a November 25 game vs the Minnesota Wild by stopping 43 of 44 shots in a 4-1 win and has all but secured the starting goaltender job for Team USA in the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

2. Filip Gustavsson – Minnesota Wild

Season stats: 11-4-3, 2.05 GAA, .929 SV%, 2 shutouts

November stats: 7-3-2, 1.99 GAA, .932 SV%, 2 shutouts

November rank: 4

Key November performance: 39-save shutout in a 1-0 win vs Buffalo Sabres – Nov 27

After posting backup level numbers in 2023-24, Filip Gustavsson led the NHL in save percentage and goals against average through the through two months of this season. The Swedish netminder’s bounce back season has been a major contributor to Minnesota’s resurgence so far in 2024-25. The 26-year-old is credited with giving his team a quality start in 89% of his starts, a stat he also leads the league in at the moment. It’s no wonder that we will see Gustavsson between the pipes for Team Sweden at the 4 Nations tournament.

3. Jonathan Quick – New York Rangers

Season stats: 5-1-0, 2.03, .936, 2 shutouts

November stats: 3-1-0, 2.26, .928, 2 shutouts

November rank: NR

Key November performance: 37 save shutout in a 4-0 win vs Detroit Red Wings – Nov 9

Jonathan Quick has found sustained relevance during this latter part of his career backing up one of the NHL’s finest, Igor Shesterkin. Last season, the former three-time Stanley Cup champion won 18 of his 26 starts with two shutouts. He matched last season’s shutout total in only his fourth start of this season. In fact, they came in back-to-back starts for the 38-year-old former Conn Smythe Trophy winner. In a role that might see him only play every fourth game or so, the Quick has done an impressive job ensuring that his team is still getting high-caliber goaltending on the nights that Shesterkin gets to rest.

4. Lukas Dostal – Anaheim Ducks

Season stats: 5-7-2, 2.72 GAA, .922 SV%, 1 shutout

November stats: 1-5-0, 3.71 GAA, .890 SV%

November rank: 3

Key November performance: 34 saves on 36 shots in a 4-2 win vs Dallas Stars – Nov 18

The Anaheim Ducks are still a young team looking to find their footing in the NHL as they keep rebuilding. The offensive struggles of the Ducks (2.57 goals for per game is 28th in the NHL) is offset many nights thanks to the goaltending duo of Dostal and 12-year Duck veteran John Gibson. They combined to help Anaheim to a 2.91 goals against average, which is currently ninth best in the league. With Gibson starting the season on the injury list, the 24-year-old carried the bulk of the workload and performed so well that Head Coach Greg Cronin has been implementing a 1A/1B rotation with the young Czech native and the inherent starter of the past eight seasons, Gibson, once he returned. Though Dostal only won one of his six November starts, he still showed up in 14 of the 25 statistical categories used to formulate this list and was in the top three in eight of them.

5. John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks

Season stats: 4-1-1, 2.48, .916

November stats: 4-1-1, 2.48, .916

November rank: NR

Key November performance: 42 saves on 45 shots in a 5-2 win vs Seattle Kraken – Nov 27

Gibson missed the first month of the season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on September 26. He returned on November 10 and won four of his first five starts. Gibson is coming off back-to-back subpar seasons with save percentages below .900 and goals against average above 3.50. It is quite likely that this competition with Dostal for crease time is bringing out this uptick in performance. There’s no doubt that other teams are watching the 31-year-old veteran netminder, and I could see him moved from the Ducks, who would most likely be more inclined to continue their rebuilding with the younger Dostal.

6. Karel Vejmelka – Utah Hockey Club

Season stats: 3-6-1, 2.40 GAA, .917 SV%

November stats: 3-4-1, 2.21 GAA, .925 SV%

November rank: 33

Key November performance: 49 saves on 50 shots in a 4-1 win vs Carolina Hurricanes – Nov 13

Utah was outshot 50-21 in the above mentioned game, but Vejmelka’s career-high 49 saves provided the foundation for his first win of 2024-25. The Czech native had lost his number one job to Connor Ingram last season after having been the starter for the two previous seasons. Due to an upper body injury to Ingram in late November, Vejmelka looks poised to seize this opportunity. Utah is one of those teams that routinely gets outshot and relies on their goalies too often, so a lot is being asked of Vejmelka, and he appears ready to deliver. His 27-spot jump in the rankings is thanks to placing in the top ten in 13 of the 25 statistical categories, of which he finished in first place in five of them. Only Vejmelka and number one ranked Hellebuyck, finished at the very top in five of the 25 categories to end November.

7. Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars

Season stats: 12-4-0, 2.46 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 shutout

November stats: 7-3-0, 2.86 GAA, .894 SV%

November rank: 14

Key November performance: 25 saves on 26 shots in a 3-1 win vs Chicago Blackhawks – Nov 7

Jake Oettinger has already posted winning streaks of five and four games this season, and put together a run that saw him win seven of eight games. Oettinger, who is in his fourth season as the Stars’ number one goalie, is coming off three consecutive 30-win seasons. Still only 25, the best might still be to come for the Boston University alum.

8. Joseph Woll – Toronto Maple Leafs

Season stats: 6-2-0, 2.13 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 shutout

November stats: 5-1-0, 1.99 GAA, .929 SV%, 1 shutout

November rank: 13

Key November performance: 31 save shutout in a 3-0 win vs Vegas Golden Knights – Nov 20

After an impressive showing in his rookie season, Woll gained enough belief in him from GM Brad Treliving that last season’s starter, Ilya Samsonov, was allowed to leave in off-season. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old experienced groin tightness on the eve of their season-opener against the Montreal Canadiens and was unavailable to start. The injury proved to be more problematic than initially anticipated and the Missouri native did not return to game action until October 24. After only winning one of his first three starts, Woll has turned it around with five consecutive victories to finish off the month of November.

9. Arvid Soderblom – Chicago Blackhawks

Season stats: 1-4-1, 2.36 GAA, .926 SV%

November stats: 1-3-0, 2.28 GAA, .933 SV%

November rank: 11

Key November performance: 38 saves on 40 shots in a 4-2 win vs Anaheim Ducks – Nov 3

Arvid Soderblom has only one win so far this season in his role as the backup goalie to Petr Mrazek, but the 25-year-old Swede has kept his rebuilding team competitive on the majority of nights. In four of his six starts, Soderblom has not had a game where his save percentage was below .935 and he has only allowed in more than two goals twice. The 2021 Chicago free-agent signing is coming off his first full NHL season and is making a case to be the Blackhawks goalie of the future.

10. Cam Talbot – Detroit Red Wings

Season stats: 6-5-2, 2.67 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 shutout

November stats: 4-4-1, 2.45 GAA, .919 SV%

November rank: 6

Key November performance: 31 saves on 32 shots in a 2-1 win vs Buffalo Sabres – Nov 2

Cam Talbot has seemingly become the go to free agent signing for teams that need a temporary fill in between the pipes while they work on finding a long term solution. The 12-year veteran is on his seventh club in the past seven seasons. The Red Wings are one of those organizations that needed a stop gap while they wait for their 2021 first round draft pick, Sebastian Cossa, to become NHL ready. Talbot to the rescue. The 37-year-old goalkeeper has given his team a quality start in 71% of his starts which is his highest number since his rookie season in 2013-14. Talbot has played so well to start the season that he was in serious consideration for one of the goaltender spots on Team Canada for the upcoming 4 Nations tournament.