Super 16: Where teams in NHL.com power rankings stand with goaltending ahead of playoffs

Goaltending is often the backbone of a team.

Teams that find ways to win and advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs usually rely on their goaltending. Those who struggle in that department usually find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in or are ultimately eliminated in part because of the play at the position.

The top two teams in the rankings, who have been the top two for each of the past nine weeks -- the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets -- remain there in large part because of goalies Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren (Capitals) and Connor Hellebuyck (Jets).

This week, we're breaking down the goalie situation for every ranked team in the Super 16, where it stands now and what the playoffs may hold.

As a reminder, to come up with the Super 16 each week, the 13 voters put together their own version of what they think the rankings should look like and a point total is assigned to each, with the team selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

Here is the goalie edition of the Super 16:

1. Winnipeg Jets (49-19-4)

Total points: 202
Last week: No. 2

Connor Hellebuyck has proven to be the best goalie in the NHL during the regular season. He leads the NHL in wins (41), goals-against average (2.06, minimum 20 games), save percentage (.924, minimum 20 games) and shutouts (six), is the front-runner to win the Vezina Trophy for the second straight season and could be a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player. But he hasn't won a playoff series since 2021 and has allowed at least four goals in eight of his past 10 playoff games. That includes allowing 24 goals in five games in a first-round loss to the Colorado Avalanche last season. Hellebuyck has had postseason success in the past, helping the Jets reach Western Conference Final in 2018. If he can regain that level, it will make Winnipeg a Cup favorite this season. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

2. Washington Capitals (47-15-9)

Total points: 199
Last week: No. 1

The Capitals have rotated between Logan Thompson (40 starts) and Charlie Lindgren (31) for most of this season, and that has worked well for them. They are third in the NHL in allowing 2.55 goals per game. But coach Spencer Carbery said last week the rotation was over and he would decide which goalie starts on a game-to-game basis going forward. Thompson (31-4-6, 2.32 GAA, .917 save percentage, two shutouts) has started four of the past five games and will likely be Washington's starter in the playoffs. --Tom Gulitti, senior writer

3. Dallas Stars (46-21-4)

Total points: 174
Last week: No. 3

Jake Oettinger has been the Stars' No. 1 guy for several seasons now, and nothing has changed this season. He's 34-15-3 with a 2.50 GAA, .909 save percentage and two shutouts in 52 starts. He's one start shy of the 53 he made last season. Should Casey DeSmith, who has started 19 games, have a few more down the stretch so Oettinger can be as fresh as possible heading into the playoffs? In my opinion, yes, especially since the Stars have advanced to the Western Conference Final in back-to-back seasons and have a solid chance to win it all this season. But Oettinger is a workhorse; this is what he does, and he and the Stars have played well down the stretch. It ain't broke, so … -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

4. Vegas Golden Knights (43-20-8)

Total points: 163
Last week: No. 7

Adin Hill is clearly the guy for Vegas heading into the postseason. He already led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in 2022-23 and has been their workhorse this season, starting 43 of Vegas' 61 games, going 27-11-5. Ilya Samsonov is a capable backup and has been able to give Hill some rest this season, but he struggled in the playoffs for the Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, going 6-14 with a 3.05 GAA and .901 save percentage. Bottom line, they are fine with Hill, but if they need to rely on Samsonov for an extended period of time in the postseason, that would not be ideal. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

5. Colorado Avalanche (44-25-3)

Total points: 159
Last week: No. 4

It's Mackenzie Blackwood's job in Colorado, where he has earned the right to be its No. 1 goalie. Since arriving in a trade with the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9, Blackwood has made 30 starts and is 20-8-3 with a 2.22 GAA, a .917 save percentage and two shutouts. He is 6-1-1 in his past eight starts to help the Avalanche move closer to the Stars for second in the Central Division. The pressure will be on should the teams face each other in the Western Conference First Round, but Blackwood looks like he's up to the task. -- Brian Compton, managing editor

6. Florida Panthers (43-25-3)

Total points: 134
Last week: No. 6

There are no issues with goaltending in Florida. The Panthers have Sergei Bobrovsky as their ride-or-die and, last season, they rode him all the way to the Stanley Cup. He's a top-five goalie in the League and the backbone of this team. Florida acquired Vitek Vanecek to serve as a backup after using goalie-in-waiting Spencer Knight to get defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks. Vanecek is a capable backup and could see some work down the stretch to get Bobrovsky a rest, but it's Bobrovsky or bust once the postseason starts. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

7. Carolina Hurricanes (43-24-4)

Total points: 131
Last week: No. 5

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour is fortunate to have two quality goalies entering the playoffs. Pyotr Kochetkov deserves a pat on the back for the job he did while Frederik Andersen was recovering from knee surgery and has a 2.50 GAA in 42 starts; Andersen, who has 72 games of playoff experience on his resume, didn't lose a step after the injury and has a 2.07 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 16 games this season. Should one of them falter at the start of the playoffs, Brind'Amour has a quality Plan B. -- Compton

8. Los Angeles Kings (40-21-9)

Total points: 115
Last week: No. 11

The Kings are on a heater, having won nine of 10, during which time, they've allowed a total of 16 goals -- five of which came in one game. They're among the top teams in the NHL in goals-against (2.50 per game) and have Darcy Kuemper and their defense to thank. Kuemper has outstanding numbers (25-9-7, 2.10 GAA, .919 save percentage) and should be the Game 1 starter in the playoffs. Backup David Rittich has 14 wins and has been less consistent, allowing two, five, four, three and one goal in his past five starts. Rittich has only four games of playoff experience and doesn't have a win, but is a veteran the Kings could rely on if Kuemper, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche in 2022, gets injured. -- David Satriano, staff writer

9. Toronto Maple Leafs (43-25-3)

Total points: 107
Last week: No. 9

With apologies to the likes of Frederik Andersen, Jack Campbell and Ilya Samsonov, the Maple Leafs seem more solid in goal than they have in a long time heading into the playoffs. The fact that Toronto has won only one postseason series since 2004 can't be attributed solely to shoddy goaltending, but at the same time, the Maple Leafs in the past have lacked the type of outstanding play in the crease that sometimes provides wins in games they deserve to lose. In Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, they now have a 1-2 punch -- make that 1A and 1B -- that can carry the team to victories when it matters most. Both have shown that this season. The criteria for the playoffs is easy: Go with the hot hand until that goalie cools off, then have the option of going with the other guy. For coach Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs, it's a nice option to have. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

10. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-25-5)

Total points: 91
Last week: No. 8

The Lightning are set up about as well as they could be in net, with Andrei Vasilevskiy bouncing back in a big way from a down 2023-24. He has a 2.22 GAA, a .920 save percentage and five shutouts in 56 games. He's a proven big-game player, having won the Stanley Cup twice (2020, 2021) and the Conn Smythe Trophy (2021) and Vezina Trophy (2019) once each. I'd say the Lightning are in the best spot of any team in the NHL with their goaltending, both in how Vasilevskiy has performed this season and how they know he can perform when the stakes are highest. Behind him gets a little dicey, with Jonas Johansson putting up a 3.12 GAA and an .896 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts). – Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

11. Edmonton Oilers (41-25-5)

Total points: 85
Last week: No. 10

The Oilers are banking on Stuart Skinner to help get them back to the Stanley Cup Final this season. Skinner is the undisputed No. 1 goalie with Calvin Pickard serving as his back up. Skinner has had an inconsistent season, with his save percentage hovering below .900 for a portion of it, but Edmonton is confident he will be able to elevate his game down the stretch and into the playoffs. The 26-year-old will be going into his third postseason as the Oilers’ starting goalie and will be relying on his experience the previous two seasons. If Skinner falters at some point in the playoffs, there is confidence Pickard can come in and steady things, which he did last season in the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. The two complement each other well, and the Oilers are happy with the tandem. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

12. St. Louis Blues (38-28-7)

Total points: 64
Last week: No. 15

Jordan Binnington has been on an absolute tear since leading Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, going 9-2-0 with a 2.19 GAA and .912 save percentage to get the Blues into a playoff position. He's won six of his past seven starts and, with a Stanley Cup championship already on his resume, Binnington gives the Blues plenty of moxie and experience in net. His backup, Joel Hofer, has also played well, going 14-7-3 with a .905 save percentage and 2.64 GAA, but he does not have any postseason experience in the NHL, so though it's a solid tandem, I expect Binnington to carry the load once the playoffs arrive. -- Price

13. Minnesota Wild (40-27-5)

Total points: 56
Last week: No. 13

The Wild have been on a bumpy ride since mid-December, but the play of Filip Gustavsson is the biggest reason they are still hanging onto the first wild card in the West. Since superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov went down with a lower-body injury two months ago, Gustavsson, 26, has stepped up to take over as his team's MVP. Gustavsson was named the League's First Star last week after stopping 82 of 84 shots and going 3-0-0 with a 0.67 GAA, .976 save percentage and one shutout. Doing this for a team with the lowest goal support in the NHL since Feb. 1 (2.00 goals per game) makes Gustavsson’s heroics even more remarkable. He is 28-16-4 with a 2.47 GAA, a .918 save percentage and five shutouts on the season. -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

14. New Jersey Devils (38-28-7)

Total points: 37
Last week: No. 14

Jacob Markstrom is 2-5-1 with a 3.87 GAA and .847 save percentage in eight games since returning to the lineup March 2 after missing 11 with a knee injury. While the 35-year-old continues to work his way back to the form he exhibited prior to the injury, Jake Allen has done a fine job, going 3-1-0 with a 1.77 GAA and .943 save percentage over the same span. The Devils lost defensemen Dougie Hamilton (lower body) and Jonas Siegenthaler (lower body) for the remainder of the regular season but still rank fifth in the NHL in combined GAA (2.62). -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

15. Ottawa Senators (37-28-5)

Total points: 35
Last week: No. 12

Ottawa traded for Linus Ullmark to be the guy. He's been limited to 37 games (19-13-3) due to a back injury earlier this season, but he has a .909 save percentage and three shutouts. Solid numbers but likely would need to be better in the playoffs against offenses such as the Maple Leafs, Lightning or Panthers. Backup Anton Forsberg has played 25 games and has 185 of regular-season experience, but the 32-year-old has yet to play an NHL playoff game. If the Senators qualify, they likely will rely on their veteran goalies with the core of the team having never played in the postseason before. -- Satriano

16. Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9)

Total points: 8
Last week: No. 16

With the Canadiens pushing for a playoff spot, coach Martin St. Louis is putting his faith in one goalie: Sam Montembeault. "We are not there if it's not of Sam, and I believe in him," St. Louis said this week. Montembeault has started 11 of Montreal’s past 14 games. Since returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, he is 7-1-3 with a 2.70 GAA and .904 save percentage. He’s made an NHL career-high 51 starts so far this season. Jakub Dobes, who was recalled from Laval of the American Hockey League to replace Cayden Primeau at the end of December, is doing a fair job when called upon (6-3-2, 2.75 GAA, .905 save percentage). -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

Others receiving points: Calgary Flames 7, New York Islanders 1, New York Rangers 1, Vancouver Canucks 1

Dropped out from last week: None

Enterprise Team of the Week: The Kings are the hottest team in the NHL and are on a franchise-best 15-game point streak at home (12-0-3). They moved up three places, up to No. 8 from No. 11 in the rankings last week. Los Angeles has won four straight, including ending No. 7 Carolina’s eight-game winning streak with a 7-2 victory on Saturday. The Kings face a tough upcoming schedule with games against the No. 5 Avalanche on Thursday, the No. 9 Maple Leafs on Saturday and the No. 1 Jets on Tuesday.

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Los Angeles Kings; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Montreal Canadiens

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Montreal Canadiens

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Los Angeles Kings; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. New York Islanders

TOM GULITTI

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Calgary Flames

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Florida Panthers; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Dallas Stars; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Los Angeles Kings; 13. Ottawa Senators; 14. Minnesota Wild; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. New York Rangers

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Colorado Avalanche; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Tampa Bay Lightning; 9. Los Angeles Kings; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Edmonton Oilers; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Calgary Flames

TRACEY MYERS

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Montreal Canadiens

BILL PRICE

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Los Angeles Kings; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Calgary Flames

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Colorado Avalanche; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Washington Capitals; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Florida Panthers; 6. Vegas Golden Knights; 7. Tampa Bay Lightning; 8. Los Angeles Kings; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. New Jersey Devils; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. Montreal Canadiens

DAVID SATRIANO

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. Vegas Golden Knights; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Ottawa Senators

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Carolina Hurricanes; 7. Los Angeles Kings; 8. Florida Panthers; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. St. Louis Blues; 11. Edmonton Oilers; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. Calgary Flames; 16. New Jersey Devils

DEREK VAN DIEST

1. Washington Capitals; 2. Winnipeg Jets; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. Vegas Golden Knights; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. Florida Panthers; 8. Los Angeles Kings; 9. Toronto Maple Leafs; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Tampa Bay Lightning; 12. Minnesota Wild; 13. St. Louis Blues; 14. New Jersey Devils; 15. Ottawa Senators; 16. Vancouver Canucks

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Vegas Golden Knights; 4. Colorado Avalanche; 5. Dallas Stars; 6. Florida Panthers; 7. Carolina Hurricanes; 8. Toronto Maple Leafs; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Edmonton Oilers; 11. Los Angeles Kings; 12. St. Louis Blues; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Ottawa Senators; 15. New Jersey Devils; 16. Montreal Canadiens