NHL Goalie Targets: The Top 5 That Could Become Available

It’s the time of year when tough roster decisions are made in the NHL, as teams give up players to cut their rosters in time for the regular season. Some of the toughest picks — at least for some teams — come in the crease, where limited roster spots mean talented guards will be on the waiver wire over the next week.

A third goalie may not seem like an impactful addition at first glance, but there are plenty of examples to prove otherwise. For example, look at Vegas Golden Knights starting goaltender and Stanley Cup champion Adin Hill.

Around this time in 2022, Hill was heading into a three-way battle in goaltending camp in San Jose with fellow veterans James Reimer and Kaapo Kahkonen. It wasn’t clear who the odd man out would be at the end of camp, but there was a chance the Sharks would have to waive one of them. Instead, San Jose traded Hill to Vegas for just a fourth-round pick. He then posted a .915 save percentage in the regular season and an 11-4 record in the playoffs to help the Golden Knights win a title.

This is an extreme example. It’s unlikely to be replicated, but it demonstrates how unpredictable the situation can be and how combing through waivers in search of untapped potential can pay off. The fact that most teams only have two goaltenders also means that it is difficult for teams to make room to claim one of these abandoned goalies, but with injuries already starting to pile up , there might be more opportunities available.

This requires a lot of projection, so some of these goaltenders might never reach the waiver wire, but here are five talented goaltenders who could be up for grabs before the regular season begins.

The Red Wings had three goaltenders for most of last season, but general manager Steve Yzerman said this summer he preferred to move forward with just two on the roster. That means Ville Husso, Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon could be sidelined, and whoever it is would likely be the top target for any team looking for help in the crease.

Husso has the biggest hit of the three, entering the final season of his contract with an average annual value of $4.75 million. Yzerman signed Talbot to a two-year contract worth $2.5 million per season this summer, so his place on the NHL roster should be assured.

That leaves Lyon, who is also entering the final year of his contract but with a cap hit of just $900,000. This figure, combined with his wealth of experience, could make him an interesting waiver request. Lyon had 44 NHL All-Stars last season, posting a .904 save percentage (just above league average). There were periods last season where Lyon looked like the Red Wings’ best goaltender, and he’s only two years removed from starting playoff games in Florida ahead of Sergei Bobrovsky, so the talent is obvious. He also performed well in his two starts for Team USA at the World Championships this summer.

As is the case with most goalies looking to establish themselves as starters in the NHL, consistency is the issue for Lyon. He finished last season with a 3-10-3 record with a .887 average over that span. Maybe Yzerman ends up reluctantly retaining three goalies again, but if not, I could see Lyon getting claimed before heading to Grand Rapids.

James Reimer, Ox

Reimer was part of the San Jose goaltending jam that landed Hill in Las Vegas, and three years later he finds himself in another crowded goalie room. He currently plays behind two talented young goalies, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi, but he showed last year that, even at 36, he still has some good hockey left.

Reimer led all Detroit goalies with 7.06 goals saved above expectation in 20 starts last season. He started at least 20 games in his 14 NHL seasons. The Sabers signed him to a one-year deal this summer, but unless they opt to keep three goaltenders, they may be forced to put him on waivers.

With Reimer having over 500 games of NHL experience, teams won’t find a more battle-tested option. Reimer may not have a very high ceiling at this point in his career, but for teams looking to add a steady backup who can provide predictable goaltending every night, he is a good option.

Over the past two seasons, Hunter Shepard has completely dominated the American Hockey League. The 28-year-old amassed a 47-12-8 record with an impressive .923 save percentage and six shutouts with the Hershey Bears during that span. He was just as good in the playoffs, leading the Bears to two straight Calder Cups with a .912 save percentage and three shutouts.

It felt like this might be the year he’d get a chance with the Capitals, but after Washington traded for Logan Thompson this summer, it appears Shepard is destined to start the season again in Hershey. He doesn’t have the track record of the goalies above him on this list, having played his only four games in the NHL last season. Shepard isn’t the most technically sound goaltender either, making unorthodox saves at times, but so far it’s worked for him across the board and he needs to take a chance to prove it in the NHL .

It’s been 548 days since Matt Murray’s last NHL game, but how many goalies with two Stanley Cup championships have been waived? That will almost certainly be the case for Murray, with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz being Toronto’s two best goalies.

Given his injury history, Murray is unlikely to be claimed, but he’s still only 30 years old and has a measly $875,000 cap hit. Although his starting days are well behind him, Murray could be a stopgap solution, especially for teams dealing with injuries at the position.

The Panthers brought back Chris Driedger on a one-year deal this summer. He backed up Bobrovsky from 2019-21 before being selected by Seattle in the expansion draft. Florida was looking to fill the vacancy left by Stolarz, who signed with Toronto in free agency, but with 2019 first-round pick Spencer Knight returning to the fold, that will likely push Driedger to the minors.

Driedger spent most of last year in the AHL, where he went 24-7-7 with a .917 save percentage for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. He backed the Firebirds to the Calder Cup final, where they fell to Shepard’s Hershey Bears. In his limited NHL action, Driedger stopped 55 of 60 shots for a solid .917 save percentage.

(Photo by Matt Murray: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)