NHL Network top 10 goalies entering 2026-27: 5 questions

NHL Network will unveil its list of top 10 goalies for the 2026-27 season on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Before the Network reveals its picks, which were voted on by members of the Network, media and NHL.com, we take a look at possible additions and changes from last year’s top 10, answering five pressing questions in the process.

As a refresher, here were the top 10 goalies last season:

10. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators; 9. Darcy Kuemper, Los Angeles Kings; 8. Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota Wild; 7. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues; 6. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders; 5. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars; 4. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers; 3. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers; 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning; 1. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets.

Which goalie will make this season’s list after missing out last season?

I’ve waffled about a few options, but I’m going with Brandon Bussi of the Carolina Hurricanes. Talk about a feel-good story from last season, right? The 28-year-old got his first NHL opportunity and ran with it, going 31-6-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 starts. When Frederik Andersen got hurt in the Stanley Cup Final, Bussi took over and led the Hurricanes to their second Stanley Cup, going 3-1 with a 1.60 GAA, .931 save percentage and one shutout in four games (three starts), including a shutout in Game 6 to clinch the Cup. With Andersen signing a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, Bussi is now the Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Which goalie from last season’s list will make the biggest jump?

Jordan Binnington is the prime candidate, highly motivated to prove that he’s still among the NHL’s elite goalies at 33 and that last season’s subpar performance was an aberration. Binnington was an NHL career-worst 13-20-7 in 41 games (39 starts) with a 3.33 goals-against average and .873 gave percentage with the Blues, who failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Blues winningest goalie (186) will surely look to rebound and play for his next contract. He has one season remaining on the six-year, $36 million contract he signed on March 11, 2021. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Will Connor Hellebuyck be No. 1 on the 2026-27 edition of this list?

The crystal ball says no. The two options to leapfrog him are Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has alternated with Hellebuyck for top honors the past several seasons, and Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who is primed to make the next jump in his career. Don’t get me wrong, Hellebuyck will remain elite. He won’t stray from the top three on this list for a long time, but the Jets are not as solid as they have been the past two seasons and it may start to take a toll on Hellebuyck’s numbers. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

Looking ahead, who will be No. 1 on this list five seasons from now?

Ilya Sorokin will top the list in five years, if not sooner. In six seasons, the 31-year-old New York Islanders goalie has been one of the NHL’s steadiest goalies and a finalist for the Vezina Trophy twice (2025-26, 2022-23) in six seasons. He was 29-24-2 in 55 games (54 starts) with a 2.68 goals-against average, .906 save percentage and an NHL-best seven shutouts, which helped keep the Islanders in the playoff hunt until April. Sorokin’s 29 career shutouts since 2020-21 are the most by an NHL goalie and he’s already the Islanders’ all-time shutout leader, four ahead of Glenn “Chico” Resch. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Which 25 or under goalie is closest to breaking into this group this season?

Spencer Knight was given his first opportunity as a No. 1 goalie last season and didn’t disappoint. While the wins may not have been there (19 in 55 starts), his goals-against average (2.82), save percentage (.902) and shutouts (three) were impressive numbers considering the Blackhawks tied for the second-fewest goals scored in the NHL and allowed the second-most shots. With the offseason additions of veteran defensemen Bowen Byram and Ian Cole, that should only help Knight, 25, move his way up the goalie rankings. -- David Satriano, staff writer