Super 16: Top goalies playing in Stanley Cup Qualifiers

The NHL Return to Play Plan was announced May 26. The League moved into Phase 2 of the plan this week with the opening of training facilities for small-group workouts. This week, the Super 16 covers the goalies of the 24 teams that will play in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Four goalies ranked in this week's Super 16 have their names on the Stanley Cup a combined six times.

Tuukka Rask won it with the Boston Bruins in 2011, Jordan Binnington with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Marc-Andre Fleury with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017, and Braden Holtby with the Washington Capitals in 2018.

Rask, the goalie on top of the list, was the backup to Tim Thomas in 2011 then lost the Stanley Cup Final as the Bruins starter in 2013 against the Chicago Blackhawks and last season against the Blues.

Also, four of the goalies who made the Super 16 have not played in a Stanley Cup Playoff game.

Carter Hart (Philadelphia Flyers), Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh Penguins), Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Jacob Markstrom (Vancouver Canucks) will have a chance to get that experience this summer.

To create this week's Super 16, each of the 13 participating staff members put together his or her version of what they think it should look like. Those were submitted and a point total assigned to each.

The goalie picked first was given 16 points, second got 15, third 14 and so on down to No. 16, who got one point.

Here is the Super 16:

1. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins

Total points: 202

Season stats:41 games, 26-8-6, 2.12 GAA, .929 save percentage, 5 shutouts

Career playoff stats:89 games, 50-39, 2.19 GAA, .927 save percentage, 7 shutouts

Rask and backup Jaroslav Halak shared the William M. Jennings Trophy this season for fewest goals allowed (167 in 70 games). Rask was first in the NHL in goals-against average among goalies to play at least 30 games. He was second in save percentage (Anton Khudobin, Dallas Stars, .930).

2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning

Total points: 187

Season stats:52 games, 35-14-3, 2.56 GAA, .917 save percentage, 3 shutouts

Career playoff stats:33 games, 15-15, 2.83 GAA, .912 save percentage

Vasilevskiy, who won the Vezina Trophy last season, has finished first or tied for first in the NHL in wins for three straight seasons. He has the most wins since the start of the 2016-17 season (141). However, he has lost six consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff games, including four against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference First Round last season. He played two games in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks, and played in the Eastern Conference Final in 2016 against the Penguins and in 2018 against the Capitals, losing each time.

3. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Total points: 184

Season stats:58 games, 31-21-5, 2.57 GAA, .922 save percentage, 6 shutouts

Career playoff stats:23 games, 11-12, 2.44 GAA, .919 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Hellebuyck led the NHL in shutouts and was second in wins this season. He was fifth in save percentage among goalies who played at least 30 games, had the most saves (1,656) and faced the most shots (1,796), and helped the Jets reach the Western Conference Final in 2018.

4. Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues

Total points: 151

Season stats:50 games, 30-13-7, 2.56 GAA, .912 save percentage, 3 shutouts

Career playoff stats:26 games, 16-10, 2.46 GAA, .914 save percentage, 1 shutout

Binnington helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup last season, just over six months after making his first NHL start (Jan. 7, 2019). He followed his championship with a strong regular season, finishing third in wins and 10th in GAA among goalies to play at least 30 games.

5. Ben Bishop, Dallas Stars

Total points: 141

Season stats:44 games, 21-16-4, 2.50 GAA, .920 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Career playoff stats:49 games, 28-19, 2.12 GAA, .929 save percentage, 5 shutouts

Bishop was eighth in GAA and save percentage among goalies to play at least 30 games. He helped the Lightning reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, and was runner-up for the Vezina Trophy in 2015-16 and last season.

6. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens

Total points: 116

Season stats:58 games, 27-25-6, 2.79 GAA, .909 save percentage, 4 shutouts

Career playoff stats:60 games, 25-31, 2.53 GAA, .914 save percentage, 5 shutouts

Price was tied for fifth in wins this season. He faced the second-most shots (1,755) and had the second-most saves (1,595), played the most minutes of any goalie (3,439:49) and allowed the most goals (160). Price won the Hart Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy in 2014-15.

7. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights

Total points: 104

Season stats:49 games, 27-16-5, 2.77 GAA, .905 save percentage, 5 shutouts

Career playoff stats:142 games, 78-62, 2.59 GAA, .911 save percentage, 15 shutouts

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017), has played in the Stanley Cup Final five times. He lost with the Penguins in 2008 against the Detroit Red Wings and with the Golden Knights in 2018 against the Capitals. Fleury is seventh all-time in playoff wins, and fifth in postseason games played and starts (140).

8. Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs

Total points: 80

Season stats:52 games, 29-13-7, 2.85 GAA, .909 save percentage, 3 shutouts

Career playoff stats:48 games, 25-20, 2.63 GAA, .914 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Andersen was one win from his fourth straight season with at least 30. He's first in the NHL in starts (244) and third in wins in the past four seasons (136). However, he hasn't helped the Maple Leafs win a playoff round in three trips to the postseason with them. They lost to the Bruins in seven games in the Eastern Conference First Round each of the past two seasons.

9. Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

Total points: 77

Season stats: 48 games, 25-14-6, 3.11 GAA, .897 save percentage

Career playoff stats: 89 games, 48-41, 2.09 GAA, .928 save percentage, 7 shutouts

Holtby helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup in 2018, going 16-7 with a 2.16 GAA and .922 save percentage in 23 playoff games. But this season was a struggle at times; he had his lowest save percentage and highest goals-against average in his 10-season NHL career.

10. Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers

Total points: 73

Season stats:43 games, 24-13-3, 2.42 GAA, .914 save percentage, 1 shutout

Career playoff stats:N/A

In his first full NHL season, the 21-year-old was sixth in GAA and tied for ninth in wins among goalies to play at least 30 games. Hart allowed two or fewer goals in 25 of his 40 starts, including nine of his final 11.

11. Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins

Total points: 57

Season stats:33 games, 20-12-1, 2.43 GAA, .921 save percentage, 3 shutouts

Career playoff stats:N/A

The 25-year-old had the same number of wins as Matt Murray, the Penguins' incumbent No. 1 goalie and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, even though Jarry started 31 games, seven fewer than Murray. Jarry was the Penguins' third goalie during their Stanley Cup run in 2017.

12. Elvis Merzlikins, Columbus Blue Jackets

Total points: 53

Season stats:33 games, 13-9-8, 2.35 GAA, .923 save percentage, 5 shutouts

Career playoff stats:N/A

Merzlikins overcame a difficult start to his rookie season to become one of the best goalies in the NHL from Dec. 31 to when the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He was 0-4-4 with an .889 save percentage and 3.41 GAA in his first 10 games, including eight starts. He was 13-5-4 with a .935 save percentage, 1.97 GAA and five shutouts in his final 23 games, all starts.

13. Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks

Total points: 52

Season stats: 43 games, 23-16-4, 2.75 GAA, .918 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Career playoff stats: N/A

Markstrom has played 272 regular-season games but has not been in a Stanley Cup Playoff game. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

14. Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes

Total points: 49

Season stats:29 games, 16-11-2, 2.22 GAA, .928 save percentage, 2 shutouts

Career playoff stats:9 games, 3-1, 2.13 GAA, .911 save percentage, 1 shutout

Kuemper was on his way to a potential Vezina Trophy season when he sustained a lower-body injury against the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 19. Kuemper had a .935 save percentage and 1.97 GAA in 24 games heading into that game but didn't play again until Feb. 25. In four starts before the season was paused, he allowed 10 goals on 131 shots (.924 save percentage).

15. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

Total points: 42

Season stats: 50 games, 23-19-6, 3.23 GAA, .900 save percentage, 1 shutout

Career playoff stats: 34 games, 11-18, 3.14 GAA, .902 save percentage

Bobrovsky signed a seven-year contract with the Panthers on July 1, 2019 and struggled during his first season, with the highest GAA and second-lowest save percentage of his 10-season NHL career. His playoff numbers aren't indicative of what he did last season with the Blue Jackets, when he was 6-4 with a 2.41 GAA and .925 save percentage in 10 games.

16. Robin Lehner, Vegas Golden Knights

Total points: 41

Season stats: 36 games, 19-10-5, 2.89 GAA, .920 save percentage, 1 shutout

Career playoff stats: 10 games, 4-5, 2.05 GAA, .934 save percentage

Lehner was 3-0-0 with one shutout, a 1.67 GAA and .940 save percentage in three starts with the Golden Knights after they acquired him in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 24. Lehner helped the New York Islanders sweep the Penguins in the Eastern Conference First Round last season, when he allowed six goals on 136 shots (.956 save percentage). The Islanders were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

Others receiving points: Corey Crawford, Chicago Blackhawks 23; Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins 20; Pavel Francouz, Colorado Avalanche 17; Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators 16; Jaroslav Halak, Boston Bruins 15; Anton Khudobin, Dallas Stars 14; Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers 13; Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets 12; Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders 12; Mike Smith, Edmonton Oilers 7; David Rittich, Calgary Flames 4; Philipp Grubauer, Colorado Avalanche 3; Cam Talbot, Calgary Flames 2; Mikko Koskinen, Edmonton Oilers 1; Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators 1

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Marc-Andre Fleury; 6. Ben Bishop; 7. Carey Price; 8. Frederik Andersen; 9. Carter Hart; 10. Joonas Korpisalo; 11. Jaroslav Halak; 12. Tristan Jarry; 13. Jacob Markstrom; 14. Darcy Kuemper; 15. Braden Holtby; 16. Semyon Varlamov

TIM CAMPBELL

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 3. Connor Hellebuyck; 4. Frederik Andersen; 5. Carey Price; 6. Braden Holtby; 7. Ben Bishop; 8. Marc-Andre Fleury; 9. Darcy Kuemper; 10. Mike Smith; 11. Sergei Bobrovsky; 12. Pekka Rinne; 13. Matt Murray; 14. Philipp Grubauer; 15. Jordan Binnington; 16. Jaroslav Halak

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Elvis Merzlikins; 4. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 5. Tristan Jarry; 6. Ben Bishop; 7. Robin Lehner; 8. Jordan Binnington; 9. Darcy Kuemper; 10. Jacob Markstrom; 11. Carter Hart; 12. Corey Crawford; 13. Pavel Francouz; 14. Carey Price; 15. Igor Shesterkin; 16. Mikko Koskinen

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Ben Bishop; 4. Andre Vasilevskiy; 5. Carey Price; 6. Marc-Andre Fleury; 7. Corey Crawford; 8. Jordan Binnington; 9. Frederik Andersen; 10. Darcy Kuemper; 11. Robin Lehner; 12. Jaroslav Halak; 13. Elvis Merzlikins; 14. Tristan Jarry; 15. Cam Talbot; 16. Semyon Varlamov

TOM GULITTI

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Marc-Andre Fleury; 6. Ben Bishop; 7. Sergei Bobrovsky; 8. Carey Price; 9. Frederik Andersen; 10 Jacob Markstrom; 11 Braden Holtby; 12. Carter Hart; 13. Tristan Jarry; 14. Matt Murray; 15. Joonas Korpisalo; 16. Igor Shesterkin

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 3. Connor Hellebuyck; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Ben Bishop; 6. Robin Lehner; 7. Jacob Markstrom; 8. Carter Hart; 9. Igor Shesterkin; 10. Marc-Andre Fleury; 11. Tristan Jarry; 12. Corey Crawford; 13. Frederik Andersen; 14. Braden Holtby; 15. Darcy Kuemper; 16. Carey Price

ROBERT LAFLAMME

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 2. Jordan Binnington; 3. Connor Hellebuyck; 4. Tuukka Rask; 5. Carey Price; 6. Elvis Merzlikins; 7. Anton Khudobin; 8. Darcy Kuemper; 9. Carter Hart; 10. Pavel Francouz; 11. Tristan Jarry; 12. Jacob Markstrom; 13. Ben Bishop; 14. Marc-Andre Fleury; 15. Frederik Andersen; 16. Igor Shesterkin

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Marc-Andre Fleury; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Connor Hellebuyck; 5. Ben Bishop; 6. Jordan Binnington; 7. Braden Holtby; 8. Carter Hart; 9. Tristan Jarry; 10. Carey Price; 11. Frederik Andersen; 12. Pekka Rinne; 13. Darcy Kuemper; 14. Sergei Bobrovsky; 15. Elvis Merzlikins; 16. Pavel Francouz

TRACEY MYERS

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Carter Hart; 6. Ben Bishop; 7. Tristan Jarry; 8. Braden Holtby; 9. Elvis Merzlikins; 10. Carey Price; 11. Marc-Andre Fleury; 12. Pavel Francouz; 13. Frederik Andersen; 14. Semyon Varlamov; 15. Darcy Kuemper; 16. Corey Crawford

BILL PRICE

1. Connor Hellebuyck; 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 3. Tuukka Rask; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Carey Price; 6. Marc-Andre Fleury; 7. Ben Bishop; 8. Elvis Merzlikins; 9. Sergei Bobrovsky; 10. Braden Holtby; 11. Semyon Varlamov; 12. Frederik Andersen; 13. Pekka Rinne; 14. Carter Hart; 15. Matt Murray; 16. Igor Shesterkin

SHAWN P. ROARKE

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Ben Bishop; 6. Braden Holtby; 7. Robin Lehner; 8. Jacob Markstrom; 9. Carey Price; 10. Frederik Andersen; 11. Darcy Kuemper; 12. Elvis Merzlikins; 13. Anton Khudobin; 14. Jaroslav Halak; 15. Matt Murray; 16. Juuse Saros

DAN ROSEN

1. Tuukka Rask; 2. Connor Hellebuyck; 3. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 4. Jordan Binnington; 5. Carey Price; 6. Ben Bishop; 7. Jacob Markstrom; 8. Braden Holtby; 9. Darcy Kuemper; 10. Sergei Bobrovsky; 11. Frederik Andersen; 12. Carter Hart; 13. Marc-Andre Fleury; 14. Robin Lehner; 15. Tristan Jarry; 16. Corey Crawford

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy; 2. Tuukka Rask; 3. Jordan Binnington; 4. Marc-Andre Fleury; 5. Ben Bishop; 6. Carey Price; 7. Braden Holtby; 8. Matt Murray; 9. Connor Hellebuyck; 10. Frederik Andersen; 11. Sergei Bobrovsky; 12. Carter Hart; 13. David Rittich; 14. Joonas Korpisalo; 15. Pekka Rinne; 16. Semyon Varlamov