Super 16: Best tandems in NHL ranked to celebrate Goalie Week

Welcome to Goalie Week. NHL Social is celebrating goaltending with NHL Goalie Week from Sept. 2-7, reveling in the uniqueness and artistry of puck-stoppers through the decades. Today, in a special version of the Super 16, here are the League's top goalie tandems as voted on by 14 members of the NHL.com staff.

It's arguably the most important position in the game, and more than ever in the NHL a team needs at least two capable goalies (sometimes even three) to get through the 82-game grind of a season and reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The days of a goalie playing 70 or more games in a season are gone. No goalie since Cam Talbot in 2016-17 has played at least 70 games (73). Nine goalies have played at least 60 in the past three seasons, with 64 (Connor Hellebuyck) being the most for any of them.

The point is a No. 1 goalie, even generational stars like Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy, is not enough.

It's all about the goalie tandem, because even the backup is playing at least 20 games these days, and those can be the difference between qualifying or missing the playoffs.

With goalies being celebrated, and training camps opening two weeks from now, the Super 16 this week ranks the NHL's tandems.

To come up with the Super 16, the 14 voters this week 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's tandem selected first given 16 points, second 15, third 14, and so on.

Here is the preseason goalie tandems edition of the Super 16:

1. Winnipeg Jets

Total points: 198

"With Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie, the Jets have arguably the best goalie tandem in the NHL heading into this season, which is why they're No. 1 in my Super 16. Hellebuyck will enter the season off his first Hart Trophy win as the most valuable player and third Vezina Trophy as the best goalie. He went 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and eight shutouts in 63 games (62 starts) last season to help Winnipeg to its first Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season. When asked to fill in, Comrie was reliable, going 9-10-1 with a 2.39 GAA, .914 save percentage and two shutouts in 20 starts. If Comrie was not playing behind one of the best goalies of a generation he would likely earn more starts, but he can still be considered one of the best backups in the NHL. The two make for a formidable duo in Winnipeg, one tough to match anywhere else around the League." -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

2. Dallas Stars

Total points: 187

"Dallas has had great depth at forward for a while. I'd say the same extends to its goaltending with Jake Oettinger and Casey DeSmith, which is why I have the Stars ranked third on my list. Sure, Oettinger gets the bulk of the starts every season, and last season he was 36-18-4 with a 2.59 GAA, .909 save percentage and two shutouts in 58 starts. But you need a reliable No. 2 and DeSmith fits the bill. He was 14-8-2 with a 2.59 GAA, .915 save percentage and two shutouts in 27 games (24 starts). When you've got a 1-2 punch like that in goal, you're off to an excellent start." -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

3. New York Rangers

Total points: 170

"Numbers can fool you, so if you just looked at Igor Shesterkin's .905 save percentage and Jonathan Quick's .893 from last season, you might think the Rangers have average goaltending. After all, they were 15th in a 32-team league with an .896 team save percentage and 19th with a 3.09 GAA. Don't be fooled. Shesterkin is an elite goalie who faced the most shots in the NHL last season (1,751 in 61 games, an average of 28.7 per game). New York's defense was poor against rush chances, regularly prone to giving them up, leaving Shesterkin and Quick in his 24 games (20 starts) on an island far too often. Yet the Rangers had a chance at the postseason into April, and they allowed 3.11 goals per game, the exact same amount they scored. A renewed focus on defending under coach Mike Sullivan, and the addition of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, should enable Shesterkin and Quick to return to being one of the top tandems in the NHL. They'll do their part, which is why I ranked them No. 2. All they need is a little bit of help, and the Rangers could be a regular in the Super 16 throughout the season." -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

4. Washington Capitals

Total points: 144

"I had the Capitals sixth in my rankings because Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren formed a formidable tandem while rotating starts for most of last season. Thompson started all 10 playoff games for Washington (5-5, 2.41 GAA, .917 save percentage), but his teamwork with Lindgren was a key to the Capitals finishing first in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Thompson started 42 games and established NHL career-bests in wins and GAA (31-6-6, 2.49 GAA, .910 save percentage, two shutouts). Lindgren started 38 games (20-14-3, 2.73 GAA, .896 save percentage, one shutout). Washington was one of three teams that had two goalies with at least 20 wins, joining the Toronto Maple Leafs (Joseph Woll 27, Anthony Stolarz 21) and the Edmonton Oilers (Stuart Skinner 26, Calvin Pickard 22). The Capitals were eighth in team GAA (2.76) and 12th (.898) in save percentage. -- Tom Gulitti, senior writer

5. New Jersey Devils

Total points: 133

"When healthy, veterans Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen form one of the NHL's top goaltending tandems, and that's why I ranked them fourth. Last season, New Jersey was fifth in goals-against per game (2.66) behind Markstrom (2.50 GAA, .900 save percentage), who played 49 games (all starts), and Allen (2.66, .908), who played 31 (29 starts). Each will earn their share of starts this season for the Devils, who look to take another step in the playoffs. Allen signed a five-year contract to remain in New Jersey ($1.8 million average annual value) on July 1, proving he enjoys working with Markstrom and can see a promising future. "I think we have a great thing going here right now," Allen said. "We're all pretty like-minded people. We're pretty simple and we (Allen and Markstrom) take the details in the game very seriously and I think it's a big deal for me." -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer

6. Toronto Maple Leafs

Total points: 126

"Prior to 2024-25, neither Stolarz nor Woll had played more than 27 games in an NHL season. That, more than anything, was the biggest question mark: Could they shake off their injury history to carry the Maple Leafs for an entire season? In the end, despite various injuries that kept each of them sidelined at times, they combined to play 76 of Toronto's 82 games. Thanks largely in part to their efforts, the Maple Leafs allowed 229 goals, tied with the Capitals for eighth-fewest in the NHL. I have them No. 7 in my personal Super 16. Health is the only reason why they can't be just as stingy this time around and potentially climb into the top five." -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

Total points: 117

"The task was to rank tandems, not starters, so why did I rank Tampa Bay No. 1 in my personal Super 16 when backup Jonas Johansson has an .890 save percentage in 80 games of his NHL career? Obviously, Vasilevskiy weighs heavily. He started 63 games last season, most in the League, and that's 76.8 percent of an 82-game schedule. He went 38-20-5 with a 2.18 GAA, .921 save percentage and six shutouts, and was runner-up for the Vezina Trophy. The reason I put the Lightning ahead of the Jets, who relied just as heavily on Hellebuyck, is this: Recently, we asked United States hopefuls for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 to name the goalie who was hardest on which to score. Most didn't name Hellebuyck, their potential teammate. They named Vasilevskiy." -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

8. Colorado Avalanche

Total points: 102

"A year ago, goaltending was arguably Colorado's biggest area of concern. Now it should be seen as an area of strength with the potential for growth, too, which is why I ranked its tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood No. 6 on my personal Super 16. The Avalanche revamped their goaltending depth shortly after U.S. Thanksgiving last year, acquiring Wedgewood in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30 and Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9. Blackwood assumed the No. 1 role when he got to Colorado and went 22-12-3 with a 2.33 GAA, .913 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games. Wedgewood was a formidable No. 2, going 13-4-1 with a 1.99 GAA, .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 19 games. The Avalanche allowed 2.42 goals-against per game from Dec. 9 through the end of the season. Only the Jets with Hellebuyck were better (2.17). Colorado should expect more of the same this season from Blackwood and Wedgewood." -- Rosen

9. Florida Panthers

Total points: 100

"Sergei Bobrovsky is doing all the heavy lifting here, given that the Panthers are expected to have Daniil Tarasov as their backup. Tarasov played 20 games (19 starts) for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and had a 3.54 GAA and .881 save percentage. That means it mostly comes down to the apparently never-aging Bobrovsky, who helped the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup win last season. Bobrovsky, who turns 37 on Sept. 20, had a 2.44 GAA and .906 save percentage in 54 games, turning it on for a 2.20 GAA and .914 save percentage in the playoffs. Had Florida gotten itself a more proven backup, it'd be higher up on the list (I have the Panthers at No. 15), but I'm willing to see what Bobrovsky can help bring out of his backup, given that both are from the same hometown in Russia (Novokuznetsk). Bobrovsky keeps himself in tremendous shape -- and he's in a contract year -- but eventually all the games will have to catch up to him. As you can see, I'm conflicted about the goalie situation in Florida, but I'm also wary of selling the Panthers short, given what we've all witnessed the past three seasons." -- Amalie Benjamin, senior writer

10. Vancouver Canucks

Total points: 99

"Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen give the Canucks a solid tandem because their strengths complement each other quite naturally. Demko, when healthy, is one of the NHL's most technically sound and athletic goalies capable of stealing the show and carrying a heavy workload, like he did in 2023-24 when was a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy. Lankinen provides a steady, experienced presence who's shown he can handle spot starts or short stretches as a starter, but his career numbers suggest he's better equipped for a supporting role than carrying a team long term. I ranked the Canucks' tandem No. 6 assuming Demko can dodge injuries and stay consistent, which in turn would allow Lankinen to contribute up to his potential without being overloaded." -- Paul Strizhevsky, staff writer

11. St. Louis Blues

Total points: 88

"The numbers weren't always there last season, but there is no denying the quality of this tandem (I ranked them No. 9 in my personal Super 16), which was middle-third statistically in 2024-25. Jordan Binnington is a big-game goalie (see the 4 Nations Face-Off performance with Canada or the 2019 run to the Stanley Cup) who is hard to beat when he is on. When he's not, Joel Hofer is there to pick up the slack. The 25-year-old played 31 games last season, his second straight with at least 30, and went a career-best 16-8-3 with a .904 save percentage. That's not a bad security blanket at all for the Blues." -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial

12. Carolina Hurricanes

Total points: 83

"The word tandem might not be enough with the Hurricanes. The past two seasons, they have used six goalies. When healthy, Frederik Andersen is still a legit No. 1, but the key in that sentence is healthy. Andersen played 22 games last season, 16 in 2023-24 and 34 in 2022-23, so Pyotr Kochetkov will still be pushing for the starter's role. Cayden Primeau, who will be looking for a fresh start in Carolina, might also see some action. With Andersen, Kochetkov and Primeau, the Hurricanes have some depth at the goalie position, but they are not one of the top 10 tandems in the NHL. I have them at No. 14." -- Jean-Francois Chaumont, journalist principal LNH.com

13. Los Angeles Kings

Total points: 79

"Darcy Kuemper's monster season behind one of the stingiest defensive teams in the League is why the Kings are on this list. But I had them No. 13 because I'm not sold that Kuemper can run it back the way he did last season, when he finished third in the Vezina Trophy vote after going 31-11-7 with a 2.02 GAA and .922 save percentage in 50 games, facing 25.3 shots on goal per game. Los Angeles finished second in goals-against (2.48) and shots against (25.5). Last season, Kuemper had David Rittich as his backup. He went 16-14-2 with a 2.84 GAA and .887 save percentage, numbers that helped inflate Kuemper's impact. This season, it appears Anton Forsberg will handle the backup duties; he was 11-12-3 with a 2.72 GAA and .902 save percentage for the Ottawa Senators last season. Ottawa was not nearly as good defensively as Los Angeles, so maybe Forsberg is an upgrade as a backup, but it's asking a lot of Kuemper to put together another season like he had, so with some reservations I have this tandem at No. 13 for now." -- Rosen

14. New York Islanders

Total points: 69

"I have the Islanders' goalie tandem ranked 10th, and I would consider ranking it higher depending on the health of Semyon Varlamov. There's no doubt Ilya Sorokin is New York's No. 1. Since his arrival at the start of the 2020-21 season, he's second in shutouts (22), fifth in save percentage (.917) and eighth in wins (125), but until we see Varlamov back on the ice, it's hard to make a stronger case. The 37-year-old made his final start of last season Nov. 29, 2024, because of a lower-body injury. The Islanders signed Rittich as insurance for this season, but a healthy Varlamov makes them even stronger in goal." -- Brian Compton, managing editor

15. Minnesota Wild

Total points: 37

"Filip Gustavsson is a clearcut No. 1. He proved it last season, when he went 31-19-6 with a 2.56 GAA, .914 save percentage and five shutouts in 58 games to finish sixth in Vezina Trophy voting. But the Wild's security blanket, Marc-Andre Fleury, is now enjoying retirement after going 14-9-1 with a 2.93 GAA and .899 save percentage last season. If Fleury was still playing, I might have ranked Minnesota higher than No. 16 in my Super 16. Instead, it looks like it'll be 22-year-old rookie Jesper Wallstedt as Gustavsson's backup this season. Wallstedt comes in highly touted as a first-round pick (No. 20) in the 2021 NHL Draft, but he has played five NHL games and was 0-2-0 last season with eight goals against on 51 shots in losses to the Jets and the Vegas Golden Knights in December. He struggled in the American Hockey League, too, going 9-14-4 with a 3.59 GAA and .879 save percentage in 27 games with Iowa. The Wild will have a formidable tandem if Wallstedt proves he's ready for NHL backup duty. That's the plan, but the uncertainty at the No. 2 spot means the tandem of Gustavsson and Wallstedt is middle of the pack at best." -- Rosen

16. Ottawa Senators

Total points: 32

"The tandem of Linus Ullmark and Leevi Merilainen has a chance to climb this list, but so much of it depends on Merilainen's development. Ullmark is the reason I have the Senators ranked ninth in my Super 16. He won the Vezina Trophy with the Boston Bruins two years ago. He was solid last season, his first in Ottawa, going 25-14-3 with a 2.72 GAA, .910 save percentage and four shutouts in 44 games. He found his game in December after a tough start, and again in March after returning from an injury. Merilainen was excellent in a small sample size of work when Ullmark was out, going 8-3-1 with a 1.99 GAA, .925 save percentage and three shutouts in 12 games. He also had a strong season for Belleville in the AHL, going 18-12-4 with a 2.37 GAA, .913 save percentage and four shutouts in 37 games. If he delivers more of the same play from last season, only with double the work, the Senators could have one of the best tandems in the NHL this season." -- Rosen

Others receiving points: Vegas Golden Knights, 30; Boston Bruins, 26; Montreal Canadiens, 20; Edmonton Oilers, 17; Utah Mammoth, 17; Detroit Red Wings, 11; Nashville Predators, 9; Seattle Kraken, 7; Calgary Flames, 3

HERE'S HOW WE RANKED 'EM

AMALIE BENJAMIN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. New York Rangers; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Colorado Avalanche; 6. Montreal Canadiens; 7. Vancouver Canucks; 8. New Jersey Devils; 9. Tampa Bay Lightning; 10. Washington Capitals; 11. Ottawa Senators; 12. Carolina Hurricanes; 13. Utah Mammoth; 14. New York Islanders; 15. Florida Panthers; 16. Los Angeles Kings

JEAN-FRANCOIS CHAUMONT

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

BRIAN COMPTON

1. Washington Capitals; 2. New York Rangers; 3. Edmonton Oilers; 4. Carolina Hurricanes; 5. New Jersey Devils; 6. Vancouver Canucks; 7. Utah Mammoth; 8. Boston Bruins; 9. Florida Panthers; 10. New York Islanders; 11. Toronto Maple Leafs; 12. Winnipeg Jets; 13. Dallas Stars; 14. Nashville Predators; 15. Tampa Bay Lightning; 16. St. Louis Blues

NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA

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

TOM GULITTI

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Dallas Stars; 3. St. Louis Blues; 4. Toronto Maple Leafs; 5. Carolina Hurricanes; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. New York Rangers; 8. Colorado Avalanche; 9. New Jersey Devils; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Florida Panthers; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Detroit Red Wings; 14. Edmonton Oilers; 15. Los Angeles Kings; 16. Boston Bruins

ADAM KIMELMAN

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Washington Capitals; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Los Angeles Kings; 6. Colorado Avalanche; 7. New Jersey Devils; 8. Minnesota Wild; 9. Ottawa Senators; 10. Tampa Bay Lightning; 11. Boston Bruins; 12. Vancouver Canucks; 13. Florida Panthers; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. St. Louis Blues; 16. Toronto Maple Leafs

MIKE G. MORREALE

1. Winnipeg Jets; 2. Toronto Maple Leafs; 3. Dallas Stars; 4. New Jersey Devils; 5. Vancouver Canucks; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. St. Louis Blues; 8. New York Rangers; 9. New York Islanders; 10. Detroit Red Wings; 11. Nashville Predators; 12. Tampa Bay Lightning; 13. Minnesota Wild; 14. Florida Panthers; 15. Colorado Avalanche; 16. Utah Mammoth

TRACEY MYERS

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

SHAWN P. ROARKE

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

DAN ROSEN

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

DAVID SATRIANO

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

PAUL STRIZHEVSKY

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

DEREK VAN DIEST

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

MIKE ZEISBERGER

1. New York Rangers; 2. Florida Panthers; 3. Winnipeg Jets; 4. Dallas Stars; 5. Tampa Bay Lightning; 6. Washington Capitals; 7. Toronto Maple Leafs; 8. Carolina Hurricanes; 9. Colorado Avalanche; 10. New Jersey Devils; 11. St. Louis Blues; 12. New York Islanders; 13. Vancouver Canucks; 14. Montreal Canadiens; 15. Vegas Golden Knights; 16. Boston Bruins