There is a saying in hockey: “Show me a good coach, and I’ll show you a good goalie.” Goaltenders are often considered the most crucial players on the team. They are the last line of defense, the only player whose job it is to actively guard their own team’s net. They don’t worry about scoring (although on rare occasions they’ll do that too). Their main job is to prevent the other team from scoring.
Because being a goalie is such a cerebral position, their performance will often come with massive swings in quality. In NHL 23, the top ranked goalies have all managed to mitigate those swings, providing steady, reliable goaltending for their teams. Not every goalie is capable of being relied upon so heavily, but these goalies are the best of the best and have earned their place among the elite at their position.
10/10 Sergei Bobrovsky – 88 Overall
Now on his third NHL team, the goalie affectionately known as “Bob” may have bounced around the NHL a bit, but when he got the chance to pick his next team, he chose the Florida Panthers. He’s been their go-to guy ever since.
Bobrovsky is 34 years old, and while his best years may now be behind him, he’s still playing regularly on one of the NHL’s best clubs. That 88 overall isn’t likely to get better as his career winds down, but he still has plenty of game left to give, and his play is as reliable as it gets.
9/10 Ilya Sorokin – 88 Overall
At just 27 years old, Ilya Sorokin is one of the youngest starting goalies in the NHL. It took him a bit to get there, but by his second full season with the New York Islanders, Sorokin had already managed to steal the starting goaltender job from fellow Russian Semyon Varlamov.
Because of his age, Sorokin is expected to improve over the next few seasons at the very least. 88 overall seems a bit low after the performance he put up last year on a struggling Islanders team. A couple more seasons of strong play should easily see that number climb up into the low 90s.
8/10 Freddie Andersen – 89 Overall
Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks, Freddie Andersen didn’t get a full-time starter’s job until he was picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once there, Andersen was the main guy for the Leafs for the better part of five years. Towards the end, injuries derailed his playing time, and eventually the Leafs passed on re-signing him. So Freddie chose to head to Carolina, and he immediately put together the best season of his career.
The only concern with Freddie is his injury history. As long as he stays healthy (or players turn off injuries NHL 23’s settings) adding him to a team should see him be a consistent starter for at least five more seasons. His 89 overall is unlikely to change much — for better or worse — over that time.
7/10 Juuse Saros – 89 Overall
It’s hard to imagine, but even though Juuse Saros has been playing in the NHL since 2016, he’s only just now going into his second season as the starter for the Nashville Predators. That’s through no fault of his own; He was playing behind one of the all-time great goalies in Pekka Rinne. Nashville always knew Saros would be their guy, but now he’s proving to the world that he deserves it.
Saros is just 27 years old, but has six years of NHL experience, rare for a goalie so young. He’s a smaller player too at just 5’11”, but his athleticism more than makes up for his lack of size. At 89 overall, Saros already ranks as one of the best in the NHL. Given his age, he’s got years of improvement. ahead of him.
6/10 Thatcher Demko – 89 Overall
Another goalie who began their career behind one of the best in the league, Thatcher Demko played a pair of seasons backing up Jakob Markstrom (who will appear further down this list) before being named the full-time starter for the Vancouver Canucks. Now he’s the toast of the league, putting up great numbers despite the struggles of the team in front of him.
At 26 years old, Demko is just getting started. Any players that add him to their HUT roster and throw a half-decent group of defensemen in front of him will see that 89 overall skyrocket. There’s a very real chance that Demko will end up in the top 3 on this list a year or two from now.
5/10 John Gibson – 90 Overall
It’s odd seeing John Gibson ranked this high. There have already been a couple goalies on this list who have earned a spot despite the team in front of them, but no team has struggled more under their current goalie’s tenure than the Anaheim Ducks have with John Gibson. The Ducks haven’t seen the playoffs in four years, and that doesn’t look likely to change this year. Gibson has been the guy in the crease that whole time.
In a way, that’s a testament to the quality of Gibson’s play. Despite being locked into a team that’s rebuilding their roster, he gives them his best on a nightly basis. 29 years old and a 90 overall is a fantastic combo, and any player in Franchise Mode that could pry him out of Anaheim should do so.
4/10 Jakob Markstrom – 90 Overall
Despite a poor performance in last year’s playoffs, Jakob Markstrom made a strong case for being the best goalie in the NHL last season. His play in the playoffs was as much due to the Calgary Flames playing him too much, a significant factor once a goalie turns 30+.
Markstrom is 32, and likely at the peak of his abilities over the next few years. There are very few players in the NHL capable of consistently beating him (Connor McDavid being one of them), and his addition to any team will guarantee a goalie who can win any game he plays in. Markstrom’s 90 overall rating isn’t likely to increase, but it shouldn’t drop anytime soon either.
3/10 Connor Hellebuyck – 90 Overall
Another starting goalie for a Canadian team, Connor Hellebuyck is the best of the bunch. His time with the Winnipeg Jets has been spectacular. He’s consistently in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy as the season’s best goalie (and he won it in 2020) regardless of how his team plays. Hellebuyck can handle a huge workload and remain consistent throughout.
He’s 29 years old and rated 90 overall. His rating could climb up a few more points over the next few seasons, and that alone makes him one of the best goalie additions a player could possibly make.
2/10 Igor Shesterkin – 92 Overall
If anyone challenges the top spot in this list before the next entry in EA’s NHL franchise, it’ll be Igor Shesterkin. He was unbelievable last year, pacing the league in nearly every goaltending statistic in just his second season as the New York Rangers’ starter. He was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender for his efforts.
What makes Shesterkin one of the best goaltenders in NHL 23 is that, on top of his 92 overall rating, he’s only 26 years old. 95 or 96 overall is more than possible for Igor as he gets older, which would make him the best goalie in the entire game. However, there is still one guy ahead of him.
1/10 Andrei Vasilevskiy – 94 Overall
There is simply no reason to rank Andrei Vasilevskiy anywhere other than first place. He’s a two-time Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he won 11 straight playoff series over three seasons before finally losing to the Colorado Avalanche. Oh, and Vasilevskiy won the first 8 of those 11 series by allowing a total of 0 goals in each series-clinching game.
The 94 overall rating speaks for itself, but Vasilevskiy is only 28 years old. Much like Shesterkin, 95 or 96 overall is not out of the question. The simple answer is players should pick him up. Vasilevskiy is one of, if not the only goaltender in NHL 23 that players could build a whole team around.
NHL 23 was released on October 11th, 2022, and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.