Top NHL free agent goalies: Andersen on market
Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
The 31-year-old played 24 games, the fewest in his eight NHL seasons, because of a lower-body injury and was 13-8-3 with a career-worst 2.96 goals-against average and .895 save percentage. Andersen had won at least 20 games and had a save percentage of at least .909 in each of his previous seven NHL seasons. In 393 regular-season games (381 starts) for the Anaheim Ducks and Maple Leafs, Andersen is 226-100-48 with a 2.65 GAA, .915 save percentage and 19 shutouts, and 27-23 with a 2.55 GAA, .916 save percentage and three shutouts in 53 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Jonathan Bernier, Detroit Red Wings
The 32-year-old was one of the bright spots for the Red Wings this season, going 9-11-1 with a 2.99 GAA and .914 save percentage in 24 games (23 starts). He has made at least 30 starts in each of his previous seven full NHL seasons and is capable of being a starter or backup. Bernier is 161-159-39 with a 2.77 GAA, .913 save percentage and 18 shutouts in 394 regular-season games (355 starts) for the Los Angeles Kings, Maple Leafs, Ducks, Colorado Avalanche and Red Wings. He is 2-5 with a 3.35 GAA and .885 save percentage in nine playoff games (five starts), winning the Stanley Cup with the Kings as the backup to Jonathan Quick in 2012.
Chris Driedger, Florida Panthers
The 27-year-old was 14-6-3 with a 2.07 GAA, .927 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 games, his first full NHL season. Driedger could be expendable with 20-year-old Spencer Knight emerging late this season as the successor to Sergei Bobrovsky, who has five seasons remaining on his contract. After it took the third-round pick (No. 76) by the Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL Draft more than seven years to make his first NHL start, Driedger has performed well in a limited sample size. He is 21-9-4 with a 2.09 GAA, .929 save percentage and four shutouts in 38 regular-season games (34 starts) for the Senators and Panthers.
Devan Dubnyk, Colorado Avalanche
Although Dubnyk has struggled in each of the past two seasons, during which he is 18-26-4 with a 3.29 GAA, .892 save percentage and two shutouts in 52 games (46 starts), there will likely still be teams interested in signing the 35-year-old, who is out to prove he can still perform at a high level. For five straight seasons from 2014-19, Dubnyk won at least 31 games and never had a GAA higher than 2.54 or a save percentage lower than .913. He is 253-206-54 with a 2.61 GAA, .914 save percentage and 33 shutouts in 542 regular-season games (514 starts) for the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and Avalanche.
Brian Elliott, Philadelphia Flyers
If Elliott doesn’t re-sign with the Flyers, he could be one of the most coveted backup goalies available. The 36-year-old was 15-9-2 with a 3.06 GAA, .889 save percentage and two shutouts in 30 games (26 starts) this season. Elliott has played at least 30 games in 11 of his 13 NHL seasons, going 256-155-49 with a 2.53 GAA, .910 save percentage and 42 shutouts in 502 regular-season games (457 starts) for the Senators, Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Flyers.
Philipp Grubauer, Colorado Avalanche
The 29-year-old was 30-9-1 in 40 games (39 starts) this season. Grubauer led the NHL in GAA (1.95; minimum 30 starts), was tied with Semyon Varlamov of the New York Islanders for the lead in shutouts (seven), second in wins behind Andre Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (31), and sixth in save percentage (.922). He is 109-61-21 with a 2.34 GAA, .920 save percentage and 18 shutouts in 214 regular-season games (187 starts) for the Washington Capitals and Avalanche. Grubauer is 19-10-1 with a 2.50 GAA, .913 save percentage and two shutouts in 33 postseason games (32 starts), winning the Stanley Cup with Washington as the backup to Braden Holtby in 2018.
Jaroslav Halak, Boston Bruins
The 36-year-old had been the primary backup to Tuukka Rask since signing with the Bruins as a free agent July 1, 2018, but he was overtaken by rookie Jeremy Swayman at the end of this season after being placed on the NHL COVID-19 protocol list April 5. Halak finished 9-6-4 with a 2.53 GAA, .905 save percentage and two shutouts in 19 games (17 starts). In 539 regular-season games (517 starts) for the Montreal Canadiens, Blues, Capitals, Islanders and Bruins, Halak is 281-173-62 with a 2.48 GAA, .916 save percentage and 52 shutouts. He is 17-20 with a 2.48 GAA and .919 save percentage in 39 playoff games (37 starts).
Petr Mrazek, Carolina Hurricanes
The 29-year-old was limited to 12 games this season because of injuries, going 6-2-3 with a 2.06 GAA, .923 save percentage and three shutouts. Mrazek won at least 21 games in each of his previous two seasons with the Hurricanes but could opt to sign elsewhere after rookie Alex Nedeljkovic took over as the starter late in the season and during the playoffs. Mrazek is 128-96-31 with a 2.59 GAA, .911 save percentage and 24 shutouts in 275 regular-season games (250 starts) for the Red Wings, Flyers and Hurricanes.
James Reimer, Carolina Hurricanes
Along with Mrazek and Nedeljkovic, Reimer was one of three goalies the Hurricanes regularly used this season. The 33-year-old was 15-5-2 with a 2.66 GAA and .906 save percentage in 22 games (21 starts) but could be playing elsewhere next season if the Hurricanes choose instead to try and re-sign Mrazek to pair with Nedeljkovic. Reimer is 173-131-43 with a 2.79 GAA, .913 save percentage and 24 shutouts in 385 regular-season games (351 starts) for the Maple Leafs, Sharks, Panthers and Hurricanes.
Mike Smith, Edmonton Oilers
The 39-year-old had a resurgence this season, going 21-6-2 and ranking fifth in save percentage (.923; minimum 30 starts) and sixth in GAA (2.31; minimum 30 starts) after he was 19-12-6 with a 2.95 GAA and .902 save percentage in 2019-20, his first season with Edmonton. Smith is 283-254-76 with a 2.69 GAA, .912 save percentage and 42 shutouts in 642 regular-season games (618 starts) for the Dallas Stars, Lightning, Coyotes, Flames and Oilers.
Linus Ullmark, Buffalo Sabres
The 27-year-old played 20 games this season because of a lower-body injury, going 9-6-3 with a 2.63 GAA and .917 save percentage. His presence was greatly missed, though, by the Sabres, who were 6-28-4 without him in net. Ullmark is 50-47-13 with a 2.78 GAA, .912 save percentage and three shutouts in 117 regular-season games (112 starts) with Buffalo.
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