Goalie musical chairs: Breaking down the 2023-24 Metro Division tandems

With more than two weeks of free agency in the books, the NHL’s goaltending landscape is beginning to come into focus for the 2023-24 season. After all the turnover we’ve seen in net, let’s break down every team’s goaltending situation. In Part 3 of this series: the Metro Division.

METRO DIVISION

Carolina Hurricanes: Frederik Andersen, Antti Raanta, & Pyotr Kochetkov

Reason to be happy: Carolina has three solid options in goal. And the Hurricanes are built for the future with 24-year old Kochetkov. He’s locked into a four-year contract and ready to take on an expanded role at the NHL level.

Reason to be hopeful: Even though Andersen and Raanta once again missed significant chunks of the 2022-23 season due to injury, the Hurricanes were still able to win the Metro Division. Carolina plays such a strong defensive system under head coach Rod Brind’Amour that the team only needs adequate goaltending.

Reason to be nervous: Can any of the three goaltenders steal a playoff series? If the Hurricanes get into a goaltending battle with the Rangers or Islanders – both division rivals – can they come out on top? I’m not sure.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Elvis Merzlikins & Daniil Tarasov

Reason to be happy: The only way to go is up. There’s no way Merzlikins plays worse than he did during the 2022-23 season. Harsh but true.

Reason to be hopeful: Columbus has high hopes for Tarasov, who’s on a one-way NHL contract for the next two seasons. Standing 6-foot-5, he takes up a ton of net. And he outperformed Merzlikins last year.

Reason to be nervous: The Blue Jackets don’t have a sure bet in goal. In the past three seasons, Tarasov hasn’t played much hockey and he didn’t exactly light the AHL on fire. I also have a hard time believing Merzlikins’ strong personality will mesh with new head coach Mike Babcock. Columbus would be wise to explore all options in advance of the 2023-24 season.

New Jersey Devils: Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, & Erik Källgren

Reason to be happy: Vanecek came to the Devils in 2022 with hopes of solidifying the team’s crease. And for the most part, he accomplished that during the regular season. New Jersey was already loaded with talent: all the team needed was competency in the blue paint. And Vanecek provided it.

Reason to be hopeful: Schmid showed enough last year – especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs – that he appears to be New Jersey’s goalie of the future. And Nico Daws is another intriguing prospect currently in the AHL.

Reason to be nervous: Vanecek may have been battling an injury during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he’s really struggled in the postseason over the course of his career. And while Schmid and Daws are exciting prospects, Vanecek is the only proven NHL goalie. Källgren has NHL experience but seems more like an insurance policy than the Devils’ new backup.

New York Islanders: Ilya Sorokin & Semyon Varlamov

Reason to be happy: There are zero doubts in the Islanders crease. Sorokin has become a full-blown superstar, and Varlamov is still capable of being a No. 1 goaltender.

Reason to be hopeful: In three seasons of NHL action, Sorokin’s .924 save percentage is the second highest in the NHL. His technical game is rock solid and the Russian netminder has been incredibly consistent for the Islanders. Will Sorokin win his first Vezina Trophy in 2024? He’ll need a better team in front of him, which doesn’t seem likely. But the talent is there.

Reason to be nervous: Behind Sorokin and Varlamov, the cupboard is empty. But the duo has proven to be durable since becoming teammates in 2020. Only one other goaltender – Cory Schneider – has played for the Islanders in the past three seasons: a single start on April 3, 2020.

New York Rangers: Igor Shesterkin & Jonathan Quick

Reason to be happy: Shesterkin is a top-five goaltender in the world, and his $5.67 million cap hit is a serious value. He could easily add a second Vezina to his collection in 2024.

Reason to be hopeful: The Rangers have given up far too many odd-man rushes in the past couple of years: maybe that will change under new head coach Peter Laviolette. Regardless, Shesterkin has covered for his teammates in the past, and the pressure doesn’t seem to bother him.

Reason to be nervous: What happens if Shesterkin gets hurt? Quick’s game cratered last year, to the point that the L.A. Kings felt it necessary to trade the franchise icon. His style is the direct opposite of what New York goaltending coach Benoit Allaire prefers. It’s a cool story that Quick gets to play for his favorite childhood team, but will the 37-year old, two-time Stanley Cup Champion cost the Rangers wins, even in a backup role? Making the playoffs won’t be easy in the Metro Division.

Philadelphia Flyers: Carter Hart & Cal Petersen

Reason to be happy: Hart is still a Flyer.

Reason to be hopeful: Philadelphia might not trade Hart. And prospect Samuel Ersson posted a 6-3-0 record in his first taste of NHL action.

Reason to be nervous: Philadelphia could still trade Hart. And Petersen is a $5 million a year reclamation project who spent the majority of the 2022-23 season in the AHL. On top of that, head coach John Tortorella rarely played Flyers’ backup goaltender Felix Sandstrom in anything other than the second game of a back-to-back set last season. That’s not how you develop a young netminder on a struggling team.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith, Alex Nedeljkovic & Magnus Hellberg

Reason to be happy: Jarry was the best UFA on the market this summer. Pittsburgh now has the homegrown talent locked up for five more years. Injuries have been a real concern, but that was also true for every goalie available this offseason.

Reason to be hopeful: When Jarry is at his best, I think he’s easily a top-10 NHL netminder. And I do believe Nedeljkovic can rebound after a trying stint with the Red Wings. He and Jarry are very similar in how they play and handle the puck outside the crease. If called upon, Hellberg is a capable No. 3.

Reason to be nervous: Last year I said that health was critical in the Penguins crease, and it ended up being prophetic. Jarry spent a large portion of the 2022-23 season either out of the lineup or battling through injury. Pittsburgh missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a single point. That can’t happen this year, and it’s a big reason why new GM Kyle Dubas currently has four goalies on NHL one-way contracts. But aside from Jarry, none of them is a sure bet to win games. And I’m also not convinced DeSmith is a Penguin when the season starts.

Washington Capitals: Darcy Kuemper & Charlie Lindgren

Reason to be happy: Two words: capability and continuity. Is this the best tandem in the NHL? No. But if the Capitals improve in front of Kuemper and Lindgren, they can win.

Reason to be hopeful: When Kuemper gets hot, he’s tough to beat. He had five shutouts during the 2022-23 campaign. And although last season’s .909 save percentage wasn’t Kuemper’s best, he’s never had two consecutive years below .910. If history repeats itself, expect the 6-foot-5 netminder to be among league leaders this season.

Reason to be nervous: What if history doesn’t repeat itself? Staying square to the shooter has been a weakness for Kuemper, and I don’t expect his skating to improve at 33 years old. His play was really uneven last season. Thankfully Lindgren was able to post a winning record, but can he be counted on if Kuemper were to miss significant time?

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