After not occurring in the 2025 offseason due to what were perceived as too few uncertainties in terms of starting goalies, my annual poll on goalie battles returns for 2026, as the landscape suggests there are enough teams where the starting goalie picture is anywhere from somewhat unclear to downright murky. The way the poll works is I'll identify teams where, according to the invaluable DobberHockey Fantasy Guide, it is believed there is an 80% or lower chance of one goalie being the clear starter, and you vote on which ones will end up not being a battle for that team's crease when all is said and done.

How do you define whether there is or is not a battle, and on what basis do you cast your votes? If you believe no goalie on one of the listed teams will play 50+ games this season, then don't vote for that team. But do vote for any and all teams where you believe, despite current uncertainty, that a goalie – any goalie – on that team will emerge to play 50+ games in 2026-27.

With that having been explained, here are the 12 teams where, according to the Fantasy Guide, there is an 80% or less confidence level of one goalie being the clear starter. What are the exact percentages? You'll have to buy the Guide to get that information!

Buffalo

Despite Devon Levi – spoiler alert, more on him below – no longer being in the picture, the play of Alex Lyon last season, including in the playoffs, has made it so Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is still not entering 2026-27 as a true #1. Make no mistake, by having dealt Levi, Buffalo likely hopes UPL will step up to be a true #1, and he should enter the season as the 1A. However, he arguably was even more entrenched last season and, as we saw unfold, ended up sharing the crease with Lyon, so that might happen yet again.

Carolina

Here too, despite one goalie (Frederik Andersen – more on him below too) being removed from the picture, the team is left with perhaps more uncertainty. On the one hand there's Brandon Bussi, who had never played in the NHL prior to last season but thrived, and Pyotr Kochetkov, who most presumed was the heir apparent but due to injuries and less than stellar play no longer has that label. With Bussi having helped the team hoist the Stanley Cup, he will likely enter the season with the chance to seize the starting reins. But Bussi is only making $1.9M, meaning it would be very easy for Carolina to install Kochetkov as starter if Bussi falters.

Colorado

One has to wonder what might've happened if MacKenzie Blackwood hadn't been injured going into the 2025-26 season, forcing the Avs to start journeyman Scott Wedgewood, who, to the surprise of pretty much everyone, thrived, plus never came back to earth, leading to Blackwood being a 1B for the rest of the season. But Wedgewood was shaky in the playoffs, and Blackwood is younger, signed for longer, plus is being paid considerably more. Still, if Wedgewood plays well again, the Avs likely won't hesitate to keep him in the mix given what he did in 2025-26.

Edmonton

The aforementioned Levi and Andersen landed here this offseason, joining Tristan Jarry, who failed to turn his game around following a trade from Pittsburgh. Each of the three has plenty of shortcomings, notably Andersen's health, and he'll enter the season hurt, suggesting no one will be the true starter. But with the Oilers eager to win while they still have Connor McDavid under contract, if one plays much better than the rest, chances are he could become a true #1.

Los Angeles

This is a surprising one to see, although looking at the numbers journeyman Anton Forsberg handily outplayed Darcy Kuemper, prompting LA to lock up Forsberg for two seasons. Not only did Kuemper put up subpar numbers for the third season in his last four, but his $5.3M salary no longer is so high as to make him a presumed starter, plus he's a UFA after this season, seemingly giving Forsberg a chance to be the go to goalie if he outplays Kuemper again.

Minnesota

Even if Filip Gustavsson was not going to miss a chunk of games early in the season, this likely would have been a cloudy picture, what with Minnesota turning more to Jesper Wallstedt in the playoffs than Gus. Could things turn out similarly to what happened in Colorado in 2025-26? Gus does make more money, and is signed for longer than MacKenzie Blackwood, but Wallstedt is younger and with a brighter future than Scott Wedgewood. Unless a trade occurs, it seems likely they end up splitting netminder duties.

New Jersey

There was a time when Jake Allen was given a shot at being a true starter. But not only was that nearly a decade ago, it didn't pan out, with Allen since becoming a dependable back-up. Given that, plus the presence of David Rittich, who is solid but definitely not starter material, as well as Nico Daws, who is unproven, chances are we'll see a mix of two or even all three manning the crease for the Devils. But sometimes when it seems almost a foregone conclusion that no one will emerge as a starter, to the surprise of many someone does.

San Jose

Like New Jersey, there looks to be a three-headed monster in net for the Sharks, where they too have a goalie, Alex Nedeljkovic, that once looked like he could become a starter but never did, a veteran, Eric Comrie, who is a career back-up, as well as a younger goalie in Yaroslav Askarov. Although Askarov was once arguably the top goalie prospect in the NHL, he's yet to find his footing; and if he fails to do so again, the result for 2026-27 likely will be a goalie by committee.

Seattle

After emerging as if not the #1, then the 1A, in Seattle during 2023-24, Joey Daccord did worse in 2024-25, and even worse in 2025-26. But whereas it was Daccord who grabbed the starting reins from Philipp Grubauer despite Grubauer, at the time, being more highly paid and signed to longer term deal, Daccord now is the one inked to a long term deal, with Grubauer entering 2026-27 on the last year of his deal but perhaps poised to be the starter due to playing better than Daccord last season. Although it is a longshot, prospect Nikke Kokko could factor into the equation, having dipped his toes into the NHL waters last season.

St. Louis

The situation here is somewhat similar to that of Seattle, except Jordan Binnington could point to major success in the playoffs and the international stage. That might've bought him a few more seasons as starter than he arguably had earned, but Joel Hofer's strong play in 2026-27 could not be ignored, and the team seemed to realize he is their future, turning to him more and more as the season unfolded. But with Binnington a UFA to be and needing to play well to secure his next contract, perhaps he rises to the task and makes it so Hofer does not quite yet become a true #1 and, like last season, there ends up being no workhorse starter for the Blues?

Vancouver

This is a case where the lack of confidence in one goalie being a true starter is mainly about that goalie, Thatcher Demko, being unable to stay healthy. Also, with little chance of the Canucks factoring into the playoffs, they could even turn more to Nikita Tolopilo. In the end, chances are low for either of those two, or Kevin Lankinen, who also is in the mix, starting enough games to be a true #1.

Vegas

When pressed into duty during the regular season, Carter Hart understandably showed a good bit of rustiness. But during the playoffs, Hart rounded into form. All this occurred under John Tortorella though, whose system does tend to help goalie stats. Also Adin Hill, who is paid a lot more and signed long term, will be entering 2026-27 healthy. Ryan Craig, a first time NHL coach, is taking over in Vegas, and we can't know if he's someone who'd go with the best goalie, which could well be Hart, or the higher paid netminder in Hill. All that might be moot though if Hill stays true to form and gets injured, making Hart the starter by default.

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That's a total of 12 teams with unclear goalie pictures entering the season. As noted, you should vote for any and all teams where you believe a goalie – any goalie – will play 50+ games. I also added a 13th choice of "None" if you think not a single one of these teams will have a goalie who, when all is said and done on 2026-27, plays 50+ games. Here is a link to cast your votes. One last thing I'll add is if indeed Connor Hellebuyck is traded, chances are it would be to one of these 12 teams, removing any uncertainty about that team's goalie situation, but likely adding Winnipeg to the list in their place.

Questions for Mailbag Column

I have a full mailbag already set for next week, then can run one more before the start of the regular season. So if you have questions that can wait to be answered until September 23rd, send them to me. To get questions to me, either private message “rizzeedizzee” via the DobberHockey Forums or, instead, send an email to [email protected] with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line.