This week, I thought it might be interesting to look back at an article I wrote in the pre-season, previewing each team in the Western Conference and what the goalie situation might be for each of those teams.

Anaheim Ducks

Preview:

I had Lukas Dostal playing 60-70% of the games (50-60) and perhaps posting 25-30 wins as the starter, with his backups being Petr Mrazek and/or Ville Husso.

I thought that Mrazek would get 25-30 games and 10-15 wins with Husso, lucky to play 10 games.

Actual:

Dostal has played in 29 of 45 games (64.4%) and has 13 wins, which puts him on pace for about 50-55 games and 24 wins. He has an 88.7 save percentage and a GSAx of 0.96, so he's been about average for the Ducks.

Mrazek has played in 10 games and has five wins. He is on pace for 18 games and nine wins.

Husso has played his 10 games and has three wins with a save percentage of 85.8. He has only dressed because of injuries to Mrazek and Dostal.

Calgary Flames

Preview:

Dustin Wolf was estimated to start 50-60 games and flirt with 30 wins again.

Either Ivan Prosvetov or Devin Cooley would back him up. I thought that Prosvetov would get the first crack over Cooley. The backup would dress for 25-30 games and win 12-15 games.

Actual:

Cooley beat out Prosvetov for the backup role and has been excellent with a save percentage of 91.8 compared to Wolf at 89.8.

Wolf is on pace for 60-65 games and 25 wins, while Cooley is on pace for 20-25 games and 10-12 wins.

Chicago Blackhawks

Preview:

Spencer Knight was pencilled in for 50-55 games and 15-20 wins, because I didn't think that Chicago would be as good as they have been in 2025-26.

Arvid Soderblom was my pick as backup, and I thought he might play 25-35 games and post nine to 14 wins.

Laurent Brossoit was injured, but I did mention that he could be the backup if he came back.

I thought that Drew Commesso was still the plan as the backup for 2026-27.

Actual:

Knight is on pace for 50-55 games and 20-25 wins, which would be quite an improvement on my estimate.

Soderblom is on pace for 20-25 games and eight to 12 wins. He has struggled with a save percentage of 87.2.

Brossoit was traded to the San Jose Sharks late last week.

Commesso had two NHL starts, including his first NHL win and first NHL shutout. He could see some more games this year. He might have made Soderblom expendable sooner than later.

Colorado Avalanche

Preview:

I had Mackenzie Blackwood as the starter playing 50-55 games and winning 32-38 games.

I had Scott Wedgewood being the backup, playing 25-30 games and winning 17-21 games.

Trent Miner was the third choice who could get into a few games if either Blackwood or Wedgewood got hurt.

Actual:

Wedgewood has flipped the script and has played in 28 of 44 games with a record of 19-3-4 and a save percentage of 91.7. He is on pace for 50-55 games and 35 wins.

Blackwood has been excellent as well in his 15 games with a record of 13-1-1 and a save percentage of 92.3. He is on pace for 25-30 games and 20-25 wins.

Miner has dressed for three games and has a record of 1-0-2 with a save percentage of 94.5.

I think this split will revert closer to 50/50 with Wedgewood and Blackwood as the season progresses.

Dallas Stars

Preview:

I mentioned that I thought Jake Oettinger would play 55-60 games and win 35-37 games (oddly specific). I did point out that teams don't like their goalies to play more than 60 games in the regular season anymore, as they don't want playoff fatigue.

I had Casey DeSmith playing 22-27 games and winning 12-16 games.

Remi Poirier was the third choice.

Actual:

Oettinger is on pace for 50 games and 28 wins, while DeSmith is on pace for 32 games and 18 wins.

Even though DeSmith has a better save percentage (91.1) than Oettinger (90.0), I don't think this split is anything more than saving Oettinger for the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers

Preview:

I wasn't kind to Stuart Skinner, and I didn't think that Edmonton would give him much rope to struggle. I thought he would end up as the backup or traded.

I was kinder to Calvin Pickard, but didn't think he could carry a team like Edmonton for 50 starts. I didn't think he could duplicate his 22 wins from 2024-25, but would have 15-20 in 2025-26.

I had Matt Tomkins as the third-string goaltender.

Actual:

Skinner struggled and was traded to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry, who was injured in one of his first few games with Edmonton.

Pickard has struggled and has played 16 games with a record of 5-6-2 and a save percentage of 87.0.

The Oilers acquired Connor Ingram as well, and he has dressed six times for the Oilers and has a record of 3-2-1 with a save percentage of 89.1.

Jarry was playing well with Pittsburgh and has a record of 12-3-1 with a save percentage of 90.6.

I'm not sure Edmonton is any further ahead if Jarry isn't 100% healthy for the rest of the season and playoffs.

Los Angeles Kings

Preview:

I thought that the Kings couldn't risk playing Darcy Kuemper more than 45-50 games in 2025-26, as he is 35 years old now. I had him down for 25-30 wins if he played that amount of games.

Anton Forsberg was an ideal backup for Kuemper in my mind, as he had proven that he could play 30-35 games as a backup. I thought he might have a bit better defense in Los Angeles than he had in Ottawa, and that might get him 15-20 wins.

The third goalie was between Erik Portillo and Pheonix Copley, with Portillo getting the first opportunity.

Actual:

Kuemper is on pace for 50 games exactly and 22 wins as the Kings haven't played as well in 2025-26.

Forsberg is on pace for 30 games and just 13 wins.

Copley has played one NHL game and got the opportunity ahead of Portillo.

Minnesota Wild

Preview:

Filip Gustavsson was pencilled in for 55-60 starts and 30 or more wins.

Jesper Wallstedt was going to have to live up to his opportunity, and if he could, he might see 20-25 games and get 10-13 wins.

Cal Petersen was the third option if Wallstedt should falter.

Actual:

Gustavsson is on pace for 50 games and 25 wins. He struggled early on, which gave Wallstedt an opportunity and even though Gustavsson has been very good in his past 20-25 starts, Wallstedt has definitely earned more than he otherwise would have received.

Wallstedt has a record of 12-2-4 with a save percentage of 92.8. He is on pace for 32 games and 21 wins.

Wallstedt has been a revelation and has lived up to being the 20th overall pick in 2021.

Nashville Predators

I wrote that I thought Nashville would be better in 2025-26 than they were in 2024-25 and that Juuse Saros would be better as well. I had him down for 55-60 games and 25-30 wins.

I thought that Justus Annunen might steal some games from Saros, but if Saros got his game back, then Annunen might only get into 20-25 games and put up 10-12 wins.

Magnus Chrona was the third choice in goal.

Actual:

Saros is on pace for 65 games and 32 wins. He has a record of 17-15-3 and a save percentage of 89.7. It's not that he's been so good; it's that Annunen has struggled.

Annunen is on pace for 17 games and five to six wins. He has a save percentage of 88.3.

San Jose Sharks

Preview:

I thought that the Sharks might deploy a 1A/1B situation in 2025-26 with Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic.

I had Askarov and/or Nedeljkovic both playing 35-45 games and 12-17 wins.

Jarkub Skarek was the third goalie.

Actual:

Askarov has proven to be the outright starter in San Jose and is on pace for 50 games with perhaps 30 wins.

Nedeljkovic has a record of 7-8-2 and is on pace for 32 games and 13 wins.

Seattle Kraken

Preview:

I admitted that I was wrong about Joey Daccord in prior seasons and that he should get 55-60 games and 25-30 wins.

The backup role was thought to be between Philipp Grubauer and/or Matt Murray.

I didn't think that Murray would supplant Grubauer, but he might get some games if there were some injuries.

Actual:

Daccord is on pace for 50 games and 22 wins.

Grubauer has been excellent and has a record of 8-3-2 with a save percentage of 92.5. He hadn't been above 90.0 since he came to Seattle. He is on pace for 30 games and 15 wins.

Murray dressed for five NHL games and had a record of 0-2-1 with a save percentage of 92.1 before being injured.

If Grubauer can continue to play well, he will take games away from Daccord.

St. Louis Blues

Preview;

Binnington has been a very consistent fantasy goalie for a few years, so I had him down for 55-60 games and 25-30 wins.

I thought that Joel Hofer could begin to take some starts away from Binnington in 2025-26 because of his play, but still might get 25-30 games and 14-17 wins.

Colten Ellis was the third goalie.

Actual:

This has become closer to a 1A/1B situation than anything else.

Binnington is on pace for 46 games and 14 wins. His save percentage is 87.1 but he was still named to Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics.

Hofer hasn't been great, but has been better than Binnington. He has a record of 9-9-2 with a save percentage of 89.7. He is on pace for a career-high 36 games and to match his previous 16 wins.

Utah Mammoth

Preview:

We had Karel Vejmelka as the starter, playing 55-60 games and 25-30 wins because of the improvement of Utah.

We had the backup role between Connor Ingram, Vitek Vanecek or Jaxson Stauber.

I thought that Vanecek would win out and play 25-30 games with 12-15 wins.

I also thought that Utah would move a goalie or two at some point.

Actual:

Vejmelka has a record of 20-11-2 with a save percentage of 89.9. He is on pace for 59 games and 36 wins.

Vanecek has played 13 games with a record of 2-9-2. He is on pace for 23 games and just four wins.

Ingram was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers.

Vancouver Canucks

Preview:

I stated that Kevin Lankinen's usage would be determined by the health of Thatcher Demko. I was looking for a 1A/1B situation.

I had Lankinen and Demko both down for 35-45 games and 17-22 wins.

The third goalie was Nikita Tolopilo or Jiri Patera with Tolopilo getting the edge in my opinion.

Actual:

Lankinen is on pace for 39 games and just 11 wins. He has a record of 6-11-4 with a save percentage of 88.2.

Demko has a record of 8-10-1 with a save percentage of 89.6, but has just been injured for the third time this season. We don't know how much time he might miss. He was on pace for 35 games and 15 wins.

Tolopilo has dressed for four games and has a record of 2-1-0 with a save percentage of 91.1.

Lankinen might reach 50 games again in 2025-26.

Vegas Golden Knights

Preview:

I had Adin Hill as the starter, but with a ceiling of 50 games and more than likely 45-50 games with 27-32 wins.

The backup was to be Akira Schmid, who would see 25-30 games and 14-18 wins.

Carl Lindbom could see some games, but I thought that there was a chance that Vegas would be looking for an NHL goalie by November, even without Hill being hurt.

Actual:

Hill was hurt after posting a record of 1-0-2 and a save percentage of 88.8. He was back skating this past week.

Schmid was thrust into the starting role and has done reasonably well with a record of 13-4-5 and a save percentage of 89.5. He is on pace for 42 games and 27 wins.

Lindbom has played eight games with a record of 1-4-2 and a save percentage of 86.9.

The team signed Carter Hart as a free agent, and he has played 12 games with a record of 5-3-3 and a save percentage of 87.0. He went down with an injury last week.

Winnipeg Jets

Preview:

I put Connor Hellebuyck in his own tier after 2024-25, playoff struggles or not. I didn't think he could duplicate his 47 wins but figured he was good for 60-65 games and 35-40 wins.

His backup was Eric Comrie who I put at 20 games and perhaps 10 wins.

Thomas Milic was the third goalie with Dominic Divincentiis right behind.

Actual:

The Jets have gone from the President's Trophy to being out of the playoffs after 40 games.

Hellebuyck got hurt and missed four or five weeks, forcing Comrie to play more than he should.

Hellebuyck has a record of 10-12-14 with a save percentage of 90.1. He is on pace for 48 games and just 19 wins. He will probably end up with 55 games.

Comrie has a record of 7-9-1 with a save percentage of 88.4. He has already played 17 games after never having played more than 20 in a season before. He could beat his career-high of 10 wins.

Outside of injuries, goaltending deployment has been a little more predictable than I otherwise thought. The results and play of goaltenders is far less predictable.

Thanks very much for reading. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know in the comments or on Twitter @gampbler15.