The King Yet Lives: Using Better Numbers to Evaluate Henrik Lundqvist

If you believe the dominant narrative,

The King is dead.

They think so, as do they, and yes, even they believe their beloved goaltender is set to slide off into the sunset as fading skills betray Henrik Lundqvist’s final years with his New York Rangers. And make no mistake, they have been his Rangers: he is the greatest goaltender in the history of the organization, the unquestioned workhorse that carried the team throughout most of his 15-year NHL career. He is the most consistently elite keeper of his generation, including a stretch of seven consecutive years with a save percentage of .920 or greater.

That legendary status is why everybody looks down at their shoes and can’t seem to clear their throats properly when discussing Lundqvist’s future with the team.

After not only losing his starting role, but dropping to third on the Rangers depth chart with the rapid ascension of Igor Shesterkin. it’s hard to talk about how the former face of the franchise has so quickly fallen.

Nobody likes to see a legend’s star extinguished before they’ve decided it’s time.

Fortunately, I’m not here to write an obituary for the 38-year-old.

This is a more like a resurrection.