Ranking NHL Goalies at Quarter Pole

David Hutchison | November 30, 2021 | 6 min read

Jacob Markstrom, Igor Shesterkin, and Jack Campbell lead NHL goaltenders at the quarter pole based on goals saved above expected.
Goals saved above expected measures how many goals a goalie saved compared to what an average NHL goalie would allow facing the same shot quality.
Clear Sight Analytics, founded by former NHL goalie Steve Valiquette, provides context on defensive environment that basic stats like save percentage and GAA cannot.
Sergei Bobrovsky has shown a rejuvenated performance and ranks among the top Vezina candidates in advanced metrics.
Several under-the-radar goaltenders rank higher than expected once shot quality and defensive context are factored into the evaluation.

Jacob Markstrom Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire, Jack Campbell Gavin Napier/Icon Sportswire, Igor Shesterkin Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire

When it comes to evaluating the play of NHL goaltenders through the first quarter of the NHL season, most of the obvious leading candidates for the Vezina Trophy stand up to the scrutiny of a more advanced statistical examination using Clear Sight Analytics.

Jacob Markstrom, Igor Shesterkin and Jack Campbell all lead the way, a rejuvenated Sergei Bobrovsky isn’t far behind, and perennial candidate Andrei Vasilevskiy is closing in.

There are, however, a few names that probably aren’t on the mainstream radar that should warrant consideration once you weigh their performance against the quality of shots they are facing. There are also several statistical storylines beyond the overall performance of the top goalies, including some myth busting around one factor commonly used to compare Vezina candidates, that make for interesting lessons once we do a deeper dive into the numbers.

First, though, a reminder for anyone not already familiar with Clear Sight Analytics, a company founded by former NHL goalie and current New York Rangers TV analyst Steve Valiquette, you can still read our simple but informative primer on how these statistics work, and why we believe they are the best for measuring goalie performance relative to defensive environment and shot quality. As every goalie inherently knows, our performances don’t exist in a vacuum. How a team plays in front of the goalie matters. These numbers quantify that.

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