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Does the NHL Have a Goalie Problem?



Does the NHL Have a Goalie Problem?

The NHL doesn’t have a shortage of goaltending talent — it has a trust problem. From Dustin Wolf proving doubters wrong to Juuse Saros thriving at just 5’11”, the league has examples that size and experience aren’t everything. Yet young goalies like Brandon Bussi, Jett Greaves, Dylan Garand, and Devon Levi are still waiting for their shot, often stuck in the AHL where the chaos doesn’t always prepare them for the NHL game. In this video, I break down why NHL teams hesitate to play their prospects, how the AHL vs NHL environment impacts goalie development, and whether the league is holding back its next wave of stars.

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📢 Join the Conversation: What do you think about the topic in today’s video? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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NHL goalie problem

NHL goaltending 2025

Dustin Wolf Calgary Flames

Juuse Saros Nashville Predators

NHL rookie goalies

Devon Levi Buffalo Sabres

NHL goalie prospects

AHL vs NHL goalies

NHL goaltending development

Young goalies NHL

30 Comments

  1. @whiskeylung

    📢 What do you think, Habs fans & hockey fans? Does the NHL have a goalie problem 🤔🥅 — or is it just a matter of teams not trusting their young guys?

    👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments — I want to hear if you think goalies like Wolf, Saros, Levi, and others are changing the game.

    👍 Like, 💬 Comment, 🔔 Subscribe — it really helps the channel grow!

    Cheers,
    Whiskeylung

  3. @hijackjoe

    This is a conflicting issue. Like we put Monty ahead of Primeau…Like we gave Primeau opportunities but they were so sporadic, like he didn't have enough time to get game ready where we gave Monty alot of opportunity. I'm on the fence. It seems goalies need alot of in game experience to be good.

    Edit: Maybe I was blessed to see Halak and Price play back to back almost every game night a season. When a goalie is hot, you don't want to pull them out. But there are those goalies that put up alot of minutes that might be damning to there career in the long term and having backups to play more minutes would be helpful in those circumstances and to have those opportunities. Sorry run on sentences here but getting thought out.

    Summary: Maybe some goalies are putting up too many minutes but you don't want to pull a goalie when they are hot which happens time to time.

  5. @Lazershot_YT

    I think that there is more talent on the ice than there is in net and there are good goalies however there is just better players that beat the good goalies.

  6. @sebastiencarrieres8825

    I think a surprisingly high number of hockey professional, coach and players alike, do not understand where a save comes from.
    I also think there's an over importance given to a goalie size. I understand that taller is generally better, but when do people actually measure shoulder height or pad spread in a butterfly position. Or simply reaction time on a post to post. And hockey IQ is also very important for a goalie.
    As an extreme example, I invite you to look at Nathan Darveau's career compared to Gabriel D'Aigle. Not saying he should be an NHL starter, I'm just saying he was completely disregarded.

  7. @patricklafleche9559

    and another point that you didnt bring up. perhaps coaches are the issue not trusting the young players and the league love to recycle coaches, so one of the issues is upper management. but again in canada we do have a goalie issue.

  8. @IsmaelAmodeo

    I’ve wondered about risk analysis wrt goalies for a long time, thank you for starting this conversation. I often wonder why average goalies get chosen over some kids with incredible potential. It seems like “leaving talent on the table”, so to speak.

  9. @markstott6689

    Giving a young goalie a chance is a good thing. Unfortunately, unless there are injuries to your No.1 and No.2, those chances are few and far between. For most NHL coaches, there's far too much on the line, including their own jobs, to take the risk. Even if your youngster is on fire in the AHL, there's no guarantees of upward progression.
    A previous post mentioned Primeau. He was given chances on a defensively challenged team and sadly sank. Yet his AHL season was a relative success. I wouldn't be surprised if he put up solid numbers with the Canes if they give him a chance.
    Dobeš was good on arrival but not the new Dryden that many claimed after his first three games. Sometimes, fan pressure, especially in Montreal, can be over the top. It's the kind of pressure that can crush a young player, especially a goalie like Primeau. Dobeš however didn't let it bother him. The strength of character is doubly important for a goalie.
    The expectation is that Fowler is going to be the Habs' new goalie superstar. That's a lot of pressure for a young player to carry. As much as I want Fowler to be the next Price, Roy or Dryden, I also think that the fanbase needs to not over hype Fowler and give him time. We want a Chateau Lafite, not a Beaujolais Nouveau.
    😊😊❤❤😊😊

  10. @MorganBurton

    Fowler is coming. Monty is capable. Dobes is a wildcard. Slating Montreal as "UNHAPPY" with their goalers is inaccurate.

  11. @vdac1068

    There is very little separating the bottom 40 NHL goalies from top AHL goalies

    There are about 20 really solid net-minders in the NHL

    Young ones need playing time and time to develop

    Bring a goalie in of up too soon and you can ruin their careers.

    3:51

    No it’s a team that didn’t care about being a lottery team ran a young goalie who went

    gone of the Jesus head

    You would never see a contender moving out a Markstrom to let a rookie Goalie play.

    Too risky

  14. @cacamou3275

    aaaaaaaalso, carey was 20 when he got his first full season almost as a dare it seems, so yeah, totally agree with you on issue man

  16. @rakchazak4672

    Classic cabs trade trees. You can focus on the ones that at the time we thought was no big deal and it turned out to be a monster or when we thought we were getting a monster and got nothing.

  17. @Pocketrocket-pj1us

    6:40
    Did you just say Montreal is unhappy with it's Goaltending situation?

    Was that a typo or do you want to offer up some evidence of that, being the case??

    I'm okay with listening to your statement.

    Please let us know. Thanks

  18. @mikebishop4430

    I think maybe management is feeling the pressure for visible progress in the rebuild. That might be influencing the lack of patience with goalies. Price had a bit if a shakey start as well but the Habs were in a better spot in the standings.

  20. @benoitrobitaille5235

    One of the major problems is that the province of Quebec, what used to be a hockey player factory, isn’t anymore, the development died.

    Think im exaggerating ? Think of who was the elite NHL french Canadian goalies, forwards, defensemen back in the early 2000’s-2010’s ? Just goalies, you got Fleury, Brodeur, Turco, Theodore, Roy, Luongo, Crawford and plenty of other decent to bad ones.

    Okay, now who is now ?
    Crickets …. Maybe Montembault if you stretch the definition of elite really hard ?

    Same thing for forwards, from St-Louis, Lecavalier, Tanguay, Damphousse, Briere, Savard, Pominville and company to now Marchessault ? A washed up Huberdeau and a traded 2-3 times Dubois ?

    I won’t get into defensemen, because the point is made, but probably the last generation of great Qc players leaving, like Bergeron and Fleury is really sad to see.

  22. @LispyOnSaltz

    i think if you “undercook” a goalie and he shits the bed then that may just be a sign his mental isn’t up to par for the league

  23. @oldhab7890

    There are only 32 starting positions in the NHL. It is no wonder some goalies with great potential making the league. Way back in time when there were only 6 teams in the NHL, great players were stuck in the minors for years perhaps their whole careers.
    I think you make a great point on the "trust" issue. Trust is a self reinforcing belief. You bring in someone you don't entirely trust and he makes an error your mistrust in him is validated. (Think of MSL and his use of Xhekaj) Whereas if you trust a player and he makes the same mistake, it is "something that just happens to everyone time to time. (Think of MSL and Matheson).

  24. @rockinrodlittle

    We have watched Monty get better and better. I used to worry about the odd bad goal with him. Now he makes the saves he supposed to make and sometimes the ones he’s not. I’m expecting him to be rock solid all season

  25. @pascalecormier6022

    Goaltender is probably the worst job in hockey. If you win, the hero is usually the one who scored the winning goal, not you. If you lose, well, you're the one who gave up the losing goal. It's some sort of a catch 22 situation… I'm wondering what the Habs will do with Montembault, Dobes and Fowler : all three can be #1 goalies in this league, but there's only one #1 position.Let's hope they won't do like the Bruins, trade the best (Ullmarck) and pay a fortune to keep the overrated (Swayman)…

  26. @depressean8295

    Why is Montreal unhappy??? They have Dobes who is a capable backup and very young, still developing. Montembeault is one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL and was 5th in Goals Saved above Expected which is like the best stat to measure the quality of a goaltender. They have Fowler in Laval who needs to cook a little while there, probably at least a year but more likely 2 or so years and Kahkonen who will be a good veteran pairing for Fowler so he doesn't have a crazy amount of pressure in his first pro year while he develops and so they have a more veteran player to call up in case of injuries if they need to!

    Montreal also pays their goalies basically nothing. They'd have the 3rd lowest cap percentage towards goaltending if it weren't for Carey Price's contract. I think Montreal might be in one of the best goaltending situations in the league.

  27. @glaframb

    Back in the old days goalers were 5'6" Lorne "Gump" Worsley, Georges Vézina the guy behind the Vézina trophy was also 5'6".

  28. @glaframb

    The only thing the habs are unhappy with their Goalies is because Carey Price career is over but still on the payroll ! But when he was healthy he was an amazing as a goaltender !

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