<p>It’s hard enough tracking the puck as an NHL goalie. Nowadays, you’re looking over your shoulder, too, tracking the rival netminder – or netminders –&nbsp;ready to snatch your starting job as soon as you falter.</p>



<p>Last season, 41 different goaltenders started 30 or more games. We’re virtually guaranteed to see some new stars emerge in net every year, just as Charlie Lindgren, Joey Daccord and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen did last season.</p>



<p>Which current backup or 1B puck-stoppers have the best chance to swoop in and swipe starting duty this season?</p>



<p>I present the Great Goalie Usurper class of 2024-25. To qualify, a he must not have started the majority of his (current) team’s games last season and must not already be in an equal platoon, as he’d have no starter to usurp in that scenario.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="134"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Justus Annunen, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/colorado-avalanche/line-combinations">Colorado Avalanche</a></h2>



<p>Alexander Georgiev has led the NHL in victories two years running, but his play year over year changed dramatically. In 2022-23 he ranked in the top third of the league in 5-on-5 goals saved above expected per 60 and finished sixth in the Vezina Trophy vote. Last year, he was one of the league’s weakest starters, dropping from 15<sup>th</sup>&nbsp;to 38th in goals save above expected per 60. His .897 save percentage was a career low, and he was worse in the playoffs, posting an .894 mark. Enter Annunen, the Avs’ top puck-stopping prospect, who badly outplayed Georgiev in limited duty last year, going 8-4-1 with a .928 save percentage across 14 appearances. Whether Annunen overtakes Georgiev for the No. 1 job or not, Annunen will play more going forward. Georgiev led the NHL in minutes last season and ran out of gas, particularly in April when he posted an .853 SV%. Not only will the Avs use Annunen to keep Georgiev fresher, but a larger sample size will show them what they have in Annunen. Put another way: the Avs would probably <em>love it </em>if Annunen, playing on an $837,500 cap hit for two more seasons, usurped Georgiev as the long-term answer in goal. Georgiev is a UFA next summer. He certainly didn’t help his case to keep his job in Game 1 of Colorado’s season, yanked for Annunen after allowing five goals on 16 shots against Vegas, though Annunen wasn’t much better in relief.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="245"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pyotr Kochetkov, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/carolina-hurricanes/line-combinations">Carolina Hurricanes</a></h2>



<p>Frederik Andersen enters the season as Carolina’s starter. He was limited to 16 healthy regular-season games last season but looked dominant when he played, going 13-2 with a 1.84 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. That said, he’s 34 and will be a UFA this summer. The blood clot scare of last season is under control, but there’s no guarantee it won’t resurface. Andersen was also subpar in the postseason last spring. The door is open for Kochetkov, who is 25, signed through 2026-27 and has increased his SV% in each of his NHL seasons to date. His share of the starting workload has spiked from two to 24 to 40 over the past three years. It feels like just a matter of time before he’s the 1A.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Anthony Stolarz, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/">Toronto Maple Leafs</a></h2>



<p>Um, is this one happening already? Joseph Woll already carried significant injury concerns into the season, having missed three months with a high-ankle sprain and pulled out before Game 7 in Round 1 of the playoffs with a back injury. Stolarz, who led all NHL goalies in goals saved above expected per 60 last season, was signed as a high-upside backup precisely for situations such as this one. Woll entered the season as the tenuous 1A, but the door was open enough for Stolarz to exceed his career high of 24 starts even before Woll’s lower-body ailment popped up the day of Toronto’s season opener on Wednesday. If Stolarz acquits himself well – and his performance against Montreal in a 1-0 defeat was an excellent start – it’s not inconceivable that the two tenders flip 1A and 1B roles.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="267"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Logan Thompson, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/washington-capitals/line-combinations">Washington Capitals</a></h2>



<p>Thompson started 42 games last season but makes this list after being traded to Washington –&nbsp;during the 2024 NHL Draft, in Vegas, while he was in the building signing autographs for Golden Knights fans. He repeatedly flashed All-Star upside in Vegas, compiling a solid .912 SV% across 103 appearances between 2020-21 and 2023-24. He landed in the top third of the NHL in goals saved above expected per 60 last season, too. Charlie Lindgren deserves the 1A job to open the season after leading the NHL in shutouts and being the primary reason Washington made the playoffs last year, but Lindgren is quietly 30 and was mostly a journeyman backup before his heroic turn in 2023-24. Thompson is almost four years younger, has only seven fewer games of career NHL experience and takes up more net with two inches and about 30 pounds on Lindgren. Thompson is a legit threat to steal half the starting pie or more. It’s worth noting he has missed a few skates this week, but that doesn’t change his season-long outlook for now.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="178"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jesper Wallstedt, <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/minnesota-wild/line-combinations">Minnesota Wild</a></h2>



<p>Wallstedt is the lone <em>third-</em>string goaltender to crack this list. But hear me out. He’s considered the best goaltending prospect on the planet by many. The Wild obviously know he’s an important part of their plans, having extended him for two seasons at a $2.2 million AAV, beginning in 2025-26, an important development considering Marc-Andre Fleury plans to retire after this season.</p>



<p>Typically, NHL teams prefer their top prospects, especially those sitting third on the depth chart, to accumulate reps in the minors. But Wallstedt, 21, already has two AHL seasons under his belt, not to mention multiple SHL campaigns in Sweden, so the Wild’s plans have changed for 2024-25. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5820726/2024/10/05/wild-roster-liam-ohgren-jesper-wallstedt/">As reported by The Athletic’s Michael Russo</a>, They intend to keep Wallstedt at the NHL level, at least for now, and rotate him with Fleury and Filip Gustavsson, occasionally capitalizing on Wallstedt’s waiver-exempt status and sending him to AHL Iowa for additional work. Fleury is 39, Gustavsson is a trade candidate, and both netminders struggled last season. Wallstedt could therefore quickly establish himself as the team’s top option between the pipes and never look back. Even if that doesn’t happen right away, his workload will increase later in the year if the Wild fall out of contention and trade one of their veteran stoppers.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="214"></div>



<p>_____</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Article presented by Fountain Tire</strong></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.dailyfaceoff.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2099%2F07%2FFT_LogoTagOnBlue_RGB1752-1024x183.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75" alt=""></figure>



<p>At Fountain Tire, you don’t have to choose between a good deal or excellent service—they offer both. They treat your vehicle like their own, providing detailed inspections, photos, and updates on what’s fine, what needs attention, and what can wait. Offering top-quality tires and products from brands like Goodyear, safety is their top priority. Every visit ensures you’re as safe as possible on the road. If you need new tires, or your vehicle’s making a funny noise, stop by Fountain Tire. They’ll take care of it, or you can book an appointment online at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fountaintire.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.fountaintire.com</a></p>



<p>_____</p>



<p></p>


Colorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen