This year’s goalie market was unprecedented, but next year has even greater potential. Here are the top 10 unrestricted 2021 NHL free agent goalies.

10. Pekka Rinne

When Pekka Rinne is the number 10 of 2021 NHL free agent goalies on this list, then that says something about this free agent class. But he could have been much higher up, if not for his recent decline. Rinne had the worst season of his NHL career in 2019-2020, recording a 3.17 GAA and a .895 save percentage in 36 games. Head Coach John Hynes may elect to give Jusse Saros more starts this year, especially if the season is condensed. He’ll be 39 at this point next year, though his experience alone could prove valuable for a defensive-minded team looking for a 1B.

9. Jaroslav Halak

Halak has benefitted playing behind the Boston Bruins’ defense over the last two seasons. On one of the most defensively responsible teams, he recorded a 2.39 GAA and .919 SV% last season. He also played in nine playoff games after Rask left the Toronto bubble to attend to family matters. Expect Halak and Rask to split starts fairly evenly, which will surely raise Halak’s stock. Like Rinne, he’s a 1B on a good team.

8. David Rittich

David Rittich is an opposite situation to Jaroslav Halak. He posted a 27-9-5 record in 2018-2019, but followed it up with a 24-17-6 season and only played one game in the Edmonton bubble. His peripheral stats also declined since his 27-win campaign. To make matters worse, the Flames signed Jacob Markstrom as their starting goalie this offseason. Rittich will have to prove the Flames why giving Markstrom a 6-year contract at $6 million per year was a bad idea if he wants to get paid starting money next offseason. But, he’s a solid 1B that can propel a team into the playoffs.

7. James Reimer

Reimer had a solid bounce-back year in Carolina after the Hurricanes acquired him from Florida. He backed up Petr Mrazek well, and even played in three playoff games this year. But how much he gets in the open market will depend on how well he plays this season. He’ll have a stout defense in front of him and will likely split starts with Mrazek so the opportunity will certainly be there. Carolina probably just hopes he doesn’t regress to his last two seasons in Florida, where he put up a 2.99 GAA in ’17-’18 and 3.09 in ’18-’19.

6. Philipp Grubauer

He’s ranked 6th among 2021 NHL free agent goalies now, but don’t be surprised if Grubauer exceeds expectations in a contract year. He’s playing in front of a Stanley Cup contending team and a defense that just added Devon Toews in the offseason. But his numbers have been relatively average for a 1A in two seasons in Colorado. He had a 2.63 GAA and a .916 SV% in 36 games played. He had better numbers in 7 playoff games, but got hurt in the middle of the second round before the Avalanche lost in seven games to Dallas. If he can stay healthy and prove to the league that he could be the starting goalie the Avs expected him to be, he’ll find a good home next offseason.

5. Petr Mrazek

This is a prove-it year for the Czech goalie. In 2018-2019, Mrazek had a 2.39 GAA and .914 SV% in 40 games played. This past season, those numbers dipped to 2.69 and .905 respectively, also in 40 games. He had a strong postseason, so that should be encouraging for the Canes. The fact that he’s in a contract year could also work in the team’s favor. Additionally, the aforementioned Reimer will also challenge Mrazek for starts, perhaps forcing him to further elevate his play. At 28-years-old, he’s got the fuel in the tank to have another solid season. If he does, he’ll command big money next summer.

4. Antti Raanta

Darcy Keumper stole the show in the 2020 playoffs, but no team can overlook Raanta’s 2019-2020 season. In 33 games, he had a .921 SV% and 2.63 GAA on a team that would have missed the playoffs, if not for COVID-19. And excluding an injury riddled 2018-2019 season, he was terrific in three prior seasons with save percentages of .930, .922, and .919 with the Coyotes and Rangers. He will likely split time with Keumper again this season. He might even take over the starting job if Keumper gets hurt. Like Grubauer, he’s got a lot to prove.

3. Jordan Binnington

The rookie phenom who led the St. Louis Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup regressed slightly in 2019-2020, but played in far more games. That workload won’t slow down, as the Blues traded backup Jake Allen to the Canadiens early in the offseason. Don’t forget Allen stole starts from Binnington during the first round of the 2020 Playoffs. Binnington played in 50 games in 2019-2020, and he’ll probably start a similar proportion of the team’s games in the likely shortened 2021 season. If he can improve on the 2.56 GAA and .912 SV% he had last year, expect a lot of teams to inquire about the young goalie’s services.

2. Frederik Andersen

Even with the offensive talent oozing from the Maple Leafs’ roster, they go nowhere without Freddy. He started 77% of the team’s games in his four years in Toronto, winning 136 (55.7% of games started). He’s among the top five in games played and wins in the past four seasons. But the Leafs might struggle to pay Andersen the dollars he deserves, so he could be looking for a new home. Whoever takes him is getting a workhorse who, with a good defense and a solid 1B, can probably lead a team deep into the playoffs. If backup Jack Campbell can give Andersen some much needed rest during the regular season, that could be what gets Toronto over their dreaded playoff shortcomings.

1. Tuuka Rask

Rask’s departure from the 2020 NHL Playoffs made Bruins fans upset, but that won’t change the fact that he’ll play his 12th season in Boston in 2021. Rask led the league with a 2.12 GAA in 2019-2020 and was the runner up for the Vezina Trophy. Even with the departure of Torey Krug, expect Rask to have a similar season, especially if Halak can provide Rask some much needed rest from time to time. If he hits the open market, he’ll command big money and can make a huge impact on whatever team is lucky enough to sign him.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.