For this upcoming season, many NHL teams’ goaltending situations look different than last year. Ten NHL goalies have already switched teams in free agency. In this article, the Drive4Five team has collectively voted to place these NHL’s best goalie tandems from 31 to 1 for the 2021 season. Here are our thoughts on NHL goalie tandems for 2021, from worst to best:

31. Chicago Blackhawks- Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia

After trading Robin Lehner and losing Corey Crawford to free agency, Chicago has taken a big hit in goal. Malcolm Subban, who was part of Lehner’s trade with Vegas, will be expected to start, despite being a backup his entire career. Collin Delia will be his backup, with just 18 NHL games under his belt, and served the entirety of last season in the AHL. This is a rebuilding year for Chicago, and their goaltending reflects that.

30. Edmonton Oilers- Mikko Koskinen, Mike Smith

The Oilers are sticking with the same two that manned the net last season. Believe it or not, Oilers starter Mikko Koskinen was drafted by the Islanders in 2009 and played four games before departing for Europe. Recently, he returned to the NHL in Edmonton and was solid last year in front of a questionable Edmonton defense. However,  he is on the wrong side of 30 and will likely struggle to replicate his numbers from last year. His backup, Mike Smith, is now 38 and has been steadily declining for a while.

29. Los Angeles Kings- Jonathan Quick, Cal Petersen

Longtime Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick will likely remain the starter this year. His numbers have significantly declined over the past two years, partly because of the team around him, but he is now 34 and will never be the same goalie that won two Stanley Cups. When the Kings traded Jack Campbell in February, Cal Petersen was called up as the new backup and did phenomenally. He only has a small sample size of NHL games, but if he continues his great play, can be LA’s goaltender of the future.

28. Buffalo Sabres- Linus Ullmark, Carter Hutton

Linus Ullmark is the kind of goalie who could put up great numbers if he were behind a great team, especially defensively. So far, that has not been the case. Ullmark will likely be a low-tier starter once again, but if Buffalo succeeds with Taylor Hall and Eric Staal, he has the potential to do well. Carter Hutton has been a disaster in Buffalo and has yet to show any NHL viability there.

27. San Jose Sharks- Martin Jones, Devan Dubnyk

Although these names may look good on paper, both goalies are coming off of disastrous seasons. Martin Jones was criticized for inflated stats due to a very strong Sharks defense. This turned out to be true, as Jones’ stats significantly plummeted in 2019 when Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns both missed time. Last year, Devan Dubnyk had some of the worst stats in the league, just a year after an all-star game appearance, and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back behind a healthy San Jose defense.

26. Carolina Hurricanes- Petr Mrazek, James Reimer

Over the last two seasons, Carolina has been successful with mediocre goaltending, exhibiting how solid of a team they are. Many expected the Hurricanes to make a move in free agency or via trade to improve the goaltending situation, but they didn’t. Both goalies have been decent, especially Reimer, but both are fringe starters at best. Mrazek will likely get the bulk in net, with Reimer in the picture as well.

25. Florida Panthers- Sergei Bobrovsky, Chris Driedger

After signing a $70 million dollar mega-contract this summer, Sergei Bobrovsky had an inexplicably bad year. He has been in the Vezina conversation ever since joining the Blue Jackets in 2013, but his numbers fell off a cliff in Florida. Chris Driedger is a very interesting backup who is threatening Bobrovsky’s starting job. After just three NHL games prior to this year, his stats over his 11 starts are very impressive. His 2.05 goals allowed per game and a .938 save percentage would make him one of the best in the league. Those numbers aren’t sustainable, but if he can perform anywhere close to that level, he can challenge Bobrovsky for the starting job.

24. Pittsburgh Penguins- Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith

Tristan Jarry broke out last year, in his first season with 30+ games. At just 24, Jarry made the all-star game. He may have over-performed last season and is a candidate for regression, but should be a solid middle-of-the-pack starter. But, what definitely draws their ranking down is the backup. After trading Matt Murray without acquiring a new backup, the Penguins will call up Casey DeSmith to serve as the backup. DeSmith has little NHL experience and hasn’t performed well in his NHL time.

23. Ottawa Senators- Matt Murray, Marcus Hogberg

The Senators are in the early stages of wrapping up their rebuild, and they believed the best place to start was in net. So, they traded a second-round draft pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Matt Murray. Losing his job to Tristan Jarry, Murray had a career low-year. However, he’s only 26 and has two Stanley Cups already in his resumé. Marcus Hogberg is a serviceable backup after last season when he was a rookie, with Anders Nilsson in the picture as the third option.

22. Minnesota Wild- Cam Talbot, Alex Stalock

The Wild signed Cam Talbot this offseason with hopes he can be a starter. After struggling in Edmonton, Talbot had a bounce-back year when he shared the crease with David Rittich in Calgary last year. Talbot has not had a consistent starter role in over two years, so we’ll see how he does in Minnesota. Alex Stalock struggled as the starter last year but should have what it takes to be Talbot’s backup. Hotshot prospect Kaapo Kahkonen may threaten Stalock’s backup job if he gets time.

21. Detroit Red Wings- Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Greiss

The Detroit Red Wings are going to have another rough season, but if there are any bright spots, it’s the goaltending. Bernier did decently last season, and although his numbers may say otherwise, he was hung out to dry time and time again last season. Also, Thomas Greiss signed with Detroit after a five-year tenure with the Islanders. Greiss and Bernier will likely get around the same amount of time and do their best to succeed in Detroit.

20. St. Louis Blues- Jordan Binnington, Ville Husso

Jordan Binnington’s magical rookie season that helped the St. Louis Blues win the 2019 Stanley Cup is over. He came back down to Earth last season and was good, but not spectacular. However, it can be assumed that Binnington is still a solid starter with playoff experience. St. Louis also traded Jake Allen, one of the league’s best backups, to Montreal, leaving them with Ville Husso. Husso had a good AHL season last year but the 25-year-old hasn’t played a single NHL game yet in his career.

19. Toronto Maple Leafs- Frederik Andersen, Jack Campbell

Like Binnington, Frederik Andersen didn’t have a season that Leafs fans were pleased by. Many believed it was time for Andersen to be traded and for the team to search for a new goaltender. But, Andersen will remain the guy in net for Toronto this year. Jack Campbell and Aaron Dell were both acquired by Toronto in 2020 and will fight for the backup job, Aaron Dell likely getting the nod.

18. Nashville Predators- Juuse Saros, Pekka Rinne

Last season, Juuse Saros had another solid year, officially winning the starting job for the Preds over Pekka Rinne. Rinne, now 38, had by far the worst season in his long career. Saros got the nod when the Predators faced off with the Coyotes in the play-in round. Juuse Saros hasn’t shown anything spectacular thus far, but he has a solid veteran to back him up.

17. Calgary Flames- Jacob Markstrom, Dave Rittich

Jacob Markstrom had a phenomenal season in Vancouver last year, surprisingly the best of his career despite being 30 years old. His performance sparked the interest of multiple teams in free agency, but Markstrom ultimately decided to go to Calgary. A handful of other Canucks joined him. He may not be able to replicate what he did last year for the Canucks, but still can be a top goaltender in the NHL. Dave Rittich has been a fringe-starter for a few years now, so he should do great as a backup.

16. Colorado Avalanche- Pavel Francouz, Philipp Grubauer

Pavel Francouz was one of the oldest rookies of all-time, turning 30 just before the Avalanche went to the bubble for the playoffs. But, Francouz played lights out, finishing 14th in wins in just the 31st most games played. Grubauer was also great, playing his best season in Colorado. When they were healthy, Francouz and Grubauer essentially split the starts last year and should have a similar split again this year.

15. Vancouver Canucks- Braden Holtby, Thatcher Demko

Jacob Markstrom walked in free agency, so Vancouver made sure they got another big name to replace him. Enter, Braden Holtby. Expected to get the bulk of the starts, Holtby had a terrible final season with the Washington Capitals. A brand new start may help Holtby bounce back. Vancouver still has Thatcher Demko, who had a decent rookie season. But in the playoffs when Markstrom was injured, he had a phenomenal performance against the Vegas Golden Knights before losing in seven games. Demko should be a good backup, and if Holtby plays like last season, Demko might just become the starter.

14. New Jersey Devils- Corey Crawford, Mackenzie Blackwood

After 15 years with the Blackhawks organization, the team parted ways with Crawford via free agency, and he was scooped up by New Jersey. It is a very interesting landing spot, as Blackwood did great as the starter last year. Both Crawford and Blackwood could be starters in this league, so having both makes a legitimate case for the Devils to be competitive Crawford likely will help Blackwood develop his game as a mentor so that he can take over after Crawford’s two-year contract.

13. Washington Capitals- Ilya Samsonov, Phoenix Copley

Ilya Samsonov took the Capitals by storm, winning the starting job in his rookie season. Braden Holtby, who didn’t want to be Samsonov’s backup, left Washington in free agency, leaving Samsonov to be the clear starter of the future. At just 23, Samsonov played great, and the sky is the limit for how good he can be. Wanting a veteran backup to help develop Samsonov’s game, the Caps signed Henrik Lundqvist to a one year deal. However, Lundqvist announced on Thursday, December 17th, that he won’t be playing due to a heart condition. That leaves Phoenix Copley as the backup, who wasn’t bad when he backed up Holtby in 2019 but hasn’t played an NHL game in over a year.

12. Columbus Blue Jackets- Elvis Merzlikins, Joonas Korpisalo

Assuming neither gets traded, the Blue Jackets are rolling with now of the hottest goalie pairs from last season. 5th in GAA and 6th in SV% in the entire league, Elvis Merzlikins led rookies in almost every category. Korpisalo was great too, breaking out after Sergei Bobrovsky’s exit. In Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in last year’s playoffs, Joonas Korpisalo broke the single-game save record with 85, before losing on a Brayden Point goal in 5OT. It’s safe to say the Blue Jackets are in good hands in net.

11. New York Rangers- Igor Shesterkin, Alexandar Georgiev

Last year, Alaxandar Georgiev and Henrik Lundqvist split the starts in Manhattan, both allowing over three goals a game on average. That was until Russian prospect Igor Shesterkin was putting up ridiculous numbers in the AHL, prompting a call-up. Shesterkin only got to play a dozen games in a Ranger jersey but did exceptionally well, and his history in the KHL points to him being an elite goaltender very soon. Georgiev will take the backup role in New York.

10. New York Islanders- Semyon Varlamov, Ilya Sorokin

Just cracking the top ten is the already beloved Russian duo of the New York Islanders. Head Coach Barry Trotz likes to roll with the hot hand in net, which was newly acquired goaltender Semyon Varlamov for most of the season. After signing with the Islanders with the goal of replacing Robin Lehner, the 32-year-old had one of the better seasons of his career and was vital in the Islanders’ Stanley Cup Semifinal run. But what excites fans is the goaltender who won the KHL goalie of the year award as a 21-year-old against much older players. Sorokin is supposed to make an immediate impact when he comes to the Island and is finally joining the Islanders. He will have to earn the starting job but has the talent to be one of the NHL’s top goaltenders very soon.

9. Anaheim Ducks- John Gibson, Ryan Miller

Ever since joining the league in 2015, Gibson has been the Ducks’ best player. He has been an elite goaltender and has ranked on the top of lists year in and year out. His stats over the past two years have decreased, but it is important to keep in mind that he is playing in front of what could be the worst teaming hockey. Last year’s backup, Ryan Miller re-signed for another year in Anaheim, and despite his age, is a decent backup option.

8. Arizona Coyotes- Darcy Kuemper, Antti Raanta

The Coyotes tandem last year was arguably the best in the entire league. Darcy Kuemper was never more than a backup since joining the league with Minnesota in 2013 until he was expected to start in 2019. He did surprisingly well, but the late bloomer didn’t fully break out until last season. He was third in SV% and fourth in GAA, and it was nearly impossible to score on Kuemper last year, especially in his incredible bubble-playoff performance until he could no longer carry Arizona past the Avalanche. Antti Raanta, also in his thirties, had one of his best years. He dropped down significantly two years ago but turned right back into a top backup (and potential starter on another team) last year.

7. Montreal Canadiens- Carey Price, Jake Allen

Former Vezina winner Carey Price remains a great goaltender in this league. He is not what he was five years ago, but still better than most, and hopes to help the Canadiens get back to the playoffs. Wanting a strong backup, the Habs sent a 3rd round draft pick to St. Louis in exchange for Jake Allen. Allen has been a part-time starter in St. Louis for a few years until losing his job to Jordan Binnington. However, Jake Allen had his best season ever last year but only played 24 games. Price and Allen should be a great duo this year.

6. Winnipeg Jets- Connor Hellebuyck, Laurent Brossoit (8.0/10)

Connor Hellebuyck took home the Vezina Trophy last year, and for good reason. Hellebuyck was behind one of the worst defenses last year in Winnipeg, who took a huge blow without Dustin Byfuglien on the blue line. Still, Hellebuyck was a wall in net, and almost single-handedly kept the Jets in the playoff race. The Jets could easily receive a top-three ranking if they had someone else behind Hellebuyck. Unfortunately, the backup goalie position is a huge issue in Winnipeg. Bouncing between the AHL and NHL for a few years now between the Oilers and Jets organizations, Brossoit is yet to have a good NHL performance throughout an entire season. Eric Comrie might get some time but has only eight NHL games spread across four years.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning- Andrei Vasilevskiy, Curtis McElhinney

The year before Hellebuyck won the Vezina, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy won the trophy. Superb since taking over after Ben Bishop, Vasilevskiy has had four straight seasons of being a top goaltender. His numbers have barely declined since his Vezina campaign. Veteran backup Curtis McElhinney, know on his eighth team in 13 seasons, has been a solid safety valve that can succeed when needed.

4. Philadelphia Flyers- Carter Hart, Brian Elliott

Carter Hart, who nearly missed being a Calder Trophy candidate in 2019, had an even better performance as a sophomore in the league. Many predict Hart to be the best goaltender in the league in a few years, and for good reason. At just 22, Hart has been amazing and will continue his growth. Brian Elliott, Hart’s backup, has starter experience from his years in St. Louis. Using that experience, Elliott has really helped Hart develop and mature his game, while also being a great backup option.

3. Dallas Stars- Ben Bishop, Anton Khudobin

The Dallas Stars’ two incredible netminders were the main reason they reached the Stanley Cup Final. Ben Bishop got more than half the starts, playing incredible as usual. Bishop has been a top goalie in the league without signs of slowing down. Anton Khudobin has managed to keep his numbers from dropping even at 34, in fact, they shot up this year. Khudobin was viewed as a top backup for a long time, but this year made it clear that he could start on a lot of teams as the SV% leader. When Ben Bishop was unfit to play in the playoffs, Khudobin took over, and could not be stopped, on an improbable run in the playoffs. The two are definitely star goaltenders.

2. Vegas Golden Knights- Robin Lehner, Marc-Andre Fleury

Ever since being taken in the 2017 Expansion Draft, Fleury quickly became the heart and soul of the Knights. His efforts were vital as they put up the most successful inaugural season in NHL history. But on deadline day, worried about how long Fleury has left, Vegas acquired Robin Lehner from the Blackhawks. Lehner, who broke out and was a fan favorite in his only season as an Islander, has been tremendous ever since. Lehner was the go-to in net for most of the playoff as the Golden Knights were once again the last Pacific team standing. Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury are going to continue to take the NHL by storm.

1. Boston Bruins- Tuukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak (9.3/10)

Our best goalie tandem for this upcoming season is the impeccable European pair of Rask and Halak in Boston. Tuukka Rask has been a top goalie for years, this year possibly being the veteran’s best. Rask finished first in GAA, second in SV%, and third in shutouts. Jaroslav Halak, on the other hand, is a lot more surprising. Halak was a below-average starter for the Islanders for many years. When he signed in Boston at age 33, people thought he could only get worse, and the best he can do is back up Rask. The opposite was the case. Halak’s numbers shot up, and he was one of the league’s best backups for two years in Boston. Halak’s numbers are better than a lot of starters. And when you have a top goalie in the league and a backup who can start, that’s how you win with goaltending and get the #1 spot on this list.