Goaltending is one of the most inconsistent positions in sports—it’s hard to find guys who, season-to-season, remain razor-sharp. That’s where the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs come into play.
Last season, they ranked seventh, sixth, and fourth in team save percentage, respectively. However, none of them has that proven, Vezina Trophy-caliber starter. Most people are assuming that these teams will dominate the crease again in 2025–26. But what if they don’t? Let’s take a look at their stories.
Led by a tandem of Lukáš Dostál and John Gibson, the Ducks had the seventh-ranked save percentage in the NHL last season. A vast improvement from 27th in 2023–24, they finally separated themselves from the basement-dwellers with 80 points—an encouraging step for their rebuild.
But half of that tandem is now gone. While Gibson battled injury last season, he played a pivotal role in the Ducks’ dominance between the pipes. Replaced by Petr Mrázek, it’s Dostál’s full-time crease now. That should come with some skepticism.
Luckily for the Ducks, Dostál has never looked out of place in the NHL. As a rookie, he looked like the team’s future in goal—that didn’t change in his sophomore campaign, and he was the number-one guy in Year 3.
With that being said, Dostál had the ninth-best goals saved above expected (GSAx) grade in the league last season—ahead of Sergei Bobrovsky, Jake Oettinger, Ilya Sorokin, etc. A top-10 goaltender for all intents and purposes, anything less would result in the Ducks’ regression.
Then, you account for the loss of Gibson. Ranked 21st in GSAx, it‘s highly unlikely that Mrázek matches that impact, even if the 33-year-old had some good stretches with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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