We’re one month into the NHL season, and it’s time to rank goalies!

This time, rather than ranking the top individuals, we’ll list each team by their tandem. For most teams, that’s two goalies — for a few, it’s three.

Teams have leaned more and more into the goalie-by-committee approach lately. It’s been seven years since a goalie reached the 70-start threshold, a mark that was regularly hit by the top three or four netminders until 2010. Last season, there were 56 goalies with at least 20 starts, and 77 with at least 10, both all-time records.

As such, we should place more of an emphasis on goalie tandem strength. It’s early in the season, so while performance to this point certainly plays a major factor, it’s not everything. We are still keeping in mind these goalies’ long-term play, acknowledging that historically strong goalies who are off to a bad start are likely to positively regress, and the opposite goes for some off to hot starts.

While we’re judging overall tandems, there’s still obviously more weight placed on the starter. The amount depends on how heavy that goalie’s workload is, and how well they can manage that load.

With that, here they are. The Athletic’s goalie tandem power rankings (all stats through Wednesday):

1. New York Islanders

.920 save percentage (6th) | 7.5 GSAx (6th)

There isn’t a more ideal goalie situation in the NHL than the one on Long Island. The Islanders have a superstar starter in Ilya Sorokin who is in the middle of his physical prime, and an excellent backup in Semyon Varlamov, who also happens to be the starter’s close friend.

Finding the right backup isn’t just about identifying the best goalie. It’s all about optimizing your top goalie, both mentally and physically. Too weak of a backup can lead to overworking the No. 1 goalie. Too strong of an option can lead to the starter constantly glancing over his shoulder when a slump inevitably hits. The combination of where Sorokin and Varlamov are in their careers and their personal relationship means Varlamov can play as well as he wants (and he’s been really good with the second-most goals saved above average in the NHL) without posing a threat to the starter.

Sorokin is a stud, Varlamov is as good of a backup as you’ll find, and the two work in perfect harmony.

2. Boston Bruins

.939 save percentage (1st) | 10.5 GSAx (3rd)

Speaking of simpatico, Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman’s goaltending in Boston has been as impressive as their postgame hugs are endearing.

Ullmark is following up last year’s breakout, Vezina-winning season with a rock-solid start. His hand-eye coordination and reflexes with his gloves are special, particularly on shots from in close. He’s already posted four wins with a save percentage north of .945, and he’s arguably been the second-best goalie on the team.

Swayman has been sensational early for the Bruins. He’s second in the league with 8.8 GSAx, and has allowed only nine total goals in his perfect 6-0-0 start. He and Ullmark have combined for the best team save percentage in the league.

3. New York Rangers

.921 save percentage (5th) | 9.3 GSAx (4th)

It’s been a bit of a hot-and-cold start for Igor Shesterkin. His two losses were forgettable nights against Columbus and Nashville when he never looked comfortable. However, his six wins are tied for the league lead and in those games, he’s been great. When Shesterkin is at his best, he can dominate a game like few can. He’s looked unbeatable at times during his four-game win streak prior to his injury (believed to be minor), and there’s no reason to believe that type of play won’t continue all season.

One of the biggest question marks entering the year in New York was how 37-year-old Jonathan Quick would play after several down seasons. Through four starts, Quick has looked an awful lot like his Cup-winning days in Los Angeles. He’s currently top 10 in the league in GSAx (5.7). It’s highly unlikely he’ll maintain elite numbers all season, but that’s not what the Rangers need from him. It’s looking increasingly likely, however, that he can be a solid backup.

4. Tampa Bay Lightning

.897 save percentage (17th) | 0.6 GSAx (18th)

Coach Jon Cooper delivered some good news Monday, that Andrei Vasilevskiy’s recovery from back surgery is going well, and the team hopes he’ll be back before December. The Cup and Vezina-winning netminder will be a welcome addition to the struggling squad, but in the meantime, Jonas Johansson has performed admirably in his absence.

Johansson has made more saves than any goalie in the NHL this season, with 2.3 GSAx. He has more than held down the fort. If he maintains this type of play he could be Vasilevskiy’s best goalie partner since Ben Bishop.

5. Dallas Stars

.924 save percentage (4th) | 6.1 GSAx (7th)

Jake Oettinger has been elite. Scott Wedgewood has been a solid low-usage backup. The two have combined for the fourth-best save percentage thus far, largely thanks to Oettinger’s impressive .933.

The 24-year-old has been the model of consistency. He didn’t suffer his first regulation loss until his seventh start, Saturday against the Canucks, and even in that contest, he held the league’s top-scoring offense to only two goals.

6. Vancouver Canucks

.936 save percentage (2nd) | 14.8 GSAx (1st)

No tandem raised their stock more over the first month than Vancouver’s. Thatcher Demko has been the league’s best goalie, and adding Casey DeSmith was a smart under-the-radar move.

If Demko plays any better, he may actually burst into flames, à la the old NHL Hitz video games. Following a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, he has been everything for the Canucks this year. He leads the league in every major statistic, and when you account for the difficulty of shots faced, the numbers are even more impressive. Demko’s .975 save percentage on high-danger shots leads all goalies by a mile.

A start this hot can generally be written off, but Demko’s ability and overall career trajectory suggest this isn’t a blip. His numbers will come down a bit, but there’s little reason to believe he can’t sustain elite-level goaltending. His combination of size and athleticism gives him the ability to stop shots other human beings simply cannot. Don’t believe me? Watch this save on Wyatt Johnston on repeat until you do. It shouldn’t take long.

Thatcher Demko is ABSURD pic.twitter.com/ecTMX7I2qV

— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) November 5, 2023

7. Winnipeg Jets

.881 save percentage (26th) | -2.5 GSAx (24th)

The early-season numbers have been ugly for Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit, but the concern should be minimal. At a position known for its volatility, Hellebuyck has put up elite numbers with staggering consistency over his career. He’s the only goalie to finish top 10 in GSAx in each of the last four seasons, and he’ll likely end up there by the time this one finishes as well.

Brossoit opened the season with two sub-par performances against Vegas and Montreal, but he’s an upgrade over last year’s Winnipeg backup, David Rittich, and will settle in as he gets more games. Brossoit’s technical, calm style is ideal for a backup expected to see fewer starts than most.

8. Nashville Predators

.901 save percentage (14th) | -1.3 GSAx (22nd)

Nashville’s statistics don’t justify a ranking this high, but it’s important not to overreact to a one-month sample size. Juuse Saros is still in the highest tier of starting goalies, but he hasn’t been at his best to this point. Because he’s one of the shortest netminders and simply doesn’t take up as much of the net, his imperfections can be magnified.

Kevin Lankinen has been fine in three appearances. He’s not among the best backups, but he’s not a liability. This tandem, and the Predators as a team, will go as far as Saros can carry them.

9. Vegas Golden Knights

.929 save percentage (3rd) | 12.9 GSAx (2nd)

There may not be a more balanced tandem than the one in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights are the only team with two goalies in the top 10 in GSAx; Logan Thompson ranks sixth (6.5) and Adin Hill ranks seventh (6.4). The starts have been split nearly 50-50, and both have performed well.

Vegas’ team defense certainly makes things easier on the goalies, but Hill and Thompson have still made key stops in timely moments to help propel the defending champs to an impressive 11-1-1 start.

10. Anaheim Ducks

.913 save percentage (7th) | 8.9 GSAx (5th)

The Ducks are off to a surprisingly good start at 7-5-0, fueled by excellent play from both John Gibson and Lukáš Dostál. Anaheim’s defense has allowed the fifth-most scoring chances per game, according to Natural Stat Trick, but Gibson and Dostál have covered a lot of that up with the fifth-most goals saved above expected.

Gibson has looked more like his old self. Time will tell whether that’s simply fresh legs after a long offseason or improved technique by the former All-Star. Behind him, Dostál has impressed with five wins in six starts and a .920 save percentage. He’s looking like he could be one of the better young goalies in the league.

11. Florida Panthers

.895 save percentage (20th) | 1.8 GSAx (15th)

After a special postseason in which he carried the eighth-seeded Panthers to the Cup Final, Sergei Bobrovsky has come back to earth a bit. The hyenas were circling after he allowed seven goals in two losses to start the year, but he’s quietly settled down and has played well since (5-1-1 with a .913 save percentage).

Anthony Stolarz has been average in his two starts. The Panthers’ goaltending hasn’t helped or hurt them much this season. Bobrovsky’s history and excellent recent postseason play give Florida’s tandem the edge over some others in this range. There’s also the potential boost of adding Spencer Knight at some point.

12. Toronto Maple Leafs

.891 save percentage (23rd) | 2.3 GSAx (13th)

One of the best goalie storylines over the first month has been Toronto’s Joseph “Brick” Woll. The rookie is off to an incredible start, currently third in the league in GSAx (7.4). The most impressive aspect of Woll’s game is his patience, especially at such a young age. Whether it’s waiting out Alex Ovechkin and easily stopping his backhand deke on the penalty shot, or stopping all but one shot to lead Toronto to a comeback over Tampa Bay after coming in relief on Monday, Woll has been exactly what the Maple Leafs have needed in net.

Woll may be cementing himself as Toronto’s No. 1 goalie — not only through his strong play, but because presumed starter Ilya Samsonov has struggled. Samsonov ranks 66th out of 71 goalies in GSAx. If he can find his game, this tandem has the potential to climb the ranks.

13. Minnesota Wild

.878 save percentage (28th) | -9.4 GSAx (31st)

There isn’t a more difficult goalie tandem to rank right now than Minnesota’s. Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have struggled immensely through 12 games, combining for the second-worst GSAx in the league.

Fleury is relatively easy to project. At age 39, he’s certainly not the stalwart he once was, but he’ll almost certainly rebound to at least become a solid backup.

Gustavsson is the conundrum. There are two ways to look at his play in terms of small sample sizes. Is this one-month disaster simply a speed bump for a goalie who showed to be a high-end option for all of last season, or was last season’s breakout an outlier? The truth is likely somewhere in between, which makes ranking Gustavsson and this tandem difficult. It will be interesting to see where this goes for Minnesota.

14. St. Louis Blues

.912 save percentage (8th) | 5.6 GSAx (8th)

Welcome back, Jordan Binnington. He’s been very good through seven starts for St. Louis, including a stellar showing Friday against the Devils in which he stood on his head to earn the win. He looks calm and collected in net, letting the play come to him, and is 11th in the league in GSAx (4.6).

Behind Binnington, Joel Hofer also is having a solid start. He looks big in the net, plays his angles well, and has won two of his three starts, including a 27-save shutout in Calgary.

15. Colorado Avalanche

.902 save percentage (10th) | 2.7 GSAx (12th)

The Avalanche make things relatively easy on their netminders. Colorado has allowed the third-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes, and has only been outshot twice in 11 games this year. Alexandar Georgiev isn’t off to the best of starts, with a sub-.900 save percentage, but his track record behind this team last season was strong enough to believe he’ll be fine.

Ivan Prosvetov played well in his lone start subbing in for the injured Pavel Francouz, stopping 27 of 28 shots in a win over the Blues. If Francouz eventually returns, it should strengthen the tandem.

16. Pittsburgh Penguins

.902 save percentage (12th) | 0.7 GSAx (17th)

This is another case of a goalie with a resume strong enough to overlook a poor start. Tristan Jarry has five full seasons with a save percentage above league average, and looked great in Tuesday’s shutout against Anaheim before leaving with an injury. Jarry isn’t elite, but he’s an above-average goalie who should continue to improve on what he did in October.

Alex Nedeljkovic played well in his first two starts and should get more comfortable behind this system as he plays more.

17. Calgary Flames

.873 save percentage (30th) | -4.7 GSAx (28th)

Jacob Markström broke his seven-game losing streak with a win over Nashville on Tuesday, and the numbers haven’t been pretty. He has faced more high-danger shots than any goalie in the league, and has handled those chances really well. The problem is, he’s also let in a few too many goals on shots from farther out.

Daniel Vladař hasn’t posted a save percentage above .889 in three starts. It would be nice to see highly touted prospect Dustin Wolf get a chance. This ranking could very well be too high, but there’s still some faith that Markström can return to form.

18. Washington Capitals

.900 save percentage (16th) | 4.1 GSAx (10th)

Darcy Kuemper isn’t off to a great start with a .899 save percentage, but he hasn’t faced the easiest workload or gotten much goal support. Even with the poor save percentage, Kuemper has stopped 1.5 goals above expected. His 3-3-1 record is actually impressive when you consider the Capitals have only averaged 1.4 goals in those games.

Charlie Lindgren and Hunter Shepard have both earned wins on spot duty, which is encouraging, but expect Kuemper to be a high-usage starter. He’s averaged 56.5 starts since becoming the No. 1 in Colorado two years ago.

19. Montreal Canadiens

.900 save percentage (15th) | 2.1 GSAx (14th)

Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault have both been serviceable for the Canadiens. They have combined for an above-average save percentage, and have kept Montreal around the .500 mark despite a lack of scoring.

There’s also 24-year-old Cayden Primeau, who made a spectacular save with a Superman dive in his only appearance. It’s not often you see a team carry three goalies, but there’s a reason the Canadiens don’t want to waive anyone. This is a solid group.

20. New Jersey Devils

.881 save percentage (25th) | -2.7 GSAx (25th)

The Devils are playing really well despite a slow start from Vítek Vaněček and Akira Schmid. Both have shown flashes already in the first month, but the lack of consistency has led to sub-par metrics across the board.

New Jersey has leaned on the veteran, Vaněček, more than expected. He has seven starts compared to Schmid’s four. It will be interesting to see how that split continues. For now, the goalies have done enough to win behind a high-octane offense. Expect their numbers to improve, but this certainly isn’t a position of strength for the Devils.

21. Detroit Red Wings

.896 save percentage (19th) | 0.1 GSAx (20th)

Detroit’s hot start has much more to do with the offensive explosion than it does the goalies. The tandem of Ville Husso and James Reimer has combined to rank right around league average in nearly every metric, which has been good enough to win a lot of games behind the No. 4 scoring offense in the league.

The question is, how much better can these two play? Is league-average goaltending their ceiling? It certainly feels that way.

22. Carolina Hurricanes

.868 save percentage (31st) | -7.6 GSAx (29th)

The goaltending in Carolina has been nothing short of awful. The Hurricanes have allowed the fewest shot attempts and the fifth-fewest expected goals in the league, but have allowed the sixth-most goals. Frederik Andersen leads the trio in save percentage at only .894, and now is out due to a medical situation.

In his absence, Antti Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov will need to improve drastically. The two have combined to allow 7.6 goals above expected in only six starts. The good news is Carolina controls possession as well as any team in the league, and should allow its goalies to climb out of this early-season hole. I don’t expect these ugly stats to last.

23. Buffalo Sabres

.894 save percentage (22nd) | -1.5 GSAx (23rd)

It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride to start the year after Buffalo decided to hand the keys to rookie Devon Levi this offseason. There’s been plenty of good for the 22-year-old, like big wins over the Lightning and Maple Leafs. It hasn’t been perfect, though, for the first-year pro.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been solid in his five appearances, earning three wins. Eric Comrie played well in his brief opportunities before suffering a lower-body injury. With two talented goalies under the age of 25, the Sabres have the best chance of any tandem ranked this low to quickly rise up these rankings.

24. Arizona Coyotes

.908 save percentage (9th) | -0.5 GSAx (21st)

The Coyotes have played surprisingly good defense to start the season, allowing the fourth-fewest expected goals per 60 minutes. Coach André Tourigny has Arizona playing a structured brand of hockey that leads to predictable shots against, and both Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram have taken advantage, with nice numbers.

This is one of the most evenly split tandems in the league. The two have alternated every other game with only one exception this season. The Coyotes may not have elite talent, but they have two solid goalies hungry to prove themselves.

25. San Jose Sharks

.878 save percentage (29th) | -3.5 GSAx (27th)

It’s been ugly for the Sharks, but don’t blame the goalies. Yes, they gave up 20 goals in two games. Yes, they rank in the bottom five in nearly every major statistical category. But based on the defense being played in front of Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kähkönen, they’ve actually fared pretty well.

San Jose has allowed the most shots, scoring chances and expected goals per game this season, but five goalie tandems have worse goals saved above expected numbers. That itself is a miracle. Blackwood and Kähkönen have both looked solid at times and made some big stops, but it’s an impossible task playing behind this defense.

26. Seattle Kraken

.895 save percentage (21st) | 0.8 GSAx (18th)

As a team, the Kraken rank 21st in save percentage (.895). If they can maintain that, it would be the best in franchise history. That’s a pretty incredible stat, but it’s true. Seattle finished 25th in 2021-22 (.880) and 30th last season (.886). It begs the question: Are Seattle’s goalies bad, or are they playing in a manner that leads to poor save percentage? The answer is likely a little of both.

Oddly enough, Seattle’s league-high five empty net goals given up do count against team save percentage, so the numbers for Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord are slightly better. Still, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

27. Los Angeles Kings

.897 save percentage (18th) | 0.9 GSAx (16th)

The Kings are an elite defensive team. However, unlike with some of the tandems on this list, the Kings have not taken advantage.

Cam Talbot is off to a strong start, with a .923 save percentage and 6.6 GSAx. If he can maintain that level, the Kings will be in good shape, but that likely will be tough if the backup play doesn’t improve drastically to take some of the weight off his shoulders.

In three appearances, Pheonix Copley has yet to give Los Angeles a quality performance. He’s given up 11 goals on only 52 shots, and was pulled after giving up three goals in eight minutes against Arizona. Only three goalies have worse GSAx this year. This is where the tandem really comes into play. If Talbot were part of a stronger duo he’d be much higher. With a struggling backup, maintaining his current level will be difficult.

28. Ottawa Senators

.888 save percentage (24th) | -3.2 GSAx (26th)

Thus far, the Senators have fallen short of expectations, and the goalies are part of that. Joonas Korpisalo has only two wins in seven starts, and ranks 51st in GSAx. He did have a miraculous effort in a 40-save win over Pittsburgh at the end of October, but the consistency hasn’t been there.

Anton Forsberg hasn’t been great as the 1B goalie, but he has received more goal support to earn two wins in his three starts. A lot of things need to improve for the Senators, including goaltending.

29. Chicago Blackhawks

.902 save percentage (13th) | 4.9 GSAx (9th)

Just as we don’t want to overreact to talented goalies off to a slow start, we also can’t rocket the Blackhawks tandem up the rankings because of a surprisingly good month. That said, Arvid Söderblom and Petr Mrázek have been good, and they’ve done it against strong opponents.

Mrázek has wins over the two Cup finalists, Vegas and Florida. Söderblom’s lone win was a 45-save beauty in Toronto. There’s plenty to like. This duo began the season as one of the most unheralded in the NHL. Through one month, they’ve certainly been better than that, but can they keep it up?

30. Columbus Blue Jackets

.902 save percentage (11th) | 2.7 GSAx (11th)

We’ll stick with the theme of tandems off to a great start that I still don’t fully trust. Elvis Merzlikins and Spencer Martin have played well. They’ve split the starts evenly, and given Columbus a chance to win on most nights.

After a terrible 2022-23 season, Merzlikins and Martin were looking for a bounceback, and this is a nice start. These two ranked 105th and 107th, respectively, out of 107 goalies last year in GSAx, so there’s plenty of reason for skepticism that it will continue.

31. Philadelphia Flyers

.879 save percentage (27th) | -9.2 GSAx (30th)

It should surprise no one that John Tortorella has the Flyers playing tough, structured hockey. Philadelphia has allowed the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes of any team in the league, and yet they’re 18th in actual goals allowed.

Carter Hart hasn’t been great when healthy, but he’s been fine in his eight starts. The issue is Samuel Ersson has given up 6.4 goals above expected in only five games, and Cal Peterson gave up five goals in his only appearance.

If this ranking was a projection into the future, the Flyers would be higher because I believe in Hart.

32. Edmonton Oilers

.861 save percentage (32nd) | -10.9 GSAx (32nd)

The Oilers rank last in save percentage (.861) and goals saved above expected (-10.9) and have allowed more goals than every team other than the Sharks.

Stuart Skinner has one win in seven games. Jack Campbell led all goalies in goals allowed above expected before he was waived on Tuesday. He’ll still count $3.85 million toward the cap while in AHL Bakersfield and will be replaced by Calvin Pickard, who hasn’t finished with a save percentage north of .900 since 2017.

Finally, here’s how every tandem stacks up in terms of combined goals saved above expected this season:

(Top photos of Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin and Linus Ullmark: Wendell Cruz and Tim Fuller / USA Today; Michael Mooney / NHLI via Getty Images)