Within the remaining version of previewing every division’s greatest goalies forward of the 2025-26 season, we get to the Pacific, which has the weakest area so far.
For my part, the Pacific is residence to many problem-goalies. Netminders that groups are caught with and would improve if solely they may.
Nonetheless, there’s a handful of elite ones who might have a shot at contending for this yr’s Vezina Trophy. Listed below are the three goalies with one of the best odds to win the award for the league’s greatest tendie as of October 7.
Dustin Wolf, Flames (+1800)
Calgary’s Dustin Wolf has the sixth-best odds to win the Vezina Trophy proper now.
After beginning 53 video games in his first season because the Flames’ full-time goaltender, Wolf completed second within the Calder Trophy voting for rookie of the yr and completed in eighth place within the Vezina voting.
By way of these 53 video games, Wolf had a 2.64 GAA and a .910 save proportion. He additionally had a 29-16-8 report in these video games.
It’s been an extended highway to lastly get to the NHL for Wolf, who Calgary drafted within the seventh spherical of the 2019 entry-level draft. After that, he performed two extra seasons in Canada’s WHL junior league.
He then spent two years within the AHL earlier than making his NHL debut with the Flames. Wolf lastly received the full-time job when Calgary’s earlier starter, Jacob Markström, was traded to the Devils in July 2024.
Forward of this season, Wolf is likely one of the stronger goalies within the Western Convention and possibly one of the best goalie within the Pacific Division.
Darcy Kuemper, Kings (+3000)
In his first season again in Los Angeles final yr, Darcy Kuemper was the whole lot the Kings might have requested for and extra.
He had a career-best 2.02 GAA and a .921 save proportion. In his 50 video games began, Kuemper had a 31-11-7 report. For his efficiency, the league’s basic managers voted him right into a third-place end within the 2024-25 Vezina voting.
That was the best Vezina end in Kuemper’s 13-year NHL profession.
The 35-year-old enters this season with a possibility to assist Los Angeles proceed it’s streak of constructing the playoffs and, hopefully, get previous the primary spherical for the primary time since their Stanley Cup successful season in 2014.
As for Vezina competition, I don’t see Kuemper ending any higher this yr than he did final yr except the Kings make the run at a Division title.
Lukáš Dostál, Geese (+3500)
In his second season of full-time motion within the NHL final yr, the 25-year-old Lukáš Dostál had a strong season for the Geese.
He completed the yr with a 3.10 GAA and a .903 save proportion alongside a 23-23-7 report in his 49 video games began.
Dostál’s efficiency wasn’t robust sufficient for Anaheim to make the playoffs, or a lot noise in any respect within the Pacific Division. The Geese completed in sixth place within the division with a 35-37-10 report.
Anaheim has not made the playoffs since 2018.
I don’t view Dostál as a powerful contender for the Vezina given what he’s proven to this point in his profession. There’d need to be some main enchancment over the subsequent few years for him to develop into a contender.
