Goaltending is always a position that causes anxiety. Performances can change quickly, and in hockey, allowing easy goals is a fast way to ruin a team`s chances.
Therefore, teams needing a goalie should be concerned about finding a solution this off-season.
The market for unrestricted free agent goalies in 2025 has become weak recently. Several goalies, including Mackenzie Blackwood, Logan Thompson, Charlie Lindgren, and Karel Vejmelka, have signed long-term contracts with their current teams. Adin Hill, the 2023 Cup winner, who was seen as the best remaining option, also signed a six-year extension with Vegas on March 14.
This leaves the free agent goalie market very limited.
The positive aspect is that the unpredictable nature of goaltending can be helpful. Sometimes, unexpected solutions appear.
Consider the goalies who recently signed new deals. Colorado realized that poor goaltending was hurting their Cup aspirations. They traded for both Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood during the season. Since Blackwood joined in mid-December, the Avalanche have the 11th-best save percentage at five-on-five in the league (.919).
Thompson was acquired cheaply by Washington from Vegas last summer when Vegas needed to free up contract space. Currently, only five goalies with at least 25 starts have a better save percentage than Thompson`s .917. Another goalie with a high save percentage is Anthony Stolarz, who signed a two-year contract with Toronto as a backup and now has a .918 save percentage.
Darcy Kuemper, who Thompson replaced in Washington, was traded in a deal that addressed contract issues last summer. Washington sent Kuemper`s large contract to Los Angeles for Pierre-Luc Dubois`s contract. Since January 1st, only Andrei Vasilevskiy of Tampa (.925) has a better save percentage than Kuemper`s .924.
You never know where good goaltending might come from.
Still, there are very few obvious top goalie options available for teams needing help. Legendary goalies aren`t suddenly becoming available.
However, is it possible to find a goalie who can achieve a .914 save percentage over about 35 games? Possibly.
With that in mind, let`s look at some potential UFA goalie options and also consider a few possible trade candidates.
Potential UFAs
Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
His injury history is a concern, but his overall performance is strong. Among active goalies with at least 400 career games, Andersen`s .916 save percentage in 511 games is the fourth-best in the NHL. Only Connor Hellebuyck, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Semyon Varlamov have slightly better save percentages at .917.
Andersen has been consistently good throughout his career: .918 save percentage in 125 games with Anaheim, .914 in 268 games with Toronto, and .918 in 118 games with Carolina. He is currently playing very well, with a 5-1-0 record and a .939 save percentage in his last six games.
While he may not be a goalie to play 55 games, especially as he will be 36 in October, Andersen is a skilled puck stopper.
Jake Allen, New Jersey Devils
Allen was traded to New Jersey before the 2024 trade deadline and needed some time to adjust. Since January 1st, his .924 save percentage is second-best in the NHL among goalies who have played at least 15 games, only behind Vasilevskiy (.925). His goals saved above expected per 60 minutes this season is the best in the NHL at 0.805 among goalies with at least 20 games played.
Allen turns 35 in August, but he clearly still has significant ability.
