The five most interesting goaltending battles of the 2025-26 NHL preseason

Sep 16, 2025, 13:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 15, 2025, 13:17 EDT

The five most interesting goaltending battles of the 2025-26 NHL preseason

Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

The NHL preseason is way too long – even with the news that it’ll be shortened beginning with the new collective bargaining agreement in 2026-27.

But its prolonged existence allows for storylines to emerge. For some teams, the biggest talking points might involve their creasemasters. In some cases, it means the team lacks a true answer in net. For others, it could mean their tandem might be what saves their season.

Tandems rarely work – most Stanley Cup champions have an undisputed No. 1. But as starters continue to play less and less each year, having a handful of legit options at your disposal is key.

With some teams bringing in new goaltenders to the fray, or others looking to bust through and become a full-time NHLer, here’s a look at five of the most interesting battles to watch over the next few weeks. And whatever you do, don’t assume any goaltender has a spot locked up – it’s the most unpredictable position in hockey:

Buffalo Sabres

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, Alexandar Georgiev, Devon Levi

Levi looked primed to challenge for the starter’s gig in 2023-24 after finishing one of the best college careers in recent memory. In the end, he definitely wasn’t ready, and now he looks set to head back to the AHL for 2025-26 – a league he has fared quite well in over the past few years. Fortunately, UPL has played well enough to establish himself as Buffalo’s No. 1. Unfortunately, an off-season injury means UPL will miss some time, which explains their move to add goaltending depth recently.

Lyon showed some promising signs over the past three years, starting by helping the Florida Panthers make the playoffs in 2023. He was a great value option for the Detroit Red Wings, and now Buffalo hopes he can be the same over the next two years. The most surprising addition, though, was the signing of Georgiev. Georgiev had an ugly season with Colorado and San Jose, falling well short of the 38 wins he had the season prior. He has plenty of NHL experience and might be able to push Lyon for the backup gig. But it feels like one of them is destined for the waiver wire, with Georgiev being the more likely option.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins, Jet Greaves, Ivan Fedotov

The Blue Jackets nearly made the Stanley Cup playoffs last year – and probably would have had their goaltending lived up to their end of the bargain. Merzlikins had a terrible season and doesn’t look capable of being a starting goalie anymore. Greaves, meanwhile, showed serious promise in the NHL and was one of the top goaltenders in the AHL last year. The Blue Jackets seem to really believe in him.

But hoping a rookie can lead the team into the postseason is asking a lot. That’s why it still feels like it’s Merzlikins’ net to lose. The 31-year-old hasn’t had a surface save percentage better than .897 since 2021-22, and there’s little reason to believe that’ll change this year. Fortunately, he played some of his best hockey when he was pushed by Jooonas Korpisalo for a few years. Could having a hot shot in Greaves offer up a similar result this year?

And then there’s Fedotov, whom the Blue Jackets acquired over the weekend. It’s very likely he’ll be the one headed to the AHL after camp. He struggled mightily last year in Philadelphia (some think the overall erratic coaching decisions from John Tortorella didn’t help), but he does have NHL experience, which makes him an OK option at No. 3.

Detroit Red Wings

John Gibson and Cam Talbot

The Red Wings traded for Gibson at the 2025 NHL Draft, giving them what should be an upgrade over Lyon. And the timing is good, too. Despite missing the start of the season – and thus losing the starter’s gig to Lukas Dostal – Gibson battled back to post some of the best numbers of his 12-year NHL career. At his best, Gibson is fully capable of stealing games.

But was his 29-game clip last year legit? Can the Red Wings be fully confident in him? Or will 38-year-old Cam Talbot have something to say about that? Talbot was great in stretches last year, with his numbers in December suggesting he’d be a good fit for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. He can be a bit hot-and-cold, but when he’s hot, Talbot can be lights out. He’ll want to secure as many starts as possible and prove he can still be Detroit’s No. 1 – but Gibson will be a tough nemesis. Either way, it’s a solid duo.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Tristan Jarry, Arturs Silovs, Joel Blomqvist

On paper, it’s Jarry’s job to lose. But we’ve seen that he’s very capable of losing it. The 30-year-old played much better hockey down the stretch, which might have saved him from getting bought out. But it took a trip to the AHL for him to find his game again, which isn’t ideal. At his best, Jarry can be a solid No. 1. He had six shutouts just two years ago on a bad Penguins team and has boasted a save percentage of .919 or higher twice since 2019-20. The lows outweigh the highs, though, and being on a playoff bubble team certainly doesn’t help.

Silovs has the upper hand as Jarry’s backup over Blomqvist, partly due to age, but also due to experience. Silovs hasn’t been a full-time NHLer at any point but did lead Abbotsford to the Calder Cup and has some NHL playoff experience, too. Blomqvist is slightly younger at 23 and did play 15 NHL games last year. But he didn’t play a ton of hockey in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, so the priority should be to have him get as much playing time as possible in 2025-26. If he outperforms Silovs in camp, keep him up. Otherwise, let him marinate. Either way, any of these three goalies could easily be the No. 1 come October, which can be both good or bad.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll

The Maple Leafs haven’t had a true No. 1 since Freddy Andersen, instead going with various tandems. The most recent – and perhaps most effective – is Stolarz and Woll, with Stolarz, in particular, looking strong last season. Both goalies deal with injuries, with Stolarz even missing 24 games due to a knee issue early on. But Toronto has two legit goaltenders who could shine at any time, and that’s important.

Stolarz was the better of the two goaltenders and likely will get the edge in playing time, if that comes about. But Woll is very capable of filling in, just like he did during the playoffs last year. It’s likely they’ll continue as a tandem, but you have to imagine they both want to do whatever it takes to earn a bit of extra playing time. Of note, Stolarz is a pending UFA, and if Dennis Hildeby shines in the AHL, it could force some changes for 2026-27. But that’s a topic for another day.

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