The top five remaining NHL goalies in free agency

We’re officially in the dog days of summer.

Barring the odd signing here and there, most general managers have shut off their phones and are likely lounging on the docks of their cottages. Unless they have a restricted free agent to still nail down a deal with, they don’t really have anything left to do. Most of the free agent market has a new home, and the ones that don’t will likely just find a role for themselves once the injuries come piling in during training camp.

The goaltending market is an excellent example of that. Every team already has their goaltending tandem locked up for the season, and 10 of them will have three NHL-calibre options to work with. Moreover, there aren’t many options left to sign for the teams still looking for one more netminder. There are only a handful of unrestricted free agents left, and all the RFA goaltenders have signed new deals, so there isn’t even a threat of an offer sheet.

But that doesn’t mean a team will need to add a goalie at some point. Whether they realize they need a veteran to play behind their current tandem, an injury pops up early in training camp, or that young upstart option a team was hoping would take the next step didn’t quite work out (looking at you, Ottawa Senators), spots will open up eventually.

So with that in mind, let’s look at what’s left in the free agent goalie market and determine who the best options are, should an NHL team come asking for their services.

5. Petr Mrazek

Age: 34
2025-26 stats: 10 games, 3-5-0 record, .858 save percentage, -3.81 5v5 goals saved above expected

There was a time when Mrazek was considered one of the better young goalies in the NHL with a bright future ahead of him with the Detroit Red Wings. But that potential withered away just as quickly as it arrived, and he’s found himself as a journeyman tandem goaltender for most of his career. While he had his moments with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks, he’s struggled to maintain success year after year.

Last season may have been the lowest point of Mrazek’s career. He barely got into action in the season, as he played just 10 games for the Anaheim Ducks, with the team often opting for AHL netminder Ville Husso to get starts over Mrazek when the Finn was on the NHL roster. But when Mrazek was playing, it wasn’t met with much success. Yes, the Ducks’ defensive play in front of him was putrid, but Mrazek couldn’t salvage more than a few good games out of the season. At 34, it’d be surprising if he’s able to improve too much from that level of play, meaning teams likely won’t look to sign him in free agency, unless they’re in desperate need of a veteran netminder due to injuries.

4. James Reimer

Age: 38
2025-26 stats: 14 games, 7-4-2 record, .886 save percentage, 1.28 5v5 goals saved above expected

The first question when it comes to signing Reimer for this season should really be: does he want to play? While there were no signs of him committing to retirement last season during his time with Ottawa, there were some questions about if this was it for his career when he didn’t get a job with the Toronto Maple Leafs out of training camp. At 38, who’s to say he doesn’t take the lack of a contract as a sign to hang them up at some point this season.

But then again, last season proved exactly why Reimer might not retire just yet. He eventually found work with the Senators, as they were in desperate need of a backup goaltender after Leevi Merilainen struggled. And Reimer gave them exactly what they needed: a veteran presence in net who could play just well enough to not lose the game for the Senators as they vied for a playoff spot. He wasn’t stellar, but behind an elite defensive system like Ottawa’s, he didn’t need to be. If that situation opens up again, Reimer wouldn’t be the worst option for a team.

3. Matt Murray

Age: 32
2025-26 stats: 5 games, 0-2-1 record, .922 save percentage, 5.83 5v5 goals saved above expected

It’s hard to believe Murray is only 32 years old. It feels like he’s been in the NHL forever, but he also entered the league at a young age, backstopping the Pittsburgh Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups at 21 and 22. His career hasn’t exactly flourished since then, but he’s managed to stick around in the NHL and find jobs with teams, even after he was no longer locked into his pricey contract he signed with Ottawa.

Last season, Murray was the Seattle Kraken‘s third goalie, meaning he didn’t get a lot of action on the year. But when he did play, he was pretty solid. In fact, if you were just looking at SV% and 5v5 GSAx, he was the best out of the remaining UFA goalies. But that also came in three games, so if a team was looking for a pure backup option, Murray probably won’t maintain that performance in a larger role. However if a team was looking for a veteran third option, Murray is a great candidate, especially with his Cup-winning experience.

2. Cam Talbot

Age: 39
2025-26 stats: 34 games, 12-9-6 record, .883 save percentage, -6 5v5 goals saved above expected

Now we reach the point of the list where we have the highest upside options. While No. 1 has long-term upside, Talbot boasts some short-term upside. Of the goalies on this list, he might have the best recent performances, so he could certainly pull that out of his hat again for a team in need of a veteran backup. Additionally, for a goalie who’s already played with eight different teams in his career, he’s well adept at adjusting to a team’s system and playing well within it.

However, there are a couple glaring issues with Talbot that could just as easily put him at the bottom of this list. For starters, he’s coming off of the worst season of his career. Yes, Detroit isn’t exactly a defensive stalwart, but even when you adjust for that, Talbot struggled. On top of that, that came in his age-38 season, meaning his struggles were likely due to age just as much as they were due to the Red Wings. A 39-year-old goalie coming off of his worst season doesn’t exactly provide teams with confidence if they’re looking to sign him, and it might be why retirement could be the more likely scenario for Talbot than finding another team.

1. Connor Ingram

Age: 29
2025-26 stats: 32 games, 16-10-3 record, .899 save percentage, 2.03 5v5 goals saved above expected

Ingram can be filed under “I’m surprised he hasn’t found a home yet this summer”. Seriously, why aren’t there any teams at least taking a flyer on him? He wasn’t amazing last season, but he had a very solid season, and proved to be a reliable option for the Edmonton Oilers in net when their crease was predictably chaotic. Heck, he won the starting goalie job over Tristan Jarry, who the Oilers spent far too much to acquire, down the stretch and was their starter for most of the playoffs.

It’s understandable why the Oilers moved on from Ingram, as they needed to improve their goaltending situation, and Jarry was still under contract. But I’m surprised another team with a bit of uncertainty in their goaltending like the Hurricanes, Penguins, Florida Panthers or Vegas Golden Knights (whether due to experience or health), hasn’t tried to add Ingram to deepen their crease just a bit more. I don’t think Ingram will enter the season without a contract though. He’ll likely just have to wait for an injury or professional tryout option in training camp.

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