Top 5 NHL goalies to start a franchise with

The NHL is in the midst of a goaltending renaissance, as every season seems to produce a new group of elite talent. Every year there’s a new great goalie that comes out and shows some skills that no one’s ever seen before. Jakub Dobes has recently stepped into the position of starting goaltender for Montreal and has played well. Other notable goalies making noise include Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt, Calgary’s Dustin Wolf, and Chicago’s Spencer Knight, who are all helping to shape the constantly changing environment of goaltending in the league. MORE: NHL teams least likely to win the Stanley Cup in the next 10 years #5 Igor Shesterkin | NY Rangers Oct 11, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) covers the puck on a first period save against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Despite being in his age-30 season, Shesterkin has proven that he can take on the bulk of an NHL season and provide elite numbers for his team. Even with his team banged up last season, he still put up strong numbers for the Rangers. A revamped D-core will help Shesterkin and be a solid goalie to build around for the franchise. #4 Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild  Jesper Wallstedt is in a split tandem with Filip Gustavsson, but his talent is there, and he was a highly regarded goalie prospect in the NHL Draft. He posted a .916% and can be a key piece at his age, and is on a friendly contract. Betting on a young goalie can be risky, but Wallstedt is a phenomenal young player. MORE: Top 5 NHL players to start a franchise with, & Connor McDavid isn’t ranked first #3 Spencer Knight | Chicago Blackhawks Spencer Knight is a player to bet on for your future franchise netminder. His situation with the Blackhawks is interesting because the team in front of them still needs to improve. Bowen Byram is a solid addition to the team if he can stay healthy. Knight posted a .902%, but he can still be a goalie to count on. #2 Dustin Wolf | Calgary Flames Jan 8, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm (28) (not pictured) scores a goal past Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images Can Dustin Wolf be elite? Wolf finished the season with some impressive games with multiple 30-save performances. Wolf needs to be better, but the Flames are in the middle of a rebuild. Wolf was one of the best AHL goalies, and now the NHL is a different game. He signed a seven-year, $52.5 million contract ($7.5 million average annual value) with the Flames on Sept. 9, 2025. The Flames are making a big investment in their goaltender, and if he can perform for your team on this type of contract, it can be a steal very quickly for the Flames or your franchise. #1 Jakub Dobes | Montreal Canadians Dobes had 29 wins a season ago with the Canadiens and appears to have a high ceiling to become an elite goaltender for the team. Dobes and Jacob Fowler on the roster is a good problem to have for the Canadiens. Dobes, though, has shown he can be the franchise’s starter in goal for the future. Dobes signed a three-year, $16.05 million contract with an average annual value of $5.35 million on July 2, 2026. He went 29-10-4 with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 43 games (42 starts) in the regular season, tops among rookies and ninth in the NHL in wins. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —