The goaltending position has been a hotly contested topic for Team Canada since the return of best-on-best hockey became a reality last year. Many questioned what was wrong with Canada's development of goaltenders and if their options could hold up against the other teams, especially the United States. People were waiting with bated breath for the announcement of Canada's roster to see who the front office chose as their netminders.
The group went with the trio of Adin Hill, Jordan Binnington, and Sam Montembeault. It was an interesting move to leave home two of the best Canadian goaltenders this season, Logan Thompson and MacKenzie Blackwood. Still, the front office opted for experience over good individual seasons. They will be under fire if Team Canada loses because of their goaltending, and the recent stats don't do the team any favors.
Hill, Binnington, and Montembeault have save percentages below .900 since January 1st. Compare this to the American goaltending trio of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, and Jeremy Swayman, whose lowest mark is a .909. Sweden also has two goaltenders above .900, while Finland's goaltending is similar to Canada's.
With so many talented goalies for coaches to choose from at the 4 Nations Faceoff, current form may enter the equation.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 10, 2025
With that, here’s how every goalie in the tournament has fared since Jan. 1: pic.twitter.com/uDwXn2GlPO
The stats presented by Jesse Granger present an interesting argument that Montembeault could be Canada's best option. The last column represents "goals saved above expected," which essentially measures the effectiveness of the defense in front of each goalie. Hill and Binnington represent negative value for their NHL teams and should be stopping more pucks, while the Canadiens would be in a tough spot if it weren't for Montembeault.
Montembeault is the fifth-best goaltender in the tournament in this statistic, and his ability to bail out Montreal should serve him well with Canada. Team Canada has an unbelievable team in front of Montembeault, and they won't be giving up the same quantity of opportunities. It'd be intriguing to see what Montembeault could do behind this group.
Logan Thompson's snub looms large
Montembeault might be Canada's best option on the roster, but Logan Thompson is undoubtedly the biggest snub of the tournament. Thompson may not have the experience of some of these goalies, but he has been the best Canadian goalie since January 1st.
Thompson has a 9-0-3 record, with a .925 save percentage and a 2.11 goals-against average. Amazingly, he also has a 7.83 goals saved above expected, which would put him first in this tournament.
Gone are the days of Carey Price, Martin Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo. However, if Binnington, Hill, and Montembeault fail to meet the country's expectations, it'll be Team Canada's general manager, Don Sweeney, and the rest of the front office that feel the wrath.