With the skill level and speed at which the current game is played, NHL goaltenders have struggled to perform at a high level season-to-season.

On several occasions, goaltenders have recorded seasons with save percentages above .900, and in other years, they are well below the mark. Finding that consistent level is the goal, and there are many goaltenders looking to do so.

Here are five goaltenders with the most to prove in the 2025-26 season.

Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

Swayman and the Bruins agreed to a monster, eight-year, $8.25-million contract extension last off-season after they traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. At the time, the move made sense despite Ullmark taking home a Vezina Trophy during his stint with the Bruins. Swayman was younger and looked far better in the playoffs.

Whether the long negotiations affected Swayman or not, the 2024-25 season started poorly for the 26-year-old, and he never really recovered. Swayman had never recorded a save percentage under .914, but he finished last season with a .892 SP. The Bruins fell far from the playoffs after trading several players away at the deadline and finished 28th in the NHL standings.

Swayman featured on Team USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster and was the starting netminder in the Americans' first world championship win since 1933. Swayman will want to retain his spot on the Olympic roster, but he needs to start the season well to hold off his competition. 

John Gibson, Detroit Red Wings

Gibson had been rumored to be traded out of Anaheim for a long time, and it finally came to fruition this off-season. The Red Wings sent goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft to acquire the 32-year-old. 

Gibson had a phenomenal stretch from 2015 to 2019 when the Ducks were a competitive team, but since then, he has struggled to produce above-average numbers on a weak team. The Red Wings are far from Stanley Cup contenders, but the franchise believes they have what it takes to make the playoffs.

A lot of pressure rests on Gibson's shoulders to propel the Red Wings to the playoffs as he retakes a No. 1 role on an NHL team.

Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators

The Predators were woeful in the 2024-25 season, and Saros did not bail them out. He finished the campaign with a .896 SP, the lowest of his career. In fact, it was the first time he was ever under .900, and he has only been under .910 once before, which came in the 2023-24 season. 

The 30-year-old needs to prove himself once again and help right the ship in Nashville. The Predators have attempted to add younger players to their roster while keeping it competitive for their veterans, and just as easily as they could miss the post-season, they could make it. 

Including his performance with the Predators, Saros needs to find his game if Finland wants to go on a long run at the Olympics. His showing at the world championships was impressive, and it's a start, but like Swayman, a lot rides on his start to the upcoming season. 

Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks

Demko was never healthy last year, and unfortunately, that's been his biggest issue in his NHL career. When healthy, Demko is among the elite goaltenders in the NHL, but he needs to find a way to stay between the pipes. 

The Canuck have revamped their roster and are in an excellent position to return to the playoffs. Although it doesn't all ride on Demko's performance, the Canucks will likely live or die by their No. 1 goaltender.

In addition to his success with the Canucks, Demko has a real chance to work his way onto the American Olympic roster. Proving he has what it takes to be a No. 1 goaltender isn't the issue, but proving he can do it consistently is. 

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck has virtually nothing left to prove in the regular season, but he has everything to prove in the playoffs. A three-time Vezina Trophy winner, a two-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner and one of eight goaltenders ever to win the Hart Trophy. Yet, he looks like a shell of himself in the playoffs.

After Hellebuyck recorded a .932 SP and led the Americans to the finals at the 4 Nations, many thought Hellebuyck had figured out how to stay mentally strong in high-leverage situations. But after a dreadful post-season where he was pulled three times in the first round against the St. Louis Blues, it was clear that the mental block had not been solved. 

Hellebuyck has the pedigree to go down as one of the great goaltenders to play in the NHL, but the lack of playoff success is holding him back from truly being acknowledged in that breath. 

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