The top 15 NHL goalies each decade | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League
Toggle sidebar

The top 15 NHL goalies each decade

grentthealien

Registered User
Oct 2, 2016
970
565
Newfoundland
I woke up in the mood to make some lists and recently thought about my favourite goalies that I’ve seen play throughout my years. Since I was born in the 90s I figure I’d try to cover at least 3 decades.

My lists are very much just me spitballing and therefore shouldn’t be taken too seriously. I tried to consider various things in my rankings such as longevity,numbers, awards and team success.

I hope this thread can be a starting point for others to make their lists and for overall discussion about Nhl goaltending over the last century. So make a list for as many decades as you want or feel free to make adjustments to my own. The more discussion the better:) Now with all that out of the way my Goalie lists for the 2010s,2000s and 90s are below.

2010s
1.Lundqvist
2.Price
3.Bobrovsky
4.Rask
5.Holtby
6.Quick
7.Rinne
8.Schneider
9.Thomas
10.Bishop
11.Crawford
12.Luongo
13.Miller
14.Fleury
15.Anderson
Hm Dubnyk and Andersen

00s
1.Brodeur
2.Hasek
3.Luongo
4.Roy
5.Kiprusoff
6.Giguere
7.Vokoun
8.Nabokov
9.Thomas
10.Lundqvist
11.Theodore
12.Belfour
13.Kolzig
14.Joseph
15.Turco
Hm Khabibulin , Ward and Fernandez

90s
1.Hasek
2.Roy
3.Belfour
4.Brodeur
5.Vanbiesbrouk
6.Joseph
7.Richter
8.Moog
9.Barrasso
10.Vernon
11.Osgood
12.Mclean
13.Hebert
14.Ranford
15.Potvin
Hm Puppa,Burke,Dafoe and Fuhr
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: quoipourquoi and Killion
For the 2000s, I think you'd have to have Brodeur, Luongo, Giguere, Kiprusoff, Turco, Nabokov, and Osgood towards the top. I can't understand Hasek and Roy in the top-4. Hasek was replaced from injury and performance more seasons (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008) than not (2001, 2002, 2007), and Roy was retired for 6 years. Even if you're scoring him just on 2000-2003, Cechmanek would be on his heels, no?

Fun exercise, but I think you did Turco dirty.
 
This is tough due to its rigidity...I wonder if it solves anything to go by "era"...? Either 1995 to present or 2005 to present and 1995-2004, plus post-merger 1979-1994, 1967-1978, 1942-1966, 1929-1941, pre-1928...something like that...? I don't know, just spitballing...I can't do the decade thing because some years blend together and they carry too much weight to ignore or be wrong about...
 
  • Like
Reactions: seventieslord
80s, ranked rather arbitrarily based on my gut feel at the moment:

1.Roy
2.Fuhr
3.Smith
4.Liut
5.Moog
6.Barasso
7.Vanbiesbrouck
8.Hextall
9.Hrudey
10.Froese
11.Beaupre
12.Lemelin
13.Brodeur
14.Peeters
15.Wamsley

HM Riggin, Casey, Hanlon, Millen, Lindbergh
 
2010s
1. Bobrovsky
2. Lundqvist
3. Price
4. Holtby
5. Rinne
6. Rask
7. Quick
8. Varlamov
9. Bishop
10. Thomas

2000s
1. Brodeur
2. Kiprusoff
3. Luongo
4. Nabokov
5. Roy
6. Miller
7. Hašek
8. Lundqvist
9. Turco
10. Bryzgalov

1990s
1. Hašek
2. Roy
3. Brodeur
4. Belfour
5. Joseph
6. Kölzig
7. Vanbiesbrouck
8. Barrasso
9. Richter
10. Turek

1980s
1. Roy
2. Fuhr
3. Lindbergh
4. Barrasso
5. Smith
6. Peeters
7. Vanbiesbrouck
8. Hextall
9. Liut
10. Vernon
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheGoldenJet and grentthealien
1970s

1. Tretiak
2. Dryden
3. Parent
4. Esposito
5. Holecek
6. Vachon
7. Cheevers
8. Giacomin
9. Resch
10. Bouchard
11. Maniago
12. Davidson
13. Smith
14. Johnston
15. Palmateer

This is only going by what they did in the 70s (Smith would be a lot higher if his 80s playoffs were factored), and was done off the top of my head, so I've probably missed someone obvious.
 
quoipourquoi said:
For the 2000s, I think you'd have to have Brodeur, Luongo, Giguere, Kiprusoff, Turco, Nabokov, and Osgood towards the top. I can't understand Hasek and Roy in the top-4. Hasek was replaced from injury and performance more seasons (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008) than not (2001, 2002, 2007), and Roy was retired for 6 years. Even if you're scoring him just on 2000-2003, Cechmanek would be on his heels, no?

Fun exercise, but I think you did Turco dirty.
Click to expand...
I agree with you Hasek is definitely too high. Looking back at it I think I caved into the sheer power of his name on that one. I still believe Roy and Hasek deserve to be in the top 10 just based on their numbers and awards In that decade. Between them Hasek has a vezina and two cups while Roy has a cup and a Conn Smythe in 2001. So still an impressive body of work for them even if they both only played a bit over 200 games in that period.

Honestly the 2000s list was the most difficult one for me. I found there to be quite a struggle for me between longevity and accolades. I’m not too confident with Thomas at 9 on that list because looking back he really only had one dominant season in the 2000s. Then again that’s one of the problems with making these lists as someone like Thomas has Vezinas in both the 2000s and 2010s if you divide the rankings up. He also just had a weird career where he was either the best goalie in the league or just mediocre the rest of the time.
 
Can't wait until somebody attempts the 60s. Not only to place early platoon guys like Charlie Hodge, but also Viktor Konovalenko, who's much harder to get a read on than Tretiak after him, and especially Seth Martin.
 
lifelonghockeyfan said:
I can never understand why Tretiak was rated so highly.
Click to expand...

What makes you wonder about that?... Says' on your profile "Retired" so I assume you saw him play against the pro's, internationally from like 72 on? Forgetting his superb record entirely, "eye test" alone, technically that guy had his act together big time with absolutely beyond World Class innate talent... razor fast reflexes, fast feet & strong on his skates, excellent glove hand... mentally, highly advanced understanding of the game & players. Very Cool Cucumber. I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have been extremely successful had he been able to emigrate, joined an NHL club. No problem with the workload, physicality, wear & tear, travel... eventually have taken his place beside the games greatest professionals. Even as it was, his career, very important goalie in the history of the position & game. One of the best Ive ever seen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cole von cole, DaveG, ChiTownPhilly and 2 others
Killion said:
What makes you wonder about that?... Says' on your profile "Retired" so I assume you saw him play against the pro's, internationally from like 72 on? Forgetting his superb record entirely, "eye test" alone, technically that guy had his act together big time with absolutely beyond World Class innate talent... razor fast reflexes, fast feet & strong on his skates, excellent glove hand... mentally, highly advanced understanding of the game & players. Very Cool Cucumber. I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have been extremely successful had he been able to emigrate, joined an NHL club. No problem with the workload, physicality, wear & tear, travel... eventually have taken his place beside the games greatest professionals. Even as it was, his career, very important goalie in the history of the position & game. One of the best Ive ever seen.
Click to expand...

Just wonder why is rated # 1 one. I was 18 when the Summit Series was played in 72. Thank goodness he was in net for the Soviets (it was the Soviets back then) or else the NHL would never have won.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Killion
The problem with the last 10 years is that the top goalies have won nothing in the playoffs. It's hard to rate a player who's had no postseason success. I'm not saying Quick is better than Price or Lundqvist, but I'd certainly rate him above Bobrovsky, who has choked badly in the only playoff performances he's had.
 
60's:

Plante
Sawchuk
Hall
Bower
Worsley
Dejordy
Hodge
Giacomin
Cheevers
Crozier
Johnston
Binkley
R.Edwards
Bassen
Gamble
 
  • Like
Reactions: quoipourquoi
SealsFan said:
70's:

Parent
K.Dryden
Esposito
Vachon
Meloche
Giacomin
Cheevers
G.Smith
Rutherford
Maniago
Villemure
Bouchard
Myre
Johnston
Favell

A few head-scratchers, I realize, but as always the list reflects my personal biases...
Click to expand...

....interesting lists SF, 60's as well... and thanks for qualifying them with "personal preferences & biases" so more on the side of subjectivity, entertainment value, personal memories & identification rather than wholly objective and absolutely nothing wrong with that. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bluesguru and SealsFan
Johnny Engine said:
Two things:
Wouldn't Hall's body of work in the 60s only surpass Sawchuk and Plante in that decade?
Thoughts on Seth Martin?
Click to expand...

Not SF obviously Johnny however... as stated above, thats one Members "Personal Picks" & something I know you & most here encourage.... I for example preferred to see Charlie Hodge rather than the Gumper as the Starter when I tuned into HNIC. Not because Hodge was "better" just that I "enjoyed watching" Charlie a lot more. Very interesting style, techniques. The Habs actually playing a little differently with Hodge in net. Made for a more interesting game at least to my young eyes back in the day. Also very much enjoyed watching Bruce Gamble & Doug Favell in Toronto, along with many of the less Heralded goaltenders & skaters around the league.

Even followed Minor-Pro way back in the day when NHL jobs were scarce, the AHL, CHL etc all stocked with some excellent players & by "excellent" I dont just mean guys who put up a tonne of points or whatever, I mean "interesting". Fascinating to watch, study, follow.... which brings us to Seth Martin.... who while an excellent goaltender was I believe built more for Sr. Semi-Pro & Minor Pro, "Tournament Hockey" internationally. He played for the love of the game & position, role. Back in the day there were a lot of excellent players who simply did not appreciate or respond to the demands of the professional game to the nth degree's required certainly at the NHL level. Independently minded, outliers.... Seth of that ilk, type. Guyle Fielder another though one who did earn his living exclusively from hockey during his salad days, decades playing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SealsFan
Question for those putting tim thomas in their top 10, why?

Even if you start in 09/10 and not 10/11 (whichever, doesn't matter), he only has 2 seasons as a starter. He started half the games in 09/10 and the better goalie was Rask that season, considering he got 7th place in vezina votes where thomas didn't get a single one.

I will definitely acknowledge he had an all time awesome goaltending performance in 10/11, and I mean that genuinely. But does his one amazing season make him in the top ten of the 8 or 9 (depending on where you start) seasons.

Other than that, can't complain about these lists
 
Revised my 2000s list after some consideration

00s
1.Brodeur
2.Luongo
3.Kiprusoff
4.Giguere
5.Roy
6.Hasek
7.Vokoun
8.Nabokov
9.Turco
10.Lundqvist
11.Theodore
12.Belfour
13.Kolzig
14.Thomas
15.Joseph
Hm Khabibulin, Fernandez, Cechmanek
 
Johnny Engine said:
Two things:
Wouldn't Hall's body of work in the 60s only surpass Sawchuk and Plante in that decade?
Thoughts on Seth Martin?
Click to expand...

Yes, if I paid a bit more attention to detail I could come to that conclusion. Never saw Seth Martin play. As I only became a hockey fan circa 69-70, this list is more of just personal favorites than chiseled-in-stone facts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Johnny Engine
SealsFan said:
Yes, if I paid a bit more attention to detail I could come to that conclusion. Never saw Seth Martin play. As I only became a hockey fan circa 69-70, this list is more of just personal favorites than chiseled-in-stone facts.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.
I only ask because the 60s stand out as a funny decade with a lack of true colossus goaltenders who routinely ran the table between the regular season and playoffs. Hall has the recognition, of course, and Sawchuk and Plante have the names based on what they did in the 50s (though both certainly had their moments in the 60s), but almost every Stanley Cup that decade came on the backs of a goaltender who was spitting time to some degree for their team.
It's entirely possible that Hall's playoffs soured you to the extent that you couldn't put him in the top spot, and I'd accept a wide variety of takes on the matter.
 
SealsFan said:
70's:

Parent
K.Dryden
Esposito
Vachon
Meloche
Giacomin
Cheevers
G.Smith
Rutherford
Maniago
Villemure
Bouchard
Myre
Johnston
Favell

A few head-scratchers, I realize, but as always the list reflects my personal biases...
Click to expand...

Just curious--what's the argument for Parent over Dryden?
 
  • Like
Reactions: SealsFan
2000s:

Brodeur
Luongo
Nabokov
Vokoun
Kiprusoff
Hasek
Cechmanek
Osgood
Theodore
Biron
HM: Thomas, Huet, Roy
 
I think we should decide which decade a player belongs to and then count acchievements they produced also outside of that decade.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom