Which goalies in the league currently have the best fundamentals and puck handling skills?

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Bjornar Moxnes

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Which goalies in the league currently have the best fundamentals such as rebound control, puck tracking, positioning, etc. along with the best puck handling skills? (Note not talking about the best goalies overall, just the best in fundamentals and puck handling).

I'd go with either Saros or Swayman.
 
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Howboutthempanthers

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I believe goalies should not leave the goal to handle the puck whenever possible. So for me the best goalies at handling the puck are the ones who handle it the least. And when they do handle the puck, they keep things as simple as possible.
Bobrovsky can be pretty efficient at handling the puck, for the things I just mentioned.
 

TRG

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I believe goalies should not leave the goal to handle the puck whenever possible. So for me the best goalies at handling the puck are the ones who handle it the least. And when they do handle the puck, they keep things as simple as possible.
Bobrovsky can be pretty efficient at handling the puck, for the things I just mentioned.
Except it's very useful for transition and to not have your dmen be on the receiving end of hits along the boards.
 

dgibb10

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Since he's still technically under Contract, it's Carey Price, hands down

Second place would be Hellebuyck imo
Except it said currently. He would absolutely not currently have the best fundamentals and puck handling, considering he hasn't consistently practiced those things in like 3 years
 

Bouboumaster

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Except it said currently. He would absolutely not currently have the best fundamentals and puck handling, considering he hasn't consistently practiced those things in like 3 years

Hopefully you can read past the first phrase
 

Howboutthempanthers

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Except it's very useful for transition and to not have your dmen be on the receiving end of hits along the boards.
Yeah sure, when they have time and there's not pressure close by. And defensemen getting hit is not that big of a concern more so than giving up a free goal or turnover. If they can do it without too much risk of a turnover or goal against, then ok. But a lot of the time it's a lot of risk involved, and the defensemen are close enough where they could have gotten the puck easier than if the goalie comes out.
 

Bouboumaster

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I read it just fine. You are simply just wrong.

Carey Price, in the year of 2024, certainly does not have the best puck skills, positioning, puck tracking, or rebound control.

He hasn't practiced any of those things in years. And so, CURRENTLY, he is nowhere close to the best in that area.

Read again than, because you seemed to have miss the second phrase

If you don't agree with first answer, you van refer to second phrase
 

dgibb10

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Read again than, because you seemed to have miss the second phrase

If you don't agree with first answer, you van refer to second phrase
No I read it.

You think Carey Price, in the year 2024, has the best fundamentals right now. -- This is very very wrong, and so I commented on it

You think Hellebuyuck is 2nd. -- This statement does not the above statement any less wrong.
 
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Bouboumaster

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No I read it.

You think Carey Price, in the year 2024, has the best fundamentals right now. -- This is very very wrong, and so I commented on it

You think Hellebuyuck is 2nd. -- This statement does not the above statement any less wrong.

Well ok

I'll play the dumbass too:

There's no proof whatsoever that he still can't play the puck better than Everyone else even tho he's this close to have robot legs
His aim, dexterity and hockey IQ is well above anyone else in this era not named Bobvroski or Vasilevsky
You speculate that he's not as good. Now prove it.
 

Clint Eastwood

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Yeah sure, when they have time and there's not pressure close by. And defensemen getting hit is not that big of a concern more so than giving up a free goal or turnover. If they can do it without too much risk of a turnover or goal against, then ok. But a lot of the time it's a lot of risk involved, and the defensemen are close enough where they could have gotten the puck easier than if the goalie comes out.

Goalies have to play the puck and they have to play it frequently to try and help their team not get caved in constantly by a forecheck. Simply refusing to play the puck is not an option at the pro level unless you want to get tossed in a lava pit.

I know it's easy to make a highlight video of the gaffes, but even your below average puck handling goalie will do it 100s of times before doing something stupid. Some goalies just had a knack of doing it at the worst times like Craig Anderson or Tristan Jarry.
 

Howboutthempanthers

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Goalies have to play the puck and they have to play it frequently to try and help their team not get caved in constantly by a forecheck. Simply refusing to play the puck is not an option at the pro level unless you want to get tossed in a lava pit.

I know it's easy to make a highlight video of the gaffes, but even your below average puck handling goalie will do it 100s of times before doing something stupid. Some goalies just had a knack of doing it at the worst times like Craig Anderson or Tristan Jarry.
I didn't say refuse to play the puck. But do it as little as possible, Because I've witnessed many times them coming out of the net just out of habit, and getting themselves in trouble. And many times it ends up getting flung around the boards, back on the stick of the opponent.
 

Bjornar Moxnes

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Goalies have to play the puck and they have to play it frequently to try and help their team not get caved in constantly by a forecheck. Simply refusing to play the puck is not an option at the pro level unless you want to get tossed in a lava pit.

I know it's easy to make a highlight video of the gaffes, but even your below average puck handling goalie will do it 100s of times before doing something stupid. Some goalies just had a knack of doing it at the worst times like Craig Anderson or Tristan Jarry.
Mike Smith who is well regarded as a great puckhandler actually had one of the worst giveaway stats and made a ton of egregiously bad giveaways often.
 
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Clint Eastwood

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Mike Smith who is well regarded as a great puckhandler actually had one of the worst giveaway stats and made a ton of egregiously bad giveaways often.

I've seen the Bruins play Mike Smith many times where they dump the puck by flinging it around the boards and he would always play it and completely neutralize any forecheck we attempted. Was actually quite frustrating to watch.

I also watched plenty of games where he was a complete dope with the puck too. I felt like he got way too overconfident with his puck playing ability which led to some egregious goals against.
 

KevinRedkey

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Well ok

I'll play the dumbass too:

There's no proof whatsoever that he still can't play the puck better than Everyone else even tho he's this close to have robot legs
His aim, dexterity and hockey IQ is well above anyone else in this era not named Bobvroski or Vasilevsky
You speculate that he's not as good. Now prove it.

If that's your argument - prove it for Brodeur then. lol
 

Bouboumaster

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If that's your argument - prove it for Brodeur then. lol

Brodeur is retired

Price is still a player under contract and if he didn't count, I said it was, IMO, Hellebuyck

Obviously Brodeur is the best goaltender puck handler ever, there's no debate here, I fully agree
 
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Nogatco Rd

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Mike Smith who is well regarded as a great puckhandler actually had one of the worst giveaway stats and made a ton of egregiously bad giveaways often.

I've seen the Bruins play Mike Smith many times where they dump the puck by flinging it around the boards and he would always play it and completely neutralize any forecheck we attempted. Was actually quite frustrating to watch.

I also watched plenty of games where he was a complete dope with the puck too. I felt like he got way too overconfident with his puck playing ability which led to some egregious goals against.

I think your theory makes sense, kind of like how in some companies the most skilled/experienced workers are, paradoxically, responsible for a disproportionate amount of accidents. Overconfident in their own ability to the point they become complacent about basic safety protocols.
 
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