New York Rangers: Where does Lundqvist rank among NHL goalies?

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COLUMBUS, OH – APRIL 23: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets is unable to stop a shot from Devante Smith-Pelly #25 of the Washington Capitals in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Washington defeated Columbus 6-3 to win the series 4-2. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

The cream of the crop

Simply put, when a team has a goaltender in this tier, they have the ability to win on any given night. While goaltender may be the biggest market inefficiency across the entire league in terms of salary relative to production, there is something to be said for a net minder that can stand on their head for 60 minutes per night and give their team a chance to win on a nightly basis.

These are the types of players that will get Vezina trophy votes and on a bad team should garner Hart Memorial Trophy votes. Goaltenders like Tukka Rask, Sergei Bobrovski, Marc-Andre Fleury, Roberto Luongo, Braden Holtby, Carey Price and Lundqvist are the best at the position. While some of these players have been subjugated to poor play in front of them, they have managed to hang on.

The biggest testament to the skill of someone like Lundqvist was the Ranger’s Western Canada trip this past season. While the Rangers were well out of the playoff race, the goaltender made 50 saves in consecutive games to drive the team to victory. The sheer will to compete of Lundqvist will be the reason that New York cannot bottom out as a serious lottery team.

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