Canadian goalkeeper and 40 wins benchmark: Still meaningful or nostalgic? – Hockey Writer – Edmonton Oiler
Over the past decade, four Canadian-born goalkeepers have reached 40 wins in 40 wins: Carey Price (Montreal Canadian), Braden Holtby (Washington Capital, three times), Kam Talbot (Edmonton Oiler) and Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota Wild). For a long time, this number has been everything. This means you are more than just starting the game – you have them. Patrick Roy did it. The same goes for Roberto Rengo. Kaili price? He looks easy on the peak.
But that is. Today’s NHL is different. The team will not rely on a goalkeeper as it used to be. The coach split begins to start more carefully, backup more, and analysis has reshapes how we judge performance. Victory used to be this Statistics are now just a part of a larger part – setting percentages, exceeding expectations for performance, and high barriers for performance are the new benchmarks.
Still, there are 40 wins that are old-fashioned magic. It’s clean, bold and still keeps fans talking. Currently, two Canadian goalkeepers may be able to hit it again: Stuart Skinner joins the Canadians and the Canadians and Sam Montembeault.
Stuart Skinner seems to be the best choice in Canada
If anyone is going to break the drought, it might be Skinner. In 2023-24, he finished with 36 wins and could hit 40 times if Edmonton didn’t stumble at the beginning of the season. Once they turned around under head coach Kris Knoblauch, Skinner found his game and gave the Oilers what they needed: Stable in the net without adding goods. With the attacks from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Skinner doesn’t have to stand on his head every night, just be reliable.
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However, last season did not meet expectations. Skinner won 26 games in 51 games. Some of them are inconsistent. Some of them came from surprisingly strong games by Calvin Pickard, which won him a lot more starts. Either way, the numbers are down.
Even so, Skinner was in the right place. He is the starter of a team that has won now and he shows a flash of accomplishing the task. If he stays healthy and sharp, finds consistency, and Edmonton rolls in the regular season, Skinner can definitely re-enter the 40-win conversation.
Sam Montembeault is important
Then there is Montemet. He wasn’t chasing for 40, and honestly, he didn’t need it. Last season, he scored 31 wins in 62 games, earning a considerable savings percentage of 0.902. Solid numbers – especially considering that Canadians are still rebuilding. He is under great pressure and Montreal has never seen peace since the price.
Will he win 40 soon? Unless the Habs all made a huge leap, Montembeault started 65 games. That’s not knocking him. What he is doing – Most nights are stable and giving Montreal a chance, which is exactly what the team needs. In a city where goalkeepers are always under the microscope, this stability is as important as a glitzy milestone.
Does any NHL goalkeeper have won 40 games lately, does that mean anything?
Yes – not Canadian. Last season, U.S.-born Connor Hellebuyck won 47 wins with the Winnipeg Jets before winning the Vezina and Hart trophys. It was an incredible season, his second 40+ win season (the other was 2017-18). But for Canadian-born goalkeepers, the drought is still continuing. It raises the question: Is 40 winning even important?
Related: 35 years and count: Why No Canada hasn’t hit 50 goals since the rich
Skinner still has real shots. He plays a team that can win 50 games and has 40 wins if he finds his form. Montembeault won’t play that game, but what he does in Montreal may be just as important: anchor a young, developing team and give them a chance to grow.
This is a question – are there 40 even important? A bit like that old David Letterman sketch: “Is this what?” Goalkeepers may not have won the gold standard once, but they still bear the weight, especially when there is no Canadian goalkeeper who hasn’t hit 40 in nearly a decade. Maybe Skinner will get there next season. Maybe Montembeault evolved into something more. Maybe we wait a little longer.
Either way, we’re watching. We are still asking the same question: What is this?
