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NHL · 2026-27 · through Oct 27, 2026
NHL goalies saving the most goals above expected, 2026-27
Short answer
Montreal’s Jacob Fowler has saved the most goals above expected in the NHL this season: +10.5 in 7 games, with a .943 save percentage, through Oct 27, 2026.
Next: Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt (+10.0) and Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark (+9.1). The lowest is Vancouver’s Kevin Lankinen at −14.8.
Through games of Oct 27, 2026 · Updated
Most goals saved above expected, 2026-27
Top 15 of 47 goalies with at least 5 games played. Through Oct 27, 2026; teams have played about 12 games.
| # | Goalie | GP | Record | Save % | GSAx | GSAx / 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jacob FowlerMTL | 7 | 6-1-0 | .943 | +10.5 | +1.46 |
| 2 |  Jesper WallstedtMIN | 12 | 8-2-2 | .922 | +10.0 | +0.83 |
| 3 |  Linus UllmarkOTT | 8 | 7-1-0 | .945 | +9.1 | +1.21 |
| 4 |  Jake OettingerDAL | 9 | 6-2-1 | .929 | +8.4 | +0.92 |
| 5 |  Jeremy SwaymanBOS | 10 | 7-2-1 | .921 | +8.3 | +0.82 |
| 6 |  Igor ShesterkinNYR | 5 | 3-1-0 | .927 | +5.6 | +1.25 |
| 7 |  Yaroslav AskarovSJS | 8 | 3-5-0 | .898 | +5.0 | +0.62 |
| 8 |  Stuart SkinnerWPG | 8 | 3-2-3 | .911 | +4.9 | +0.61 |
| 9 |  Ilya SorokinNYI | 8 | 5-3-0 | .919 | +4.9 | +0.61 |
| 10 |  Pyotr KochetkovCAR | 8 | 8-0-0 | .918 | +4.2 | +0.52 |
| 11 | Alex NedeljkovicSJS | 5 | 3-1-1 | .903 | +3.8 | +0.74 |
| 12 |  Logan ThompsonWSH | 7 | 4-3-0 | .901 | +3.5 | +0.51 |
| 13 |  Joel HoferSTL | 8 | 4-3-1 | .916 | +3.0 | +0.38 |
| 14 |  Joseph WollPHI | 7 | 1-4-2 | .904 | +2.9 | +0.42 |
| 15 |  Devin CooleyCGY | 6 | 4-2-0 | .914 | +2.8 | +0.47 |
Fewest goals saved above expected
Bottom 5, same minimum.
| # | Goalie | GP | Record | Save % | GSAx | GSAx / 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Samuel ErssonOTT | 5 | 0-3-0 | .835 | −5.8 | −1.66 |
| 44 |  Tristan JarryEDM | 5 | 2-1-2 | .869 | −6.4 | −1.26 |
| 45 | Jakub DobesMTL | 5 | 1-2-2 | .847 | −6.7 | −1.37 |
| 46 | Dustin WolfCGY | 5 | 1-4-0 | .834 | −8.8 | −1.77 |
| 47 |  Kevin LankinenVAN | 8 | 1-7-0 | .812 | −14.8 | −2.41 |
GSAx (goals saved above expected) = how many more goals a goalie stopped than an average goalie would have, given how dangerous the shots he faced were. Above zero is better than average. GSAx / 60 = the same per 60 minutes. Early-season sample: one bad night moves GSAx by two or three goals, so read the gaps, not the exact order.
Questions
Which NHL goalie has saved the most goals above expected in 2026-27?
Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler, with +10.5 goals saved above expected in 7 games (.943 save percentage) through Oct 27, 2026.
Which NHL goalie has the lowest goals saved above expected?
Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen, at −14.8 in 8 games through Oct 27, 2026 (minimum 5 games played).
What does goals saved above expected (GSAx) mean?
It is how many more goals a goalie stopped than an average goalie would have, given how dangerous the shots he faced were. A positive number is better than average; a negative number means he allowed more than an average goalie would have.