• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 8, 2026

The 25 Highest-Paid NHL Goaltenders

  • The highest-paid NHL goaltender ranks as the eighth top-earner among all NHL players.
  • Seven of the top ten highest-paid goaltenders play in the Eastern Conference.
Apr 12, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) comes off the ice after warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.
Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Despite their undisputed value on the ice, NHL goaltenders earn a limited piece of the economic pie. Only five goaltenders rank among the 60 highest-paid players overall in the NHL.

The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin is the highest-paid goaltender, earning $11.5 million annually. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner signed an eight-year, $92 million contract during the 2024–25 season. The man he replaced, the Canadiens’ Carey Price, is a seven-time NHL All-Star who makes $10.5 million per year and is set to become a free agent in 2026.

The Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky and Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy hold the third and fourth positions, making $10 million and $9.5 million per year, respectively.

The Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck rounds out the top 5 with a cool $8.5 million. In 2023, Hellebuyck signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension to remain in Winnipeg.

Two of the goaltenders on the most-paid list are backups who earn more than some teams’ starters. Vancouver backup Kevin Lankinen comes in at 25th, with a $4.5 million average annual salary—just $500,000 less than teammate Thatcher Demko. Meanwhile, Kraken starting goaltender Joey Daccord’s 2024 contract pays him $5 million a year—$900,000 less than the man he beat out for the job, Philipp Grubauer.

The market for goaltenders will shift, with the salary cap exploding from $88 million in 2024–25 to $113.5 million by 2027–28.

The Highest-Paid Goaltenders

Here is the full list of the 25 highest-paid goaltenders by the annual average value of their salary. The list was compiled using data from Spotrac.

  • Updated: July 16, 2025
RankPlayerTeamCompensation
1Igor ShesterkinNew York Rangers$11.5 million
2Carey PriceMontreal Canadiens$10.5 million
3Sergei BobrovskyFlorida Panthers$10 million
4Andrei VasilevskiyTampa Bay Lightning$9.5 million
5Connor HellebuyckWinnipeg Jets$8.5 million
T-6Jake OettingerDallas Stars$8.25 million
T-6Ilya SorokinNew York Islanders$8.25 million
T-6Jeremy SwaymanBoston Bruins$8.25 million
T-6Linus UllmarkOttawa Senators$8.25 million
10Juuse SarosNashville Predators$7.74 million
11John GibsonAnaheim Ducks$6.4 million
12Adin HillVegas Golden Knights$6.25 million
T-13Jordan BinningtonSt. Louis Blues$6 million
T-13Jacob MarkstromNew Jersey Devils$6 million
15Phillip GrubauerSeattle Kraken$5.9 million
16Logan ThompsonWashington Capitals$5.85 million
17Elvis MerzlikinsColumbus Blue Jackets$5.4 million
18Tristan JarryPittsburgh Penguins$5.38 million
T-19MacKenzie BlackwoodColorado Avalanche$5.25 million
T-19Darcy KuemperLos Angeles Kings$5.25 million
T-21Joey DaccordSeattle Kraken$5 million
T-21Thatcher DemkoVancouver Canucks$5 million
T-23Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenBuffalo Sabres$4.75 million
T-23Karel VejmelkaUtah Mammoth$4.75 million
T-25Spencer KnightChicago Blackhawks$4.5 million
T-25Kevin LankinenVancouver Canucks$4.5 million

Related lists:

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NHL Playoff Race Tightens As Coaching Shake-Ups Fuel Wild Finish

Coach firings and a muddled playoff chase mark the regular season’s end.
The PWHL regular season game between the Seattle Torrent and the New York Sirens at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2026 in New York, New York USA.

PWHL Breaks Women’s Hockey Attendance Record With MSG Game

League cofounder Billie Jean King called it “the realization of a dream.”
Canucks

Canucks Ban Reporter After Story on Ownership’s Other Business

Trevor Beggs says he was escorted from the arena mid-game.
Mar 13, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) high-fives guard Jrue Holiday (5) while entering the line up to play against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center.
exclusive

Tom Dundon’s Group Buying 80% of Blazers in Deal’s First Phase

Dundon is set to take control of the team before April.

Featured Today

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) and center Tomislav Ivisic (13) react in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.

Loopholes Enable Int’l College Basketball Players to Cash In

Schools have scrambled to find a way to compensate international players.
April 1, 2026

‘The Sonics Never Died’: The Long Afterlife of Seattle NBA Merch

Inside “the largest team shop for a team that doesn’t exist.” 
Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA;UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) dunks the ball against the Michigan State Spartans in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena
March 28, 2026

March Madness Coaches Debate ‘Blueblood’ in NIL Era

The term’s meaning was up for debate at men’s March Madness.
Maxime Vachier Lagrave
March 25, 2026

The Planet’s Best Chess Players Are Having Their LIV Golf Moment

Chess’s most prestigious tournament is battling a splashy Saudi event.
Apr 14, 2024; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Tiger Woods reacts to his putt on the 16th green during the final round of the Masters Tournament.

Masters Stars Feel Unprecedented Absence of Tiger and Phil

This is the first Masters since 1994 without both Woods and Mickelson.
April 6, 2026

Patrick Reed: Golf Apparel Free Agency ‘Been Fun’ After LIV Exit

The 2018 Masters champion is starting to sign new deals.
April 7, 2026

Can the Dream Capitalize on Angel Reese’s Popularity?

Reese’s trade from Chicago to Atlanta is making an impact.
Sponsored

From Gold Medalist to Business Founder

Allyson Felix on investing in women’s sports and what comes next for track & LA28.
April 6, 2026

Chicago Sky Pivot Yet Again by Shipping Away Angel Reese

The Dream are giving up two first-round picks for Reese.
April 4, 2026

WNBA Free Agency Is Shaping Up to Be Shockingly Quiet

Some sources believe top players will sign one-year deals.
April 1, 2026

Mayweather-Pacquiao Rematch on Netflix Is On

The fight is expected to be at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
April 1, 2026

Project B Lands Projected Top WNBA Pick, Moves Start to December

The league announced a deal with Spanish forward Awa Fam on Wednesday.