HIGHLIGHTS
- We’re taking a look at the highest-paid netminders in the NHL
- Several intriguing names are on the list, including Andrei Vasilevsky and Connor Hellebuyck
- Read below to see the full list
They say defense wins championships, and that couldn’t be more true in the National Hockey League. Without a top-notch netminder in between the pipes, a team simply won’t be able to go all the way and lift Lord Stanley. In this piece, we’re looking at the top-earning NHL goalies.
While forwards typically make more than goalies because elite scoring talent is harder to find and carries less year-to-year volatility, there are still several netminders who are making a healthy living stopping pucks.
Below, we’ll dive into the top-10 highest-paid goaltenders heading into the 2026-27 season.
All contract figures courtesy of PuckPedia.
10. Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames — $7.5 Million
Calgary Flames netminder Dustin Wolf comes in at No. 10 after signing a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension prior to the 2025-26 campaign that officially kicks in next season. That deal will earn Wolf $7.5 million annually.
The former Everett Silvertips star finished second in the Calder Trophy race in 2024-25, but his numbers were worse this past season. Wolf compiled a 23-29-3 record as the Flames’ main man, to go along with a 3.01 GAA. Nevertheless, he still held his own, and Wolf profiles to be the future in the Calgary crease for years to come.
9. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators — $7.7 Million
Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators heads into the second year of an eight-year, $61.92 million extension that he signed in the summer of 2024. He makes $7.74 million per season, putting him ninth on our list.
The Finland native has spent his entire career with the Preds, and he’s been their starter for the past five years. During that span, Saros has consistently helped make Nashville one of the league’s best defensive teams, compiling a sub-3 GAA in all but one season since 2021-22.
8. Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators — $8.2 Million
Linus Ullmark has quickly become one of the most important players on the Ottawa Senators roster. The Sens swung a blockbuster trade for him in 2024, and he has lived up to the billing as one of the top netminders in the NHL.
Ullmark has a 2.72 GAA across two seasons with the Senators, and he’s only lost 16 games in regulation. Shortly after the trade in ’24, the Swede inked a four-year, $33 million extension that earns him $8.2 million per season. The deal began in ’25-26.
7. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins — $8.2 Million
There’s always pressure on Jeremy Swayman in a hostile Boston market, but he’s typically lived up to the expectations. He’s the main man for the Bruins, although Joonas Korpisalo plays some nights as well.
Swayman earns $8.2 million annually as well, and Boston made sure to lock him up in ’24 to an eight-year, $66 million deal. Swayman has a career .910 save percentage and 2.61 GAA.
6. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars — $8.2 Million
Jake Oettinger is the third of four on this list who earn the exact same amount each season. The Dallas Stars netminder was handed an eight-year, $66 million extension around the same time as Swayman, and it runs through 2032-33.
Oettinger is a big reason the Stars are usually an incredible defensive team, although Oettinger is still searching for his first trip to the Stanley Cup Final as the Stars’ starting goaltender. Heading into next season, Oettinger has a career 2.54 GAA.
5. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders — $8.2 Million
We shift over to Long Island here. Ilya Sorokin signed the same deal in numbers as Swayman and Oettinger, but it was back in 2023. The contract extension expires in 2031-32.
Sorokin has been a stud between the posts for the New York Islanders, serving as one of the best goaltenders in the league since entering it in 2020-21. He has a career .910 save percentage, and he’s posted a goals-against average above 3.00 only once in his NHL career.
4. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets — $8.5 Million
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is deservingly one of the highest-paid NHL goaltenders. Some would argue he’s the best netminder around, but the absence of a deep playoff run is clear. Regardless, Hellebuyck is elite, and he showed just how elite when he single-handedly beat Team Canada in the Gold Medal Game in Milan earlier this year with a ridiculous performance.
Hellebuyck has won the Vezina Trophy three times, and he currently earns $8.5 million per season. He signed a seven-year, $59.5 million extension in 2023, and it expires in 2031.
3. Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks — $8.5 Million
Honestly, seeing Thatcher Demko so high on this list will make Vancouver Canucks fans cringe. Demko hasn’t played much over the last two seasons due to injury, and he had hip surgery midway through the ’25-26 campaign.
When healthy, the San Diego native is definitely a solid option in net, but lately it’s rare for him to stay off the shelf. Demko will earn $8.5 million next season, the first year of a three-year, $25.5 million deal he signed last July.
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning — $9.5 Million
The Tampa Bay Lightning were building a bit of a dynasty only a few years back, and while they had superstars scoring goals, they also had a superstar in net, and still do. Andrei Vasilevskiy remains one of the top netminders in the NHL, and he’s also paid like one.
Vasi has been one of the top earners for many years. The Lightning locked him up to an eight-year deal in 2019 that pays him $9.5 million annually, and the extension runs out at the end of the 2027-28 season.
1. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers — $11.6 Million
Coming in at No. 1 as the only goalie making over $10 million is New York Rangers star Igor Shesterkin, who earns roughly $11.6 million annually. The organization handed him an eight-year, $92 million extension in December of ’24, making Shesterkin the highest-paid current goaltender and the highest-paid netminder ever. Carey Price previously held that title.
Despite the Rangers’ disappointing 2025-26 season, Shesterkin has certainly done his part when he’s in the crease.
Full List of Highest-Paid NHL Goalies by Cap Hit (2026-27)
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Igor Shesterkin | NYR | G | $11,567,857 |
| 2 | Andrei Vasilevskiy | TBL | G | $9,500,000 |
| 3 | Thatcher Demko | VAN | G | $8,500,000 |
| 4 | Connor Hellebuyck | WPG | G | $8,500,000 |
| 5 | Ilya Sorokin | NYI | G | $8,250,000 |
| 6 | Jake Oettinger | DAL | G | $8,250,000 |
| 7 | Jeremy Swayman | BOS | G | $8,250,000 |
| 8 | Linus Ullmark | OTT | G | $8,250,000 |
| 9 | Juuse Saros | NSH | G | $7,740,000 |
| 10 | Dustin Wolf | CGY | G | $7,500,000 |
| 11 | Filip Gustavsson | MIN | G | $6,800,000 |
| 12 | Lukas Dostal | ANA | G | $6,500,000 |
| 13 | John Gibson | DET | G | $6,400,000 |
| 14 | Adin Hill | VGK | G | $6,250,000 |
| 15 | Jordan Binnington | STL | G | $6,000,000 |
| 16 | Jacob Markstrom | NJD | G | $6,000,000 |
| 17 | Philipp Grubauer | SEA | G | $5,900,000 |
| 18 | Logan Thompson | WSH | G | $5,850,000 |
| 19 | Spencer Knight | CHI | G | $5,833,333 |
| 20 | Elvis Merzlikins | CBJ | G | $5,400,000 |
| 21 | Tristan Jarry | EDM | G | $5,375,000 |
| 22 | Darcy Kuemper | LAK | G | $5,250,000 |
| 23 | Mackenzie Blackwood | COL | G | $5,250,000 |
| 24 | Joey Daccord | SEA | G | $5,000,000 |
| 25 | Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen | BUF | G | $4,750,000 |
| 26 | Karel Vejmelka | UTA | G | $4,750,000 |
| 27 | Kevin Lankinen | VAN | G | $4,500,000 |
| 28 | Joonas Korpisalo | BOS | G | $4,000,000 |
| 29 | Anthony Stolarz | TOR | G | $3,750,000 |
| 30 | Joseph Woll | TOR | G | $3,666,667 |
| 31 | Joel Hofer | STL | G | $3,400,000 |
| 32 | Dan Vladar | PHI | G | $3,350,000 |
| 33 | Sam Montembeault | MTL | G | $3,150,000 |
| 34 | Charlie Lindgren | WSH | G | $3,000,000 |
| 35 | Alex Nedeljkovic | SJS | G | $3,000,000 |
| 36 | Semyon Varlamov | NYI | G | $2,750,000 |
| 37 | Arvid Soderblom | CHI | G | $2,750,000 |
| 38 | Scott Wedgewood | COL | G | $2,500,000 |
| 39 | Anton Forsberg | LAK | G | $2,250,000 |
| 40 | Ville Husso | ANA | G | $2,200,000 |
| 41 | Jesper Wallstedt | MIN | G | $2,200,000 |
| 42 | Pyotr Kochetkov | CAR | G | $2,000,000 |
| 43 | Yaroslav Askarov | SJS | G | $2,000,000 |
| 44 | Brandon Bussi | CAR | G | $1,900,000 |
| 45 | Jake Allen | NJD | G | $1,800,000 |
| 46 | Alex Lyon | BUF | G | $1,500,000 |
| 47 | Devin Cooley | CGY | G | $1,350,000 |
| 48 | Jonas Johansson | TBL | G | $1,250,000 |
| 49 | Justus Annunen | NSH | G | $1,250,000 |
| 50 | Casey DeSmith | DAL | G | $1,050,000 |
The table above shows the top 50 highest-paid NHL goaltenders by cap hit heading into the 2026-27 season. Shesterkin sits alone north of $11 million, with Vasilevskiy the only other netminder above $9 million. The $8.25 million tier is crowded with four starters — Sorokin, Oettinger, Swayman, and Ullmark — all carrying matching cap hits.
