Goaltending is important. Some would say very important. Others with a limited vocabulary and poor imagination would even say very, very important. So why do teams keep letting good ones get away?

A lot of big-name goaltenders were on the open market this summer, with a few notables finding new homes. While all this movement is hard to understand, one thing is certain in regards to this goaltending carousel... the St. Louis Blues will never have one. Because they don't need a star in net. Honest. They can win with Brent Johnson. Measure those ring fingers while you can, fellas. Wouldn't want to wait until the last minute.

It should also be mentioned here that Dominik Hasek's retirement opened up a spot in the top five for some lucky netminder. Could it be Johnson? You'll just have to read and find out. But LCS Hockey would like to congratulate Hasek on a wonderful career. Six Vezinas, two Harts, an Olympic gold medal, a Stanley Cup; never before has one dork accomplished so much. Hasek isn't sure what retirement will hold, but says he plans to spend more time flopping with his family and being a general, all-around jackass. Way to go, Dom. Now beat it. And please let the door hit you on the way out.

Player Ratings The LCS Hockey Player Rating Extravaganza: Centers Left wings Right wings Defensemen Goaltenders

1. Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche: You gotta feel for Roy. The guy has the best season of his storied career and not only does he lose the Hart and Vezina Trophies to some young punk from Montreal, but all he'll be remembered for is getting blown out in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals against the hated Red Wings. And pretending to be the Statue of Liberty in Game Six didn't help, either. What a debacle. If only he had kept his Stanley Cup rings in his ears instead of his eyes.

At 36, Roy is showing no signs of slowing down. Not only were his 1.94 goals-against average, .925 save percentage, and nine shutouts last season all career bests, his goals-against has dropped in each of the past four years and his save percentage hasn't dipped below .913 since 1995-96.

When Patrick's on his game, which he usually is, he makes everything look effortless. He's always square to the shooter. No movement is wasted. Roy will seldom be seen diving all over the place making spectacular saves. That's because he doesn't have to act like a drunken monkey to get the job done. He's all about strong positional play.

Roy leads the league in shots forced wide. His presence in net is so daunting that opposing players don't think they can score with an average shot, so they try to muscle up or pick a corner and invariably send the chance astray. That's right. I said astray. Live with it.

The biggest flaw in Roy's game is his puckhandling. It's not that he's physically incapable of moving the biscuit. He's actually quite good in using the stick and makes his share of plays. The problem comes in his decision making. Patrick isn't scared to try some wacky stuff. He also plays the puck much more than he should. Hell, he plays it more than some defensemen. Think how low his goals-against could be if he didn't create a glaring turnover every other game. He needs to stay in the paint. But he's just making it fun. It's for charity!

There is no greater competitor in professional sports than Patrick Roy. Usually when he makes a mistake, like the now infamous one in Game Six against the Wings, he always rebounds the next time out and dominates. That's why the Game Seven performance was so puzzling. October can't come soon enough for St. Patrick. No doubt, he'll be on a mission.

Roy's simply the best goaltender this year or any year. Not only that, but I'll take it even further and say that he's the fifth- best hockey player of all-time. Yeah, you read that right. The fifth-best hockey player of all-time. Anyone that can guess the top four, and place them in proper order, will win a prize.

2. Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: Oh, those spunky Carolina Hurricanes. Marty was on quite a run before the Canes bounced the Devils in the first round of the playoffs. Going back to 1999-00, Brodeur had won a second Stanley Cup, appeared in a third Stanley Cup Finals, and backstopped Canada to its first gold medal in 50 years. Who plays hockey in Carolina, anyway?

Even with the success, Brodeur's numbers have been rather pedestrian of late. His goals-against has been strong, as it should be playing in New Jersey, but Marty's save percentage has topped off at .906 in three of the past four seasons. There's nothing wrong with that. A .906 mark is respectable, it's just not on par with the Roys and Haseks of the world.

Brodeur's best attribute may be his durability. He led the league last season in minutes (4347) and games played (73), and has appeared in 70 or more contests in each of the past five seasons. He also has a string of seven consecutive campaigns with at least 34 wins.

And with all due respect to Ron Hextall and Tom Barrasso, Brodeur could very well be the best puckhandling goaltender in the history of hockey. He changes the way opposing teams approach playing El Diablo. New Jersey's trap wouldn't be so fearsome without Brodeur back there turning routine dump-ins into crisp outlet passes the other way.

3. Jose Theodore, Montreal Canadiens: Jose's a great kid and all, but his winning the Vezina over Roy was criminal. There's no truth to the rumor that at the time of the voting Theodore was chipping golf balls on his front lawn. Although, he did leave the awards ceremony in the back of a white Ford Bronco.

There's no debating the excellence of Theodore's 2001-02 season. The 25-year-old (who will turn 26 in September) set career highs in wins (30), save percentage (.931), and shutouts (7). His miraculous goaltending was the sole reason why Montreal returned to the playoffs for the first time since 1997-98. But better than Roy? Please.

Theodore looks for all the world to be the next great netminder. He's the picture of butterfly perfection. He's got the talent, the technique, and the confidence to be something special for a long time to come. But he still has to prove he can go the distance. The only thing more difficult than reaching the top is staying there.

Unlike Roy and Brodeur, who are immense in stature, both figuratively and literally, Theodore only goes about 5'11", 178 pounds. It will be interesting to see if his body holds up. Although it's another credit to his positional play that a smallish goaltender like Jose can appear so large in net.

It's also swell that another French Canadian superstar is back manning the pipes in Montreal. It's the ideal convergence of player and team. The whole situation gives Theodore an added aura of coolness. Let's face it, things wouldn't be the same if he was playing in Nashville. Do they even translate "Hee Haw" into French?

4. Nikolai Khabibulin, Tampa Bay Lightning: Remember the days when Tampa Bay used like five or six goaltenders a year? It was so Democratic. Sometimes they'd even hold a drawing before games and let a lucky fan don the pads. Ah, memories. Well, those glorious times are over. Only one man calls the Tampa crease home. And his name is Khabby.

Nikolai Khabibulin is the most exciting, acrobatic goaltender in the world today. He's capable of stealing a game all by himself. The Lightning could skate three players for 60 minutes and Khabby would still give them a chance to win.

After sitting out almost two full years in a contract dispute with the Coyotes, Khabibulin reminded everyone what a force he can be when in the NHL. He was positively brilliant, notching career highs in goals-against average (2.36) and save percentage (.920) while recording his usual seven shutouts. Khabby's had at least seven whitewashes in three of his last four seasons. And who will ever forget his phenomenal showing for Team Russia at the Olympics? Certainly not the Czech Republic.

It can be argued that no player had a bigger impact on his respective team in 2001-02 than Khabibulin. The Lighting went from laughingstock to competitive as soon as Khabby took the ice. With the Bulin Wall in net, Tampa allowed a mere 219 goals last season. That was a 61-goal improvement from 2000-01, and 28 fewer than the franchise's previous low of 247 set in 1996-97.

Khabby's .920 save percentage, playing behind a team that's hardly known for defense, was nothing short of miraculous. In fact, he was the first regular Lightning goaltender to post a save percentage higher than .900 since Rick Tabaracci turned the trick with a .902 back in 1996-97.

Consistency is the only concern. Khabby can give up the occasional soft goal and his focus can wane from time to time, but it's really not that big a deal. He more than makes up for it when he is on his game. For sheer entertainment value, it's tough to beat Khabibulin. You'd be a fool not to have him on your team. Which reminds me of an interesting story...

It seems there was this guy, oh, let's call him "Michael", who had this fantasy hockey team. And not just your average team, either, but a dynasty; four championships in seven years. Anyway, "Michael" drafted Khabibulin on talent but didn't feel comfortable having his team's No. 2 goaltender playing in Tampa Bay. So a few weeks into last season he traded Khabby for Olaf Kolzig. The very night of the trade Khabby posted a shutout and continued to go buckwild the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Kolzig blew goats. In the end, "Michael" finished third and failed in his attempt for a three-peat. As it turns out, "Michael" actually would have won had he kept Khabby. Funny, huh? Yeah, real (sunshinin') funny.

5. Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks: Hey, check it out. Two Russian goaltenders in the top five. Somewhere Boris Badenov is smiling.

Lost in the resurgence of San Jose is the steady, if not spectacular, goaltending of Nabokov. The 27-year-old proved that his Calder Trophy in 2000-01 was no fluke by increasing his wins (37), shutouts (7), and save percentage (.918) while guiding the Sharks to the Pacific Division title.

Listed at 6'0", 200 pounds, Nabokov sure looks a lot bigger in net. He just has a wonderful all-around game. There really aren't any weaknesses of note. He's quick, has good size, great lateral movement, a strong glove, and trails only Brodeur when it comes to moving the puck. He's also proven that he's strong enough to handle a severe workload, having appeared in 133 games the past two seasons.

Nabokov has all the tools to be a serious Vezina contender for the next 10 years.

6. Sean Burke, Phoenix Coyotes: At 35, Sean Burke's career has gone through a revival worthy of Broadway. He was both a Hart and Vezina candidate in 2001-02, as he rang up his second straight season with a goals-against average under 2.30 and a save percentage of at least .920. Oddly enough, his 33 victories also marked the first 30-win season of his career. That kind of puts Roy's and Brodeur's win totals into perspective.

Burke's a giant. He's a green leotard and some cabbage leaves away from selling frozen vegetables. Look at him, he's huuuuuuuuuge. I'm just sayin' he's big, that's all. He uses his 6'4" frame to its utmost potential, seldom having to move at all to snuff even the most lethal scoring chances. There's just nothing to shoot at. Beating him with the first shot has all the validity of an urban legend. Burke has also matured as both a player and person over the years, something for which he should be commended. He provided quality veteran leadership to the young, overachieving Coyotes. The Desert Dogs never would have found the postseason without Burke's calming influence in net.

7. Olaf Kolzig, Washington Capitals: Was there a more disappointing goaltender last season than Kolzig? Sure, Washington's blue line was ravaged by injuries and the team did have to suffer the plague that is Jaromir Jagr, but Olaf didn't help matters. He looked brutal. I heard "beats Kolzig" so often I thought he changed his first name. If the goals he gave up were any softer they'd have jelly in the middle. Amsterdam never saw so many red lights.

Kolzig finished the season with an inflated 2.79 goals-against average and a painfully average .903 save percentage. Things could have been a lot worse. Only a hot streak towards the end of the season kept Kolzig's 2001-02 from being a complete disaster.

The good news is that Olaf did show enough life during that stretch, and enough of his old form, to warrant ranking No. 7. He has the one thing you can't teach: calculus. Oh yeah, he's also really big. But size alone won't turn around the alarming trend that has seen his numbers decline in each of the past two seasons...

Year     Wins  GAA  SV%
1999-00   41  2.24 .917       
2000-01   37  2.48 .909
2001-02   31  2.79 .903

The one constant in Kolzig's game has been his endurance. He's appeared in at least 71 games in each of the past three seasons. He's also pitched 25 shutouts over the last five years, including a career-high six in 2001-02.

The Capitals have a new coach and a new center to play with Jagr. But the best thing they have going for them is the same old goaltender. Kolzig will rebound.

8. Mike Richter, New York Rangers: In case anyone forgot, the Olympics showed Mike Richter is still a great goaltender when he has a team in front of him. His reflexes are unmatched. Sure, he drops his glove and has been known to give up his share of rebounds, but his speed and instincts for the position keep Richter among the best the game has to offer. He's also a winner, having claimed a World Cup and a Stanley Cup.

If not for the man with Aunt Jemima on his helmet, the Rangers would have been challenging for the worst record in hockey. They were dreadful. Richter won most of his 24 games singlehandedly. He stole more than Bonnie and Clyde. Bad knees and all, it's hard not to respect Richter's effort and professionalism. You never heard him whine or complain about New York's pitiful excuse for a defense. He kept his mouth shut and did his job. And when it came time to hit the open market, Richter re-signed with the Blueshirts for less than market value. Which brings us to No. 9...

9. Curtis Joseph, Detroit Red Wings: Just when you think you've seen it all, Curtis Joseph comes along to once again stretch the bounds of dorkdom. Did you see his press conference in Toronto after he signed with Detroit? He's all crying like a little schoolgirl saying how sorry he is to leave town and that if the Wings didn't win the Cup he hoped the Leafs would. Unbelievable. Hello, McFly? You took the money and ran, jackass! Oh, boo hoo. Poor Curtis. Save the tears for when Colorado stomps your ass next Spring. But it's cool that CuJo's in the Motor City. What would the Red Wings be without a douchebag in net?

Aw, poor baby Curtis had his feelings hurt when Pat Quinn benched him during the Olympics. The nerve of some people. Where does Quinn get off wanting to win the gold medal? Didn't he realize that Joseph's pride was more important?

The best part of the news conference was when Joseph uttered this memorable statement: "I guess I refer to an analogy that if I was 22, when I first started, and you said: 'At 35 you haven't won a Stanley Cup and you can go to a team that is the odds-on favorite. What would you do?'"

Can you imagine? This coming from a man who lost three overtime games in the Eastern Conference Finals to Arturs Irbe. All he had to do was outplay a tiny, mid-level Latvian goaltender and the Leafs would have been skating for the Cup against his cherished Red Wings. And how any netminder that watched his teammates suffer and sacrifice as much as the Leafs did in the postseason, playing undermanned and injured every night, could just turn his back and leave town, not to mention take parting shots as he goes, is the height of arrogance.

I was actually going to force myself to say nice things about Joseph, mentioning his quickness and penchant for the big save, but I simply can't stomach the idea after watching that press conference. I find his attitude abhorrent; his character odious. (Sunshine) Joseph!

10. Roman Cechmanek, Philadelphia Flyers: Cechmanek gets a bad wrap. So what if he's a little clumsy and awkward? Does that mean people have to make those awful jokes. You know the ones I mean. Like he missed two weeks last season because of termites. During his physical the Flyer doctors forgot how old he was so they cut open his arm and counted the rings. He's so stiff he sweats syrup. His father's Gepetto. A group of cub scouts tried to plant him last Arbor Day. See, those jokes just aren't nice. They're mean-spirited, really.

It's impossible to make fun of Cechmanek's numbers. In his first two NHL seasons, the 31-year-old veteran of the Czech Elite League has posted identical .921 save percentages and goals- against averages of 2.01 and 2.05. Naysayers would contend that the Flyers are such a good team that any goalie would enjoy similar success. Well, not so fast, Honcho. Brian Boucher, who challenged Cechmanek for the starting job early last season, finished 2001-02 with a 2.41 GAA and a .905 SV%. That's quite the disparity. Good ol' Roman must be doing something right.

Cechmanek is one of the few remaining stand-up goalies in the NHL, and that's by choice. It has nothing to do with his being unable to bend at the knees. He's extremely aggressive in net. He challenges more than a Leon Spinks Scrabble opponent. The sight of the gawky, 6'3" Cechmanek racing towards them, arms akimbo, has befuddled more than one startled shooter. He tends to lean rather heavily on the element of surprise. This unpredictability makes him a wicked good pokechecker, which is all but a lost art among today's goaltenders.

Cechmanek also earned extra points by calling out his teammates during their first round loss to the Senators. He was the only Flyer that wasn't an embarrassment to the sweater. Something had to be said. It goes to show what a mess the Philly room was last year that no one responded on the ice to Cechmanek's criticism, and some actually resented him for speaking his mind.

With Boucher's departure over the summer, this is clearly Cechmanek's team. Well, it's Ken Hitchcock's team. But Cechmanek is renting with an option to buy.

Byron Dafoe, Parts Unknown: Dafoe's like a poor man's Curtis Joseph. He's just as good but he never gets the same amount of attention. Even LCS ranks him lower. Now it looks like he may be out of a starting job next season. Just another example of the man keepin' him down.

Tommy Salo, Edmonton Oilers: Salo's strung together two straight 30-win seasons in Edmonton and is fresh off what could be his best year as a pro, recording a career high 2.22 GAA, a .913 SV%, and six shutouts. Yeah, that's great. He could discover a cure for cancer tomorrow and all anyone will remember is that he lost to Belarus. Did he have to let the goal in off his melon? It was like Jose Canseco trying to play a fly ball. Salo struggled mightily in the weeks following the Olympics, but seemed to pull himself together down the stretch. He's obviously tough in the head. I mean, did you see how far that shot bounced?

Ya know, Tommy was playing some terrific hockey against Belarus until he took that one in the coconut. He kept Sweden in that game, stopping all kinds of two-on-ones and whatnot. But it just goes to show you, it's not the saves you make that matter but the goals you allow.

Martin Biron, Buffalo Sabres: Hasek who? The transition in Buffalo to life without the Dominator was made incredibly easy by the impressive play of Marty Biron. The youngster was good for a 2.22 GAA and a .915 SV% in his first season as a starter. He did run out of gas at times, but the Sabre coaching staff got a little silly in running him out there 72 times. He should be stronger in 2002-03. In case you're wondering, Biron's save percentage was identical to Hasek's in Detroit and his goals- against was only 0.05 points higher.

Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: No one really noticed but Giguere was pretty darn great for the Ducks last season, ringing up a 2.13 GAA, a .920 SV%, and four shutouts. He was also probably the only person on the planet that witnessed an entire Anaheim game without falling asleep. It's bad enough trying to watch them on TV in the comfort of your own home, but he had to do it in person and while standing up. He must have been one miserable bastard in a past life to deserve this kind of grief.

Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers: If he wasn't stuck in Florida, Luongo could already be established as one of the top ten. This kid is something special. He's got great size (6'3") to go along with remarkable quickness and speed. He can win games by himself. The next time the Olympics roll around, assuming the NHL participates, the big question will be who plays goal for Team Canada, Theodore or Luongo? He's that good.

Marty Turco, Dallas Stars: In his first extended duty, Turco put up a 2.09 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 31 games with the Stars. It was enough to boot Belfour out of town. Now Turco will have to prove he can do it as the true No. 1.

Ed Belfour, Toronto Maple Leafs: Belfour is so done. The little red timer thing popped out of his belly months ago. He was slower than a tax refund last season. Then there's the whole drunken-lunatic thing he has goin' for him. And Toronto is not a good fit for the falling Eagle. The Leafs play a loose game, almost the polar opposite of the tight-checking Stars. If Belfour could no longer handle the chances he was seeing in Dallas, wait until he gets to Toronto. Things could get ugly.

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