What's the best way to measure a hockey player's effectiveness? For skaters, it's point shares. This stat determines their effectiveness in the scoring department, where their usefulness is examined. But what about the goalies?
Before we dive into the most valuable Vegas Golden Knights goaltender by goals saved above average, let's dive into the statistic itself. The stat serves as the "WAR" statistics for netminders, where the league average save percentage is calculated with the number of shots he's faced. A positive GSAA is better than a negative one, indicating they're doing better than the average goaltender.
It follows a goaltender's save percentage and how well they adapt in a regular hockey game. Granted, it isn't the end-all-be-all statistic used for all netminders. However, it's important in determining how well they fare in a game.
For example, Ilya Samsonov has a GSAA of one this season. Currently, the Russian goaltender has a save percentage of .906, which is slightly above average compared to other goaltenders. Last season, Adin Hill had a GSAA of six, showcasing his value between the pipes. He's better than the average netminder in the NHL (and Samsonov).
Who had the best single-season performance for goals saved above average for the Vegas Golden Knights?
So who has the best single-season performance for the Vegas Golden Knights in this regard? Is it Adin Hill, who's had his fair share of solid performances? Perhaps it's Logan Thompson, a key staple in the Golden Knights goaltending system? Who holds the single-season record?
Unsurprisingly, it's Marc-Andre Fleury, who set the record in 2017-18. He had a GSAA of 21, barely beating out his Vezina-winning season of 2020-21 (20). These two seasons would be the gold standard for the franchise, with Thompson coming in third in 2022-23 (12). Hill would clinch fourth with a season of eight in 2022-23 and tie Thompson for fifth (2023-24) with six (2023-24).
Fleury had another solid season in 2018-19, coming in seventh all-time with five. Robin Lehner finished eighth with three in 2020-21, while Samsonov currently sits ninth with one this season.
What made 2017-18 special for Marc-Andre Fleury?
In 46 games started, Marc-Andre Fleury posted a GAA of 2.24, four shutous, and a save percentage of .927. He was the main reason why the Vegas Golden Knights made the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, stopping countless shots and keeping the team in nearly every game.
Often, goaltenders aren't recognized in the NHL landscape for their tremendous work (unless you're talking about the 90s-2000s New Jersey Devils or 90s Buffalo Sabres). However, Fleury is a perfect example of this being the case. Sure, there were prolific goal-scorers like William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. However, a future Hall of Fame netminder like Fleury gets a new expansion team further in the Stanley Cup playoffs than anticipated.
Aside from his Vezina-winning campaign in 2020-21, this was his best season with the Golden Knights. He missed the mark on posting a career-high in save percantage by .001 and set a career-high with Vegas for goals saved above average. One can say his time in Las Vegas was where the former first-overall pick truly flourished.
If fans want to see the impact Fleury had with the Golden Knights, they should look at his 2017-18 season as a barometer. He set the tone for how hockey in Las Vegas should be played, doing whatever it took to win his team games. He also carried a chip on his shoulder, proving skeptics wrong with his stellar play. That is the essence of Golden Knights hockey, where the team battles like it's their last breath.