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Jesse Granger

@jessegranger.bsky.social

Write about Goalies and the Golden Knights for The Athletic.

4,155 Followers  |  51 Following  |  3,554 Posts  |  Joined: 08.11.2024
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Posts by Jesse Granger (@jessegranger.bsky.social)

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Ilya Sorokin leads the NHL with a ridiculous .875 save % on high-danger shots (inside 29 ft, between the dots).

For perspective on how impressive that is, the league average on those shots is only .813.

Sorokin's .875 is higher than the TOTAL save % for 21 goalies this year.

07.03.2026 20:43 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I'm not saying Swayman should be the clear favorite. Sorokin's numbers are insane and he probably deserves the No. 1 spot at the moment.

But the disparity in the odds is insanity IMO.

07.03.2026 20:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

That trails only Sorokin (25.9) and Thompson (23.41), and is ahead of Vasilevskiy (17.3).

Swayman is singlehandedly keeping Boston in the playoff race.

07.03.2026 20:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

On the surface, Swayman's .905 save % looks good but not great. It ranks 20th amongst goalies with at least 20 games.

The truth is, the quality of the chances Swayman is facig are harder than just about every other goalie.

That's shown in his 20.7 goals saved above expected.

07.03.2026 20:17 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The Boston Bruins are arguably the worst defensive team in the entire NHL.

Their ranks according to Natural Stat Trick:

β€’ 32nd in expected goals allowed (3.62)
β€’ 30th in HD chances allowed (13.77)
β€’ 27th in scoring chances allowed (30.15)

07.03.2026 20:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Jeremy Swayman should be among the Vezina Trophy favorites, and the current odds are honestly ridiculous.

Vasilevskiy is the current favorite at -140, followed by Sorokin at +105.

Meanwhile Swayman is 125 to 1.

How on earth?

My argument for Swayman, in a thread ‡️

07.03.2026 20:17 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

They aren’t in a position to trade for another goalie contract because they have Hill signed for $6.25M through the 2031 season, and Carter Hart signed next season for $2M.

If I were the GM, I certainly wouldn’t have signed the Hart deal, so I probably would’ve traded for a goalie.

07.03.2026 18:14 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
In Las Vegas, the NHL trade deadline passes with unusual silence After acquiring two forwards this week, Vegas didn't make any more moves Friday.

In Las Vegas, the trade deadline passed with unusual silence

On the impact the Golden Knights hope their minor additions have ‡️

07.03.2026 17:55 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Final- Minnesota 4, Vegas 2

The Wild were the better team tonight by a good margin.

07.03.2026 05:42 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The Golden Knights were making a push, but Gustavsson held down the fort, and then the Wild got a 3-on-1 and cashed in.

4-1 Wild with 4 minutes to play. That should just about do it.

07.03.2026 05:34 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Pavel Dorofeyev is the first player in Golden Knights history to score 30 goals in consecutive seasons.

07.03.2026 05:21 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Akira Schmid has made a couple of big saves to keep this a two-goal game.

07.03.2026 05:09 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Pavel Dorofeyev scores on the power play to get Vegas on the board.

That gives him 30 goals and 50 points, both for the second-straight season.

07.03.2026 05:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Michael McCarron makes it 3-0 seconds later.

It was a wrist shot from distance that beat Schmid's blocker. Looked like he may have been screened.

07.03.2026 04:19 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Zach Bogosian hammers a slapshot from the point to make it 2-0 Wild.

That dude can rip it.

07.03.2026 04:18 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Hanifin passed it back to the point but there was no one there.

Mats Zuccarello grabs it for a breakway and roofs it over Schmid's glove to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.

07.03.2026 04:15 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Marner set it for Dorofeyev on a tee in the slot, and Pavel wound up for that slapshot like he was Bryson DeChambeau in the long drive event.

Gustavsson made the save. All positioning, no way he saw that clapper from that close.

07.03.2026 04:08 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Minnesota did put the puck in the net, but it was well after the buzzer for the end of the period.

07.03.2026 03:46 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Colton Sissons just had his second breakaway of the 1st period.

Gustavsson stuffed both of them.

07.03.2026 03:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Ryan Hartman in all alone in the opening 10 seconds, and Akira Schmid makes a massive glove save.

07.03.2026 03:11 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Akira Schmid and Filip Gustavsson lead their teams onto the ice for warm ups.

07.03.2026 02:29 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

McCrimmon says the team will need to advance in the playoffs in order for William Karlsson to return to the lineup, but they’re holding out hope that he does play at some point.

07.03.2026 01:37 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Akira Schmid is the first goalie off the ice, and will start tonight for the Golden Knights against Minnesota.

Interesting note: He has never played a full game against the Wild in his career. He did play 33 minutes after Hart got hurt earlier this year and stopped all 15 shots.

06.03.2026 19:32 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Golden Knights morning skate line rushes, Howden skated as an extra so looks like he’s out.

Barbashevβ€”Eichelβ€”Bowman
Smithβ€”Marnerβ€”Dorofeyev
Saadβ€”Hertlβ€”Kolesar
Cole Smithβ€”Dowdβ€”Sissons

McNabbβ€”Theodore
Hanifinβ€”Korczak
Anderssonβ€”Lauzon

06.03.2026 19:04 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Brett Howden is on the ice for Vegas’ morning skate, wearing a regular jersey.

06.03.2026 18:58 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

VΓ­tek Vaněček was awesome last night for Utah, stopping all 16 shots for his 11th career NHL shutout, and it came in his 100th NHL win.

He made several incredible lateral saves on backdoor plays. As a pending UFA, he could use a strong finish to the season.

06.03.2026 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Leafs pull the goalie with more than 5 minutes left, down by 3?

Shesterkin can sling it. This is prime goalie goal territory

06.03.2026 02:39 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
These 6 goalies could help a contending team at the trade deadline

The trade market is busy, but no NHL goalies have been dealt... yet.

Here are six goalies I believe could help a contender, to varying degrees, on @theathletic.com ‡️

05.03.2026 17:45 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Vikman is 23, in his third pro season. He's a big, positional goalie. I like his raw tools, but he has yet to post a .900 save percentage in the minors yet. Still room to grow, but he has tools.

05.03.2026 17:26 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

If you're trying to keep track, here are the future draft picks VGK have dealt:

2026 1st: to CGY for Hanifin
2026 4th: to WSH for Mantha
2027 1st: to CGY for Andersson
2027 3rd: to WSH for Dowd
2028 2nd: to CGY for Andersson
2028 3rd: to NSH for Smith
2029 2nd: to WSH for Dowd

05.03.2026 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0