An anonymous NHL goalie coach revealed that Jets' Connor Hellebuyck is really good at reading the game, and used the word bizarre to describe it. <a href='https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6680723/2025/10/06/2025-26-nhl-goalie-tiers-anonymous-panel-of-coaches-and-goalies-rate-every-starter/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Welcome to the 2025-26 Goalie Tiers</a>, an ongoing yearly project constructed on the knowledge of some of the brightest minds in goaltending. To transcend the chatter about defensive systems and team effect, a panel of 11 people rated NHL goaltenders based on real talent, not statistical measures of save percentage or goals against average. The panel consists of eight former and current NHL goalie coaches and personal coaches, plus three former NHL goalies. All were promised anonymity to allow for honesty. Each graded the goalies on a 1-to-5 basis, with one being optimal, for performance this year. The grades considered puck tracking, positioning, rebound control, reading of play, composure, and leadership. Grades then were averaged to determine this year's tiers. Tier 1 is considered world-class. These goalies can elevate play in front of them; the best of the best who can win games almost solo and carry a title team. <h3>Connor Hellebuyck Just got Beat out by Igor Shesterkin as the NHL's top Goalie</h3> Connor Hellebuyck is second on this list, just under Igor Shesterkin. His 2024-25 regular season cemented his position as the NHL's poster child for consistency, adding another award to a trophy room that simply keeps accumulating. Coming into the league in 2015-16, he tops all netminders in goals saved above average at 176, 55 more than the next netminder, and an unparalleled 558 starts. One anonymous goalie coach even said it's bizarre how well Hellebuyck reads the game. He reads the game so well, a goalie coach said. He just sees it, anticipates it and makes it look easy because he's already prepared for it. It's bizarre how well he reads the game. Then you add in huge size, and he's everything you want in a goalie. He's elite. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/WPGMurat/status/1975207951809028583'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/winnipeg-jets/connor-hellebuyck-discusses-his-stanley-cup-playoff-failures-and-looking-ahead-to-the-2025-26-season' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>His post-playoff performance over recent seasons is a different tale</a>. His .874 save percentage over the last three playoffs is the lowest among goaltenders with 10 or more starts, which led some on the panel to question him. However, all but one voter placed him in Tier 1, citing the consistency and elite-level play that teams use to move past the 82-game regular season grind. I don't think the team matters or the system, a retired goalie said. His structure is really, really simple, and he can replicate it every single night. Despite questions regarding his postseason performance, Hellebuyck is still the norm: the goalie every coach would desire.