The New York Rangers spanked the Washington Capitals 7-3 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia on Tuesday. But the biggest story of the game was the very poor goaltending of Capitals goaltending Logan Thompson of Calgary, Alberta. The timing for Thompson simply could not have been worse. That is because it was eight days before Team Canada will be announced for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
How bad was Thompson?
Thompson only saw 20 shots, and gave up six goals. That is a horrendous goals against average of .700. Artemi Panarin scored another goal for the Rangers, but that goal went into an empty net.
Thompson in 2025-26
Thompson has a record of 14 wins, nine regulation losses, and three losses in extra time. He has a goals against average of 2.24 save percentage of .917 and two shutouts. The first shutout came on December 7 in a 2-0 Capitals win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the second shutout came on December 18 in a 4-0 Capitals win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Not chosen for the 4 Nations Face Off
Despite being among the best Canadian goaltenders statistically last season, Thompson was overlooked to represent Canada at the Four Nations Faceoff in February. The chosen goaltenders were Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues, Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights and Samuel Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens.
Who is the best Canadian goalie this season?
That answer happens to be Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche. In 2025-26, Wedgewood, the native of Brampton, Ontario leads the NHL in wins (16), and goals against average for goaltenders with a minimum of 10 starts (2.01).
Will Wedgewood be on the team?
My initial gut instinct is no. The reason is because the Avalanche franchise is extremely talented in front of him, and those in charge of selecting Team Canada would probably choose a goaltender with a little more experience. Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is a Stanley Cup champion (2022 with the Avalanche), and has 219 career wins and 38 shutouts. Wedgewood, in comparison, has 78 career wins and 10 shutouts.
Binnington having a dreadful season
St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington of Richmond Hill, Ontario has simply been awful in 2025-26 and should not even be considered in a backup role, even though he was Canada’s number one goaltender at the 4 Nations Faceoff. This season, Binnington has a goals against average of 3.44, and save percentage of .870. He is 73rd among goaltenders in goals against average and 76th among goaltenders in save percentage.
