In today's NHL landscape, teams are increasingly cautious about investing heavily in goaltending on the trade market. Many organizations believe they can achieve success with average goaltending, provided their supporting roster is strong enough. For instance, the Vegas Golden Knights triumphed with Adin Hill, not necessarily recognized as a top-tier goalie, largely due to the team's strong defensive core. Teams like Edmonton maintain confidence in their current goaltenders, Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, believing that improvements to their offensive depth can offset any shortcomings in net.

This trend reflects a broader strategy where teams prefer to allocate resources to bolster their skater positions rather than overpaying for goaltending talent. Darcy Kuemper's success with Colorado exemplifies how a talented roster can support a goaltender and still achieve remarkable outcomes. As teams continue to evaluate their rosters, the emphasis on maximizing value from goaltending while investing in other areas remains pivotal.