What is Save %?

The percentage of shots a goalie stops out of all the shots he faces.

What this tells us

When a goalie has a Save % of 92%, that means he stopped 92 out of every 100 shots the other team took while he was in the net. Higher is better — a goalie who stops more shots helps his team win games. A league-average starter typically saves around 90-91% of shots; the best goalies climb into the 92-94% range.

Limitations

Save % doesn't tell you *how good* the shots were that the goalie faced. A goalie might have an excellent Save % because his team is elite at defense and only allows low-danger chances — or a poor Save % because he's constantly facing high-quality scoring opportunities from the slot. That's why we also show Expected Goals Against (xGA) and Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAX), which account for shot quality.

Example

A league-average starting goalie lands around 90-91% Save %. A top-10 starter might be at 92.5% or higher. A backup or struggling starter might fall to 88-89%.