We’re talking goalies….
Goaltenders are hard to project, just ask any NHL scout. Whether it’s Rick DiPietro at 1st overall or Henrik Lundqvist at 205th, not many general managers know what they’re going to get with a drafted goalie. The identification process is fairly straight forward. We watch for athleticism in the crease, the ability to track pucks through traffic, and the willingness to compete for rebounds. However, identifying a good goaltender is far simpler than identifying a good prospect. Many people will shy away from saying “size is important” or “it doesn’t matter if they play in college or the CHL”, however I find that to be false. In an ideal situation, you have a 6’5 190 pound netminder coming out of the NCAA ranks. Why? Now every situation is different, just look at the 2016 draft where Carter Hart fell to 48th overall. He was clearly the top goaltending prospect with both the birthdate, skill set, and intangibles to be a late first rounder, yet teams still shy away. This may be the year that all comes to a close as, 6’4 Jake Oettinger out of the University of Boston is set to hear his name called, oh and it could be called as early as the 20’s..
Top 5 WHL Netminders
1. Ian Scott – 1999-01-11 – 6’3 / 168 lbs – Prince Albert Raiders
GP: 50 GAA: 3.69 SV%: .895
A confident, poised goaltender who spent the season behind a rebuilding squad, yet was able to provide a backbone for a team who needed confidence. Scott battle shard in the crease, and maintains strong angles and positioning. In my viewings, the tendency from shooters was to go glove side, an area for improvement moving forward.
2. Stuart Skinner – 1998-11-01- 6’4 / 207 lbs – Lethbridge Hurricanes
GP: 60 GAA: 3.26 SV%: .905
Skinner was a highly touted goaltender who took the league by storm, establishing himself as one of the premier young prospects during his rookie season. Since then, he has troubled to find consistency, proving to be a different goalie game to game. He has the size to be an impact goaltender, but it will come down to whether he can adapt some intelligence and athleticism into his game.
3. Dylan Ferguson – 1998-09-20 – 6’1 / 192 lbs – Kamloops Blazers
GP: 31 GAA: 2.74 SV%: .922
Ferguson was very strong in a backup role with Victoria this past season, posting impressive numbers and learning from one of the leagues best in Connor Ingram. As a goalie likely to take over the starter role next season, he’s not a bad gamble after the third round.
4. Jordan Hollett – 1999-03-31 – 6’5 / 194 lbs – Medicine Hat Tigers (From Regina)
GP: 19 GAA: 2.83 SV%: .901
The recently acquired Tiger is coming off an underwhelming season, where he failed to establish himself as the starter on a Regina. He’s a big athletic goaltender, and the overall prospect package you receive with Hollett makes him well worth the pick if he’s available in the sixth or seventh round as he will have a good opportunity in the Hat next season.
5. Griffen Outhouse – 1998-03-13 – 5’11 / 174 lbs – Victoria Royals
GP: 63 GAA: 2.85 SV%: .915
An undersized netminder who has built his game around athleticism and playing with a high compete level. Outhouse, who was stellar in his limited starts last season, has established himself as one of the more feared goalies throughout the league as he has proven to be able to steal games on his own.
Top 10 Goalies – NHL Draft
1. Jake Oettinger – 1998-12-18 – 6’4 / 205 lbs – Boston University (NCAA)
GP: 35 GAA: 2.11 SV%: .927
2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – 1999-03-09 – 6’4 / 196 lbs – HPK U20 – Jr. A SM-Liiga
GP: 35 GAA: 1.78 SV%: .917
3. Michael Dipietro – 1999-06-09 – 6’0 / 192 lbs – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
GP: 51 GAA: 2.35 SV%: .917
4. Keith Petruzzelli – 1999-02-09 – 6’6 / 190 lbs – Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
GP: 35 GAA: 2.40 SV%: .918
5. Olle Eriksson Ek – 1999-06-22 – 6’2 / 187 lbs – Farjestad BK J20 (SuperElit)
GP: 30 GAA: 2.16 SV%: .924
6. Ian Scott – 1999-01-11 – 6’3 / 168 lbs – Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
GP: 50 GAA: 3.69 SV%: .895
7. Cayden Primeau – 1999-08-11 – 6’3 / 179 lbs – Lincoln Stars (USHL)
GP: 30 GAA: 3.16 SV%: .895
8. Dayton Rasmussen – 1998-11-04 – 6’2 / 201 lbs – Tri City Storm/Chicago Steel (USHL)
GP: 28 GAA: 2.50 SV%: .911
9. Maxim Zhukov – 1999-07-22 – 6’3 / 181 lbs – Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
GP: 31 GAA: 2.25 SV%: .913
10. Tomas Vomacka – 1999-05-02- 6’3 / 172 lbs – Corpus Christi Ice Rays (NAHL)
GP : 41 GAA: 2.43 SV%: .923
* Due to issues with the site yesterday, this article was meant to be published yesterday. Our apologies to the readers and to Draft Geek.
