We begin our position previews with a look at the top goaltenders eligible for the 2015 NHL draft, which will be held June 25-26 in Sunrise, Florida.
There hasn’t been a goalie selected in the first round since Tampa Bay took a flier on Andrei Vasilevskiy with the 19th-overall pick in 2012. Fellow netminder Malcolm Subban was nabbed by Boston five picks later in the same draft, as well.
Will a team buck that trend this year? This draft class is widely noted for being deep at the forward and defense positions, so it seems unlikely a team will take a chance on a goalie prospect with its top selection.
Goaltenders, as we all know, take much longer to develop. On the surface, it looks like a below average draft class at the goalie position and it will take quite a few years for these prospects to make significant progress at the professional level.
There are, however, several intriguing players with a ton of potential up for grabs. Let’s take a look:
1. Ilya Samsonov, 6/3/200, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
Samsonov finished as NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked international goaltender after posting an 11-4-1 record, 2.66 goals-against average and .918 save percentage at the Russian junior level last season. He also turned heads at the 2014 World Junior A Challenge, where he helped Russia to a bronze medal with a 46-save shutout in a 2-0 win over Canada East. He finished the tournament with a 2-1-0 record, 1.67 GAA and .952 save percentage.
A native of Magnitogorsk, Russia, Samsonov has never played outside of his hometown. The acrobatic netminder recently said he models his game after his favorite player, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
NHL
He can cover a big part of the net but is also remarkably athletic. He’s not afraid to play at the top of the crease and challenge shooters to beat his quick glove hand, either. Rebound control is a weakness, but that should improve with more seasoning.
Though he’s considered to be one of the top goalies in the draft, his three-year deal in the KHL could see him slide a bit on draft day.
Draft projection: Early-to-mid second round
2. Mackenzie Blackwood, 6-4/215, Barrie (OHL)
The OHL is a high-scoring junior league in Canada that is known to produce prolific goal scorers, but Mackenzie held his own in 2014-15. The towering netminder went 33-14-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 51 games.
The top-ranked North American goalie by NHL Central Scouting, Mackenzie is incredibly poised for his age. He rarely panics and plays the puck intelligently when he leaves his crease. He also posses tremendous leg strength and can move laterally in a flash.
It’s also worth noting he has just six years of goaltending experience under his belt. He took up the position at the age of 12 but has shown significant progression with each passing season. Just needs to fine tune his butterfly technique.
Draft projection: Mid second round.
3. Matej Tomek, 6-2/180, Topeka (NAHL)
The North American Hockey League’s Goaltender of the Year, Tomek got off to a torrid start with the RoadRunners this past season. He won seven of his first eight outings – registering four shutouts during that stretch – before finishing 2014-15 with a 24-7-2 record, .928 save percentage and 1.83 goals-against average.
The Bratislava, Slovakia native is extraordinarily sound positionally and doesn’t give up many goals at the bottom half of the net. He could, however, stand to improve his stick handling and passing.
Tomek will face stiffer competition next season as he is committed to the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2015.
Draft projection: Late second round, early third round
4. Adin Hill, 6-3/198, Portland (WHL)
Hill is coming off a stellar season with the Winterhawks. He led all WHL rookie netminders in wins (31 in 46 games) and paced the entire league in save percentage (.921).
Another goalie with terrific size, Hill simply finds ways to stop pucks. He may look awkward in the net from time to time, but he’s very confident.
The 19-year-old has a knack for fighting through traffic to locate shoots and keeps his rebounds close to him. When there’s a barrage of shots coming his way, he’ll come up with a big save to slow things down. His athleticism has improved greatly but he still needs to work on his angles.
Draft projection: Mid-to-late third round
5. Callum Booth, 6-2/199, Quebec (QMJHL)
Booth is a butterfly goalie with good size. He won 23 games and posted a 3.05 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 41 appearances with the Ramparts last season.
The 18-year-old is at his best down low and has phenomenal lateral movement. He also has an uncanny ability to recover and make eye-popping saves. He’ll always make the first stop but he gives up entirely too many rebounds.
If Booth can show some more consistency he could turn out to be a steal in this draft. He has a very high upside but must improve his mechanics if he wants to make it to the NHL level. Good thing is he has plenty of time to develop.
Draft projection: Mid-to-late fourth round
Rounding out the Top 10
6. Felix Sandstrom, 6-2/191, Brynas Jr. (Sweden)
7. Ryan Larkin, 6-0/192, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
8. Samuel Montembeault, 6-2/173, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
9. Daniel Vladar, 6-5/185, Kladno (Czech Republic)
10. Nick McBride, 6-3/179, Prince Albert (WHL)