2024 NHL Draft: 10 goaltenders you need to know

Sorry, goalie nerds. There’s no clear-cut future No. 1 starter this year.

It’s no secret goaltenders are the hardest to scout each year. You can’t seem to rely on the supposed “elite” NHL starters, either. It’s the most fickle position in hockey and that’ll likely never change in our lifetime.

Case in point – among the best goaltending prospects in the world, you’ve got first-rounders like Jesper Wallstedt and Yaroslav Askarov, and then you’ve got seventh-rounders such as Devon Levi and Dustin Wolf. Goalies don’t get to play anywhere near as much as skaters do, so the sample size is much smaller. In a lot of cases, you’re having to figure out if a goalie is getting crushed because of the team in front of them or if they’re truly just not good enough.

What’s truth? What’s fiction? Even the best goalie evaluators have a hard time figuring that out.

Today, we’re going to take you through an early look at the 2024 NHL Draft’s goaltending landscape. From talking to scouts and watching the players in person, here’s a look at 10 names you need to know:

Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga Steelheads, OHL)

Once a first-rounder on my draft list this year, I’ve dropped him out of my most recent top 50. Not due to a lack of performance on Leenders’ part, but just due to the overall depth of talent. If I had to pick the top goaltender right now, it’s Leenders. He’s been a beast for the Mississauga Steelheads this year, a team that can have its struggles in their own zone. He’s a little undersized at 6-foot-1, but Leenders makes up for it with athleticism and good puck-tracking. I expect him to be in the mix for Canada’s world junior team next year.

Carter George (Owen Sound, OHL)

Compared to Leenders, George’s game is more built around just keeping things steady and relaxed in the crease. At 6-foot-1, George is also on the smaller side, but he’s as confident as they come in this year’s class. Let in a bad goal? He’s going to rob you on your next chance. Nothing seems to bother him, and he also sees through traffic well for a smaller keeper. From a skill perspective, there’s no issues here, but can scouts look past the smaller frame?

*Kim Saarinen (Photo from Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Kim Saarinen (HPK, Finland U-20)

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Saarinen stands tall at 6-foot-4 and lets his body do the talking. He covers so much of the net, but he’s athletic enough to easily stretch out to make more difficult stops when needed. He had a rough go at the recent U-18 Five Nations tournament but bounced back with an excellent outing back home, reminding me just how good he can be when he’s in the zone. He allows poor goals a little too much for my liking but the size alone makes him intriguing – and, for the most part, he’s been good against U-20 competition.

Emil Vinni (JoKP, Liiga)

Vinni drew attention from scouts at when he served as Finland’s starter as an underage at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup – and he was excellent with a 3-1-0 record and a .927 save percentage. But he struggled during the regular season and was downright brutal at the U-18 World Championship come springtime. But this year has been better – the stats might not be special, but it’s difficult being a starter in a pro league at 18. Vinni didn’t get a start at the world juniors, but he’s arguably been Finland’s best goaltender in U-20 national team competition this year. At 6-foot-2, he has decent size and, fortunately, he isn’t overcommitting on shots as much as he was a year ago.

Nicholas Kempf (USNTDP)

*Nicholas Kempf (Photo from Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Opinions seemed split on Kempf – some think he’s one of the best goaltenders in the class. Others seem unsure. He’s had some down moments – he has just one win in four USHL outings when he has faced 30 or more shots – but you can see the raw potential. He’s been excellent in international competition, is very athletic and is never caught watching the puck from the crease. Kempf never quits on a chance, and his quick reads allow him to make some huge stops. I think he’s better than the stats suggest.

Dawson Cowan (Spokane, WHL)

I haven’t seen a bad game from Cowan this year, but that’s not a huge sample size, either. What I did notice is how well he covers the net with his 6-foot-3 frame, especially down low. He has quick legs that make him hard to beat and his active glove hand comes up big often. Cowan can be caught reacting too slowly to a shot, and his rebound control isn’t great. But other times, he’ll just turn on a switch and it becomes difficult to get a shot past him.

Mikhail Yegorov (Omaha, USHL)

So, yeah, the record is awful. Three wins in 30 games? Yegorov’s transition to North America has been far from ideal, facing 30 or more shots in 21 outings this year. So it’s no surprise it’s been difficult, but scouts still see a ton of potential from the 6-foot-4 keeper. The size helps, but he battles so hard. He never gives up on a play, even with a terrible lineup in front of him. The Boston University commit is very athletic for his size and seems to stay focused no matter what. I could see Yegorov being one of the biggest goaltender steals of this draft because he has all the tools needed to succeed, but just doesn’t have the results.

Ilya Nabokov (Magnitogorsk, KHL)

*Ilya Nabokov (Photo from Dmitry Soroka/KHL)*

Set to be 21 come draft day, Nabokov is one of the oldest players available this year, after putting up tremendous numbers as a KHL rookie. He has outplayed former Calgary Flames keeper Artyom Zagidulin and, with 42 games played, was the most active U-21 goalie in the KHL this season. Nabokov isn’t big at six-foot, but he’s athletic, and the numbers have been excellent.

Lukas Matecha (Tri-City, WHL)

Another re-entry option, Matecha looked excellent at the CHL Top Prospects Game last month, and scouts noticed. He’s in his first year in North America, and his numbers have been good despite often getting shelled with Tri-City. He’s no stranger to 40-shot contests and often plays some of his best hockey when busy. At 6-foot-3, Matcha has the size teams crave, and I can’t imagine he’ll go undrafted again this time around.

Zach Pelletier (Gatineau, QMJHL)

The QMJHL doesn’t have many prospects worth getting excited about in the draft this year, but Pelletier has drawn some attention. He’s 6-foot-3, he’s quick and has good rebound control. Positionally, I feel like it’s still a work in progress. Pelletier will get beat on simple wristers that leave you concerned, but then he’ll rob someone with an excellent glove hand on the next possible opportunity.

Other notables: John Parsons (USNTDP), Keegan Warren (Moncton, QMJHL), Samuel Urban (Sioux City, USHL), Thatcher Bernstein (Tri-City, WHL)

Discover Betano.ca – a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games, Betano is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.