2024 NHL Draft: The top 15 goalies

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

Is this a good year to snag a future No. 1 goaltender in the NHL? Not exactly.

But if you’ve got the draft capital to throw at least a pick on one of them? It’s a no-brainer, really. Goaltending is such a fickle position, and even if you think you’ve got enough depth, you really don’t. That’s what makes drafting goalies interesting. With the unpredictability we see at the top, having a few at your disposal to bank on makes the most sense.

Take Detroit, for example. They already had Sebastian Cossa in the system, but they took Trey Augustine last year to help supplement it. Now, they’ve got two top 10 goalie prospects, and if both hit, that’s a score. If one makes it and the other doesn’t, that’s fine. You’ve also got a nice trade chip, regardless. And then there’s Montreal, who took three last year. Jacob Fowler is their prized piece, but they have options in the post-Carey Price world.

So, drafting at least one goalie seems like a safe call for most teams. And if they do, here’s 15 of the best available to them:

1. Marcus Gidlöf, Leksands (Sweden U-20)

Gidlöf is so fascinating. At 6-foot-6 with solid numbers in the Swedish U-20 league, Gidlöf is aggressive in his crease and takes up so much space. He tracks pucks well, is extremely competitive and has good rebound control. Some scouts think he should be the first goalie taken, with some thinking as high as the second round. Others just see him as a big man and that’s it, and that he’s not even a top-10 option. I think there’s a lot of projecting for those who’ll think he’ll go high, but I still see a goalie who has the raw fundamentals to be a legit No. 1 in the NHL with proper development.

2. Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL)

George’s game is built around just keeping things steady and relaxed in the crease. His mental strength is evident, too, showing often that he can handle the pressure of a big game and a heavy workload. 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. I thought George was great at the U-18s, especially in the medal round, even if the stats might not fully reflect it. From a skill perspective, he’s clean, but can scouts look past the smaller frame? I think he’ll be fine.

3. Eemil Vinni, JoKP (Mestis)

Vinni’s 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 the 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. Vinni will need a lot of seasoning before becoming an NHLer, but I see potential there in how he commands himself in the crease. I think he’s one of those guys we’re going to see have a breakout season in Liiga before heading to the AHL and becoming an NHL backup.

4. Mikhail Yegorov, Omaha, USHL

Yegorov was one of the busiest goaltenders in the draft class this year, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on who you talk to. The Belarus native has the mental game going for him, he can handle the heavy workload, but he also has the size. At 6-foot-5, that’s the frame NHL teams crave. Scouts want him to be quicker, but they also wonder if he deals with fatigue more than the average goalie based on his workload. From a raw skills perspective, though, he’s a good skater, has an excellent glove hand, covers a lot of the net and tracks pucks well, especially through traffic. Yegorov is positionally sound, and he’s one of the best at keeping pucks out of the net down low thanks to his great legspan.

5. Ryerson Leenders, Brampton (OHL)

Leenders was one of the best goaltenders in the CHL, especially in the first half when he looked nearly unstoppable as the Steelheads’ No. 1. His play fell a bit in the second half and he was George’s backup at the U-18 World Championship. But in terms of raw skills, Leenders has everything you’re looking for. He’s quick, athletic, tracks pucks well and can react quickly when the puck gets tipped or goes where he doesn’t expect. He’s not big, but I see NHL potential.

6. Ilya Nabokov, Magnitogorsk (KHL)

Many are tabbing Nabokov as one of top goaltenders in the draft, and his recent season in the KHL helps back up the concept. The 6-foot-1 goaltender isn’t big, and that’s a large reason why he was passed over three times already. But, as the oldest prospect in this draft class, he brings serious potential, and he’s closer to NHL duty than most others on this list. He was one of the KHL’s top goaltenders despite being one of the youngest starters and showed unbelievable athleticism and post-to-post movement. Scouts love his ability to move fluently in the crease, and his raw talent is going to excite quite a bit of people.

7. Pavel Moysevich, SKA. St Petersburg (KHL)

Mosyevich rose up the rankings in the second half, and for good reason. The Belarusian was passed over in 2023, but the fourth-ranked European goaltender showed promise playing in the KHL and MHL. At 6-foot-5, he has the size teams crave and tremendous athleticism to boot, too. Moysevich does a great job of holding the fort down low and has an active shoulder that allows him to take space away up high. He looks ahead of his age group in terms of maturity and positioning. I can see a team banking on his size and athleticism, so much so that I fully expect he’ll be an NHLer in the next three to four years.

8. Kim Saarinen, HFK (Finland U-20)

Saarinen stands tall at 6-foot-4 and lets his body do the talking. He covers so much of the net, and he’s athletic enough to stretch out to make more difficult stops when needed easily. He had some rough goes internationally this year, but he looked great back home, reminding me just how good he can be 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 was good against U-20 competition. Saarinen has the size and athleticism to earn himself a high spot on draft day, but I’m not sure he’s got the play reads right now to be a serious long-term option for a team.

9. Dawson Cowan, Spokane (WHL)

Cowan is no stranger to making some big, highlight-reel stops, showing a keen sense of athleticism. 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. Cowan missed out on 2023 NHL Draft eligibility by just over a week, but he put the extra time to good use with a solid season as Spokane’s starter. He’s only 6-foot-1, but I like how important he was to Spokane and how he never crumbled under the pressure of playing against quality competition.

10. Nick Kempf, USNTDP

Kempf is fresh off an excellent showing at the U-18 World Championship, where he was one of the top goaltenders en route to a silver medal with the United States. He’s the fourth-ranked goaltender by NHL Central Scouting. His numbers don’t look great, but the USNTDP juggles play in a variety of different competitions, including against NCAA teams. So you have to take that with a grain of salt, but he definitely has stood out whenever he has played in internationally. He’s 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 raw stats suggest.

11. Kirill Zarubin, AKM Tula (MHL)

Zarubin’s had an outstanding run with Tula in the MHL, quickly establishing himself as one of the more promising young Russian goalies in this draft. He’s 6-foot-4 with great lateral quickness and reads plays so well through traffic. It can be difficult to evaluate Russian junior league goaltenders because quality can be seriously lacking, but his big frame, cool demeanor, and puck-tracking prowess make him a solid option for a team looking to throw a dart.

12. Petteri Rimpinen, Kiekko-Espoo (Mestis)

At one point, Rimpinen looked like one of the best goalies at the U-18 World Championship. But a poor goal in the quarterfinal against Sweden effectively eliminated the team early on home ice, and you could see it bothered him. It’s too bad, because there’s so much to like here. He’s athletic, tracks pucks well and doesn’t seem to be out of position too often. Rimpinen isn’t a big guy, but he makes up for it by moving as quickly as he does. I think his big year in Mestis should help his cause to get drafted.

13. Evan Gardner, Saskatoon (WHL)

Gardner played AAA U-18 hockey with the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna a year ago. This year, he finished with a WHL-leading .927 save percentage in 30 games with the Blades as a rookie. He shared the net with veteran Austin Elliott but Gardner was the better of the two goalies, going 21-5-0. He has decent size at 6-foot-2 while maintaining a calm presence in the crease. His rebound control has always been an issue but he moves well enough to at least help compensate for it. Gardner is one of the more positionally sound goaltenders I’ve seen in this class and tracks pucks well, too. The biggest question – was Gardner’s success fueled by having a great team in front of him, or is he the real deal?

14. Lukas Matecha, Tri-City (WHL)

Matecha looked excellent at the CHL Top Prospects Game earlier this year, making some great saves while playing a half-game. 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 like last year. There’s enough raw talent, mixed in with a good frame, to make him intriguing.

15. Martin Haronik, HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia U-20)

It’s weird. When I saw him at the U-18s, I felt like he played better against good teams like Finland than he did against lesser teams such as Latvia. Haronik played some good games heading into the tournament, including the shutout in half a game against Switzerland in pre-tournament action and his play in the second Slovak league in the final month of the season. Most scouts are banking on his 6-foot-5 frame, but he still needs to figure out how to contain his movements in the crease to maximize his size. I think he’s got an excellent glove hand and great vision, so there’s a ton of raw elements there that you like to see. Will it be enough? I need a bit more consistency to be sure.

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