Five goalie prospects to watch in 2022-23

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

Wallstedt made history in 2021 as the first Swedish goaltender to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. And for good reason. The 19-year old from Vasteras had an outstanding junior career, then followed it up with a solid rookie season in Sweden’s top professional league. He was even better last year for Lulea HF in his sophomore campaign, posting a 1.98 goals against average in 22 games played.

The 2022-23 season will be the first in North America for Wallstedt. He’s slated to begin the year with the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL affiliate. With Marc Andre-Fleury signed for two more seasons and Filip Gustavsson in a make-it-or-break-it situation, the door is wide open for Wallstedt to compete at the NHL level in the near future.

The big question is how he handles the transition to North America. The ice is smaller. And the off-ice responsibilities are greater. Can he stay in shape over the course of an entire season? Can he adapt to the different style of play? Wallstedt has a ton of upside if everything goes smoothly.

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

Things could not have gone better for Wolf in his first full season of professional hockey. The 21-year old from Gilroy, California won 33 times in 47 outings for the Stockton Heat, owned a .924 save percentage, and took home the AHL’s Baz Bastien Award as the league’s top netminder.

Now it’s up to Wolf to back up last season’s performance and prove to the Flames that he’s ready for NHL duty. Calgary’s current number two – Dan Vladar – is entering the final year of his contract. And Wolf is knocking on the NHL door.

Last year the Flames only used Jacob Markstrom and Vladar. That’s rare for a team in today’s NHL to run a full 82-game schedule with the same tandem. Injuries happen. To me it’s a matter of when, not if, Wolf plays his first NHL game.

His mechanics are sound. And Wolf – who is undersized at six foot – has been proving people wrong for quite some time. He was selected 214th overall by the Flames in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft. I wonder how many teams are kicking themselves for passing on the talented netminder.

Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville Predators

Coming into the 2020 NHL Draft, there was a ton of hype around Askarov. Russian netminders were en vogue. And the right-hand catching Askarov was deemed a can’t-miss prospect.

Now, I’m not sure the same optimism exists. Askarov was shaky in goal for Russia at the World Junior Championship in 2021. And he only appeared in six games last season for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. In fact, over the course of the past three hockey seasons, Askarov has only played 30 meaningful games.

I think Askarov coming to North America this year as a 20-year old is a necessary reboot to his young career. He needs to play games. And Askarov needs to work closely with the Predators goaltending coaches to streamline his game for pro hockey.

Askarov plays incredibly wide and low. And because of his stance, it’s really difficult for the Russian netminder to rotate and get square to the shot on lateral plays. Askarov plays small for his size and chases the play.

But despite the trouble spots I just listed, Askarov is extremely skilled and explosive. His talent just needs to be harnessed. A good training camp would go a long way for Askarov, because behind No. 1 goaltender Juuse Saros, there are question marks. Kevin Lankinen and Connor Ingram both rank ahead of Askarov for now. But I think the number two job in Music City is up for grabs. And Askarov has a chance to grab it.

Daniil Tarasov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus is a franchise that has always put a premium on developing goaltending, and Tarasov is the next in line. And while his numbers in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters haven’t been impressive – an .893 save percentage in 11 games last season – the raw talent is there. And Tarasov looked like an NHL goaltender during a four-game cameo with the Blue Jackets last season. He posted a .937 save percentage despite still searching for his first NHL win.

Standing 6-foot-6, Tarasov is a monster in the net. He plays an efficient game without holes. But what many find impressive is his demeanor and composure. Nothing seems to faze the big tendy from Novokuznetsk, Russia.

With Joonas Korpisalo on a one-year contract – and recovering from offseason surgery – the pressure is on Tarasov to have a big season. Whether at the AHL or NHL level, Tarasov needs to play. He only appeared in 15 games last year. And in the previous season split between Cleveland and Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the KHL, Tarasov played just 22 combined games.

Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres

The first four goaltenders on this list will all be playing professional hockey in North America during the 2022-23 season. But not Levi, who’s going back to Northeastern University for his second full season of NCAA Div. I hockey.

Much like Wolf, Levi is considered undersized at six-foot. And he’s also a fellow seventh-rounder. The Florida Panthers selected him No. 212 overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

I talked to several NHL goaltending coaches recently and they all mentioned Levi. To me, that shows a massive level of respect for his technical game. He’s a strong skater. Levi plays with a great deal of control. But he can be explosive and athletic when called upon. It’s the magic combo every goalie coach is looking for.

Last season Levi posted an otherworldly .952 save percentage in 32 appearances for Northeastern. There was a lot of talk of whether he would turn pro. But Levi decided to return to Northeastern for another year of collegiate hockey.

Levi is 20 years old. Time is on his side. But if he repeats last year’s performance, the Sabres will have to make room for him. It’s not inconceivable that he leapfrogs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Eric Comrie and Craig Anderson before long.

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