The NHL’s top 10 goaltending prospects for 2023-24

Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Who doesn’t love goalies?

We’ve seen no shortage of high-quality young puck-stopping talent making an impact in recent years. Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, Jeremy Swayman, Logan Thompson, Stuart Skinner, Carter Hart, Thatcher Demko, Spencer Knight and Filip Gustavsson are just a handful of the more recent high-end options emerging in recent years.

The next wave is coming. And it’s going to be monstrous.

Truly, this is one of the more intriguing goaltending prospect pools we’ve seen in a while. It features plenty of future No. 1s, as well as some who could be challenging for NHL starters just a few months from now. There’s good depth across the league.

For this exercise, we’re looking at goaltenders 23 and under and with fewer than 25 NHL games played. So both Carolina’s Pyotr Kochetkov and Toronto’s Joseph Woll are ineligible, despite both being solid prospects right now.

So with that, here’s a look at 10 of the best goaltending prospects in the game today, as well as some other names you need to know:

1. Jesper Wallstedt, 20 (Minnesota Wild)

Wallstedt almost feels underrated by the average fan, and he shouldn’t be. Taken 20th overall in 2021, the 6-foot-3 goaltender had a strong first year in North America with Iowa. His numbers don’t come close to Dustin Wolf’s, but an 18-15-5 record with a .908 save percentage as a rookie No. 1 is nothing to sneeze at. Stylistically, Wallstedt has everything going for me. He’s mature, controls his movements as well as anyone and has the size NHL teams love. Another year in the AHL won’t hurt, but just about every scout I’ve talked to thinks Wallstedt is going to be a certified NHL star before too long.

2. Dustin Wolf, 22 (Calgary Flames)

I’m a firm believer, despite him having below-average size at six-foot, that Wolf can get the job done in the NHL. Wolf has won the top goaltender honors in both of his pro seasons, giving him a nice four-year streak after winning the same award in the WHL before that. All Wolf does is win, proving that teams made a big mistake not selecting him before the seventh round in 2019. The talent is there, with the 22-year-old recording a mind-blowing 77-20-7 record with seven shutouts and a .927 save percentage over 105 AHL games. Wolf still has Jacob Markstrom and Daniel Vladar in front of him in Calgary’s depth chart, but Wolf shouldn’t spend any more time in the AHL. It’s time.

*Yaroslav Askarov (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

3. Yaroslav Askarov, 21 (Nashville Predators)

Like Wolf, Askarov has a bit of competition on the main club he has to overcome before getting his big break. Drafted 11th overall in 2020, the 6-foot-4 goaltender made a big impact in his first year in North America, putting up some of the best numbers in the AHL. He also made his NHL debut in January, losing 4-3 to Montreal. Still, it was a good showing for someone who just needed playing time after losing some key action due to COVID-19 and strong competition in the SKA St. Petersburg system the past few years. He got that in Milwaukee, and it won’t be long until he’s gunning for the No. 1 job in Nashville – assuming he isn’t trade bait. For what it’s worth, I think the top three goalies here are extremely close.

4. Devon Levi, 21 (Buffalo Sabres)

Levi got his first taste of NHL action with the Sabres down the stretch, going 5-2-0. Buffalo just missed the playoffs, but Levi gave the fanbase a lot to cheer about after completing his second year at Northeastern. Levi finished off one of the best college careers we’ve ever seen from a goalie, going 38-22-6 with 16 shutouts and a .942 save percentage en route to winning the NCAA’s top goaltender award in 2023. There was nothing for the 2020 seventh-rounder to prove in college, and now he’s set to challenge for the starter’s gig in Buffalo. While he’s definitely the team’s goalie of the future, the fanbase needs to be patient here. The six-foot goaltender has some adjusting to do, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be the No. 1 out of the gate. That’ll change quickly, but with just a handful of pro starts to his credit, there’s no need to overwork him early.

*Sebastian Cossa (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)*

5. Sebastian Cossa, 20 (Detroit Red Wings)

Cossa’s first pro season saw the 6-foot-6 keeper thrive with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. Playing 46 games as a 20-year-old is no small feat, and he even got into some AHL competition in the first half with Grand Rapids. He had some interesting outings, to say the least, but he’s athletic, competitive and uses his size to his advantage. He’s still a work in progress, but with the right coaching, the upside is incredible.

6. Lukas Dostal, G, 23 (Anaheim Ducks)

With Dostal expected to back up John Gibson this year, it’s a perfect opportunity for the 23-year-old to prove he’s ready. He was excellent in spot duty last year in his early-season NHL taste but had a bit of a rough patch to close things out. He played in the AHL all-star game after his good work in San Diego. Inconsistency has been an issue, but facing shots has never been. With the Ducks expected to be near the bottom of the standings again, though, it won’t be easy.

*Joel Hofer (Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports)*

7. Joel Hofer, 22 (St. Louis Blues)

The 2022-23 AHL season was Hofer’s best season to date, posting a 27-15-5 record, five shutouts and a .921 save percentage, earning him a spot on the AHL’s second all-star team. He also was Canada’s backup at the IIHF World Hockey Championship, earning his second gold with Canada after his spectacular 2020 world junior performance. Hofer is no stranger to doing a bunch of heavy lifting, and he looked quite good in his short NHL stint with the Blues. He’s ready for backup duty now, and we’ll see if he can push Binnington back to the bench.

8. Akira Schmid, 23 (New Jersey Devils)

Schmid just qualifies with 24 games played at 23 years old. Schmid was the team’s No. 1 during the Stanley Cup playoffs, which was highlighted by a pair of shutouts against the Rangers in the opening round. The Swiss-born goalkeeper has had an excellent career since turning pro in North America and could very well be the team’s goalie of the future. The goal in 2023-24 is for Schmid to get into as many games as possible, whether it be in the NHL or back in Utica. Luckily, he’s still waiver exempt.

*Drew Commesso (George Walker IV-USA TODAY Sports)*

9. Drew Commesso, 20 (Chicago Blackhawks)

Taken 46th overall in 2020, Commesso is ready for the next level. The 2022 Olympian with the United States spent three years at Boston University, putting up a solid 43-22-4 run through 73 games. Commesso was a standout with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and has a solid international resume, albeit in a short span since he never was a starter. Still, the Blackhawks liked what they saw to have him turn pro, and he should get a significant number of starts with the Rockford IceHogs this year.

10. Michael Hrabal, 18 (Arizona Coyotes)

The Coyotes have built a solid prospect pool, and Hrabal is one of their biggest assets. At 6-foot-6 with incredible athleticism, Hrabal has the perfect size for the NHL, and his ability to carry the load even when his team gets outshot is quite something. The NCAA-bound keeper did more than his share of heavy lifting with both Czechia and the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. He seems to play better the more shots he faces. Hrabal might be the goalie with the best shot at being a starter among the 2023 NHL Draft class.

Other notables: Arturs Silovs, G, 22 (Vancouver Canucks), Trey Augustine, 18 (Detroit Red Wings), Erik Portillo, G, 22 (Los Angeles Kings), Carl Lindbom, 20 (Vegas Golden Knights), Niklas Kokko, 19 (Seattle Kraken), Justus Annunen, 23 (Colorado Avalanche), Domenic DiVincentiis, 19 (Winnipeg Jets), Mads Sogaard, 22 (Ottawa Senators)

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