Author: Jean Rioux

The CHL has long been a key pipeline for NHL-draft talent, but this season presents a different
kind of storyline in net. While it may not be the strongest year for CHL goaltenders at the top of
the class, the league still features a deep group of intriguing prospects, each offering flashes of
potential, yet without a clear-cut No. 1 or true consensus among scouts.
This first instalment highlights several draft-eligible goaltenders who have stood out in early-
season viewings, showcasing a variety of skillsets, developmental paths, and projection
questions. From technically polished netminders to raw, tools-heavy projects, this part one aims
to set the stage for a class defined more by breadth than by a headline star.

Zachary Jovanovski
2025/11/14 Windsor 5 @ Guelph 8 (OHL)

Underwhelming game here for Jovanovski, coming off a recent B-grade from NHL Central
Scouting. His primary strength was on full display, as his positioning remained strong and his
overall movement looked smooth and coordinated. When plays developed in tight, he adopted a
more aggressive stance, giving himself an edge on shooters and using his posts effectively to
redirect back toward the middle of the crease.However, there were several elements in this
viewing that raise questions about his upside as one of the higher-ranked goalies in his class.
His skating looked average, lacking the power and explosiveness needed in lateral movements,
and he often appeared a step late on his recoveries. Screen management was also an issue:
traffic in front disrupted his posture too easily, and his reactions on screened shots were
noticeably slow. On one sequence, he reacted so late that the puck was already released
before he had fully set, resulting in a goal.Overall, it’s easy to see the surface-level traits that
make Jovanovski appealing to scouts, but this performance also highlighted several areas that
will need close monitoring as the season progresses

2025/11/08 Guelph 3 @ Flint 6 (OHL)
Another game where Jovanovski looked calm and in control in his crease. He handled his relief
appearance well, staying precise in his routes and maintaining generally strong positioning and
squareness. He also showed quicker feet than usual, particularly on his butterfly
recoveries.However, the concerns remain. He still lacks the high-end speed and explosiveness
needed to close space efficiently or beat lateral passes. His screen management continues to
be an issue as well, he was too relaxed, often trying to look over traffic rather than working
around it. As a result, he was again late reacting to several point shots. At the next level, he’ll
need to track through bodies with more urgency and retrieve pucks more aggressively.After

these viewings, I’m still uncertain about where to slot Jovanovski in the rankings. He will
certainly hear his name called in June, but based on his current profile, I don’t view him as a
lock for the top 64.

Parker Snell
2025/14/11 Edmonton 3 @ Victoria 1 (WHL)

It was a relatively quiet night for Snell, but that didn’t stop him from showcasing how effectively
he can control and manage a game. He rarely drifted out of position, avoided giving up
dangerous rebounds, and neutralized threats efficiently, never allowing the opposition to build
momentum. Despite not being the tallest goaltender, Snell consistently looks big in his stance:
keeping his chest tall, his hands active, and using his hip mobility to widen his base and
maximize angle coverage. His post play was another standout element. He sealed the post
cleanly on short-side pressure and used it as a springboard to explode back into his crease with
strong, controlled movements. However, there were moments where his stick discipline in the
butterfly created avoidable openings. On one short-side rush, he attempted to cut the passing
lane even though the puck carrier showed no real passing intent, leaving the five-hole exposed.
He made the save, but the shooter could’ve easily targeted that gap. A similar issue occurred
later on another short-side sequence, where exposed space between the pads contributed to a
goal off a missed pass. Overall, Snell’s technical foundation is very strong, and if he maintains
this level of structure under a heavier workload, he has the potential to solidify himself as one of
the top goaltending prospects in this class.

2025/29/10 Lethbridge 6 @ Edmonton 8 (WHL)

I really like how Snell conducts himself in the crease, blending control, patience, and just the
right amount of aggressiveness and explosiveness. His stance and posture are nearly flawless:
knees bent, weight balanced, and consistently prepared to move even in a more relaxed setup.
That foundation allows him to make precise micro-adjustments, track the puck cleanly, and
remain set for incoming shots. However, the opposing team found success when they
committed bodies to the front of the net, exposing an area where Snell still needs refinement.
He struggled at times to locate pucks off rebounds directly in front of him, and his recoveries in
tight looked a bit sluggish. These sequences revealed a gap in his ability to manage traffic and
re-set quickly after initial saves—an area he’ll need to sharpen if he wants to keep pace with
other goalies ranked ahead of him. Despite these flaws, Snell remains an intriguing prospect.
His technical base and overall poise give him a high floor, and his consistency throughout the
season will determine whether he rises in the rankings or stays where he is.

Carter Casey
2025/08/11 Brandon 7 @ Medicine Hat 4

It was an up-and-down game for Casey, who looked like two completely different goalies across
the halves. Early on, he was sharp and decisive, moving with impressive quickness and power.
His pushes and slides were clean, and despite being an extremely active goalie, he managed to
slow his game down just enough to stay square and on angle. He tracked the puck well,
absorbed rebounds efficiently, and displayed strong control in his crease. In the second half,
however, his play recognition noticeably dipped. He struggled to identify passing threats and
committed too soon to the initial play, leaving himself exposed to secondary options and
allowing at least two goals because of it. His posture and overall seal also became inconsistent,
leading to a couple of through-the-body goals. On top of that, his stick management
wavered—his five-hole opened up on multiple occasions, creating unnecessary vulnerability.
Casey has a lot of tools and physical attributes that could make him a complete goaltender and
one of the top prospects in his class. But he needs to use those tools with more consistency and
sharpen his awareness and play-processing habits. Without that layer of refinement, the
physical gifts lose much of their impact.

2025/25/10 Medicine Hat 4 @ Kelowna 3 OT (WHL)
It was a high-volume game for Casey, who stayed sharp from start to finish. His
competitiveness stood out immediately.He’s an extremely active goalie who refuses to give up
on any shot or sequence, and he has the athletic tools to adjust on the fly and make difficult
saves look routine. On the surface, he checks a lot of boxes that scouts look for, and this game
certainly reinforced that. However, despite the strong performance, questions about his overall
hockey IQ remain. Casey often plays on the reactive side, relying heavily on his athleticism to
respond to plays rather than anticipating them. On several occasions, he failed to identify
developing threats or didn’t adjust early enough to the play unfolding in front of him, leading to
goals against or unnecessarily dangerous rebounds where a more controlled read could have
produced a routine save. Leaning this much on pure athletic ability can look impressive in
isolated moments, but it’s unlikely to be sustainable at higher levels of competition. Casey
remains fairly high on my list because the physical tools are undeniable, but his ability to
continue rising will depend on showing more projection, processing, and play awareness as the
season progresses.

Harrison Boettiger
2025/11/08 Kelowna 6 @ Victoria 3 (WHL)

Boettiger is a highly active goaltender who leverages his mobility to cover as much net as
possible without losing structure. In this game, his butterfly play stood out the most. He
generated powerful, precise slides while maintaining strong upper-body posture, and his
combination of mobility and pad control allowed him to seal the ice effectively. He also
redirected low shots with controlled kick saves, placing rebounds into safe areas.That said, he
relies heavily on the butterfly. He dropped to his knees quickly and, at times, chose to slide
when holding his edges and moving laterally on his feet would have been the better option.
Increased patience on his skates will be important for his long-term development.Despite these
areas for refinement, Boettiger clearly looks like one of the top goaltending prospects in his
class.

2025/11/05 Kelowna 6 @ Penticton 2 (WHL)

Boettiger delivered another strong performance in this viewing. Although he wasn’t challenged
much with high shots, he excelled at taking away the lower part of the net. His seal was
consistently excellent, using his hip mobility to stay compact and controlled, and he once again
showed why he’s among the best butterfly-based prospects in this draft class. His slides were
powerful yet smooth, with impressive precision, and his posture remained tight when down.One
recurring issue, however, is his tendency to lean slightly too far forward in the butterfly. That
forward tilt makes him appear smaller and leaves more exposure up high, giving shooters
potential scoring windows. He also had some difficulty with his kick-save rebounds, which too
often landed in the slot or other dangerous areas. Using his stick more proactively to redirect or
neutralize those pucks would benefit him greatly.Overall, Boettiger continues to grow on me with
each viewing. If he maintains this trajectory, he could earn a high spot on my draft rankings by
the end of the season.

Marek Sklenicka
2025/14/11 Prince Albert 5 @ Seattle 4

Not a bad game for Sklenicka, who is a goalie that relies heavily on his size and positioning. He
consistently found ways to set himself square and on angle, sometimes using quick and crisp
adjustments in his crease. His size alone gives you a chance on every shot.However, in this
viewing, I questioned his speed and athleticism when it came to handling what follows after the
initial save or read. His athletic limitations were evident in his lateral movements and
recoveries: he often fell behind the play and lost control of his positioning, leaving him
exposed. His short-range rebound control is also something to monitor throughout the season,
as a few pucks dropped into the slot and created dangerous opportunities and
scrambles.Overall, I think Sklenicka is a solid goalie and should be considered a middle-round

option for the draft. If he can add a bit more consistency in his athleticism, I’m sure scouts will
quickly warm to him.

2025/11/11 Wenatchee 1 @ Seattle 4 (WHL)

Good start for Sklenicka, who was tested early with a couple of odd-man rushes. He handled
those situations perfectly, reading the passing threats and secondary options while adjusting his
body positioning accordingly. I really liked how he managed himself in the crease.He showed
higher-than-average hockey IQ and a strong understanding of developing plays. His post play
was also solid, sealing the posts well in RVH and transitioning smoothly into the butterfly to
return to the middle of his crease while maintaining a consistent ice seal.That said, I still find
that Sklenicka lacks high-end quickness and athleticism, which could impact his draft stock.
Controlled, intelligent performances like this one can help balance that weakness to some
extent, but improving his overall explosiveness will be key as the season progresses.

Vladislav Yermolenko
2025/14/11 Niagara 3 @ Kingston 4

Yermolenko is a smaller goalie, but he blends several intriguing traits—most notably strong
positioning. He’s consistently on time to the play, maintaining great angle coverage and
squareness even without high-end speed. In this viewing, he occasionally adopted a more
aggressive approach, such as using the overlap to cut down angles, and while he isn’t the most
athletic, he generated impressive power and speed on his lateral pushes. I was also impressed
by his glove hand, catching pucks with ease and smoothness throughout the game. However,
while his slides showed good power, he needs to rein them in. He often pushed without enough
precision, overshooting and overcommitting on certain plays, which cost him energy and made
recoveries slower. He also created a few scrambles by allowing low-shot rebounds into
dangerous areas. Yermolenko has tools and looks sharp technically, but projecting him high on
draft boards remain difficult at this stage, largely due to his size.

2025/6/11 Niagara 3 @ Ottawa 4

Yermolenko once again showed that his main strength lies in his positioning and overall crease
presence on the initial shot. However, it wasn’t enough in this viewing, as his smaller frame and
average athleticism led to frequent scrambles on recoveries and lateral plays. While
Yermolenko remains an interesting prospect thanks to his strong fundamentals, I struggle to see
an NHL projection at this stage given his size and overall athletic limitations.

Parker Snell
2025/11/10 Moose Jaw 1 @ Edmonton 4 (WHL)

Snell is a goaltender with a commanding presence in the crease. His posture and stance are
sharp, and his hands stay active and well-positioned in front of him. He displays excellent hip
mobility, showing strong edge work when setting for shots and a wide butterfly flare on his
drops. In short, he covers the net like a 6’5” goalie, despite standing at 6’2”. That combination
allowed him to track and block pucks effectively, even through traffic.While he didn’t display
high-end speed or explosiveness, Snell moved fluidly, with smooth, effortless transitions. It
wasn’t a game where he faced a heavy workload, particularly on rush chances. I counted only a
few clean rushes where attackers entered the zone with speed to shoot from the perimeter. On
those occasions, I noticed a slight tendency for him not to be completely square to the first
shooter (F1); his chest positioning wasn’t perfectly aligned with the puck, which led to one goal
and another close call.Even in a lighter game, Snell’s skill set was evident. The tools he
possesses will serve him well in more demanding matchups, and it’s easy to understand why
there’s growing buzz around his name ahead of the upcoming NHL Draft.

Harrison Boettiger
2025/10/10 Kelowna 1 @ Seattle 3 (WHL)

Boettiger looked calm and composed in his first WHL start, even though his rebound control
was inconsistent early on. He left a few pucks loose in front of him, but his powerful, quick
movements consistently allowed him to recover and make relatively comfortable saves. After
the initial shot or broken play, he reset efficiently, using strong, controlled slides to regain
positioning with both speed and precision.What stood out was the element of control in his
movements, something not always seen in goalies who rely a lot on athleticism and
explosiveness. I particularly liked how he used the overlap technique on rushes when F1
committed to the short side. Boettiger positioned himself to face the shooter while maintaining a
slight tilt toward potential passing options (F2 or F3), allowing him to challenge aggressively yet
remain prepared for lateral plays. That reads as a clear sign of a strong hockey IQ.Overall, I like
what I saw. His blend of quickness, controlled movement, and situational awareness could
make him a favorite among NHL scouts ahead of the 2026 Draft.

2025-09-14 Omskie Yastreby 4 @ Mamonty Yugry 3 (MHL)

Ivchenko is a tall, composed goalie with strong movement ability. What stood out most was not his raw speed, but his intelligent reads and efficient positional adjustments. He recognized when to challenge on rushes and when to hold back and angle for passes. His butterfly slides were controlled, and he often beat plays on his feet through smart routes and depth management. I also liked his wide butterfly flare, which sealed the ice effectively on low shots. The main concern is his performance on screens. He struggled to locate pucks through traffic and became vulnerable when adopting a relaxed stance. At 6’4″, he needs to assert his crease presence more and find better sightlines. That said, Ivchenko has the tools to become one of my favorite goalie prospects for the 2026 draft and could warrant consideration within the first three rounds.

2025-09-20 Chaika Nizhny Novgorod 5 @ Rysi 1 (MHL)

Sabitov is a reactive, instinct-driven goalie who relies on athleticism and reflexes. His quick feet help him maintain good angles and he competes hard, never giving up on a play. However, because he depends more on instincts than technique, he can be exposed at times. He often lets pucks hit his body instead of cleanly tracking and absorbing them, resulting in dangerous rebounds and delayed recoveries. He’s also vulnerable to tips and scramble plays, where instinctive reactions replace structured movements. I also noted a habit of dropping on one knee instead of into a full butterfly, leaving his five-hole exposed. While Sabitov’s speed and compete level make him intriguing, his technical flaws and reactive tendencies currently make him too risky to project as an early pick in the 2026 draft.

2025-09-27 Kitchener 2 @ Owen Sound 5 (OHL)

Schaubel is a technically sound goaltender whose posture and hand positioning are consistently prepared for the next shot. This readiness allows him to track pucks cleanly and control rebounds effectively, especially on blocker and glove-side attempts. His lateral movement is excellent, enabling him to make difficult saves on cross-ice plays with smooth slides or strong T-pushes. However, this lateral ability sometimes masks weaknesses in his situational awareness. I noticed limited shoulder checks or scanning to identify threats around him, which led to goals and desperation saves that could have been routine with better reads. He also struggled at times to set him up square to shooters, particularly on the penalty kill, leaving small gaps exposed. After this viewing, I don’t see him as a lock to be drafted in 2026, although that could change quickly if he improves and maintains consistency in his play reading.

2025-09-27 HC Karlovy Vary 5 @ Mountfield HK 0 (Czechia U20)

Psohlavec is a goalie who uses his large frame effectively to stay consistently square to shooters. His crease routes are calculated and look effortless. On rushes, he tends to tilt slightly toward the F2 option without conceding angle on the puck carrier. That awareness allows him to remain square and prepared to beat cross-ice passes while staying on his feet. The downside in this viewing was his difficulty controlling and absorbing shots, which affected his ability to recover efficiently and made him more vulnerable in net-front scrambles. Late in the game, as the score tilted heavily in his team’s favor, he seemed to ease off the gas and looked less sharp in his movements. Even so, Psohlavec easily remains in my top 10 goalie prospects.

By Jean-François Rioux 

X: @Rickyjf

Danai Shaiikov 

Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL

In this series, instead of simply pitching the goalie with the top numbers, I’ll highlight one goalie prospect who stood out to me in my viewings in the last month.

In his first 4 starts since moving to North America), Danai Shaiikov caught my attention early in my viewings. His speed and agility in the crease were evident, as he covered ground well, reset quickly to position after initial shots and showed a high compete level. He started the year strong with 3 wins and posting a 2.05 GAA and .912 Sv%.

Strengths

His lateral movement and ability to reset after a shot are among his most reliable tools in his positioning. He gave himself a chance on rebound opportunities and scrambles. He stayed very active in his crease making quick and crisp adjustments to set him up square to the puck.He also challenges shooters, cuts angles, and doesn’t shy off his crease. That mindset can force shooters into uncomfortable looks with rare free space to place the puck.

danai_shaiikov_-_2nd_period_5_57_-_6_13.mp4

---

Weaknesses 

His aggressive style sometimes comes at a cost: he can lose track of precise angles or let gaps open up, particularly on tight or deceptive plays, complicating his save selection. Also, his strong pushes when sliding make him overcommit on some plays, so the recovery can be difficult, even with above average speed and quickness.

danai_shaiikov_-_1st_period_20_56_-_21_9.mp4

---

Projection & Potential

I see Shaiikov as an overager draftable prospect for the 2026 draft as he has the athletic profile and size to draw NHL interest. I’ll be following him up all season to see his progression in identified weaknesses, more notably if his aggressiveness can be balanced with more structural discipline.