DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

Tag: Goalies

  • Evaluating the Crease: 2026 NHL Draft Goaltender Spotlight

    After completing at least three viewings on each goalie listed below in the latter part of their respective
    seasons, I wanted to put together a more complete spotlight on some of the most intriguing draft-eligible
    goaltenders in this class. The goal here wasn’t only to evaluate results or statistics, but rather to identify
    projectable technical habits, physical tools, decision-making, and long-term upside through multiple live
    viewings and game situations.
    The following reports focus on the elements that stood out the most in recent viewings and how each
    goalie currently projects heading into the NHL Draft.

    Carter Casey, Medicine Hat Tigers
    Carter Casey is probably one of the most electrifying goalies in this class and, in my opinion, the best
    mover of the bunch. He’s constantly active in his crease and stands out with his quickness, speed, and
    mobility. His athleticism allows him to contort his body and extend his legs to put himself in excellent
    position to make all kinds of saves without compromising his recoveries or overall structure.
    In my most recent viewings, I particularly liked the way he tracked pucks on long-range shots through
    traffic. He followed the puck extremely well even when it changed direction and reacted on time to place
    his body in front of tipped shots. That greatly helped limit dangerous rebounds and second chances.
    Casey also displayed excellent anticipatory habits on cross-crease plays, reading passes and identifying
    the shooter rather than simply following the puck.
    High-shot tracking remains something to monitor. On a few occasions, some pucks didn’t appear to be
    tracked cleanly and his body reacted with a recoil-like motion, with his head retracting into his shoulders.
    Casey also tends to drop to his knees too quickly instead of holding his edges longer, which can leave
    him vulnerable to passing plays and secondary chances.
    Overall, Casey projects very well thanks to his speed, athleticism, and the control element he’s
    progressively adding to his game. He should hear his name called somewhere around the third round of
    the draft.

    William Lacelle, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
    William Lacelle is another highly skilled goalie who may lack a bit of size by NHL standards. His biggest
    strength is undoubtedly the precision and speed of his movements, but digging deeper, his puck tracking
    is not far from elite.
    He reads releases extremely well and consistently keeps sight of the puck in nearly every situation. I also
    really liked his play reading. He has a strong feel for how sequences develop in the defensive zone and
    adjusts his game accordingly. The fact that he’s both quick and intelligent allows him to play aggressively
    while maintaining excellent angle coverage and strong recoveries on lateral plays and second chances.

    That said, his speed and aggressive movement habits can sometimes work against him. There are
    sequences where he overmoves and ends up needing extra effort to recover positioning.
    Some teams may hesitate because of his lack of size, but he compensates with elite traits that, in my
    opinion, should guarantee him a selection in the third round or, at worst, the fourth.

    Harrison Boettiger, Kelowna Rockets
    When watching Harrison Boettiger play, the first word that comes to mind is smooth. Everything about his
    game looks fluid, from the way he moves to the way he controls pucks. He’s particularly effective in the
    butterfly, sealing the ice extremely well with a wide flare and powerful drops.
    His butterfly slides are elite, efficient, and look effortless. That makes him very difficult to beat on low
    shots and highly effective on recoveries. I also like his puck tracking. While it may not be elite, it’s clearly
    above average, especially in how quickly he reads releases.
    However, it hasn’t always been his most consistent trait. I noticed some sequences where he briefly lost
    focus, which led to softer goals on clean long-range shots.
    Boettiger will also need to improve his play recognition and anticipation. Too often, he relies on his
    athleticism and excellent slides to cover space instead of anticipating plays before they fully develop.
    He’s a goalie with a lot of tools that I really like, but I don’t currently see enough to place him ahead of the
    goalies I value in the first three rounds of the draft.

    Vladimir Proskurin, Atlant Mytishchi
    Vladimir Proskurin is one of the goalies who has made the biggest jump in my rankings throughout the
    season. Once viewed as a speedy goalie with some erratic tendencies, he has made tremendous
    progress controlling his movements and staying precise without sacrificing his elite traits.
    And the list of elite tools is long: quick feet, crisp edges, high-end athleticism. He also plays with an
    aggressive but controlled approach that makes him look much bigger than he actually is. That says a lot
    about how efficiently he covers angles.
    His puck tracking was also very good and he used active hands to catch and control pucks, limiting
    dangerous rebounds.
    The main thing I’d still like to see more of is his awareness of backside threats and peripheral options. He
    often reacts after the pass and relies heavily on athleticism to cover the distance.
    I really like both the upside and progression curve with Proskurin. He checks a lot of boxes for what
    modern NHL teams look for in a goalie and he should be one of the first goalies selected in the next NHL
    Draft.

    Dmitri Ivchenko, Omskie Yastreby
    I’ve said it multiple times already, but Ivchenko is probably one of my favorite goalies in this class and
    certainly one of the most projectable long-term. The level of competition he faced was questioned
    throughout the year, but it’s impossible to ignore the tools and projectable traits he displayed all season.
    His overall game is extremely clean, but what stood out most was his ability to slow plays down and make
    everything look easy. That translated into elite puck tracking. His eyes stayed locked on the puck from the
    shooter all the way into his body. Whenever he gave up a rebound, his eyes stayed with the puck, making
    his recoveries quick and controlled.
    Throughout all my recent viewings, he remained extremely well positioned thanks to strong anticipation
    and highly efficient crease routes.
    There honestly weren’t many weaknesses that stood out in his game. However, on some occasions, he
    stayed locked into the overlap position for too long, which made him vulnerable against sharp-angle
    shooters and passing plays. Also, while his blocker stayed projected on slides and he caught nearly
    everything to the glove side, his hands could still become more active while moving to further improve
    angle coverage.
    Bottom line, Ivchenko will be near the very top of my goalie rankings and I fully believe he’s worthy of a
    third-round selection.

    Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders
    Michal Orsulak’s stock is clearly trending upward right now, especially with Prince Albert playing in the
    WHL Final and after helping Czechia reach the final of the most recent World Junior Championship.
    Orsulak is a re-entry candidate after going undrafted last year before making the move to North America
    this season. At first glance, he has all the tools to be viewed as one of the top goalie prospects available.
    He’s big and possesses excellent mobility, especially through his lower body. That allows him to cover the
    ice very effectively. His legs stay active while in the butterfly, making him highly efficient on his knees.
    In my recent viewings, he was extremely difficult to beat on low shots. He also uses his large frame very
    well to stay square and take away a significant portion of the net. Despite his size, Orsulak moves fairly
    well overall.
    That said, I have major questions regarding his top-end lateral speed. On many occasions, he anticipated
    plays well and quickly identified the new shooter on passing sequences, but he lacked the pure speed
    needed to fully cover the distance and get set in position to make the save. That issue led to goals
    against, especially on plays coming from the corners or from behind the net. After multiple viewings, it
    looked more like a recurring trend than isolated mistakes.
    Also, while he read releases quickly, he didn’t always seem to fully track the puck into his body, which led
    to several uncontrolled rebounds into dangerous areas.
    For those reasons, I can’t fully buy into the trend of placing him near the top of my rankings. The lack of
    elite lateral speed and the concerns surrounding his puck tracking force me to rank him behind more
    complete prospects in those areas. Still, Orsulak remains a legitimate middle-round candidate in this
    draft.

  • Goalie Spotlight CHL Edition

    The CHL continues to be one of the richest pipelines for goaltending talent, and the 2026 NHL
    Draft class is shaping up to be no exception. Across the three leagues, a variety of promising
    netminders are emerging some refining already polished skillsets, others showcasing raw tools
    that could translate exceptionally well at the next level.This second part of the series highlights
    another group of compelling CHL goaltending prospects, several of whom have the potential to
    hear their names called as early as the end of the second round. From technically refined
    movers to athletic upside swings, this collection underscores just how deep and diverse the
    CHL’s goalie landscape remains for the upcoming draft.

    William Lacelle
    2025/21/11 Gatineau 1 @ Rimouski 2 OT (QMJHL)

    Lacelle delivered a great performance, playing with noticeable confidence and presence in his
    crease. His aggressiveness stood out right away—he consistently challenged shooters above
    the blue paint without sacrificing angle coverage. His speed and fluidity in movement were again
    evident, reinforcing what previous viewings hinted at. In previous viewings, I noted that Lacelle
    could sometimes be too active, leading him to overplay certain situations. In this game,
    however, he maintained that same high activity level but with far more precision. Every
    movement was calculated, and he avoided overcommitting on developing plays. His edgework
    was the elite element of this viewing. He stayed patient on his feet even when working on
    aggressive edges, and when he did drop into the butterfly, his recoveries were immediate and
    explosive. He consistently popped back up with purpose, regaining angle coverage on rebounds
    and giving himself the tools to react to lateral options or secondary threats. Those recovery
    mechanics significantly contributed to his control of the game.The main concern remains his
    size. While he does an excellent job cutting angles with aggressive depth, there’s always the
    question of whether this element will scale effectively at the pro level. On the other hand, his
    athleticism and skating ability are clearly high-end—and those traits do tend to translate
    well.Considering all these factors, I could realistically see Lacelle being selected within the first
    three rounds of the draft.
    2025/16/11 Cape Breton 3 @ Rimouski 4 SO (QMJHL)

    Lacelle continued to impress with how effectively he managed his depth, staying just aggressive
    enough above the blue paint without overcommitting on developing plays. He maintained strong
    angle coverage through his progressions and flashed high-end lateral speed when needed to
    cut off dangerous lanes. His puck tracking remained a standout element, especially to the glove
    side and on low pucks, where he consistently kept his eyes locked on the play, even in heavy
    traffic or scramble situations. That sharp tracking also benefited him on cross-crease sequences
    and plays originating from behind the net, allowing him to move his body across quickly and in

    control to make the save. However, his tracking wasn’t as sharp when facing screens. He often
    tried to look over traffic despite not having an ideal size for that approach, or he would lean his
    torso in the direction of his head tilt when searching for sightlines. That led to delayed reactions,
    resulting in goals against or uncontrolled rebounds. Lacelle remains a prospect with a strong
    toolkit and meaningful upside, but these recurring question marks—particularly around his
    handling of screens—hold him back slightly from climbing even higher on draft boards.

    Jacoby Weiner
    2025/07/11 Moncton 3 @ Sherbrooke 4 (QMJHL)

    Weiner fits the modern goalie prototype scouts tend to gravitate toward. He’s tall, big, and
    extremely athletic. His movements are crisp, and he showed impressive mobility, allowing him
    to control his body and make saves from a variety of positions. However, this game also
    highlighted that he remains quite raw and projects more as a long-term development bet.The
    missing element in his profile right now is his hockey IQ. On multiple occasions, he looked more
    reactive than proactive. His reflexes are excellent, but his body wasn’t consistently set in optimal
    position to receive the puck, which led to compromised angles or pucks slipping through holes.
    He didn’t consistently anticipate developing plays or process threats early enough to position
    himself with intent—often reacting only once the puck was already headed his way. That said,
    the upside is real. With time, coaching, and structured development, he could round out his
    game and integrate more deliberate processing into his approach. He projects as a longer-term
    project who may require patience, but the payoff could be significant if everything comes
    together.
    2025/16/11 Québec 4 @ Moncton 1 (QMJHL)

    This was another game where Weiner showcased his high-end athletic toolkit. His mobility
    stands out, with wide, powerful edges and the ability to move through his crease with notable
    speed. His pushes and slides are explosive, and he recovers to his feet quickly and efficiently.
    Technically, Weiner demonstrated that he can maintain consistent positioning when the puck is
    between the dots, staying square and aligned to the shot. However, his positioning and save
    selection on perimeter and broken plays remained questionable. These situations led to some
    awkward saves and uncontrolled rebounds. His puck tracking also needs refinement, as he
    occasionally struggled to follow pucks cleanly into his body or to locate rebounds after the first
    shot. One recurring concern was his tendency to lean his torso forward in aggressive situations,
    which caused his glove to tilt downward and opened space over his shoulder. Overall, while
    Weiner’s athletic tools are undeniable, he still needs to clean up several elements of his game
    to solidify his position in this draft class. Even so, his upside is high enough that a team will
    almost certainly take a chance on him.

    Jason Schaubel
    2025/23/11 Kitchener 6 @ Oshawa 2 (OHL)

    Schaubel is, by modern standards, not a big goaltender and doesn’t fit the physical profile many
    scouts prioritize. However, when you put the size questions aside, it becomes clear that he
    brings a polished, well-rounded skill set—and this game was no exception. He once again
    displayed strong athleticism and excellent skating ability, but what stood out most was his
    positioning. In a matchup where his teammates did a solid job limiting high-danger chances,
    Schaubel was primarily tasked with showcasing his angle management and crease control. He
    remained tall and composed on point shots and handled screens effectively. On peripheral
    plays, he mixed small overlap stances and RVH entries, maintaining a consistent seal both on
    the post and along the ice. When pucks reached the slot, he transitioned cleanly into centered,
    stable positioning without compromising his structure. His recoveries were also a strength in this
    viewing. Schaubel reset to his feet quickly after initial shots, allowing him to face rebounds in a
    controlled, upright stance. While he wasn’t perfect in absorbing every puck, he compensated
    through efficient resets and calm body control. Size will remain a talking point, but the identity of
    his game is clear: Schaubel is a technically sound, positional goaltender who moves extremely
    well. His traits are projectable, and in my opinion, he deserves to be firmly in the discussion with
    other prospects slated for the middle rounds of the draft.
    2025/01/11 Kitchener 4 @ Brampton 0 (OHL)

    Schaubel delivered another strong performance, once again showing that his game is more
    complete than many of the goalies ranked alongside him. He blends strong positional
    fundamentals with excellent skating ability, making him difficult to beat on rebounds or lateral
    plays. In this matchup, his edgework and mobility especially stood out—he consistently adapted
    his positioning and reacted fluidly to unfolding pressure. His rebound control was solid overall,
    and when pucks did escape him, he compensated with quick, efficient recoveries. On several
    sequences, he read developing options extremely well, adjusting his angle to stay prepared for
    potential cross-crease plays without sacrificing his initial coverage on the puck carrier. Those
    reads highlight his strong hockey sense and awareness. As well-rounded as his performance
    was, a couple of technical points still need refinement. His depth management on plays
    originating from the corners remains an area to watch. In these situations, he often retreats
    toward the center of his crease rather than taking a small forward adjustment to protect the
    short-side shoulder—something a skilled shooter could exploit with a quick release before the
    puck reaches the middle of the ice. Additionally, he could improve his rebound management by
    incorporating his stick more frequently on low shots instead of defaulting to glove attempts.
    Overall, Schaubel continues to look like a solid and well-rounded prospect with middle-round
    draft appeal.

    Ryder Fetterolf
    2025/21/11 Ottawa 5 @ Kitchener 3 (OHL)

    It was a relatively quiet game for Fetterolf, who handled his workload well without particularly
    standing out in either direction. Although he’s primarily known for his quick feet and overall
    speed, it was his depth and positional management that were most evident in this viewing. He
    maintained strong angle coverage by consistently setting up near the top of the blue paint, and
    his small, controlled adjustments helped him stay square and balanced throughout.One element
    to monitor in future viewings is his save selection and positional awareness on rushes that
    extend toward the short side. Fetterolf opted to drop into RVH several times when the puck was
    closer to the faceoff dot than the goal line—an approach that, in my opinion, isn’t optimal in
    those situations. It limited his ability to influence the shot and control the rebound, leading to a
    few awkward impacts and loose pucks in unpredictable areas.My projection for Fetterolf
    remains unchanged: he’s a solid prospect with a good foundation. However, he’ll need to show
    a bit more upside and refinement if he hopes to surpass some of the higher-profile goalies in his
    class.
    2025/19/11 Ottawa 3 @ Kingston 2 (OHL)

    It wasn’t a high-volume game for Fetterolf, but he once again showed that he can stay sharp
    and compete throughout. He battled for every save without sacrificing structure or losing control
    of his technique. An encouraging progression in this viewing was his handling of short-side
    situations: he relied more on effective overlap and added depth rather than defaulting too early
    to RVH, which noticeably improved his angle coverage.However, even with his smaller frame,
    he needs to assert himself more inside his crease. At times he seemed affected by traffic in
    front of him, which limited his depth management—usually one of his key strengths. His puck
    tracking on long-distance shots also dipped when a body crossed his line of sight, which is an
    area that still requires attention. Taking these factors into account, I still expect Fetterolf to be
    drafted. But his long-term outlook is less certain, as I question whether he has enough upside
    and developmental runway to become a reliable candidate for the next level.

    Jan Larys
    2025/09/11 Blainville-Boisbriand 2 @ Drummondville 3 (QMJHL)

    Larys is a smaller-framed goalie who plays with a noticeably narrower stance than most in his
    class, and he uses it effectively to stay efficient in tight-area movements. His feet are quick
    enough to allow agile lateral adjustments within that stance, helping him stay aligned and

    composed on initial threats. However, while he’s solid in short-distance movements, he didn’t
    show high-end lateral speed or athleticism on longer pushes or slides. In fact, he rarely used
    traditional cross-crease pushes, yet still managed to arrive in position—square and on angle—to
    face shooters. This essentially summarizes the type of game he played: not clean or flashy, but
    undeniably efficient. His depth management was one of his stronger assets, as he consistently
    made good decisions based on the play unfolding in front of him. His compete level also stood
    out, giving him a chance on every shot and allowing him to battle through imperfect situations.
    That said, he struggled when faced with screens or scrambles. In those moments, he tended to
    lose his structure quickly, forcing him into sprawling, reactive saves. While he is effective and
    finds ways to make stops and collect wins, his game isn’t as polished as his stat line might
    suggest, and he lacks a standout defining trait that would drive significant upside. For now, I see
    Larys projecting in the back half of the draft, unless he can tighten up his technique and develop
    a more distinguishable strength.
    2025/06/11 Drummondville 5 @ Victoriaville 1

    Good game overall for Larys, result-wise, as he once again showed why he can be so
    efficient—while still raising several important question marks. On first shots, he was excellent.
    His positioning, depth management, and angle control were intelligent and consistent. He
    tracked the puck well and showed strong control on shots received from the waist up. In this
    particular matchup, that was enough, as he wasn’t forced to make many high-difficulty saves
    and benefited from strong defensive support. However, those strengths didn’t fully mask his
    underlying issues. In my opinion, Larys remains vulnerable on secondary plays and scrambles.
    He didn’t display much power in his pushes or slides when reacting laterally to cross-crease
    passes or recovering after rebounds. He also allowed a few loose rebounds on low shots,
    leading to scrambles where his technique seemed to break down and he lost control of his
    structure. Because of these elements, Larys does not currently project as a guaranteed
    draftable prospect for me. Still, his efficiency on initial plays and overall competitiveness make
    him worth keeping on a watchlist moving forward.

    Gavin Betts
    2025/28/11 Brampton 4 @ Kingston 1 (OHL)

    Clean game for Betts in this one. I’ve long tried to identify what his defining trait is compared to
    others in his class, and I think it’s his overall technical soundness and strong fundamentals. In
    this game, the list of positive technical elements was long: he was well positioned, stayed
    patient on his feet to maintain angle coverage, and his butterfly was clean with a consistent ice
    seal. His hands were active yet smooth, allowing him to either catch or redirect pucks efficiently.
    However, I’m still unsure about how well he blends these technical tools with the tactical side of
    the game. At times, he appeared a step late on certain play designs—sometimes due to a lack

    of top-end speed, and other times because he processed developing plays a bit slowly. He also
    struggled to track pucks on unscreened shots, giving up two goals that way.That could
    significantly hurt his draft stock, especially considering he hasn’t cleared the 6-foot
    threshold.While his fundamentals are very strong, they may not be enough on their own to
    guarantee a draft spot.
    2025/21/11 Peterborough 3 @ Kingston 2 OT (OHL)

    Betts continued to display his full arsenal of technical skills. In this viewing, what stood out most
    was his discipline and patience. He looked calm and relaxed in most of his movements, staying
    on his feet as long as possible before shifting into a more aggressive and crisp approach when
    the shooter committed to a release. He also did a good job identifying threats in front of him,
    and I even saw him loudly communicating those threats to his defensemen. That said, his
    overall tactical approach still needs refinement. One sequence, in particular, highlighted this: a
    shooter approached from the top of the circle on Betts’ short side, with no dangerous passing
    options aside from one player deep near the far-post goal line. Instead of stepping off his post to
    cut the shooting angle and eliminate the passing lane, Betts stayed anchored to the post. This
    opened the seam the shooter needed to send a pass across for a goal. By leaving his post
    earlier, he could have neutralized both threats at once. Betts also showed moments of
    inconsistency or slight nonchalance—similar to previous viewings—where he lost sharpness in
    his puck tracking and positioning, leading to two goals against that should have been handled
    cleaner. Even with such a strong base of fundamentals, these recurring question marks make it
    difficult for him to clearly separate himself from other similarly sized and similarly skilled goalies
    in his class.