as promised, here's the goalie primer. tl;dr the class isn't great on the north american side, but there are some interesting options overseas. keep in mind im definitely not the best goalie scout, so the discussions wont be as deep as they are in my profiles. that said, ive looked at about a dozen or so names, and feel comfortable giving a brief overview on them
Evan Gardner
A little undersized but pretty quick in net and exceptionally good at tracking the puck. Really good at making minor adjustments to square up to shooters. Tons of control in his movement, not frantic, not overshooting laterally, doesn't break down on broken plays. Plays small: tight stance, deep in net. Rebound control is inconsistent. No measurables stand out as high end in spite of his great awareness. Hard to project for a few reason: small, not super athletic, and sheltered behind a really good Saskatoon team.
Carter George
Extremely composed in net and a big game player at that. Excellent positional focus, almost robotic in his movements. Puck tracking and anticipation are both very good. Not so great athleticism, and also a little undersized. Just ok in terms of reaction speed and reflexes. Competitive on desperation attempts, but never feels like a major threat to save them. Can appear shaky on high danger chances outside the crease. Intriguing mentality but probably a little overrated by the public.
Marcus Gidlof
Huge and imposing in net. Great scanning and puck tracking, as well as anticipation. Consistently good on first reads. Awkwardly long arm extensions almost seem to shove pucks away than attempt to swallow them. Slower and lower pace in net than you'd expect. Lateral mobility is not quite there, nor are his adjustments. Framework is easy to build off of, but not the greatest athlete. Long term project piece.
Kam Hendrickson
Quick glove hand. Cheats angles a little, but can make up for it. Solid size, though he does play tight and very low to the ice, making him look smaller. Good aggression on shooters, but between his angles and stance, he can get burned. Tracking is quite good, more often being beat cleanly than by misreading a play. Extremely hard to project given a lack of high end traits and how much he played at the high school level.
Ryerson Leenders
Really good athleticism at the expense of naturally anticipating play. Lighting quick reflexes and excellent desperation save ability. Responsive and assertive with challenging shooters. Lacks technical play and refined movements. Sloppy positioning leads to weak spots and easy scoring chances. Too much movement in net exposes him on second chances. Projecting a smaller, athletic-focused goalie without standout tools is a little uncomfortable.
Pavel Moysevich
Towering and wide presence in net. Great lateral movement helps him cover a lot of space quickly and without overcomitting. Very reactive to shot attempts, swallows them well. Particularly adept down low and in the butterfly. Overager, and not an elite athlete for his size. Some inconsistencies with rebound control. Good intent with glove, but not always getting clean leather on pucks. Overall well balanced goalie.
Ilya Nabokov
Undersized triple overager with unprecedented KHL success. Incredible positional instincts and consistency. Always knows where pucks are coming from. Squares up well, but incredible at quickly correcting, too. Deliberate and controlled movements, though not to say he won't challenge with an aggressive poke. Small and not particularly athletic, just savvy. Concern over how much more growth can come, if any.
Petteri Rimpinen
Small but very energetic in net. Lots of quick, accurate reactions to first attempts. Super aggressive at challenging angles. Mobility itself isn't overly fast, but his reflexes are. Struggles as play breaks down and he needs to track follow-up attempts. Overreactive to plays. Naturally has major projection concerns at 6ft even. Decent success playing up in Mestis. so some proof of concept.
Kim Saarinen
Good size and puck tracking. Great at adjusting on shot attempts. Overplays angles and lacks recoverability due to suboptimal skating and athleticism. Positioning is good, as are reads, but sometimes seems a half step back in terms of reactions. Can struggle with screens in spite of his size. In control when he's able to predict play in front of him, but struggles beyond that. Slight habit of letting in softies as well. Big time project dependent upon measurables coming along.
Emil Vinni
Hyper athletic to the point of seeming chaotic. Solid size. Jittery in net with extremely fast reflexes. Less about adjustments and more about lunging over to block shot attempts. Lateral movement can lag. Doesn't always track the puck well, particularly through traffic, almost feels like he's playing off instinct than he is the play in front of him. Gets shelled on the blocker side and can easily melt down. No game to game dependability.
Mikhail Yegorov
Mix of great size and structure in net, and still with solid athleticism. Quick, snappy movement on shots, and with pretty decent tracking. Undisturbed by traffic in front or pressure around the crease. Great adaptability and compete as play breaks down. Some trouble with angles, especially on glove side, as well as with not overshooting on lateral movements. Anticipation fluctuates between hesitating and being way too overreactive. Hate to bring up stats, but even on a rough team, they're brutal.
Kirill Zarubin
Big, athletic, and with great instincts. Quick reflexes and movement in net. Excellent ability to fight and see through traffic. Rarely seems to lose track of the puck. Doesn't typically bite on fakes or drop his angle. Pretty chaotic in net, but potentially in response to his team's pathetic defensive coverage. Lacks fundamentals, doesn't always protect the post well. Balanced and underappreciated game with incredible resiliency.
