Draft 2022: Top-10 goaltenders

The 2022 NHL Upper Deck Draft will be held July 7-8 at the Bell Center in Montreal. Round 1 will take place July 7 (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, ESPN, ESPN+), while rounds 2-7 will be held July 8 (11 a.m. ET; TVAS, SN, ESPN+, NHLN). As the session approaches, NHL.com is setting the stage with top prospect profiles and other articles. Today’s overview of the best goalkeepers available.

Ivan Zhigalov could become the first Belarusian-born goaltender to be drafted into the NHL.

Minsk native Zhigalov (6-foot-3, 167 pounds) is ranked second on NHL Central Scouting’s final list of North American goaltenders. The 19-year-old went 26-9-3 with a 2.84 goals-against average and .892 save percentage in 42 games in his first season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, NHL of Quebec major junior hockey (LHJMQ).

READ ALSO : Xavier Simoneau exudes confidence | Pascal Dupuis, president of smiles at the Cataractes

« I love his game, » said Jean-Francois Damphousse of Central Office. “He is very agile and competitive in front of the net. His size plays in his favor, which is of course an asset. I see a lot of natural talent. His potential is great and he has plenty of tools with which to grow. His game needs to mature and he needs to keep playing games and gaining experience, but there are a lot of good elements. »

A goaltender has been selected in the first round of the draft in each of the past three years. In 2021, Sebastian Cossa was drafted 15th overall by the Detroit Red Wings, while Jesper Wallstedt was picked 20th overall with the Minnesota Wild.

Here are NHL.com’s top 10 goaltenders heading into the 2022 Draft:

1. Tyler Brennan, Prince George (WHL)
Central Bureau Ranking: 1st (North American goalies)

The 18-year-old (6-4, 185) went 11-25-2 with a 3.58 GAA, .899 save percentage and four shutouts in 39 games and has a record 0-3 with a 1.86 GAA and .954 save percentage in four Western Hockey League (WHL) playoff games. Brennan is quick and athletic, and he handles the puck well from behind his net. He is also able to signal himself with important saves at the opportune moments. He has great potential as a pro, according to Central Bureau goalie scout Al Jensen.

2. Topias Leinonen, JYP Jr. (FIN-JR)
Central Bureau Ranking: 1st (International Goalkeepers)

Leinonen, who plays with JYP in the Finnish junior ranks, went 9-10-0 with a 2.28 GAA, .916 save percentage and two shutouts, but he been limited to just 21 games due to injury and illness. The 18-year-old (6-5, 233) was 3-2 with a 2.61 GAA and .897 save percentage in five games with bronze-medal winner Finland at the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He has a hybrid butterfly style, while using his size and the space he takes up in front of the net, in addition to possessing good instincts and being quick with his mitt. He also played four games with JYP in the Liiga, Finland’s top professional league.

3. Hugo Havelid, Linkoping Jr. (SWE-JR)
Central Bureau Ranking: 2nd (International Goalkeepers)

The 18-year-old (5-10, 170) was named the top goaltender at the World Under-18s after going 4-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .929 save percentage in five games with tournament champions Sweden. He made 47 saves in the 6-4 win over the United States in the championship game, including 20 in the third period. He was 21-7-0 with a 1.82 GAA, .920 save percentage and five shutouts in 28 games with Linköping in Sweden’s junior ranks. His father, Niclas Havelid, played 628 NHL games over nine seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils. His twin brother, defenseman Mathias Havelid, is 19th on Central Board’s final list of international skaters.

4. Ivan Zhigalov, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Central Office Ranking: 2nd (North American Goalies)

Zhigalov, the only goalie who catches from the right in the top-10 of North American goaltenders, is big in front of his net and he is smart in his game reading. He played three games with Dynamo Moscow, in the Russian junior ranks, and eight games with the Belarus under-18 team, which plays in the second division in Belarus, in 2020-21, before making the jump with Sherbrooke this season. He describes himself as a hard-working, athletic and calm keeper. Its butterfly style makes it hard to beat on the bottom end. He allowed three goals on 16 shots in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on March 23.

5. Dylan Silverstein, USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-18 Team
Central Office Ranking: 3rd (North American goalies)

Silverstein (6-0, 179) is a quick and athletic keeper capable of making key saves when needed. The 18-year-old was 10-7-0 with a 3.52 GAA, .878 save percentage and two shutouts in 20 games with the NTDP Under-18 team. He will evolve with Boston College during the 2023-24 season.

6. Tyler Muszelik, NTDP
Central Office Ranking: 4th (North American goalies)

He had the majority of starts with the NTDP, going 24-5-3 with a 2.91 GAA, .900 save percentage and two shutouts in 35 games. Muszelik (6-2, 195), who plays for the University of New Hampshire next season, relies on his size and positioning, and is imposing with his butterfly style, according to Jensen. The 17-year-old was 2-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .909 save percentage in two games for the United States at the World Under-18s.

7. Mason Beaupit, Spokane (WHL)
Central Office Ranking: 5th (North American goalies)

Beaupit (6-5, 188) has above-average puck possession skills, while his reading of the game and his sense of anticipation are strengths. The 18-year-old went 20-22-4 with a 3.63 GAA, .893 save percentage and one shutout in 49 games. He ranked sixth in the WHL in shots received (1,577) and saves (1,408). He also made 16 saves on 16 shots in 30:13 of playing time in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

8. Jan Spunar, Olomouc Jr. (TCH-JR)
Central Bureau Ranking: 3rd (International Goalkeepers)

Spunar (6-3, 185) plays with confidence, excels at reading plays and positioning himself in his semi-circle. The 18-year-old was 22-8-0 with a 2.57 GAA, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 31 games with Olomouc in the Czech junior ranks. He went 2-0 with a 3.45 GAA and .844 save percentage with the Czech Republic at the World Under-18s.

9. Ty Young, Prince George (WHL)
Central Office Ranking: 6th (North American goalies)

Young (6-2, 181) has an impeccable work ethic and is easy to direct. Sharing responsibilities with Brennan this season, the 17-year-old was 6-9-3 with a 3.50 GAA and .899 save percentage in 23 games. He also went 4-10-3 with a 3.38 GAA and .918 save percentage in 17 games with Calgary of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Jensen noted that Young’s style is similar to Brennan’s, with good coverage of his net thanks to his butterfly style, a good mitt and good return control.

10. Cameron Whitehead, Lincoln (USHL)
Central Office Ranking: 7th (North American goalies)

Skipped in the 2021 draft, Whitehead (6-3, 172) caught the eye of NHL scouts this season, after finishing tied for eighth in the United States Hockey League (USHL) in wins (16-8-4). He also posted a 3.19 GAA and .892 save percentage with a shutout in 31 games. Whitehead, who turns 19 on Monday, worked with former NHL goaltender Robert Esche when he played with the junior Utica Comets in the National Collegiate Development Conference in 2020-21, and he, Brennan and Leinonen are the only goaltenders who have been invited to the NHL’s Judging Session in Buffalo this year. Jensen said Whitehead has a professional attitude and plays with confidence. He will be seen in the Northeastern University uniform beginning in the 2023-24 season.

Pictures : Vincent L-Rousseau, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL); James Doyle, Prince George Cougars (WHL)