Minnesota Wild 2010 Draft Preview: Goaltenders

If you spent any time listening to the post-game chatter after the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, there were a lot of comments given about the goaltending of the Flyers and perhaps some unfair criticism to Michael Leighton.  The basic truth remains, the bigger the game the more intense the microscope over the play of a team’s goaltender.  Every save made can bring a team closer to victory and every missed opportunity can imperil a team from having a chance to win the game.  It is not an easy job, where you can be the first loved by the fans or also the first hated.  You can go from hero to zero in a single period of hockey.  The bigger the game, the greater the pressure and the more criticism a goaltender faces.  It is just like the other great “pressure” positions in other major sports like quarterbacks, and baseball pitchers.  It is a place where positive consistency is valued above all else.  A few bad games can have the fans, media clamoring for your replacement or removal.  Goaltending has come a long way over the last 25 years where most netminders were selected since they were not as athletically gifted as their skating counterparts.  To be a goaltender made you more of an artist than one of calculated angles and countless hours of practice honing ones body position.  That all changed with a rookie goaltender named Patrick Roy who popularized the “butterfly” and the act of taking goaltending to the modern, heavily practiced medium it is today.  Yet considering all the importance, it is very rare for any NHL team to draft a goaltender in the 1st round.

The earliest the Wild ever drafted a goaltender was in the 2nd round when they selected Josh Harding (38th Overall) in 2002.  Yet developing goaltenders is always an important part of any organization.  For some organizations, like the San Jose Sharks they seem to have a knack for developing puckstoppers, while the Philadelphia Flyers seem to have struggled with goaltending for the last 10 years.  If there is one area that has been a consistent source of strength for the Wild it has been between the pipes, from Manny Fernandez, to Dwayne Roloson, to Niklas Backstrom; Minnesota has always had strong play from the crease.  In fact, goaltending is the only place where the Wild have won an individual player award when Backstrom and Fernandez combined to win the Jennings Trophy for the 2006-07 season.  With Backstrom is in his early 30’s the Wild are in a bit of a quandary over the role of current backup Josh Harding who has patiently waited for his shot to be a #1 goaltender.  Harding provided solid goaltending down the stretch as Backstrom battled groin issues but his salary is getting rather expensive for a goaltender who may only get 12-15 starts in the course of a season.  Many Wild fans have hoped the organization could shop Harding in exchange for some help in other areas on the ice, but at the deadline there was no one calling Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher about the Regina, Saskatchewan-native.

Since it appears Harding’s days with the Wild could be numbered the team drafted Matthew Hackett (77th Overall) last year.  So far that looks to be like a very savvy selection as Hackett had a terrific season with the Plymouth Whalers sporting terrific statistics, 33-18-3 record, 2.62 goals against average, and a .925 save percentage.  While those numbers are impressive, it would be unfair to throw a goaltender straight from junior into the role of an NHL backup.  So who else do the Wild have to go to be Backstrom’s backup?  One possibility is another goaltender it drafted, in 5’11”, 176lbs Anton Khudobin selected in the 7th round (206th Overall) in 2004.  Unlike Hackett, who has been schooled from the earliest ages, helped on occasion by his uncle, long-time NHL goaltender Jeff Hackett; Khudobin went through the formative years of his hockey career completely unschooled.  In many ways he was a throwback to an earlier era where goaltenders were more about possessing quick arms and legs to deflect shots off course.  It has only been since the Wild selected Khudobin has he recieved formal training and has excelled at every level he has played at thus far.  Starting in the ECHL, where he was ‘Goaltender of the Year’ in 2007 while playing with the Texas Wildcatters.  He turned that strong performance into a few solid seasons at the AHL level until he finally earned his NHL debut this year.  Khudobin made the most of it, winning his first start in relief of Josh Harding and then shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers in dramatic fashion.  That may not be enough to earn the backup job but it certainly boosted the confidence of the organization in Khudobin’s abilities.

So what are this team’s most glaring needs?  In this order is how I percieve the organization’s 3 biggest needs.

1.  Forwards – Preferably skilled, offensively skilled with an emphasis on goal scoring.  (already covered here)

http://www.stateofhockeynews.com/2010-articles/june/minnesota-wild-2010-draft-preview-forwards.html

2.  Defenseman – Preferably rugged, physical stay at home defenseman that opposing teams hate to play against.  (already covered here)

http://www.stateofhockeynews.com/2010-articles/june/minnesota-wild-2010-draft-preview-defenseman.html

3.  Goaltenders – There is still an organizational need for another blue chip goaltending to either become Matthew Hackett’s eventual backup or the #1 goaltender themselves.

Over the past week or so I have provided my top 5 picks for each of these positions as they fit the paradigms I provided.  You may agree or disagree with my choices as you may feel it avoids taking the “best player available” by taking a player that this oganization desperately needs.  Although if you believe Minneapolis Star Tribune beat writer Michael Russo or the words of Wild Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr in an interview he recently gave wild.com that the team will focus on taking the “best player available.”  While I think there is a time or place for such a strategy, i.e. a time where the organization’s prospect depth is fairly deep at all positions but that would not describe this team’s prospect pool at all.

For each player I will include this year’s statistics along with rankings from International Scouting Service, Central Scouting Service and the Hockey News‘ Draft Preview.  Anyways, here are the top 5 goaltending prospects that I know will be available when the Wild step to the podium with the 9th Overall selection.

1.  Jack Campbell – U.S. National Development Program (USHL)

Height:  6’2″  Weight:  185lbs  Catches:  Left

Central Scouting Final ranking: 2nd (NA)  ISS ranking: 1st  The Hockey News‘ ranking: 13th

2009-10 Stats:  11GP  (6-3-1)  2.21GAA  .917%SP

Talent Analysis:  In 1980, Jim Craig went from relative unknown to the heights of notoriety after a masterful performance in the Olympics.  While his NHL career did not really amount to much, he certainly demonstrated he could play at a truly elite level against the world’s best team at the time, the Soviet Union.  Fast forward 30 years later, and Ryan Miller, originally a 5th round choice (138th Overall) in 1999 and another American goaltender has used another incredible Olympic performance as well as a terrific NHL season with the Sabres to being one of the league’s elite.  There is always hope in the U.S. another great goaltender would emerge, and some believe Jack Campbell could be just such a prospect.  Campbell is very poised and posssesses excellent athleticism.  His movements look effortless and he never gives up on a shot and demonstrated his dominance in the gold medal game of the U-20 World Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan and then followed it up with another solid performance at the U-18 tournament in Belarus earning MVP honors.  Scouts believe Campbell could be that top level goaltender that could carry a team for many years.  Bottom Line: A pure franchise goaltender, he is the type of player a team builds itself around as he combines good size, great athleticism and excellent technical skill into a perfect blue chip goaltending prospect.

2.  Calvin Pickard – Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

Height:  6’1″  Weight:  208lbs  Catches:  Left

Central Scouting Final ranking: 1st (NA)  ISS ranking: 2nd  The Hockey News‘ ranking: 27th

2009-10 Stats:  62GP  (16-34-12)  3.09GAA  .914%SP

Talent Analysis:  For Calvin Pickard, being a top level goaltender runs in the family as he is the younger brother of Nashville Predators’ former 1st rounder, Chet Pickard (18th Overall) in 2008.  Pickard is very similar to Jack Campbell in the fact he is a goaltender with virtually no glaring weaknesses and unlike Campbell who benefitted from having a solid team in front of him most nights, Pickards’ numbers were while playing on a vastly inferior team.  Playing for the Thunderbirds meant Pickard was facing a ton of shots each night, but that may serve to benefit him since he knew that he had to stand on his head in order for his team to have a chance.  Some scouts question whether Pickard can remain consistent playing for a better team, but he has shown the ability to make difficult saves look easy and does a great job at baiting shooters with a window to shoot at and then taking it away.  Bottom Line: Pickard is an excellent goaltender with great athleticism who has the talent to be a future NHL starter.

3.  Kent Simpson – Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Height:  6’1″  Weight:  183lbs  Catches:  Right

Central Scouting Final ranking: 3rd (NA) ISS ranking: 11th  The Hockey News‘ ranking:  82nd

2009-10 Stats:  34GP  (22-9-1)  2.26GAA  .925%SP

Talent Analysis:  Kent Simpson is a kid who has tremendous work ethic and is a player who never gives up on a shot very similar to Tim Thomas who just wins you over with his competitive spirit.  Has the talent and skill to deliver the big save that can change the direction of a game.  Simpson was the last 1st round pick of the WHL draft in 2007.  The Edmonton, Alberta-native squares himself to the shooter very well taking away the shooting windows by using his frame very effectively.  On and off the ice Simpson is glacial in terms of emotion and scouts note his incredible focus level.  In many ways, Simpson compares very well to Calvin Pickard but unlike Pickard, the Silvertips netminder has not been thrust into a starting role the way he has and has benefitted from having a better team in front of him.  Bottom Line: Kent Simpson is a tremendously focused competitor who will do whatever it takes to stop the puck, but still hasn’t been tested as a true #1 goaltender just yet.

4.  Philipp Grubauer – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Height:  6’0″  Weight:  180lbs  Catches:  Left

Central Scouting Final ranking: 15th  ISS ranking: 3rd The Hockey News‘ ranking:  47th

2009-10 Stats:  50GP  (23-15-7)  2.37GAA  .906%SP

Talent Analysis:  Grubauer helped the Spitfires repeat as Memorial Cup champions as he frustrated opponents with his safe and steady play between the pipes.  A mid-season trade from lowly Belleville to the powerhouse Spitfires brought out the best in the German-born Grubauer.  The Rosenheim, Germany-native squares to shooters very well and his great reflexes with his legs denies low shots very effectively.  Grubauer protects his crease rather well from cross-ice passes as he is quick to deny the backdoor passing lanes with his stick.  He has terrific rebound control but at times he doesn’t use his blocker as much as he could instead opting to lean a shoulder into a shot.  Scouts rave about Grubauer’s athleticism adding, “he has all the tools and he’s a great kid.”  Yet some will likely be hesitant knowing just how great a Windsor Spitfire team he had in front of him.  He will have to add strength to a somewhat gangly frame, but once he does that he projects to be a great goaltending prospect.  Bottom Line: Grubauer is a guy that demonstrated he could play big in a huge tournament and provides a great calming presence between the pipes and will be a great mid-draft goaltending find.

5.  Zane Gothberg – Thief River Falls Prowlers (USHS-MN)

Height: 6’0″  Weight: 177lbs  Catches:  Left

Central Scouting Final ranking:  6th  ISS ranking: 8th  The Hockey News‘ ranking: N/A

2009-10 Stats: 25GP  (16-7-1)  1.83GAA  .922%SP

Talent Analysis:  Some may criticize Zane Gothberg’s decision to stay with his high school squad, than to join the Fargo Force of the USHL after he was drafted in the 1st round in 2009.  It was a tough decision considering he did not come from one of the most dominant high school programs in the state.  However, Gothberg does a good job of making up for his decision to play games at a lower level with his high school team by being very technically sound.  He makes very quick and efficient moves in his crease.  Gothberg has great patience, allowing the shooter to make the first move and keeps his position solid even when facing shots at close range.  His biggest weakness is rebound control which is absolutely essential to any NHL goaltender.  To his benefit, Gothberg performed very well at the scouting combine, especially in the vaunted VO2 Max test, lasting all 13 minutes demonstrating he is a superb athlete.  Bottom Line: A great athletic goaltender who hasn’t been tested but by all accounts has a terrific upside and be a terrific 3rd or 4th round selection.