GOALIE DRAFT ORDER
As expected, it was another busy draft for the goaltenders, as there were 21 total prospects plucked on Sunday afternoon. While it was a bit of a surprise that no goalies were selected in the first round, there was a neat and tidy alternation in the next six rounds, going 4-3-4-3-4-3.
The biggest splash of the day wasn't even a goalie being drafted, however. It was the trade of Cory Schneider from Vancouver to the New Jersey Devils.
That move will have major implications on the future of both the Canucks and Devils' goaltending, but it didn't overshadow the fact that Zach Fucale was the first goalie selected when Montreal finally chose him at 36th overall. This was a great pick since the Canadiens were starving for long-term depth behind Carey Price.
Of the 21 goalies selected today, here's the breakdown by country: CAN - 8, USA - 7, SWE - 2, FIN - 2, CZE - 1, LVA - 1. The breakdown by league is as follows: WHL - 5, QMJHL - 4, USHL - 2, FIN. JR - 2, SWE. JR - 2, HS (MN) - 1, HS (CT) - 1, RUS. JR - 1, NCAA - 1, NAHL - 1, OHL - 1.
Check back on Monday for more thoughts on the goalies selected in the 2013 NHL Draft!
[table “11” not found /]FOLLOW ALONG ON TWITTER
If you're following the draft on Twitter, I've compiled a list of all the top draft-eligible goalies and their handles. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well @TheGoalieGuild as I drop notes and analysis throughout the day!
NORTH AMERICAN GOALIES: Zach Fucale: @Fucale31 | Eric Comrie: @ericcomrie1 | Tristan Jarry: @tjarry35 | Cal Petersen: @CalPetersen40 | Spencer Martin: @S_Marty95 | Eamon McAdam: @EamonMac35 | Philippe Desrosiers: @pdesro30 | Patrik Bartosak: @PBartosak35 | Antoine Bibeau: @BibeauAntoine01 | Austin Lotz: @Lotzy30 | Michael Giugovaz: @Mgiggy35 | Evan Cowley: @ECtendy1 | Brendan Burke: @bburke_1 | Alexandre Belanger: @30_belly | Shane Starrett: @starrett33 | Louis-Philip Guindon: @lpguindon_39 | Mackenzie Skapski: @Skaps29 | Jordan Dekort: @JDekort80 | Charlie Lindgren: @CharlieLindgren | Jake Patterson: @jakepatterson35 | Steven Veilleux: @StevenVeilleux | Eetu Laurikainen: @eetu41 | Sean Romeo: @SRomeo30 | Mack Shields: @MackShields | Merrick Madsen: @MerrickMadsen29 | Jackson Whistle: @JWhis35 | Chad Katunar: @ChadKatunar | Brett Zarowny: @bzarowny1 | Taran Kozun: @KingTarzan49 | Frank Palazzese: @fpalazzese32 | Charlie Graham: @ChuckSauce31 | Jacob Blair: @jacoblair1 | Philippe Trudeau: @PhilTruds | Brandon Hope: @brandonhope1 | Etienne Marcoux: @etmarcoux | Adam Clark: @aclarky41 |
EUROPEAN GOALIES: Juuse Saros: @ | Ebbe Sionas: @EbbeSionas | Luka Gracnar: @LukaGracnar | Melvin Nyffler: @NYF60 |
OK there you go. That should help keep you busy for a bit while we wait for the draft to get underway!
PRE-DRAFT PONDERINGS
As soon as I wake up on the morning of draft day, I instantly begin to ponder three things: Promise, Potential, and Possibility.
Almost every goalie available in the NHL Draft has a lot of promise. Each and every one worked extremely hard to get to this point -- the point where they have clearly stood out from the crowd of goalies in their age group. Some have more promise than others, but you never know how that will change as a goalie works towards earning an entry-level contract.
Once all of the goalies are drafted (I'm expecting between 18 and 22 total), they all have varying degrees of potential to become NHL goaltenders. The odds may not be on their side, but depending on when they are drafted, and who they are drafted by, there are endless possibilities to how that goaltender will pan out over the next few years.
As I explained in my NHL Draft Preview, there are always exceptions to whatever rule you feel is out there. That being said, it comes down to personal opinion on whether or not it's even worth drafting a goalie at all.
The risk will always be there, and trudging through the muddy waters of selecting the right goalie at the right time is unavoidable.
And that is what makes the NHL Draft so much fun. Enjoy the ride as I drop some thoughts on all of the goalies selected today, and maybe some thoughts on those that didn't.