Continuing my series of scouting reports on goaltenders who have yet to make the NHL, I have decided to do Erie Otters starting goaltender Jaroslav Janus. Janus was drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall in this past NHL entry draft, taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Many people know him because of his sensational performance at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He was named a tournament all-star as he led Team Slovakia to a 4th place finish. Oh, and you may also remember him from this beauty of a save he made at the World Juniors. Will he make the NHL? Did Tampa Bay waste a 6th round draft pick on him? Read on to find out…

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Tags: Erie otters, goaltending, jaroslav janus, scouting report, tampa bay lightning

I’m planning to do a number of scouting reports on goaltenders who have yet to make the NHL, this summer. Goaltending is the position I know best, so as much as I’d love to analyse skaters, I just don’t think I would do a good job at it.

My first installment is on Swedish netminder Jonas Gustavsson. He’s been highly touted as the “best goaltender outside of the NHL” and has been rumoured to be coming over to the NHL to play next season. The 24 year-old has apparently been in contact with the Maple Leafs, Avalanche, Sharks, and Stars. We still don’t know where he’s going to end up, and it’s almost July 1st. Now, I’ve watched as much tape as I could possibly scrounge up on the internet on this guy, and I think I’m ready to give you the facts about Jonas Gustavsson. Is he the real deal? Read on to find out…

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Tags: avalanche, goaltending, jonas gustavsson, Leafs, scouting report, sharks, stars

At the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to make Marc-Andre Fleury the second goalie ever to be drafted first overall. The first, of course, being Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders. Both of those goaltenders had something else in common at the beginning of the 2007-2008 season. They had not lived up to the hype of a first overall pick, unlike other first round picks like Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash (despite injuries).

That changed once last season came to an end. Fleury was around to see the last game, and although it probably didn’t end the way he wanted it to, he gained valuable experience. It all started when he came back from a somewhat severe ankle injury sustained in early December. He came back with a renewed attitude, and noticeably whiter pads. Ty Conklin shined in his absence, but Fleury wasn’t about to let the starting role get away from him.

In the games prior to the injury, Fleury was 9-8-1. Hardly impressive, right? When he came back, he posted a 10-2-1 record, then followed that with a 14-6 playoff run. Was it his rehab from the ankle injury that caused such a dramatic change? Maybe. Was it because he stopped wearing those God-awful bright yellow pads? Believe it or not, it probably had something to do with it. While rehabbing from his ankle injury, Fleury received a letter from an Ottawa-area optometrist telling him that his yellow pads were more than just an eyesore, they were costing him goals. In the letter she told him that yellow is one of the easiest colours for the human eye to pick up. Players whizzing down the wing will catch a small glimpse of yellow in the corner of their eye, and immediately know where the net is. A switch to white would allow him to blend into the ice, possibly making him look bigger as well. Fleury took her advice, made the switch, and went on to sweep the optometrist’s beloved Senators in the first round of the playoffs.

This year Fleury hopes to build on the success of last year. Having guys like Malkin and Crosby shooting in the other direction sure helps. Ty Conklin moved on and signed with Detroit, so that allows Dany Sabourin to sneak into the backup role. This upcoming season for Marc-Andre Fleury is an exciting one. He has complete confidence from his coaches and teammates for the first time in a while, and now has confidence in himself. A strong playoff experience can work wonders on players, especially young goaltenders like Fleury.

Tags: fleury, goaltending, marc-andre, penguins, pittsburgh, sabourin

General Manager Bob Gainey raised more than a few eyebrows when he traded away star netminder Cristobal Huet at the trading deadline last season. Montreal was well on their way to the playoffs, and was ready to do some serious damage. Why would they be selling at the deadline?

Why? Because Bob Gainey, my friends, is a hockey genius. Montreal is a young team and are only getting better. Although they finished 1st in the Eastern Conference with 104 points, they would have been in some tough competition against the powerhouse Western Conference, that is if they even made it to the finals with Huet. Gainey did a smart thing, believe it or not. He gave Carey Price a tremendous head start in his career. Carey Price has a reputation of never cracking under pressure, a quality that shone bright during the 2006-2007 Calder Cup playoffs. The Stanley Cup playoffs has some of the most intense pressure an NHL player will face in their entire lives. Carey Price faced that pressure at age 20.

Although he did start to show some cracks, Carey Price gained valuable experience as the #1 man during the 2008 playoffs. This upcoming season, the Habs will probably be in the same situation again. They will be one of the top teams heading into the playoffs. Won’t Canadiens fans feel more comfortable knowing they have a goaltender with playoff experience going into it? Huet would have surely walked after the season if he wasn’t dealt at the deadline, leaving the Canadiens with an unproven young prodigy in net.

Price has the skill and the mind to be one of the top goaltenders in the league for years to come, and he may reach that plateau sooner than fans may think. Next year I expect Price to lead the way in many of the stat categories for goaltenders, surpassing perennial all-stars such as Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo. It’s not as far-fetched as it seems. Carey Price is a once-in-a-generation type of goaltender, and I expect big things out of him this year.

The back-up spot for the Habs will likely be locked up by Jaroslav Halak, another young and exciting goalie, unless either Marc Denis or Cedrick Desjardins really start to rip it up in the minors. We may see a same situation as we did last year, where the Habs may send Halak down to Hamilton to get some work, to stay fresh, and they may let Denis or Desjardins get some action.

Last season’s focus for the Canadiens was on their potent offense, while this season may be the year of the netminder. Get ready Montreal, you’re in for a ride.

Tags: carey price, cedrick desjardins, goaltending, jaroslav halak, marc denis, montreal canadiens

Anaheim had yet another somewhat successful season in 2007-2008, winning 47 games, but the loss in the first round to the Dallas Stars must disappoint them. They did not get affected by any “Stanley Cup hangover” which was good, but they also did not get the result they were looking for. Brain Burke has one thing he can relax about this off-season, and that’s his goaltending situation. J-S Giguere had fantastic year posting a 2.12 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage. Those are his best statistics in the post-lockout era. Giguere is right in the middle of his prime at 31 years-of-age, and still has some great seasons ahead of him. Some goalies hit their prime later than skaters, and since it took Giguere years to work his way through the minors, his best may be yet to come. Anaheim can rely on Giguere’s steadiness until his contract expires in 2011. He is a top-tier goaltender, and will likely continue his successes into next season. Ilya Bryzgalov was sent to the waiver wire in order to make room for Jonas Hiller, who fits the backup role nicely. The facts that Bryzgalov was too good to be used as a backup to Giguere, and that they had a capable backup in Hiller waiting in the wings led to Bryzgalov’s demise in Anaheim. Hiller is good at starting once or twice a month. You know what you are getting with him, and can expect that each time out. That’s a tough skill to find, but Anaheim has found one in the young Swiss netminder.

American goalie Mike McKenna saw most of the action in Portland last season, and will likely do the same this year in Iowa, since the Ducks changed their affiliation. (Side note: who names a team the “Chops”?) The younger Jean-Phillippe Levasseur may give McKenna a run for his money, but they will likely end up splitting time in a 70/30 fashion. Although inconsistent so far at the professional level, Levasseur has talent unmatched by anyone else in the Ducks’ minor league system. With Giguere locked up on the big team, look for Anaheim to take their time with Levasseur, if not eventually trade him.

Further down the depth chart we see Bobby Goepfert who spent his first year out of college with the Augusta Linx of the ECHL last season. He did not see as much action as he probably would have liked, mainly because he was splitting time with J-P Levasseur, but impressed when called upon. Goepfert plays an all-out style of goaltending, and has great reflexes and reactions. He should be given the reigns in Augusta, and is hopeful of a call up to Iowa if he plays well enough.

On the European side of things, Anaheim has two noteworthy goalies. Mattias Modig and Sebastian Stefaniszin. Mattias Modig, drafted in the 4th round in 2007, had a slow year appearing in 47 games for Lulea HF of the Swedish Elite League. He posted an undeniably bad 3.53 G.A.A, and hopes to bounce back next year, or else he may see his shot at coming over to North America fade. Sebastian Stefaniszin had an absolutely terrible season, playing in only 19 games all year, and in 9 games with Iserlohn of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga of Germany he posted a 4.50 G.A.A, with a 0.881 save percentage. He’ll need to really bounce back in order to bring his status in the organization up.

Overall, Anaheim is set in net. They have nothing to worry about unless Giguere has some kind of disastrous injury (knock on wood) that knocks him out of the equation. Keep up the good work, Giggy!