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…
Janus, a Slovakian-born goaltender who wears the number 2, does not have size on his side. I’ve seen some places report him as 6 feet tall, but that may be a tad generous. I’d be surprised if he was even the slightest bit over 5’11. Even if he is actually 6 feet, that’s still small enough for me to be concerned. He plays junior hockey in the OHL for the Erie Otters. In his first year, he held his own on a terrible Erie team. The 13-29-3 record, 4.40 GAA, and .892 SV% do look terrible on paper, but he showed an improvement in his second year, and that’s all that matters. Not only did his stats improve, he posted a 25-20-4 record, 3.24 GAA, and .908 SV% his second year, but the team improved as well. The Otters went from 40 points to 73 points in only one year, and Janus’ play had a lot to do with that.
My main concern is still his lack of size. His small frame makes him very susceptible to getting beaten high. Although he does have tremendous reflexes to compensate, it’s simply not enough. He does like to flop a bit as well. Although this may work some nights, it leads to inconsistency, and it could be his downfall in the pro game. If his floppy style of play “stops working” so to say, when he turns pro, he probably won’t last long. I’d like to see him control himself a bit more. He likes to venture sometimes, and although that it can be a good thing in certain situations, it may also work against him. I want to see him work on staying true to his butterfly style a bit more, and just stay a tad more conservative when it comes to playing scramble-type situations in front of the net.
Like I said before, his reactions and reflexes are very good. He reads plays well, and although he does get a tad overly aggressive at times, he’s usually in a good position to make a save. Although he tends to lose site of the puck, his positioning and excellent recovery help him make the save. His recovery is actually really good, you barely ever see the guy down and out completely. He’s usually up and ready to make another save, which I like to see. He’s not the strongest when moving laterally, and can get caught behind the play. That’s not a good sign when that’s happening in Junior, because the speed only gets faster and faster as you make your way to the pro game. His butterfly style does help him compensate, though. He is usually very good at taking away the bottom portion of the net. Janus is also very flexible. That not only helps him when trying to come across laterally, but also in scrambling situations. Being flexible comes in handy often, and is a very underrated skill when evaluating goaltenders, in my opinion.
How will Janus end up? Well, if I had to make a prediction, I would say he should end up as one of those “bubble” players for the early part of his career. He may take quite some time to develop, so there’s no rushing him to the NHL. I could see him as a starter for maybe a few years, in his prime of course. It just wouldn’t be for very long, or for a very good team for that matter. Best case scenario? He becomes a reliable back-up, or on-the-verge starter for most of his career. Think of a smaller Antero Nittymaki, or a less talented version of Jaroslav Halak.
That’s it! I hope you enjoyed, and learned a thing or two about goaltending prospect Jaroslav Janus in the process. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback, so please leave a comment if you have anything to say!
Tags: Erie otters, goaltending, jaroslav janus, scouting report, tampa bay lightning
Nice article.
i really hope janus starts for the lightning! he’s my favorite!
ur an idiot. janus is very consistent with his play. shows how little people that REPORT the game actually know..people who actually understand the game believe he has the ability to be a top flite goalie.thank the lord your not my scout. as for him being under 5’11″? get your facts right. he is DEFINITELY 6 feet, get it right or dont write at all. simple. ill counter your question of “did tb waste a 6th round pick on janus?” with a question of my own, and ill provide an answer for it as well..it goes like this: “did i really just waste my time reading this crap?” the asnwer is “VERY unfortunately”