Six Young Goalies Who Could Become Franchise Players in the NHL

Every year in the NHL new goalies emerge and veterans lose their spot in the crease. With all the goalies coming out of junior each year, only a few ever make it past the AHL. However every once in a while, one goalie will enter the big leagues and make an immediate splash. Here are six young goalies who have the potential to become leaders in their organization.

Petr Mrazek- Detroit Red Wings

Petr Mrazek first caught the eye of the hockey world in the 2012 World Junior Championship, when he outlasted the heavily favoured American team, and celebrated in ridiculous fashion. Since then, Mrazek has won a Calder Cup with Detroit's AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids, and ended up as the Red Wings' playoff starter in the 2015 NHL playoffs. In 73 total NHL games, Mrazek holds an impressive .926 save percentage, and a 2.14 goals-against average (GAA). Since entering the league, Mrazek is still getting more and more playing time, slowly taking the starter role away from Jimmy Howard. With Howard locked up for four years and Mrazek becoming a restricted free agent this summer, the Wings will have to make a choice on which goalie to ride with in the coming years. That being said, if Mrazek can keep up his strong play, Howard could find himself on the trading block sooner rather than later.


Matt Murray- Pittsburgh Penguins

Matt Murray is one of the unlucky goaltenders in the AHL, who is playing in an organization that already has a franchise goaltender, in Marc-Andre Fleury. Murray was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NHL draft, but was never really expected to become an NHL starter. However after a superb final season in the OHL with Sault Ste. Marie, where he finished second in the league in wins, Murray became an AHL starter with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2014. Murray posted an incredible .940 save percentage in 40 games with the Penguins' AHL affiliate in his first year in the minors, and is on a similar track this year with a .933 save percentage. Murray was finally called up to play for Pittsburgh this season, and in a four game stint with the team he held a .938 save percentage and a 1.72 GAA. With Jeff Zatkoff's contract expiring at the end of the season, Murray is a lock to take over the backup role in Pittsburgh.


John Gibson- Anaheim Ducks

It came as a bit of a surprise when the Ducks started John Gibson in the AHL for the beginning of the 2015/16 season, taking Anton Khudobin as their backup goalie over Gibson. However after Anaheim's brutal start to the year, Gibson was called up after neither Khudobin, nor starter Frederik Andersen could manage to find consistency in their play. Since coming to the struggling Ducks, Gibson has posted a league-best 1.91 GAA, and has helped to turn Anaheim's season around. Gibson was rewarded for his play with a trip to the NHL All-Star Game, where he (and John Scott of course), took home the tournament championship for the Pacific Division. Gibson is signed until 2019, and it looks as though the 22 year-old has a bright future in California.


Juuse Saros- Nashville Predators

Juuse Saros is the wildcard of this list. Coming out of Finland and ending up as a mid-fourth round draft pick in 2013, Saros landed in Nashville, where Pekka Rinne has owned the crease for the last 8 years. Saros is in a similar spot as Murray, playing under a prime NHL starter, but has also proven he can play at a high level. In 2014, Saros was one of the main reasons that Finland captured gold in the WJC, knocking off Canada in the semi-finals, and posting a .943 save percentage and a 1.57 GAA at the tournament. Saros has moved up to the AHL this year, and has a 15-5 record with the Milwaukee Admirals. After losing his only NHL start in late November, Saros will hope to rebound in the fuuture and prove himself as an NHL goaltender.

Andrei Vasilevskiy- Tampa Bay Lightning

Drafted 19th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2012, Andrei Vasilevskiy joined the short list of goalies drafted in the first round within the past decade. As a prospect, Vasilevskiy appeared in three consecutive World Junior Championships from 2012-2014, capturing a medal in each appearance. Since then, Vasilevskiy has been splitting time between the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL and the Lightning, even playing in parts of 4 NHL playoff games, and starting a game in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, Vasilevskiy's problem seems to be getting comfortable in the NHL. In the AHL he's put up impressive stats with a .932 save percentage this year, but has been struggling in the past two seasons to earn his spot with Tampa Bay, and can't find NHL consistency. On the flip side, at 6'3" Vasilevskiy is just 21 years old, and with a goalie like Ben Bishop as his mentor, he could turn out to be a top NHL talent.


Calvin Pickard- Colorado Avalanche

Calvin Pickard is one of the many goaltenders who came out of the CHL as a highly touted prospect, but hasn't been able to maintain a spot on an NHL roster since. Pickard has spent the majority of his last four seasons in the AHL, putting up solid numbers in his time. Last season, Pickard looked as though he was finally getting his big break, when he posted a .932 save percentage in 16 games with Colorado. This season, however, he's been very inconsistent in Colorado, with a 2.89 GAA and a mediocre .910 save percentage. Pickard has shown both brilliance and blunder, both shutting out New Jersey, and being lit up for 6 goals against San Jose in January. With both Semyon Varlamov and Reto Berra holding their own in Colorado, Pickard will need to put together consistent play while splitting time between the NHL and AHL to earn his spot with the Avalanche.