NHL Player Power Rankings: Top 20 Goaltenders Under 25 Years Old
By Ryan Ritchie
NHL Player Power Rankings: Top 20 Goaltenders Under 25 (20-16)
20. Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators (20 years old) 1995-04-19
Juuse Saros lacks the height of other top goaltending prospects but he is a technically adept goaltender that uses angles and outstanding athleticism to compensate for that perceived shortcoming. His biggest strengths include his ability to compete, his penchant for stopping second and third chance opportunities, and the mental composure to quickly put goals behind him. Saros has the strength, durability and stamina to play every night, having played over 50 games in back-to-back seasons over the past two years. [Hockey’s Future]
Saros was selected 99th overall (4th round) in 2013 from Finland. He spent the following two seasons playing for HPK Hameenlinna in the Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga). In 2013-14, he went 16-16-8 with a 1.76GAA .928 save percentage, including seven shutouts. One year later in 2014-15, Saros went 13-18-16 with a 2.14GAA and .929 save percentage, including six shutouts. This suggests a ton of scoreless ties over the past two seasons in a league known for notoriously low scoring. Joining AHL Milwaukee in 2015-16, Saros is 17-6-0 with a 2.44GAA and .916 save percentage, plus two shutouts. He made his NHL debut this season, allowing three goals on 23 shots, taking the loss.
19. Matt O’Connor, Ottawa Senators (24 years old) 1992-02-14
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The late-blooming Matt O’Connor is a big, agile presence between the pipes. His lateral movement is impressive, he aggressively challenges shooters, and despite a few mishaps in exhibition play this fall, hunts the puck down through traffic. He led Boston University to the Frozen Four Finals last spring with a 24-4-4 record, 2.18 goals-against and .927 save percentage, and he is perfectly capable of becoming a reliable starter at the NHL level. [Hockey’s Future]
Free-agent signing by the Senators after a solid season in 2014-15 with Boston University. He went 25-4-4 with 2.18 GAA and .927 save percentage in his third season with BU. He’s a Toronto-born kid that spent a couple of seasons in the USHL before making the jump to college hockey. O’Connor has spent the 2015-16 campaign with AHL Binghampton, this after opening the season as Ottawa’s backup – replacing an injured Andrew Hammond.
18. Jean-Francois Berube, New York Islanders (24 years old) 1991-07-13
Berube is a big butterfly goaltender who was originally drafted in 2009 and emerged as a prospect through persistence and attrition as higher profile goalies came and went in the Kings’ organization. Now with the Islanders, he is always square to the shooter and moves quickly between the pipes. The biggest strengths of Berube’s game are his positioning and technical skills — which have steadily matured since his junior days in the QMJHL. [Hockey’s Future]
Los Angeles selected Berube 95th overall (4th round) back in 2009 from QMJHL Montreal. After spending his first couple seasons of pro hockey with ECHL Ontario Reign, Berube got the nod as starter for the Kings AHL affiliate in Manchester in 2013-14. He went 28-17-2 with a 2.37GAA and .913 save percentage. Last season (2014-15), Berube went 37-9-4 with a 2.18GAA and .913 save percentage. The Kings were forced to put him on waivers back on October 6th, and the New York Islanders quickly claimed him. He’s looked good in 2015-16, but is struggling to stay healthy.
17. Garret Sparks, Toronto Maple Leafs (22 years old) 1993-06-28
Sparks is a large player whose frame allows him to be a very good blocking goaltender. He cuts down the angles well and is able to track play through traffic. Sparks steadily showed gained more consistency during his junior career and has shown promise early in his pro career — though he been set back by injuries. [Hockey’s Future]
He was taken 190th overall (7th round) in 2011 from OHL’s Guelph Storm. After two sub-par OHL campaigns leading into the 2011 Draft, Sparks emerged the following year (2012-13). He went 36-17-4 with a 2.65GAA and .917 save percentage, including six shutouts. Sparks also saw three games with AHL Toronto that season. Starting his pro career full-time in 2013-14, Sparks split time between ECHL Orlando and AHL Toronto the next two seasons. He’s putting up career numbers in 2015-16, and even saw a short stint with the Maple Leafs. Sparks was the first goalie in Leafs history to record a shutout in their NHL debut. He’s since battled injuries this season.
With today’s trade of James Reimer, Maple Leafs have decided to give Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau extra NHL experience down the stretch.
More puck prose: Top 50 Defensemen Under 25 Years Old
16. Anton Forsberg, Columbus Blue Jackets (23 years old) 1992-11-27
Forsberg has good size and is continuing to refine the technical aspects of his game. He has steadily developed and has a lot of natural ability and needs a few years of experience. He is often referred to as a butterfly goalie that plays a modern style and is not afraid to come to the tip of the crease. He appeared a bit overwhelmed in his first NHL experience but has played well at the minor league level in his first year in North America. [Hockey’s Future]
Anton was selected 188th overall (7th round) in 2011 from Sweden. Columbus took Forsberg two picks before Toronto selected 17th ranked Garret Sparks. After spending close to three more years in Sweden, Forsberg made his North American debut, appearing in four games for AHL Springfield towards the end of 2013-14. Forsberg joined Springfield full-time in 2014-15, going 20-8-1 with a 2.01GAA and .927 save percentage. He also made his NHL debut, going 0-4-0 in five appearances. In 2015-16, Forsberg is 14-8-3 with Columbus’ new AHL affiliate in Cleveland, the Lake Erie Monsters. He’s also made four NHL starts, going 1-3-0 with a 3.03GAA and .907 save percentage.
Next: 15-11