The Top 5 under 25 goaltenders entering the 2023-24 NHL season
The NHL is filled with talent. Young talent. Regardless of their path to get here, they are here and ready to make an impact. Some of the youngsters have already made an impact while others are waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Young players have to be patient as their time may be a few years down the road. In rare cases, others step onto NHL ice and immediately make their presence known.
Five young NHL goaltenders provide youth, spark to their respective teams
One of the hardest positions to make an impact quickly is that of the goaltender. Goaltenders generally take a while to develop and some may take a few years in the AHL developing before taking the big step. Goaltender Patrick Roy was not an instant hit on the ice but he won four Stanley Cups before his career was over.
Dominik Hasek was “just another goalie” until he developed into arguably the greatest goaltender to ever play the game. Mike Vernon was not an elite goaltender but he was consistent and won two Stanley Cups.
Goalies take time to develop as some are fresh out of juniors and others may be making their North American debut. A rare few come into the NHL and put the league on notice. Even fewer come into the league and are consistent and remain that way at such a young age.
Roy had a winning record in the NHL in only his second (and first full) NHL season at age 20 and did not have a losing record until the 2014-2015 season, 10 years of winning before he hit a snag. Five goaltenders are in the league now that are either in the upper tier or are fully capable of leading their respective teams to wins.
There is a lot of young talent on the ice as far as forwards and defensemen are concerned. However, when was the last time someone looked at the young talent between the pipes? We are in for some good hockey from these young goaltenders for many years to come.
Akira Schmid – New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid stormed onto the NHL scene last season and made a name for himself early in the playoffs. He faltered later in the playoffs but Schmid, 22, showed what he is capable of at the NHL level. Schmid is a massive goaltender at 6-foot-6 and 206 pounds so he takes away a lot of room for the shooters. Schmid was the Devils 5th round pick (136th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft and worked his way up to potential number one status. He really shined in his time between the pipes last season, gaining the confidence of his teammates while making tremendous stops.
Last season was the first time Schmid was put to the test. He posted a 9-5-2 record with a 2.13 GAA and a .922 save percentage with one shutout in the regular season. In the playoffs, Schmid and the New Jersey Devils fell apart but he posted a record of 4-4 with a .921 save percentgae and a 2.35 GAA. His career numbers in the regular season are a 9-9 record with a .902 save percentage and a 2.69 GAA. His regular season numbers, aside from win total, are similar to starter Vitek Vanecek. Vanecek had a record of 33-11-4 with a 2.46 GAA and a .911 save percentage and three shutouts.
This is a big year for Schmid to make a statement and pursue the full-time starter job. With Mackenzie Blackwood now gone to the Western Conference, the backup job is Schmid’s to lose.He has the ability to shine and take hold of the net. Schmid will be an RFA after this season so he will need to perform well to earn a contract extension. Things are looking up for Schmid and New Jersey as he continues to impress the Devils organization and the entire NHL.
Pyotr Kochetkov – Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov, 23, is an entertaining goaltender to watch. He supplies top notch saves at critical times along with a feisty style of play. Another young, huge goaltender at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he moves extremely well between the pipes. Carolina’s 2nd round pick (36th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, he has shown glimpses of how he can take control of the net. He may be a surprise to some but he has played well at every stop of his career.
Last season, Kochetkov played extremely well for the Hurricanes. He posted a record of 12-7-5 with a 2.44 GAA and a .900 save percentage with four shutouts. In the playoffs, he saw only one game of action, going 0-1 with a 6.14 GAA and an .818 save percentage. For his career, Kochetkov is 15-7-5 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.43 GAA. His career numbers in the playoffs are 1-3 with a .858 save percentage and a 4.31 GAA.
Kochetkov was the 2022/2023 NHL Rookie of the Month for December. His stats, like Schmid, closely resemble those of Canes starter Frederick Anderson. Anderson posted a record of 21-11-1 with a .903 save percentage and a GAA of 2.48. Kochetkov has a big year coming up also as he is in great position to take over the backup role and eventually a starting position. Anderson has two years left on his contract while current backup, Antti Raanta, has only one more year. Kochetkov has three years left on his coming into this season so his time between the pipes is coming sooner than later as he puts himself in a great position to be more successful. Kochetkov may not wait for that spot to open up as he does have the talent to oversee Anderson as the starting goaltender at some point this season.
Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger has been at the top of his game since his first NHL season. Oettinger, 24, is not only one of the best goaltenders in the Western Conference but in the entire NHL. He is at the top of the goaltending statistics every season and he has led the Stars to much success. Last season, Oettinger had an incredible record of 37-11-11 with a 2.37 GAA and a .919 save percentage with five shutouts. Although his record was subpar in the playoffs, he still posted a record of 10-9 with an .895 save percentage and a GAA of 3.06. For his career in teh regular season, he has a record of 79-34-19 with a GAA of 2.42 and a save percentage of .916 with seven shutouts.
He is still very young but has adapted well enough to carry Dallas through the regular season. He relies on his instincts and reflexes to turn away shot after shot, regardless of what time it is in the game. Oettinger is full of energy and gives that same energy when he is on the ice as his team feeds off of that and plays to their full potential. Before his NHL career is done he should have a few Vezina Trophies on his mantle because of his hard work to be the best goaltender in the NHL.
Oettinger’s 2022/2023 NHL season was so spectacular that he finished fifth in the Vezina Trophy voting. He has given the Dallas Stars the reliable goaltending they have searched for since the days of Marty Turco. Oettinger shows no signs of slowing down as he is the Stars starter for the long haul. He is not an elite goaltender but he is most certainly in the top tier. Along with all of the success he has had in his young career, he also has four career points to his credit, all assists. This upcoming season will be no different as he should be one of the top five goaltenders in the league.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres rising star Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been, so far, quiet in his attempts at becoming an NHL starter. He has played well in the NHL but has had starter Craig Anderson in his way. With Anderson now officially retired, Luukkonen will now fight with prospect Devon Levi in training camp to see who will be the starter in Buffalo to start the season. Luukkonen, 23, is a monster in between the pipes at 6-foot-6 and 217 pounds He got the majority of his NHL starts in the 2022/2023 NHL season, posting a reocrd of 17-11-4 with a GAA of 3.61 and a save percentage of .891. For his career, he has posted a record of 20-19-6 with a save percentage of .898 and a 2.46 GAA.
Luukkonen has played extremely well in a small sample size but he should flourish behind the young, talented Sabres defense that includes Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. This Buffalo team is loaded with young talent and are hungry to take that next step this season and Luukkonen could play a major role in that heppening. The 2022/2023 January Rookie of the Month had his first NHL point, an assist.
Luukkonen has worked his way up to the NHL from 23 games at the ECHL level with the Cincinnati Cyclones during the 2019-2020 season to one of the best young netminders in the league. Luukkonen has immense talent but he just needs a path to showcase his talent.He expects to be the backup at the very least to highly touted prospect Levi to start the season and is more than capable of taking that starter role in a heartbeat.
Luukkonen has played extremely well at every stop he has made in his hockey career and Buffalo is no different. As a bigger goaltender, his movement between the pipes is outstanding considering his size. He is able to track the puck and make stops when they are needed to be made and can make a stop late in a close game. There is nothing Luukkonen cannot do and he is making his case for more starts in the 2023/2024 NHL season.
Joel Hofer – St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer may be the best young goaltending prospect in the NHL. At 22 years old, he already had a taste of NHL action last season with a 3-1-1 record, a save percentage of .905 and a GAA of 3.22. For his NHL career, Hofer has a record of 4-2-1 with a 3.18 GAA and a save percentage of .900. A huge goaltender at 6-foot-5 but he needs some filling out at just 179 pounds. Hofer may be coming to the Blues at the right time to earn the starter job as Jordan Binnington has not played well in recent years and could be in danger of losing the starter job to Hofer.
The Blues do not have a set starter between the pipes and may look to Hofer to grab that spot in training camp. He has played well in a small sample size and has shown he can play against NHL competition. Last season, he played primarily for the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. While with Springfield, Hofer posted a record of 27-15-5 with a 2.71 GAA and a save percentage of .921 with five shutouts.
Hofer is another young goaltender who is in line for a big year because he has one year left on his contract. Due to his age and recent performances, a new contract should be a no-brainer. He is the Blues goaltender of the future and they are looking for him to be between the pipes for the next 10-15 years. Hofer is still young and somewhat raw but he does possess the skills to be a star in the NHL and maybe a Vezina trophy or two in his future.
The starter job is Hofer’s to lose. The Blues do not have any goaltending prospects in the pipeline and Binnington is too inconsistent. Hofer has showed preomise and has battled in each of his six NHL starts last season. He has been a winner in the WHL and AHL so the NHL should be no different with time. The time is now for Hofer to make a statement but we have to remember he is still 22 years old. His projection for stardom is going up every year and he could be in line for teh Calder Trophy at seasons end.