Red Wings: Three Goaltending Options Late in the Draft

The Detroit Red Wings currently have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, but there’s a glaring absence of goaltending talent in the pipeline. Steve Yzerman will likely address the organizational need with at least one of his 12 picks in the upcoming draft.

Although there’s talk of swinging early on a Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa, let’s take a look at a few options in the crease that’ll be available later in the draft.

Aleksei Kolosov

Kolosov played some solid hockey in the KHL this season. In just nine games, he held a save percentage of .911 with 2.69 averages goals against. Kolosov swapped back to the top league in Belarus (His native country) for the last stretch of the season, ending with 2.26 average goals against and a .910 save percentage.

Although Kolosov managed to hold a relatively impressive save percentage in the KHL (One of the best leagues outside of North America), his World Championship performance was less than stellar. On a mediocre Belarus team, he average 4.17 average goals against and a save percentage of .886 in four games.

Although not especially large in net, Kolosov managed to impress scouts with his poise in the pro leagues at such a young age. His reflexes and fortitude are near the top end of the draft, which could entice a general manager like Steve Yzerman to snag him in the middle of the draft – or even closer to the second and third rounds.

Patrik Hamrla 

Hamrla played with a variety of teams in his home nation of Czechoslovakia this season.  He played just four games the in the Czech juniors before heading to the pros (2.27 goals against average and .916 save percentage in U-20). After making it the pros, Hamrla jumped between three different teams, managing to put together a save percentage of .881 in six games with the first team, .921 in three with the second and .826 with the third.

Hamrla is a decent size (6-foot-3) with a confident play style. He’s not afraid to make a play on the puck and he plays with a ton of confidence. Although he has a decent toolkit, the production hasn’t necessarily been top-end thus far, especially considering the competition. Hamrla is a decent goaltender to swing on late in the draft, probably somewhere during or after the fourth round.

Tristan Lennox

Lennox is similar to Hamrla, in that he possesses a ton of skills and raw talent in his Toolbox, but has just failed to translate that to more impressive statistics. Lennox is surprisingly athletic and quick for his 6-foot-4 frame; when he’s on, he looks like one of the best goaltenders in the draft.

However, he’s struggled with consistency. His ugly save percentage of .876 and 3.63 goals against average are sure to make many general managers pause, especially considering he’s in the OHL. Lennox might be the biggest boom or bust goalie in the draft; there is a very real possibility that Lennox never sees play on an NHL team. But if an organization is confident in their development skills, Lennox might be the late round steal of the draft.