5 goaltending prospects for Red Wings fans to know about for the 2024 NHL Draft
It’s tough to find and develop the right goaltenders, but the 2024 NHL Draft has a few prospects the Detroit Red Wings should find themselves interested in.
The good news is that Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine could evolve into a dynamic duo if general manager Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings give the youngsters time. But goaltender is still one of the positions Yzerman can afford to address this summer, and with so many netminders who can go in the middle rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft, there is no reason an executive with eight draft picks shouldn’t go for at least one.
Plus, goaltender is such a luxury; a general manager like Yzerman should know the value another one in the system would bring, even if their ceiling behind talents like Cossa and Augustine is nothing more than insurance. But in that case, Yzerman would have zero qualms trading one of three - the 2024 mystery goaltender in the event they can’t get the best of Cossa and/or Augustine.
Mid-rounds in the 2024 NHL Draft are ideal for Red Wings to take a goalie
Now the question bodes: Which netminders should Yzerman key on this June when it’s the Red Wings turn to pick between Rounds 3 and 5 if they want a good value selection? Today, we’re looking at five goaltenders who may not have ranked as highly as others but could be potential steals, given some quality traits and characteristics.
No, not everyone listed will have ideal size or post stellar performances, even with talented teams in front of them. But the players listed in the following slides brim with potential, and long-term development could take them to that high-end AHL ceiling or better.
This is what Yzerman must keep in mind if he has a goaltender or two on his shortlist, and he should, given the so-so organizational depth. So let’s meet these five players who could end up in the system, starting with one who spent the 2023-24 season in the USHL.
Nicholas Kempf, USDP
Nick Kempf turned 18 on March 1st, and he’s one of those prospects who brings in adequate size at 6’2, 190 lbs. There is time for him to develop further and gain more muscle, especially if he adds another inch or two, and that’s his overall prevailing trait.
Kempf’s productivity isn’t impressive, but it also wasn’t bad, with an 0.899 save percentage, two shutouts, a 3.05 GAA, and 20 wins across 33 starts. Serviceable may be the right word, but his overall USHL numbers didn’t factor in as well.
Despite 10 wins through 18 games, he failed to record a shutout, amassed a 3.88 GAA, and just an 0.870 save percentage. That said, Kempf’s numbers were a significant improvement over how he fared in 2022-23 when, despite recording a shutout, he still finished with a 5.10 GAA and an 0.834 save percentage.
Kempf is someone who Yzerman could be wise to take if he fell to the fourth round and would be willing to see playing college hockey for the next four seasons. That will occur at the University of Notre Dame, and if Kempf makes the right leaps with the Fighting Irish, there is a good chance he will be in the system long-term.
Dawson Cowan, Spokane
Dawson Cowan has a much earlier birthday than Nick Kempf, so he carries a greater sample size than the future University of Notre Dame product. Cowan has seen action in the WHL at some capacity for three seasons now, but his previous two with the Spokane Chiefs and Winnipeg Ice have been when he’s earned most of his playing time.
Like Kempf, his numbers don’t give much of a reason to be ecstatic, as his 28 appearances in 2022-23 with Spokane ended with a 4.04 GAA, one shutout, and a meager 0.883 save percentage. But it’s also worth noting the Chiefs were the second-worst team in the WHL that year with 40 points, so it’s not as easy to judge Cowan’s performance thanks to the so-so product around him.
Spokane also struggled again this past season, but with 66 points, they were good enough to snag the final seed for the playoffs in the Western Conference, and Cowan improved with the rest of the team. While his playoff performance was forgettable, Cowan improved to a 3.59 GAA, an 0.899 save percentage, and 18 wins.
If he makes a similar improvement next season, Cowan could have a decent road ahead of him, but he’s also someone Steve Yzerman doesn’t need to reach for. If he’s there in the fourth or fifth round, he could be worth taking if he’s the highest prospect on the board.
Pavel Moysevich, SKA St. Petersburg
Pavel Moysevich has a lot of room for muscle growth, considering his 6’5, 176-pound frame. But at age 19, that will come in time. And if he ends up between the 215 to 220 lbs mark, he will boast more than ideal size.
What’s more, is that Moysevich also enjoyed an incredible 2023-24 run, splitting time between the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg and the VHL’s SKA-Neva St. Petersburg. In the former, Moysevich saw 13 appearances, recorded a 3-2-2 record, and finished with a 1.25 GAA and an incredible 0.942 save percentage. His VHL numbers included 19 games, 10 wins, a 0.927 save percentage, and a 2.31 GAA.
And yes, his KHL team was good, as SKA St. Petersburg finished second in the Western Conference and tied for second in the league with 95 points. However, Moysevich didn’t see time in the KHL or VHL during the postseason, as he instead went to the SKA 1946 St. Petersburg of the MHL, where he just dominated.
During the postseason, he finished with a 1.93 GAA, a 0.946 save percentage, and eight wins in 10 appearances. In Moysevich’s case, it’s best to just give him more time in St. Petersburg to keep perfecting his game, and the Red Wings can go from there if he ends up in the system.
Martin Haronik, Bratislava Jr.
Still just 17 until late July, Martin Haronik already possesses incredible size at 6’5, 205 lbs, and that could cause someone to reach for him in the NHL Draft. But if nobody takes him before the Red Wings pick in the fourth - they have the Stars fourth-round selection - he’s someone for Steve Yzerman to consider more than perhaps the three previously listed names.
In 2023-24, Haronik experienced quite the ride in Slovakia, playing well at times and not so well at others. His worst outing came in Team Slovakia U18 in Slovakia2, where he allowed a 5.50 GAA and an 0.865 save percentage, not the ideal numbers you look for.
But as with some of the names also listed before him, that’s simply a product of a bad hockey team, so it’s hard to judge Haronik’s play too much based on them. Look at what he did across his five appearances with HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia U20. There, Haronik maximized his chances, finishing the year with a 0.921 save percentage, a 4-1-0 record, and a 2.41 GAA.
He also started two playoff games and posted a 1-1 record with a 0.907 save percentage and a 2.53 GAA. The best bet overall would be for Haronik to spend time in Sweden, where he played before the 2023-24 season, or to even play junior hockey in the CHL, regardless of which system he’s drafted into.
Petteri Rimpinen, K-Espoo
Petteri Rimpinen is another goaltender on this list who lacks size, but he more than makes up for it with what have been ultra-dynamic outings. We saw it this season with his overall performance in Mestis with Kiekko-Espoo, finishing with a 0.925 save percentage, a 1.94 GAA, and two shutouts across 14 appearances.
He also finished the regular season with a 6-4-3 record, so it’s not like Espoo was one of the league’s best teams. They actually finished fourth in the 13-team Mestis and found themselves swept in the semi-finals, adding more weight to Rimpinen’s overall performance.
Sure, Rimpinen’s playoff statline is also something you can point to for the team’s success, but again, he finished just 5-5 in 11 appearances. That said, Kiekko-Espoo didn’t have the kind of team winning games despite their goaltender, and this is further evidenced thanks to Rimpinen’s 0.926 save percentage and 1.82 GAA in the playoffs.
Overall, Rimpinen would be a great addition, and someone who should be there between the fourth and fifth rounds. He’s also a player nobody needs to rush into the North American game, but could instead opt to keep him in Finland for another two seasons before he jumps to North America.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)