Goalies the Chicago Blackhawks could target in the 2023 NHL Draft
The Chicago Blackhawks haven't selected a goalie in the NHL Draft since Drew Commesso in 2020, and they'll likely take one this year
The Chicago Blackhawks are probably going to select a goaltender in this year’s draft. They haven’t selected a goalie in the draft since they took Drew Commesso in 2020. The Hawks don’t necessarily need a goalie, with the likes of Commesso, Arvid Söderblom, and Jaxson Stauber in the system, but it’s always a good idea to add one every or every other year.
In fact, Blackhawks Director of Amateur Scouting, Mike Doneghey said as much on the CHGO Podcast. “You need to keep turning a goalie over every year, if not every other year. That’s kind of the cycle we’re in right now. We knew Drew [Commesso] was probably going to come out [this year], so we signed Jaxson [Stauber] the year before. We’d definitely want to look at drafting a goalie this year. Whether it’s in the second-or-third round or sixth-or-seventh.”
The Blackhawks are clearly looking at drafting a goaltender this year. Here are some potential goalies the Hawks could look to draft.
Michael Hrabal
Michael Hrabal is considered, by many, as the best goaltending prospect in the 2023 NHL Draft. This year he mainly played for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, but also represented Czechia at the Under-18 level. He posted a .908 save%, a 2.86 goals against average, and three shutouts in 31 games en route to being named to the USHL All-Rookie Team. At the Under-18 World Juniors, he recorded an impressive .920 save%.
The first thing that stands out about Hrabal is his size. He’s currently listed at 6’6” and 216 pounds, and takes up a lot of net. On top of that, he tracks the puck quite well which allows for him to make saves right at the net front (tips, screens, etc). The 18-year-old also moves well for his size and has a good glove hand.
Like all young goaltenders he needs to continue to hone his craft. He can give up bad goals occasionally, and he’s quite inconsistent. However, his flashes of potential are undeniable. He’s expected to return to junior next year, and will join the University of Massachusetts in 2024/25.
Projected Range: Late 1st-Early 2nd
Carson Bjarnason
Carson Bjarnason will probably be the second goaltender taken in the draft this year. He played at both the club and international levels this season. The 17-year-old had a .900 save%, a 3.08 GAA, and three shutouts in 47 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings. He was also the top goaltender for Canada at the Under-18 World Juniors, but struggled to stop pucks behind a porous Canadian defense.
While his statistical profile leaves much to be desired, his athletic profile stands out. He’s extremely quick and can make lots of desperation saves. The Canadian goaltender does a great job taking away the bottom part of the net too. He also has good size for a goalie at 6’3” and 190 pounds.
However, Bjarnason does struggle with tracking the puck, he’s inconsistent, and his stats are subpar. The good news is that he’ll have time to develop and his athletic ability gives him a high ceiling. He’s expected to return to Brandon next year.
Projected Range: Early 2nd-Mid 2nd
Trey Augustine
Trey Augustine is a polarizing goaltender in the 2023 NHL Draft. His statistics were excellent at both the club and international levels. In 33 games with the USNTDP, he posted an insane 29 wins, a .926 save%, and a 2.13 GAA. He was the starting goaltender for the United States at both the Under-18 and Under-20 World Juniors as well. At the Under-20s, he recorded an .891 save% and a 2.85 GAA in six games. At the Under-18 tournament, he put up a .934 save% and a 1.61 GAA in six games en route to a Gold Medal.
The 18-year-old is arguably the quickest goalie in the draft. Similarly to Bjarnason, he can make incredible saves and made them more consistently as well. He’s good at tracking the puck, has excellent hands, and his aforementioned statistical profile speaks for itself.
The main concern with the American is his size, standing at only 6’1” and 179 pounds. But Augustine has everything else, and he’s a high quality goaltending prospect. He’s committed to Michigan State University for next year.
Projected Range: Mid 2nd-Early 3rd
Adam Gajan
No goaltender in this draft has seen their stock rise more than Adam Gajan. Last season he went undrafted, and no one knew who he was. Going into this year he was slotted to play in the NAHL and was projected to be Slovakia’s fourth goaltender at the Under-20 World Juniors.
In his first 16 games in the NAHL he recorded a .920 save%, and got a call-up to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, where he put up a .961 save%. He then went on to earn the starting job at the World Juniors, posted an insane .936 save% and a 2.40 GAA, and won goaltender of the tournament. The Slovak ended his season with a .917 save% and 2.57 GAA in 34 NAHL games, and a .906 save% and 2.48 GAA in six USHL games.
The 19-year-old is an extremely quick and aggressive goaltender. He can make some otherworldly saves and can move from post-to-post with ease. He also tracks the puck quite well, has a good glove hand, and has good size standing at 6’3” and 176 pounds.
The big question mark with Gajan is his tendency to overskate and put himself out of position. He’s also a DY+1 and has a pretty limited sample size. His performance at the World Juniors combined with his athletic tools make him an intriguing prospect though. He’s committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
According to sources, the Chicago Blackhawks have shown immense interest in Adam Gajan so don’t be surprised if they take him in the early second round.
Projected Range: Early 2nd-Early 3rd
Jacob Fowler
Jacob Fowler is another impressive goalie in the 2023 NHL Draft. He spent his draft year with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, and also played for the United States at the World Junior A Challenge. With Youngstown he put up an impressive 27 wins, a .921 save% and a 2.28 GAA in 40 regular season games, which was good enough for USHL Goalie of the Year. He also dominated in the USHL playoffs with a .952 save% and a 1.36 GAA en route to a Clark Cup and a USHL Playoff MVP. Internationally, he put up a .918 save% and a 1.75 GAA in four games at the World Junior A Challenge.
Obviously the statistical makeup for the young netminder is impressive, but he also has a lot of talent too. His best abilities are his puck tracking and the ability to anticipate plays before they happen. His positioning and hands also stand out.
The two question marks with Fowler are his fitness level and size. It’s been known publicly that he isn’t in the best shape and doesn’t have the best conditioning. He’s also only 6’1”, which isn’t ideal for goalies. But his ability to stop the puck is undeniable, and he does so at a high level. He’s committed to Boston College for next season.
Projected Range: Mid 2nd-Mid 3rd
Damian Clara
Perhaps the most interesting goalie in this class is goaltender, Damian Clara. The Italian had an interesting year splitting time between the J20 Nationell, HockeyAllsvenskan, and representing Italy internationally at multiple levels. In 35 games with Färjestad’s Under-20 team, he recorded a .903 save% and a 2.79 GAA. He also played two games in the HockeyAllsvenskan with BIK Karlskoga and had a .936 save% and a 2.50 GAA. Internationally, he represented Italy at the Under-18, Under-20 and Men’s levels. He sported a .954 save% in four games at the Under-18 level, a .917 save% in five games at the Under-20 level, and a .904 save% in five games at the Men’s level. It’s safe to say that he had a busy season.
Much like Hrabal, the first thing that sticks out is his frame. The 18-year-old is currently listed at 6’6” and 207 pounds. He takes up a lot of the net and that gives him an advantage, especially on screens and deflections. He moves quite well for his size, and can make tough saves.
Consistency, or lack thereof, is the main problem in Clara’s game. Like most goaltenders at his age, he’s also very raw and has a lot to improve on. But with his size and athleticism, he has a lot of potential. He’s expected to play for Brynäs in the HockeyAllsvenskan next year.
Projected Range: Mid 2nd-Mid 3rd
Scott Ratzlaff
There’s probably not a goaltender in this class that would’ve benefited from more ice time than Scott Ratzlaff. He only appeared in 34 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds, but recorded an impressive .918 save% and 2.15 GAA. He was also lights out for Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky with .976 save% and a 0.50 GAA.
The 18-year-old is cut from the same cloth as Augustine. His quickness and his lateral movement are some of the best in the class. He’s also very controlled in his movements and doesn’t overskate. His hockey sense is very high and he sees the ice well too.
Much like Augustine, the main question with Ratzlaff is his size at 6’0” and 174 pounds. There’s just not a lot of NHL goaltenders at that size. His lack of exposure and playing for one of the best teams in junior hockey may have also hurt his draft stock. But his athleticism is high-end and he stops pucks at a high level. He’s expected to be the starter next year for the Thunderbirds.
Projected Range: Early 3rd-Early 4th
Ruslan Khazheyev
The most surprising name on this list might be Ruslan Khazheyev, but he certainly belongs. He played in the MHL (Russia’s junior league), and was one of the better goalies at that level. He recorded a .923 save% and a 2.38 GAA in 23 games with Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk. He also posted an impressive .929 save% and a 2.34 GAA in five playoff games.
The 18-year-old Russian’s stat line certainly stands out, and statistically speaking goalies who put up those kinds of numbers in the MHL usually turn out quite well (see Andrei Vasilevsky, Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, and Ilya Samsonov). He also has good size at 6’4” and 201 pounds, sees the ice well and challenges opposing shooters.
Khazheyev has a couple of weaknesses too. The first one is his inconsistent skating, in which he both under and overskates in his net. His anticipation of plays also isn’t the greatest, and the fact that he’s Russian will definitely hurt his stock. However, his size and production make him a fascinating prospect. He’s expected to return to Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk next season.
Projected Range: Mid 4th-Early 6th
Other Options
Some other goalies to keep an eye on in the mid-later rounds include: Swedish goaltenders Alexander Hellnemo, Max Lundgren, and Ian Blomquist, Russian goaltenders Yegor Zavragin and Evgeny Volokhin, American goaltenders Carsen Musser and Hampton Slukynsky, Finnish goaltenders Juha Jatkola, Noa Vali, Jani Lampinen and Visa Vedenpaa, Czech goaltenders Tomas Suchanek, Jan Spunar, Lukas Matecha and Adam Dybal, and Canadian goaltenders Quinton Miller and Rudy Guimond.
Predictions
I personally believe that the Chicago Blackhawks will add a goaltender in the second or third round. If I had to guess who they would pick, my money would be on Adam Gajan. On the Blackhawks Talk Podcast, Mike Doneghey brought him up by name. I’ve also heard that their goaltending scout loves Gajan. But regardless of what happens, the Blackhawks will more than likely be drafting a goaltender at the 2023 NHL Draft.
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