2026 NHL Draft: Top 10 goaltenders you need to know
Goaltending is always a wild topic come draft time.
It’s the most difficult position to scout. Goaltenders play significantly fewer games than their skater counterparts, and you have to judge if a goalie is actually good, or a benefactor/victim of the team’s systems. Not to mention that goalies simply develop more slowly – some teams lose patience.
There’s no clear favorite No. 1 for 2026. Brady Knowling is the perceived favorite, but it’s not unanimous. But if there’s one thing this draft class has plenty of, it’s size. There’s no shortage of netminders on this list standing 6-foot-3 and taller, with even one option standing at 6-foot-7. When in doubt, draft a big goalie – you might as well give yourself the best chance of snagging a sure bet.
With less than half of the scouting season left to go, here’s a look at 10 of the top goaltenders available for the 2026 NHL Draft:
1. Brady Knowling (USNTDP)
Knowling has been a blast to watch this year. Between his outstanding Hlinka Gretzky performance and his 42-save effort in the CHL USA Prospects Challenge, Knowling has been lights out whenever the spotlight has been on him. His numbers with the USNTDP are nothing to get excited about, but he almost gives his team a chance to win every single night. You can’t complain about his 6-foot-5 frame, either. Lots of scouts have different picks for the top goaltender, but I like Knowling the most right now.
2. Michal Oršulák (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL)
Oršulák was passed over a year ago, but he is the top available re-entry goalie. He struggled against U-20 competition back home and was, by most accounts, the second-best Czech U-18 national team goalie last year. But he’s having a solid season with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders (a team with a legit chance at winning the title), and just helped Czechia finish second at the World Juniors. Oršulák is big at 6-foot-4, but he could definitely work on being a bit quicker in the crease.
3. Tobias Trejbal (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL)
Trejbal has been excellent in his first season in North America, boasting a .922 save percentage with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. Being 6-foot-4 doesn’t hurt, either. The stats don’t lie, either – the busier Trejbal is, the better he plays. His ability to stay calm and composed under pressure is impressive, and he has quick hands and quicker feet. Trejbal’s athleticism has gotten scouts talking, and his big frame makes him an easy project for a team willing to be patient with the UMass commit.
4. Harrison Boettiger (Kelowna Rockets, WHL)
Boettiger prides himself on his ability to stay focused under pressure. That’s something he had to deal with often early in his major junior career. His ability to track pucks is high-end in this draft class. His hockey sense and active hands – keeping them up in front to take space away – are as good as you’ll find. Boettiger gives Kelowna a chance to win every single night, and he’ll need to be very good down the stretch if Kelowna is going to go deep in the Memorial Cup. Boettiger also has ideal size at 6-foot-3, which doesn’t hurt.
5. William Lacelle (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL)
The top goalie out of the Q this year, Lacelle put up some great performances with Rimouski before getting moved ahead of the league’s trade deadline. He’s the No. 1 for the Armada now, where he’ll likely face a lot of quality chances. He’s very quick, is extremely athletic and recovers as well as anyone you’ll see in this draft. A year ago, he struggled with challenging shooters at the top of his crease, but he’s much more consistent there now. I think scouts will be drawn to the way he never gives up on a play.
6. Tobiáš Tvrzník (Wenatchee Wild, WHL)
It’s easy to like Tvrzník. He was a relatively unknown keeper playing Czech U-20 hockey last year. While his record might not be the most attractive in the WHL, he absolutely has been tremendous for the Wild. The team has struggled to win consistently but Tvrzník is often the reason why the team has managed to steal some W’s along the way. He is 3-1-1 when stopping at least 40 shots, and his 60-save performance against Everett – one of the top teams in the Dub – back in September is still one of the best goalie performances of the season. It doesn’t hurt that Tvrzník is 6-foot-4, either.
7. Dmitri Borichev (Loko-76 Yaroslavl, MHL)
There are always a few Russian goaltenders who look unstoppable and fly up draft boards. This year, it’s Borichev. He has shutouts in half of his victories so far and has an outstanding .940 save percentage against junior competition. The MHL can be frustrating to watch (he had an eight-save victory in late December), so analyzing potential can be difficult. But Borichev has an outstanding glove hand, moves well, and always seems to be in control.
8. Xavier Wendt (Tri-City Americans, WHL)
Wendt lacks the size many others on this list have, but he has something they all wish they did: a goalie goal. His numbers were absolutely dynamite at the Shattuck St. Mary’s program the past few years, and he boasts an impressive .929 save percentage with the Americans. From a style perspective, he’s technically sound and doesn’t waste many movements. One concern is that Wendt can sit a bit too deep in his crease, and he doesn’t have the massive frame to offset that when it happens. Still, his speed and strong positioning make him an intriguing prospect.
9. Frantisek Poletin (Pelicans, Finland U-20)
Poletín is one of the top goaltending prospects in the draft, and he showed why today. The 6-foot-2 keper moves fluidly without much hesitation and he battles so hard down low. Poletín has built a reputation for some huge performances internationally, and I really liked how he kept sending pucks away from danger. The Czechs have been no strangers to high-quality international performances, and Poletin is no exception. His numbers might not have been anything to get excited about at either the U-18 World Championship or the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but he was often tasked with handling high-quality chances on a far-too-consistent basis. He’s athletic, has quick hands and tracks pucks through traffic well. Poletin is definitely a work in progress – the results haven’t been spectacular in league play – but he’s one of the youngest goalies in the draft class and has a long runway, overall.
10. Yegor Rybkin (Nizhny Novgorod, MHL)
If you’re a fan of large goaltenders – and most NHL teams are – then Rybkin is for you. At 6-foot-7, he’s absolutely massive. For all the talk about small goalies in the NHL, there are just two – Toronto’s Dennis Hildeby and Ottawa’s Mads Sogaard – who have played at least one NHL game this year standing 6-foot-7 or taller. Fortunately for Rybkin, he’s having a good season in the MHL, even if games have been hard to come by. Rybkin is as athletic as you’ll find out of a huge goaltender, and he does an excellent job of sealing the posts and handling shots down low. But he can get caught falling for fake moves way too often, and he tends to overcommit to shots more than a goalie his size should. Regardless, a team is going to take him – and they’ll need him to start playing much, much more if he’s going to flourish.
Other notables: Zach Jovanovski (Guelph Storm, OHL); Matthew Minchak (Kingston Frontenacs, OHL); Douglas Lindberg Nilsson (Farjestad, Sweden U-20); Marek Sklenicka (Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)
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