2026 NHL Draft: Top 15 goaltenders

Jun 20, 2026, 10:30 EDTUpdated: Jun 18, 2026, 13:24 EDT

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

Many scouts really liked the goaltending crop for the 2025 NHL Draft last June. So it wasn’t surprising to see two guys taken in the first round.

It’s unlikely we’ll see anyone taken in the first 32 this year, but there’s a very good chance we’ll see a massive goalie run from rounds two to four instead. From talking to scouts at NHL Draft Combine, as many as 10 names were thrown out as potential backups at best, with a few names near the top of the list below being suggested as potential starters.

NHL teams have been more aggressive when it comes to carrying three goalies on the roster. And goaltending depth seems to be more important than ever before. Look at Carolina and Vegas, for example: the two teams combined to have eight goalies dress this season. You simply want as many bullets in the chamber as necessary if you’re going to go the distance.

It’s good practice to draft at least one goalie a year. With how fickle the position can be – and with the much slower development time compared to their skater counterparts – it’s never a bad thing to use a pick on the toughest position to scout.

So, if that’s what you’re aiming to do, here’s a look at the 15 best goalie prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft:

1. Tobias Trejbal (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL)

Trejbal is the near-consensus top goalie in this draft class. His numbers with the Phantoms have been excellent, and being 6-foot-4 doesn’t hurt, either. The stats don’t lie: 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. I’ve been impressed with just about all of my viewings of his this year and feel confident he’ll be one of the first goalies off the board.

2. Dmitri Borichev (Lokomotiv, MHL)

Some consider Borchev to be the best goalie in the draft class. Teams love his 6-foot-3 frame and just how quick he is. He’s positionally sound, using his size to do the hard work. But he has quick enough hands and reflexes to get where he needs to be to make top stops. Notably, he played better when he faced more shots this year, and scouts love it. It’s always hard to judge MHL talent because the league can be a crapshoot at times, but many people love his technical abilities and play reads. Could Borchev go in the first round? Some scouts think so.

3. Harrison Boettiger (Kelowna Rockets, WHL)

Boettiger has had to steal more than his fair share of games with Kelowna this year. He 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 hockey sense and active hands – keeping them up in front to take space away – are as good as you’ll find in this draft class. I also like how quick his footwork can be, even if a little inconsistent. Boettiger has a chance to be USA’s starting goalie at the World Juniors next season, so get prepared to hear a lot more about him over the next few years.

4. Brady Knowling (USNTDP)

Knowling had a good season with the USNTDP this year, and even made his World Junior debut. The Boston University goaltender has a big 6-foot-5 frame, but he’s quick for his size, too. The Toronto-born goaltender is the No. 1-ranked North American goaltender according to NHL Central Scouting, with scouts noting that he commands the crease without giving up too many costly rebounds. Not every scout is fully sold on him, especially with passive hands that often lag behind when he moves crease-to-crease. He allows too many weak goals for my liking, too.

5. Carter Casey (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)

Casey’s surface numbers weren’t great, but I actually see Casey’s high-end potential here. He’s one of the most athletic goaltenders in the draft, never giving up on a play, no matter what. He can get a bit overzealous and allow some weak goals from time to time, but an NHL goaltending coach can help reel him in a bit. I like his glove hand, and he does a good job of giving shooters little to shoot at. There’s a ton of talent here – but the consistency needs work.

6. 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.

7. Tobiáš Tvrzník (Wenatchee Wild, WHL)

At 6-foot-4, Tvrzník has the size teams crave. He also proved he can clearly handle pressure with ease, and many scouts like guys who can handle a heavy workload at a young age. It shows you can be a difference-maker when there isn’t much to work with. Tvrzník’s athleticism is already high-end, although he lacks high-end speed in the crease. He’s also prone to some ugly rebounds, but that’s something an NHL goalie coach can figure out. The Wild struggled to win consistently, but Tvrzník was often the reason why the team managed to steal some wins along the way. He was 3-2-2 when making at least 40 saves this year, which is incredible – he stole more than a handful of games overall. His 60-save performance against Everett back in September was a true highlight of the campaign. Overall, there’s a great base here.

8. Michal Oršulák (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL)

Oršulák had a big year, leading Prince Albert to the WHL Final while also snagging silver at the World Juniors with Czechia. He is big at 6-foot-4, but he could definitely work on being a bit quicker in the crease. He’s good at dealing with shots through traffic and is typically quite positionally sound. Oršulák was in the spotlight quite often this year, which was great for his development – and he stole his fair share of games along the way. Still, some scouts are a bit concerned about his play, despite being the second-ranked North American-based goaltender, according to NHL Central Scouting. I think most of his flaws are fixable – especially when it comes to reading 2-on-1s and breakaways. Still, if you watched his game a year ago compared to now, it’s clear he has taken big steps forward.

9. Patriks Plūmiņš (Zemgale, Latvia)

You always have to be a bit careful when boosting a goaltender following a late-season tournament. But, honestly, many could have expected Plūmiņš’ incredible showing at the U-18 World Championship. He earned some MVP honors after leading the team to the bronze medal game, with his 43-save effort against the United States, in particular, being one of the top moments. From a fundamental standpoint, Plūmiņš’ game is fascinating. While a lot of goalies find themselves scrambling when the pressure gets high at this level, Plūmiņš kept himself calm, cool and collected and rarely allowed a bad goal. Plūmiņš does struggle a bit while screened, though, which is a bit concerning for a 6-foot-3 goaltender. His athleticism makes up for it a lot of the time, though.

10. Vladimir Proskurin (MHK Atlant Mytishchi, MHL)

Playing on a weak MHL club meant Proskurin was bound for some ugly starts. He was busy, facing 35 or more shots in 20 of his 41 games played. Despite that, the 6-foot-1 keeper showed tremendous athleticism at times, allowing him to pull off some of the most impressive saves of any goaltender in the draft. Proskurin skates well, and is actually quite impressive with his play reads. I wonder if he looked good this year because he was legit, or because the team in front of him was so bad. I think he’s closer to the first option, because the fundamentals are all there – the skating, the stance, the vision, everything. Scouts want to see it more consistently in an environment where he doesn’t have to be a megastar.

11. Filip Růžička (Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)

Teams love big goalies – and Růžička could be one of the largest of all-time at 6-foot-8. Růžička proved on many, many occasions that he’s capable of some absolutely unbelievable performances. Most notably, he made 64 saves on 65 shots in Game 1 against Calgary in the playoffs this year, and followed it up with 48 stops two games later. Růžička is extremely competitive and does a good job of keeping himself square to shooters. You won’t find many shots trickling in slowly past the Czech keeper – he seals holes as well as anyone. But the one thing that concerns me is that he can be a bit too slow, both in his skating and in his general movement. An NHL team can work with him on that, though.

12. Roberto Leonardo Henriquez, G (Green Bay Gamblers, USHL)

Henriquez is quite interesting. He posted a 21-9-4 record with Green Bay while registering a strong .921 save percentage. On the surface, the Boston College commit was one of the best goaltenders in the USHL. But beyond that, there’s a lot to love. He has some excellent footwork and does a tremendous job of handling shots through traffic. He moves exceptionally well thanks to some high-end athleticism, too. At just six-foot, RLH is definitely not the size you’re looking for in a modern-day goaltender, but he makes up for it with his pure speed. I could see a team taking a chance on him in the mid-rounds and hope he turns into an Adam Gajan-level prospect – someone who might have a notable flaw or two (Henriquez allows far too many weak goals from straight on) but has the reflexes you can build around.

13. 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.

14. David Vermiřovský (Pardubice, Czechia U-20)

The Czechs have built quite the goaltending pipeline in recent years. Vermiřovský is coming off a decent year in the Czech U-20 team on a Pardubice squad that left a lot to be desired, defensively. I really liked some of his national team starts, though. He has quick hands and is very, very flexible. It’s hard to beat him on a shot when he’s stretched out to the max. It just feels like he struggles with deflections and last-second change-ups, and that’s something an NHL shooter would expose him on. A few scouts I’ve talked to like the raw potential, but it’ll take some work to mold him into a legitimate NHL prospect. But with a 6-foot-5 frame like his, it’s worth the patience.

15. Ryder Fetterolf (Ottawa 67s, OHL)

Fetterold was named CHL goaltender of the year earlier this month, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. He was a powerhouse, going 29-9-3 with six shutouts and a .923 save percentage as a rookie with Ottawa. He has been dominant at all levels so far – he went 49-0-0 in prep hockey last year at Gilmour Academy. So the results are clearly there – but is that enough to get Fetterolf drafted? At six-foot, he clearly lacks the size teams chase after. But he moves exceptionally well in the crease and does a good job of standing at the top of the crease to take space away. Fetterolf struggles with screens, but he keeps his glove high and active just like Dustin Wolf. Teams don’t like using picks on smaller goalies, but Fetterolf’s athleticism makes him an interesting option.

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