Just nine days remain until the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, where the Jackets are expected to land their future #1 center with the third overall pick. But their draft doesn’t just end there – they currently have six picks scheduled for day two of the draft, and there is one gaping hole in their prospect pool that will need filled: goaltenders.
One quick peak at the goaltending situation in Columbus, and throughout the system, highlights the fact that this team is thin overall at that position. They have incumbent starter Elvis Merzlikins, who is still in the prime of his career (29 years old). 24 year old top prospect Daniil Tarasov is slated to become his backup this fall, and it seems like this will be the plan for at least the next couple of seasons.
But after that, there isn’t a whole lot coming down the pipeline. Free agent signee Jet Greaves will man the crease with the Cleveland Monsters, and it seems evident that the team will need to add another veteran goaltender to share time with him at that level. One of those two will be leaned upon for injury call-ups, which seems inevitable with the history shared between Merzlikins and Tarasov.
The Monsters also have Pavel Cajan signed to a contract, but he’s been up and down between the AHL and ECHL, and it’s hard to imagine him in an NHL crease. Beyond the pro level, the team has another free agent signee lurking at the junior level (Nolan Lalonde) – and 2022 5th round pick Sergei Ivanov, who is likely at least several years away from even coming to North America.
Now, it must be noted that teams only need two full-time goaltenders; so this isn’t comparable to any other position on the roster. You can have a half dozen centers, a crate of wingers, or a bunch of defensemen developing. In the numbers regard, having three developing goaltending prospects isn’t a big deal. But, only one of these prospects is drafted, and he’s a late rounder. All three of them are 6’1″ or smaller, and while some guys have shown that they can be successful without having the big frame; it’s still a position dominated by bigger puck-stoppers.
The kicker here is, this draft is loaded with quality goaltending prospects (North America, International). I think in 5-7 years, we’ll look back on this draft for two reasons. One, the top-15 or 20 players picked, will all have the potential to become franchise cornerstone type pieces. It’s a really good, top-heavy draft. But secondly, there will be teams that pluck away their future starting goaltender in the middle rounds.
The Jackets would be wise to pick up one, or maybe even two of these guys. I don’t see them making that pick with their second round choice necessarily – there are going to be some really good prospects still on the board – but they do have a third round pick, and two fourth round picks, that could land them a top prospect between the pipes.
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Hockey isn’t like some of the other major sports, where you draft for a position of immediate need. Which makes it all that much more important to keep your cupboards stocked at each position. This way you’re always primed to strike in any situation, be it via trade, or to cover for injuries. For these reasons, the Jackets can’t ignore the goaltending position when it comes to finalizing this rebuild. This is one storyline I’ll be following throughout next week’s draft.