2020 NHL Draft Positional Breakdown: Top Goaltenders

ColoradoAvalanche.com is profiling some of the top 10 draft-eligible players at each position heading into 2020 NHL Draft, which will be held virtually this year on Oct. 6-7. This installment looks at the top goaltenders that are available.
Canadian-German dual citizen Nicolas Daws and Russian Iaroslav Askarov--the only right-handed catching keeper on this list--are expected to be the first two names called in this year's draft, but when is anyone's guess. Only two goalies have been selected in the first round in the last four drafts, Jake Oettinger at No. 26 overall by the Dallas Stars in 2017 and Spencer Knight at No. 13 overall by the Florida Panthers last year.

Below are the top seven North American and top three international goaltenders based on NHL Central Scouting's final lists of the best prospects for the 2020 NHL Draft. The Avalanche has the 25th overall selection in the first round of the draft.

Nicolas Daws, Guelph Storm (OHL)

6-4, 199 lbs, No. 1-Ranked North American Goalie
Daws, 19 (born Dec. 22, 2000), has played the last three seasons with the Guelph Storm and could possibly play in the minor leagues as soon as this year based on his age. He had a 23-8-6 record in 2019-20 and led all netminders in the Ontario Hockey League in save percentage (.924) and shutouts (five), winning the inaugural Jim Rutherford Trophy as the league's goalie of the year and being named to the OHL First All-Star Team. Born in Munich, Germany, but raised in Burlington, Ontario, Daws was part of Canada's gold medal-winning team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, appearing in two contests. He won the OHL championship in 2018-19 with Guelph as the club's backup goalie.
NHL Central Scouting Report: "Very calm, relaxed and composed. Solid positionally and technically sound. Smart at reading and reacting to situations with efficient and controlled body movements. Gives his team a chance to win every game."

Iaroslav Askarov, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL-Russia 2)

6-3, 176 lbs, No. 1-Ranked International Goalie
Askarov, 18 (born June 16, 2002), could be one of the first goaltenders taken in this year's draft after having a solid first campaign in Russia's second-tier pro league (VHL). Playing for Neva St. Petersburg in 2019-20, Askarov posted a 12-3-3 record, 2.45 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. A rare right-catching keeper, he appeared in one game for SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League last year (Nov. 27, 2019), becoming the second-youngest goalie at that time to make his league debut at 17 years of age (23 saves in a win). The Omsk, Russia, native appeared in five games and won a silver medal with his country at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. At the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, Askarov was named the best goalie at the tournament and was named to the All-Star Team after producing a 2.31 GAA and .916 Sv% in Russia's silver-medal win. This season, he has split time between both the KHL and VHL.
NHL Central Scouting Report: "Tall, athletic goaltender who likes to stay upright. High hockey IQ. Quick, involved, active and very mobile. Communicates loudly with his skaters."

Drew Commesso, U.S. National Team Development Program

6-2, 180 lbs, No. 2-Ranked North American Goalie
Commesso, 18 (born July 19, 2002), has played at the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan, for the past two years. This past season, he appeared in 30 total games and had a 2.05 goals-against average and .920 save percentage for the Under-18 Team. As the top netminder for the Under-17 Team in 2018-19, he appeared in 43 total games and registered a 3.24 GAA and .886 Sv%. The Norwall, Massachusetts, native represented the USA at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Commesso is committed to playing college hockey this season at Boston University.

Jan Bednar, HC Banik Sokolov (Czech 2)

6-4, 196 lbs, No. 2-Ranked International Goalie
Bednar, 18 (born Aug. 26, 2002), split this past season between the Czech Republic's top two professional leagues. He spent the majority of the campaign with Banik Sokolov in the second division, producing a 3.26 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. In the top division, Czech Extraliga, Bednar had a 4.39 GAA and .883 Sv% with Energie Karlovy Vary. He was named the Czech Extraliga's rookie of the year in 2018-19 after posting a 2.73 GAA and .917 Sv% in 10 contests. The Rokycany, Czech Republic, native appeared in two games at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, compiling a 3.09 GAA and .928 Sv%. He is expected to play with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this upcoming season after being selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft this past June.

Samuel Hlavaj, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)

6-4, 218 lbs, No. 3-Ranked North American Goalie
Hlavaj, 19 (born May 29, 2001), is a Slovak goalie that played his first season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2019-20. The Martin, Slovakia, native ranked in the top three among all QMJHL goalies in wins (33), goals-against average (2.24), save percentage (.915) and shutouts (three, tied) in his first full North American campaign. Hlavaj won 11 straight outings from Dec. 1, 2019 to Jan. 28, 2020 and was later named to the league's All-Rookie Team, Second All-Star Team and the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Prior to his time in Canada, he split 2018-19 with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League and in junior hockey back in his native Slovakia. He suited up in 22 contests with Lincoln that campaign, recording a 4.58 GAA and .862 Sv%. Hlavaj has represented his country twice at both the IIHF World Junior Championships (2019 and 2020) and U18 World Championships (2018 and 2019).

Joel Blomqvist, Oulun Karpat (Liiga)

6-2, 183 lbs, No. 3-Ranked International Goalie
Blomqvist, 18 (born Jan. 10, 2002), spent most of the 2019-20 campaign with Karpat's junior team in Finland where he led the league in save percentage (.931) while producing a 1.66 goals-against average in 34 games. The Finn was named the league's best goaltender and a first-team all-star that season as well. He appeared in two games last year with Karpat's men's team in Liiga, the same club that also features Avalanche goaltending prospect Justus Annunen. In 2018-19, the Uusikaarlepyy, Finland, native helped the junior club win the league championship where he had a .938 Sv%. He has represented his country at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and was a reserve at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Will Cranley, Ottawa 67's (OHL)

6-4, 183 lbs, No. 4-Ranked North American Goalie
Cranley, 18 (born Feb. 26, 2002), finished his second season with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's in 2019-20, ranking second among league rookie goalies in wins after posting an 18-2-0 record in 21 contests. The Peterborough, Ontario, native also compiled a 2.81 goals-against average (fifth in the league), .894 save percentage and four shutouts last year. From Nov. 1, 2019 to Feb. 14, 2020, Cranley won 12 consecutive appearances. In his first season with Ottawa in 2018-19, he had an .868 Sv% and 3.46 GAA and teamed up with starting keeper Cedric Andree to win the Dave Pinkney Trophy for the allowing the fewest goals against in the OHL that season. He played two games with Canada Red at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Garin Bjorklund, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

6-0, 173 lbs, No. 5-Ranked North American Goalie
Bjorklund, 18 (May 28, 2002), completed his first full season with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers in 2019-20, registering a 20-5-4 record, 2.91 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. He ranked third among WHL rookies in wins while splitting time in net with Mads Sogaard. The Grand Prairie, Alberta, native appeared in two games with the Tigers in 2018-19 and played for Canada Black at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Dylan Garand, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

6-0, 173 lbs, No. 6-Ranked North American Goalie
Garand, 18 (born June 7, 2002), played his second full season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League in 2019-20, posting new career highs in goals-against average (2.21), save percentage (.921) and games played (42). He was named the WHL's Scholastic Player of the Year last season. From Victoria, British Columbia, Garand appeared in 27 games with Kamloops in 2018-19, recording a 2.94 GAA and .902 Sv%, and appeared in three games in 2017-18. He was on the Canada Red squad at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and also represented his country at the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he won a silver medal.

Fabio Iacobo, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

6-1, 191 lbs, No. 7-Ranked North American Goalie
Iacobo, currently 18 (born Oct. 26, 2001), has guarded the pipes for 30 games in each of the last two Quebec Major Junior Hockey League seasons with the Victoriaville Tigres and improved his goals-against average and save percent each campaign. The Saint-Leonard, Quebec, native had a 3.73 GAA in 2018-19 before recording a 2.84 GAA this past year and bettered his save percentage over the last two years from .885 to .905. He was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team in 2018-19.