Trey Augustine, Grand Rapids (Detroit Red Wings)
Grand Rapids has been productive developing goaltending in recent seasons. Sebastian Cossa, who was traded to the Utah Mammoth this offseason, spent three seasons there. Michal Postava has split time between Detroit and Grand Rapids as well.
The Red Wings hope that Augustine can become their next success story. The 21-year-old turned pro late last season after winning Big Ten top goaltending honors the past two seasons at Michigan State. He was also a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season. Detroit selected him in the second round (No. 41) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
With Postava having been recalled to the Red Wings several times, Augustine has gone 4-1-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .909 save percentage in eight AHL games this season.
Damian Clara, San Diego (Anaheim Ducks)
Lukas Dostal needed 98 games in the AHL before sticking with Anaheim for good.
Anaheim is taking that same patient approach with Clara after selecting him in the second round (No. 60) of the 2023 draft. He played in Europe for three seasons, splitting time between Liiga and the Swedish Hockey League. Clara also has significant international experience with Italy, including the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 as well as the IIHF World Championship.
The Ducks opted to bring Clara, 21, to North America full-time this season. He is 2-1-2 in five games with a 2.18 GAA and .926 save percentage. With veteran Laurent Brossoit still on recall to Anaheim, Clara's workload figures to intensify further in the AHL.
Part of a prospect-filled Tucson team, Hrabal, 21, was selected by Utah in the second round (No. 38) of the 2023 draft.
Before turning pro on March 25, he played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Last season, he was named the Hockey East player of the year with a 19-9-1 record, 1.95 GAA, and .937 save percentage. He also twice represented Czechia at the IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a bronze medal each time.
With Tucson, he is 5-1-1 in seven games and ranks among the AHL leaders with a 1.87 GAA and .925 save percentage. Hrabal also had a 31-save shutout against San Diego on Oct. 16.
Callum Tung, Hartford (New York Rangers)
Hartford's goaltending plans changed abruptly before the season even started.
The Rangers recalled Dylan Garand from Hartford on Oct. 2 after Joonas Korpisalo was sidelined with a lower-body injury. Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury Oct. 9 subsequently required Spencer Martin's recall from Hartford.
Korpisalo is healthy again, and Martin has returned to Hartford. But those early-season changes pushed Tung into a heavy workload. It has been a good test for Tung, who turns 23 on Nov. 23.
Undrafted, he played one season at the University of Connecticut before the Rangers signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on April 1, 2025. After dividing last season between the AHL and ECHL, he has stuck full-time with Hartford and is 4-4-0 in eight games with a 2.14 GAA and .929 save percentage.
With Carl Lindbom and Pavel Moysevich in Henderson, the Golden Knights have a strong base of young goalie talent.
Add Whitehead, 23, to that list as well. His 1.60 GAA and .948 save percentage each rank first among AHL rookie goalies. In five games, he is 4-1-0.
Whitehead was selected by the Golden Knights in the fourth round (No. 128) of the 2022 NHL Draft. After two seasons at Northeastern, he turned pro last season and divided his time between Henderson and the Golden Knights' ECHL affiliate in Tahoe.
