Sens Prospects Annual Review: Goalies

It's fitting that for the third and final 2019-20 year in review, we'll be focusing on the last line of defence: goalies. All three goaltenders were drafted by Ottawa and are coming off impressive seasons, each one playing in a different league.

Joey Daccord

A fairytale 2018-19 season at Arizona State University was capped off when Joey Daccord made his NHL debut for the Senators in April 2019. A few months later, Ottawa's seventh-round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft was assigned to the ECHL's Brampton Beast shortly after attending his first professional training camp.

Daccord dove headfirst into a starting role with the Beast and in early November, he earned his first pro shutout. When Marcus Hogberg was brought up to join the big club in Ottawa, Daccord was recalled by Belleville after winning 7 of 12 games with Brampton. He wouldn't play another ECHL game for the rest of the season.

In late November, Daccord made his AHL debut, stopping 26 of 27 shots in a 3-1 road victory over the Hershey Bears. He went on to post a solid 15-6-2 record with a sparkling .915 SV% including a shutout on January 11th against the Utica Comets.

Known for his exceptional puck handling skills, Daccord chipped in 3 assists during his 24 AHL games - an incredible clip for a goalie. Looking ahead to next season, Daccord will be pushing for playing time in Ottawa while battling Filip Gustavsson for the starter's crease in Belleville.

Mads Søgaard

The youngest goalie in the Senators organization, Mads Søgaard is also the tallest. Hailing from Aalborg, Denmark, Ottawa traded up to draft the 6'7 Søgaard in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. A member of the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, Søgaard got off to a hot start while playing behind one of the league's top-scoring teams.

In December, Søgaard left the Tigers to play for Team Denmark at the World Junior Championships Division I tournament. He started 4 of his team's 5 games, during which they only scored a total of 4 goals and didn't pick up a win. Despite the disappointing result, Søgaard returned to Medicine Hat and played very well down the stretch.

In 37 games with the Tigers, the Danish goaltender set career highs with 21 wins and an astounding 6 shutouts. His remarkable play was recognized by the league when he was named WHL Goaltender of the Week on March 2nd. Søgaard is eligible to return the WHL next season to continue his development and work toward his goal of playing in the NHL.

Kevin Mandolese

Last but not least is one of Ottawa's most recent signings, Kevin Mandolese. He inked a 3-year, entry-level contract on April 13th after four productive years with the QMJHL's Cape Breton Eagles. A sixth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Mandolese's final season with the Eagles was his best.

A strong start was derailed during a game on Halloween when Mandolese suffered a lower-body injury that caused him to miss all of November. When he returned to the lineup in early December, he was one of the best goalies in the entire Canadian Hockey League for the rest of the season.

When all was said and done, Mandolese finished with a 26-8-1 record and his .925 SV% led the QMJHL by a fair margin. With all that success, it's no surprise that his list of accolades was quite long. QMJHL goaltender of the month in December. QMJHL player of the week in early January. Honourable mention in the month of February. Humanitarian of the Year Award nominee for the Eagles. QMJHL First Team All-Star. And to cap it all off, Mandolese was named QMJHL Goaltender of the Year on May 19th.

Yet another prospect who was left wondering what could have been for his championship-calibre team, Mandolese will turn pro next season where he's expected to start with ECHL Brampton. But if Joey Daccord's story is any sign, don't be surprised if Mandolese doesn't end up spending the whole season there.

Thanks for reading the final 2019-20 year in review of Ottawa's top prospects! In case you missed the earlier editions, check out those recaps that cover forwards and defencemen. Follow Henry as

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