I provide a separate ranking for goalies due to the fact that I rank most of them fairly low relative to skaters. This is an above-average draft for goaltenders, with three pretty strong prospects at the top of this year's class in Thatcher Demko, Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic.
For this year's group, the top three prospects would be towards the bottom third of the top 100 overall prospects on my board. However, it's always possible that we'll see one of them taken at the tail end of the first round, or shortly thereafter, depending upon how the early portion of the draft shakes out.
The following ranking and analysis are based on my own observations and include notes I've picked up in conversations with scouts and other NHL sources.
Top 100 index
| No. 1-50 | No. 51-100 | Top 10 goalies
1. Thatcher Demko | Boston College (NCAA)
Born: Dec. 8, 1995 | 2013-14 stats: 24 GP, 2.24 GAA, .919 SV%
The San Diego native had one of the better under-19 seasons in the Hockey East conference in the modern era. He didn't surpass Jon Gillies' tremendous 2012-13 season save percentage (.931), but he did eclipse Cory Schneider's .916 (2004-05) and Jimmy Howard's .916 in 2002-03. He has the natural look of a goalie from a physical standpoint -- 6-foot-4, 192 pounds -- and by how he plays the game, as his high-end positioning and angles leave little room for shooters. He's sound technically, but Demko also has aggressiveness in his game and doesn't shy from challenging shooters. His reactions and quickness in his lower body are solid; he's quite nimble for a big man. According to scouts I've spoken with, Demko can still use some more explosiveness in his push-offs and lateral movements. His tracking of the puck also is a little inconsistent.
2. Ville Husso | HIFK (Liiga)
Born: Feb. 6, 1995 | 2013-14 stats: 41 GP, 1.99 GAA, .923 SV%
Husso had a breakout 2013-14 season, where he emerged as one of the better goaltenders in Finland's top league as an 18-year-old, putting up comparable numbers to Tuukka Rask and Nashville prospect Juuse Saros at the same age. Husso's main strengths are his hockey sense and his calmness between the pipes; he makes the game look simple in terms of how efficiently he squares up pucks, anticipates the play and tracks shots. He's not flashy, and that may be seen as a weakness, but his quiet effectiveness has worked very well for him. Husso is another big goalie -- 6-2, 183 pounds -- and with his positional awareness knows how to take away the net for shooters. On the other hand, I have seen him play a little too deep in the net at times, but that's a real nitpick. Husso was passed over in the draft last season, but that's unlikely to happen again; he has really turned a corner.
3. Alex Nedeljkovic | Plymouth (OHL)
Born: Jan. 7, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 61 GP, 2.88 GAA, .925 SV%
Nedeljkovic had one of the best starts to an OHL career I can remember for a goalie in terms of performance. He essentially has every tool except for size (6-0, 183 pounds). His athleticism is top-end; his quickness, side-to-side movements and reflexes allow him to make a lot of tough stops other goalies don't make. While he has those dynamic qualities, he remains effective in net in terms of reads and patience with his depth. He battles well on loose pucks, and gives good second efforts. His main weakness is that due to his size, he appears to lose the puck in traffic and be prone to the odd soft goal here and there that goes high on him. He also can be a little too kick-happy, leading to big rebounds.
4. Mason McDonald | Charlottetown (QMJHL)
Born: April 23, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 29 GP, 3.44 GAA, .900 SV%
McDonald is a really toolsy goaltender, with notable upside. When you have a 6-4 prospect with high-end athleticism, you can project that player to be able to make some of the tougher stops in pro hockey. McDonald's lateral quickness is fantastic, and while he hasn't filled out his frame yet (he's 186 pounds), he knows how to get his body in front of pucks. On second efforts, McDonald is solid battling for pucks and he fights through screens well. At times, he can get a little too energetic with his movements, and while he reacts well to moving pucks, he does overcommit occasionally. However, McDonald's hockey IQ and ability to square up pucks are well above average. He is an impressive prospect overall.
5. Kaapo Kahkonen | Blues U20 (Jr. A Liiga)
Born: Aug. 16, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 38 GP, .912 SV%
The 17-year-old Helsinki native represents upside in this draft, as he possesses a lot of the prototypical tools for which teams look in a goaltender. He's already 6-2 and 209 pounds, and fills up the net well thanks to great technique. He's advanced in terms of his strength level, but he also understands how to angle off shooters to make the most of his physical tools. Kahkonen has above-average lateral abilities, with what many scouts have described as an "explosiveness" in net. He exhibits a calm demeanor and is rarely rattled by bad goals or high-pressure moments. He has decent stick skills as well. Kahkonen can improve on his reads and reactions to moving pucks, and he needs to work on avoiding the occasional bad decision.
6. Julio Billia | Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Born: March 11, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 41 GP, 3.52 GAA, .894 SV%
Billia's stats have been underwhelming in the QMJHL, but on a tools level -- and how he has looked in international competition -- he could be a decent NHL player if he continues to develop. He's a fairly sound technical goalie in terms of positioning, making himself big in net. He's quick and nimble and gets rave reviews for his footwork, reflexes and ability to make the tough stops. He reads the game very well and always finds a way to square up pucks. The main drawback to him is his size. He is on the small side at 5-11, 168 pounds; only seven goalies under 6-0 played in an NHL game in 2013-14. His puck-handling can use some work, too.
7. Jonas Johansson | Brynas J20 (SuperElit)
Born: Sept. 19, 1995 | 2013-14 stats: 23 GP, 2.32 GAA, .911 SV%
Johansson was the top goalie among Sweden's 1995 birth-year players the past two seasons, and was part of Sweden's IIHF World Junior Championship team as the No. 3 goalie. He's 6-4, 200 pounds and plays a quality blocking, butterfly style. He's the kind of goalie who doesn't move very much in the net, but takes away shooting space with his angles. He can be effective taking away second chances. Scouts are split on his athletic skills, with some saying he's good in that area and others saying he doesn't wow them as much when he has to move a lot. His reads and reactions are solid to above average.
8. Igor Shesterkin | MHK Spartak (MHL)
Born: Dec. 30, 1995 | 2013-14 stats: 23 GP, 1.42 GAA, .947 SV%
The Moscow native really turned heads last spring with a dominant IIHF under-18 tournament performance for Russia, and had his second straight great season in Russia's primary junior league. Shesterkin is a fun goaltender to watch because of his high-end athletic abilities and all of the tough stops he can make. He has quick feet, allowing him to make dynamic lateral moves. His reactions are also a plus, and he has the ability to make some of the more difficult stops with his glove. His reads are solid, with good flashes here and there, but he can still work on some of the finer details. Shesterkin can stand to bulk up his 6-0, 183-pound frame in order to fill up more of the net, but his upside is significant if he hits.
9. Brent Moran | Niagara (OHL)
Born: July 5, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 40 GP, 3.85 GAA, .891 SV%
Moran took on the starting role midseason for Niagara, and while his save percentage is underwhelming, there's some projection to his game from a tools level. His size (6-4, 190 pounds) is evident in his play, but he's also athletic and moves extremely well for a man his size. His lower-body movements are great, and his lateral quickness is also an above-average skill. On the other hand, Moran remains very raw in terms of his angles, reads and general technique. He has issues squaring up pucks and tracking the play, and he needs to improve his depth within the crease. He's a long-term project for whoever takes him.
10. Ty Edmonds | Prince George (WHL)
Born: June 4, 1996 | 2013-14 stats: 55 GP, 3.85 GAA, .887 SV%
Edmonds was subpar this season, but he also played on a struggling Prince George team. Unlike some of the other top prospects, Edmonds is more of a quiet, positional goalie who excels in blocking pucks and squaring up shots. He anticipates the play well, with one scout saying: "He's always in the right spot and understands his angles very well." He plays a calm style, but still battles well through traffic and on second chances. Edmonds' most notable weakness is getting to the tougher shots. His lateral skills are just OK, and though he isn't devoid of athletic abilities, he will need to improve in that area.
Honorable mention: Edwin Minney, USNTDP (USHL); Ivan Nalimov, SKA (MHL); Linus Soderstrom, Djurgardens (J20 SuperElit)