The Vegas Golden Knights have the opportunity to pick one of the most talented goalies in the draft.
The Vegas Golden Knights have expressed interest in college free agents over the past couple weeks. But what about the college players that are draft eligible in 2017? Those players could prove crucial in this years NHL Draft.
Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee has his hands full trying to get ready for an expansion draft and an entry draft. All while trying to scout the CHL Playoffs and NCAA College Hockey Tournament. Not to mention the expansion franchise is trying to nail down an agreement with an AHL affiliate. The hockey operations office in Summerlin has to be very busy this time of year.
A goaltender that Vegas could and should have their eyes on, had a fantastic freshmen year and his name is Jake Oettinger. Oettinger played his college hockey for the Boston University Terriers and didn’t disappoint. The standout had a sensational 21-11-3 record with a GAA of 2.11 and a .927 save percentage.
Oettinger will obviously need more time to develop and mature at BU. But what makes this young 18-year-old kid so special? What makes him stand out over other goalies in the draft? The answer is quite simple, Oettinger has ice in his veins and he’s cooler than the other side of the pillow.
Combine that with his size and he could be a viable number one goaltender one day. Oettinger is a pretty good-sized goaltender at 6’4 and 205 lbs so he’ll cover a ton of net. But like I said, the demeanor and the level of compete this kid plays at is unquestionable.
Oettinger also likes to move the puck and give his defensemen opportunities to go on potential odd man rushes. This season, the Terriers had a very well-rounded defensive system and had some great players on the blue line. However, that’s not a red flag considering how many games Oettinger stole down the stretch.
In the first round of the NCAA tournament BU played North Dakota and Oettinger stood on his head and made 56 saves en route to a double overtime victory for the Terriers. That was probably the one game in the NCAA tournament a goaltender single handily took over, what an incredible performance.
Oettinger battles and see’s pucks well through traffic so his focus and determination are on another level. One thing he may need to fix in his time at BU is his positioning. Too many times this year Oettinger was off his angles thus leading to the opposition scoring.
Next: Could The Vegas Golden Knights Be Pushing To Draft Keith Petruzzelli?
In my honest opinion, I think this is the best goaltender available in the draft. If Oettinger is still sitting there in the second or perhaps the third round I’m taking him here. This kid has all the composure and ability in the world to become a solid number one goaltender.
There’s even a possible scenario I could see George McPhee pick both Oettinger and Keith Petruzzelli if he accumulates second or third round picks around the league. That would shore up the depth in the Vegas crease for a very long time.