For the last several years, there have been one or two top goalies to keep an eye on heading into the second half of the season. Last season, it was Joshua Ravensbergen and Jack Ivankovic, and before them, Carter George was drawing a lot of attention until Ilya Nabokov and Mikhail Yegorov surpassed him in the last stretch.
This season, however, scouts are hardly talking about any goalies for the 2026 NHL Draft. “I’m not sure there’s a single future NHL starting goalie in this class,” wrote Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis back in October. “I think we’re looking at maybe four or five (NHL-calibre goalies) from this class, but there’s no clear favourite No. 1 just yet.”
That’s left the 2026 goalie class in a strange no-man’s land, where anyone could be the first name called off the board and any small change could completely change the perceived order. That’s not to say there aren’t any talented goalies in this year’s class, though, and the uncertainty also means that this is one of the most intriguing groups in a few years. So, with so many names that could emerge as the 2026 Draft’s top goalie, let’s sort through who is at the top now and anyone else worth keeping an eye on for the next few months.
The Top Tier
As NHL Central Scouting still separates its midterm rankings into international and North American lists, it’s not easy to figure out who is expected to go where. To help me with the goalie list, I also referenced the Preliminary Player to Watch list, which was released in October and featured seven goalies in the ‘B’ tier, meaning that they were expected to be second or third-round candidates. Some of those projected to be top picks haven’t maintained their spot, but those who have now make up most of the top tier of goalies.
Brady Knowling, U.S. National Team (NTDP)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 1st among North American (NA) goalies
Brady Knowling is generally regarded as the top goalie for the 2026 Draft. The 6-foot-5 American uses his height, reach, and positioning to quickly shut down shooters. He plays more towards a pure butterfly style, getting low in the crease to cover a huge chunk of the net with his pads while his long reach and tall stature protect the upper corners. He has great reaction time while also displaying confidence when staring down a shooter, locking into position quickly, and using small adjustments as needed until the last second.
Two big invitations have kept Knowling at the top of the list for many scouts. He was easily the best goalie at the CHL-USA Top Prospects Challenge following a 42-save performance, and he was named to the US World Junior Team as their third goalie and became one of two draft-eligible goalies to start a game at the tournament. However, his play with the US National Team Development Program (NTDP) hasn’t been as strong; in five starts against United States Hockey League (USHL) opponents, he has a .877 save percentage (SV%) and averages almost an extra goal allowed every two games above the league average. He has the size and talent, but there needs to be more results for him to secure the top spot.
Tobias Trejbal, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 3rd among NA goalies
Tobias Trejbal is deceptively calm in net. When he sets up, he makes small, almost casual movements to keep in front of the shooter. Yet he is entirely locked onto the play, and when the shot comes, he makes the save look easy, using both his excellent positioning and high athleticism to stay in front of the puck and quickly close out shooting lanes after the shooter has committed to it. In 24 games, the 6-foot-4 Czech has been incredible, repping a .922 SV%, two shutouts, and a 2.10 goals against average (GAA).
One criticism of Trejbal is that, despite his excellent numbers, he hasn’t been tested enough this season. But scouts got a chance to see him under pressure at the USHL’s All-American All-Star Game, where he replaced an injured Knowling on Team White. Stopping all 19 shots he faced, he impressed onlookers with his skating, puck handling, and patience. He was already named the USHL’s Goalie of the Week for the week of Dec. 7, and some have argued that his midterm ranking is still too low despite sitting third.
Frantisek Poletin, Pelicans (Liiga)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 5th among International (Int) goalies
Frantisek Poletin was initially the top-ranked international netminder, but he dropped to fifth at the Midterm ranking. and one of the youngest players eligible for the 2026 Draft. Ranked 49th by Craig Button in his November list, Poletin is slightly smaller at 6-foot-2, but he is no less skilled. In eight games with the Pelicans U20 team, he has a .902 SV% and two shutouts, showing an aggressive style with quick reflexes that makes him very tough to beat when he’s on his game.
The main concern for Poletin right now is playing time, as an injury kept him off the ice until November, and he’s only played nine games in nearly four months. He was solid at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup earlier this season, and if he can get back to that form, there’s no question he’ll rise up the draft boards. He’s also one of the youngest players up for the 2026 Draft and is almost a year younger than some of his peers in the goalie class. That’s a great sign for where his development is headed.
Dmitri Borichev, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
Preliminary Rank: W \ Miderm Rank: 1st among Int goalies
Taking over Poletin’s spot as the top international goalie is Dmitri Borichev, who has been on a rapid rise this season. He was on very few radars back in October, hence the ‘W’ rating from Central Scouting implying a late-round draft pick at best, but a few analysts really liked what they saw from the 6-foot-3 Russian playing with Yaroslavl’s MHL team. Scouching ranked him as his top goalie, as did Elite Prospects, who listed him 48th. Now, he’s considered one of the top goalies available. What happened?
Firstly, his stats are impossible to ignore. In 15 games, he had six wins and three shutouts while posting a .941 SV% and a 1.76 GAA. Granted, the MHL is a strange league; for example, one of Borichev’s wins saw him face nine shots all game while stopping eight. But he’s shown some elite skill in the Russian minor league. He’s very technically sound, squaring up to the shooter quickly and keeping his adjustments minimal, and can move and recover with impressive agility. His rebound control is solid, but he also doesn’t give up a lot, instead choosing to absorb the shot. He could be a special goalie in this class.
Harrison Boettiger, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 7th among NA goalies
Harrison Boettiger’s first season with the Kelowna Rockets been excellent after leaving the USHL this season. He had a bit of a slower start, posting a .888 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.16 goals-against average (GAA) over his first four games, but by his 12th game, that was up to a .923 SV% and a 2.39 GAA, making him an easy choice as one of the CHL’s two goalies at the CHL-USA Top Prospects Challenge. It was actually his second appearance; he was on Team USA last season.
Boettiger plays a deep butterfly style that is great at covering the bottom of the net. He also shows great reflexes, sticking out his leg at the last second to make the pad save, and is great at getting back into position to make a second or third save after the initial stop. Currently ranked seventh among North American goalies, he could jump up if the Rockets make some noise when they host the Memorial Cup.
Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 2nd among NA goalies
While the World Juniors aren’t a perfect predictor of a player’s NHL future, it’s usually a good sign when a young player can rise to the occassion at the tournament. This year, that was Michal Orsulak, who began as a mid-tier goalie but has jumped up to the second-best goalie in North America. He usurped Ondrej Stebetak for the starting role early in the tournament, backstopping Czechia for five of their seven games, including the upset against Canada in the semifinal and the 4-2 gold medal loss against Sweden.
It’s a similar story to his time in the WHL, where he started as Dimitri Fortin’s backup with the Prince Albert Raiders, but outperformed him every chance he got, prompting the team to reassign their veteran goalie at the trade deadline and go with Orsulak for the rest of the season. Like other tall goalies, he plays very low, using his legs to cover a large part of the net, but he also has excellent cross-crease movement. He’s a highly athletic goalie with a great glove hand who thrives under a heavy workload, and on a Raiders’ team pushing for first place, he’ll give them a chance to win every single night.
Tobias Tvrznik, Wenatchee Wild (WHL)
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 5th among NA goalies
Despite sitting third with 14 losses this season, Tobias Tvrznik has been one of the best goalies in the WHL this season. In his first game, he turned away 60 shots, tying a franchise record, and after 28 starts, he sits second with a .920 SV%, third in minutes played, and 12th with a 2.82 GAA. He also has the second-highest goals saved above average (GSAA) at 29.42, which works out to one fewer goals scored against him per game compared to a league-average goalie. He’s about the only thing keeping the Wenatchee Wild out of last place in the Western Conference.
Tvrznik is very effective down low, using his pads to kick the puck away when an opponent is in close, no matter what move he tries. He moves across the crease well and has a good sense of where to place himself to prevent goals off the rebound. It would be nice to see him redirect rebounds a bit better, as he often leaves the puck directly in front of him after the initial save. While it helps him keep eyes on the puck, he arguably has to work harder than necessary to keep the puck out.
Jan Larys, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 3rd among NA goalies
Like Orsulak, Larys showed enough in the first half of the season to give the Drummondville Voltigeurs, currently in first place in the West, the confidence to move the other goalie in their tandem at the deadline and rely fully on their new import. The 6-foot-3 Czech tracks the puck very well, always staying in front of the shooter and preventing opponents from getting an edge when they’re in close. He’s also great at directing pucks into the corner and clearing the front of the net of potential high-danger chances.
In almost the inverse of Tvrznik, though, Larys’ numbers are likely inflated by the team he’s on. Although he has just five losses, the third-lowest of any goalie with at least 20 games played, he sits 10th with a .904 SV%. He’s not as reactive as some other top goalies here, but still has the raw talent to be an excellent option at the NHL Draft.
William Lacelle, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL)
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 6th among NA goalies
William Lacelle may be the most interesting prospect up for the 2026 Draft, as he is 100% deaf in his right ear and 50% deaf in his left. In the past, he’s called it his superpower as it lets him focus more on what’s happening on the ice. “I will make a save, and after the whistle, guys on the other team might come by and say something mean to me, but I don’t hear it,” he said before representing Canada at the U17 World Hockey Championship. “I am just focused on the game and trying to win. It’s the little things, finding strategies.”
Those strategies have made Lacelle the best goalie in QMJHL so far this season, with 15 wins, a .916 SV%, and three shutouts over 27 games. He can get caught by his five-hole, but he still shows impressive mental fortitude and hockey sense. He was initially given a ‘C’ rating, but has been on a rapid ascent up the draft charts and has the talent to be one of the first goalies off the board. However, at just over 6-foot-0, he’s considered an undersized goalie, which could hurt where he ends up on draft day.
Xavier Wendt, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Preliminary Rank: W \ Miderm Rank: 15th among NA goalies
It might seem strange that the 15th-best North American goalie could be considered one of the top netminders in his class, but Xavier Wendt has been nothing short of spectacular this season with the Tri-City Americans. In 26 games, he has .928 SV% and 32.48 GSAA, or an average of 1.26 more goals saved per 60 minutes, which is the highest of any 2026 draft-eligible goalie. He’s a technically sound goalie, locking into position early and relying on his reflexes and tracking to take care of the rest.
Related: 2026 NHL Draft: Baracchini’s Top 64 January Rankings
However, Wendt stands just 5-foot-11, making him one of the smallest goalies listed on Central Scouting’s midterm ranking. But don’t let that fool you; his style is reminiscent of Juuse Saros, another undersized goalie who has been among the NHL’s best for the past decade. If he can improve his quickness in the crease, he’ll have a great future ahead of him.
Best of the Rest
After the top 10, several goalies are either rated too low in my opinion or have fallen into a rough patch after a strong start and could very easily bounce back with a strong second half. Here are five more names to consider among the best goalies up for the 2026 NHL Draft.
Danai Shaiikov, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 9th among NA goalies
Another goalie who has succeeded despite his team, Danai Shaiikov has excelled for the second-last Gatineau Olympiques. The Kazakh-born Russian has a .906 SV% in 34 games, the eighth-best average in the QMJHL, while his 16 losses lead the league. Shaiikov plays an aggressive style, sitting high in his crease and challenging shooters to make a move against him, then busting out his incredible reflexes to make a highlight-reel save.
Jean-Philippe Charbonneau, Olympiques’ goaltending coach, talked about Shaiikov’s adjustment to the North American game after playing his entire career in Russia. “It was a challenge in terms of physical conditioning. He fell a little short of the requirements,” he said in October. “We warned him that we were going to push him during training.” However, Shaiikov responded well to the extra pressure. “He has above-average [fast] feet, and his hands too,” Charbonneau continued. “It starts with good tracking. He has a lot of tools in his arsenal. I see great potential and a bright future.”
Zachary Jovanovski, Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 10th among NA goalies
Zachary Jovanovksi is an incredibly reactive goalie, and many of his best saves come when he’s recovering from the initial shot or a rebound. He plays more of a hybrid butterfly, as opposed to the more pure butterfly stances of the previously listed goalies, but he employs it well, which made him an early favourite and the other goalie to join Boettiger for Team CHL at the Prospects Challenge.
Unfortunately, things have gone downhill from there. Jovanovski was shaky at the Prospects Challenge, showing questionable decision-making, and has a .893 SV% after 31 games with the Peterborough Petes, which sits below league average. While he has been one of the busiest goalies in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), playing the third-most games and the fourth-most minutes, he hasn’t taken that next step to show he’s a top name in this draft yet.
Parker Snell, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 21st among NA goalies
It took until his eighth career WHL game before the Edmonton Oil Kings’ rookie Parker Snell finally lost, falling 4-3 to the Saskatoon Blades on Oct. 19, 2025. Although he’s not a big goalie at 6-foot-2, Snell plays bigger than his height suggests, utilizing a throwback hybrid style that doesn’t put him as low in his net as Knowling or Trejbal.
While some might see that as a negative, he’s able to make almost every save look too easy. He tracks the play very well and remains unbelievably calm in high-pressure situations. Like Boettiger, he wasn’t quite as hot as he was at the beginning of the season, but still boasts an above-average .898 SV% and has just five total losses in 19 starts. Definitely a goalie to keep an eye on.
Douglas Lindberg Nilsson, Färjestad BK U20
Preliminary Rank: C \ Miderm Rank: 3rd among Int goalies
I haven’t been as impressed with what I’ve seen of the international goalie class beyond Borichev and Poletin, but Douglas Nilsson is an intriguing prospect. At 6-foot-4, he has good size, but unlike some other big goalies who lack quickness, he maintains good movement in the crease and when recovering when he’s out of position. I especially liked his rebound control at the U19 Junior A Challenge, where he almost effortlessly placed several shots perfectly into the corner and out of danger.
However, he hasn’t played as many minutes as some of his peers, which may be protecting his numbers. In 11 games at the U18 level, he’s averaged a .910 SV% but just 38 minutes per appearance. It’s a similar case in the U20 Nationell, where he’s been stuck behind Måns Goos, limiting him to just 11 games so far this season. He has good technical skills, but just isn’t getting the playing time.
Jacoby Weiner, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
Preliminary Rank: B \ Miderm Rank: 37th among NA goalies
We’ll finish with Jacoby Weiner, who was a ‘B’ rated goalie earlier this season, but plummeted to 37th in the Midterm ranking. The problem is that he often looks unsure of himself in the net, and his numbers so far reflect his hesitancy; in nine games, he has an underwhelming .870 SV% and a 3.32 GAA on the second-place Moncton Wildcats, only made worse by his 5.54 GSBA. Furthermore, he has shown some concerning trends of not challenging the shooter enough and using his 6-foot-4 frame to cover more of the net.
But this isn’t a pity mention; Wiener has shown some high-end skill throughout his roller coaster of a rookie season. He was solid at the QMJHL Top Prospects Game in October, turning away 14 of 15 shots, and recently recorded his first QMJHL shutout, stopping all 20 shots as the Wildcats beat the Olympiques. He has the quickness to be a top prospect and is very good at covering the top of the net when on his knees, but he needs to be more consistent and continue improving his anticipation.
Plenty of Underrated Talent to Consider
One of the biggest reasons as to why the 2026 NHL Draft goalie class has fallen under the radar is that no one has been truly dominant throughout the season. That shows just how raw the skill is this year; everyone is still well into their development years and hasn’t emerged as well-rounded netminders just yet. That, of course, won’t stay that way, but it might take a little longer for them to reach their potential.
NHL coach Lindy Ruff understands the expectations put on young goalies. “There’s a number of games they need to play before they understand the NHL game completely,” he said back in 2024 as head coach of the New Jersey Devils. “Do young goaltenders go through ups and downs? I don’t know if you can point to a guy that didn’t. Not many goaltenders are with the team, a lot of times, they started out with because you run out of patience. You look around the League at the starting goaltender, he often wasn’t drafted by that team. So it takes time, it takes incredible patience, but they need to play.”
If a team is willing to put in the time, then several goalies in this class have the potential to emerge as NHL players, and who knows – maybe the next Dustin Wolf is waiting around to hear his name called to the draft stage. All that’s for certain now is that you have to take that risk and find out.
