Brock Gould
2019-20 Team: Moose Jaw Warriors
Date of Birth: Dec. 11, 2001
Place of Birth: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ht: 6-foot-4 Wt: 195 lbs
Catches: Left
Position: Goaltender
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2020 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 4th (Among American goaltenders)
- Andrew Forbes’ March Rankings: 195th
In the world of NHL goaltending, size has increasingly become a bit of a gatekeeping factor. While smaller goalies can still find success on the ice, bigger players are starting to dominate the position.
For 2020 draft hopeful Brock Gould, size may be one of his biggest selling points. Despite being just 18 years old, the Colorado Springs native is already approaching 6-foot-5, making him one of the biggest goaltending prospects at the draft.
Gould is more than his size, of course. Over the last two seasons, he has been refining his play with the Victoria Royals and the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The problem is, this play has been far from dominant.
In 48 games played with the Royals, Gould posted a save percentage below .900. Then, after a midseason trade to the Warriors, that number dipped to around .875 in 16 games played.
Despite those middling numbers, Gould has a lot of potential. He earned a spot in the 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL top prospects game and has been on the draft radar throughout the year. So, while he may not be seen as a prime prospect, his natural size and talent make him hard to miss.
Brock Gould – NHL Draft Projection
Unfortunately, with an underwhelming body of work throughout the 2019-20 season, it’s difficult to see Gould being more than a mid to late seventh-round selection. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if he missed being drafted all together in 2020, but he would still have the opportunity to give it another go in 2021.
Quotables
His lateral movement is fantastic. He battles for his vision very well and relies on his glove hand because it’s terrific. He goes down butterfly pretty quickly at times, so his glove hand sometimes makes up for that but he does leave himself open up high at times.
Joel Henderson, Future Considerations
Gould is a big goalie — he’s got the height that gets the attention of NHL scouts — and he’s fairly quick for his size.
Larry Fisher, The Hockey Writers
Brock is a very promising goaltender who frankly surprised us with his technical skill, poise and athleticism…
Victoria Royals’ General Manager Cameron Hope
Strengths
- Size has some scouts optimistic about his future.
- Lots of experience in tough starting situations.
- Fantastic lateral movement.
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Lacking playing time in significant games, like playoffs and international competition.
- Mediocre statistics in 2019-20.
- Pad/ body control.
Awards
- 2020 Kubota CHL/NHL top prospects game
Other 2020 NHL Draft Profiles
NHL Potential
While there is potential for a player like Gould to make his NHL dream come true one day, he is a bit of a longshot. He has the build of a starting goaltender, but the question is whether or not he will be able to fully develop his game.
However, with a player of his size, there may be more than a handful of teams that may be willing to take a chance on him. You can’t teach size, after all, and as a late selection, you could definitely do worse than have a player like Gould in your prospect pool.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk: 1/5, Reward: 5/5
As a likely seventh-round selection, Gould could be a perfect buy-low prospect for a franchise looking for goaltending depth. At that point in the draft, there’s no expectation on him becoming anything more than depth, which is exactly what a young, fringe goaltender needs.
Is it likely that Gould becomes an NHLer? No. But the potential is there if he is given the right path.
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