Mads Søgaard
2018-19 Team: Medicine Hat Tigers
Date of Birth: December 13, 2000
Place of Birth: Aalborg, Denmark
Ht: 6-foot-7 Wt: 196 pounds
Catches: Left
Position: Goalie
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2019 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 2nd (among NA goalies)
- Future Considerations: 47th
- DobberProspects: 77th
- The Hockey Writers: 67th
The stats for goaltender Mads Søgaard might not jump off of the page upon first glance. But looking at the Medicine Hat Tigers more carefully, it becomes evident just how impressive his 2018-19 season was.
Related: NHL Draft Guide | 2019 Edition
Søgaard had a 2.64 goals-against average (GAA) and a .921 save percentage (SV%). When comparing these stats to other goaltenders who played 30-plus games, he ranks seventh and fourth in the WHL, respectively. As a rookie who started the season as a backup to Ottawa Senators prospect Jordon Hollett, these are very impressive.
Søgaard’s play helped lead the Tigers to the playoffs, collecting 19 of the team’s 35 wins. Once there, the huge goaltender continued his stellar play, facing an average of 39 shots a game (234 total) over six games and stealing two wins in the series before falling to the Edmonton Oil Kings. He had a 3.16 GAA and .919 SV% through the series.
Some are wary of Søgaard after a disappointing performance at the U20 World Junior Championship where he went 0-5 with a 6.16 GAA and an .802 SV%. Not what he wanted, but he came back strong in the WHL to finish out the season.
The main aspect that sets Søgaard apart from other goaltenders in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft is his size. While there have been times where he’s caught out of position, his 6-foot-7 frame allows him to still make the save. He also moves extremely well for such a big goalie, especially in his lateral movement.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Mads Søgaard – NHL Draft Projection
Søgaard may be the number two ranked North American goaltender, but that doesn’t mean he’ll go very high in the draft. Goaltenders tend to go later in the draft, and Søgaard should follow that trend. At the highest, he could go near the end of the second, but it’s more likely that he goes in the third or even fourth round.
Quotables
“A disappointing showing for Denmark at the world juniors left some scouts sour on Søgaard but he has been excellent in the WHL this season as a rookie — and that continued in five starts (.934 SV%, 113 saves on 121 shots) after the tournament. Plus, he’s absolutely gigantic (Ben Bishop and Devan Dubnyk levels of gigantic). Hard to ignore.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (From: “Wheeler: Midseason ranking for the 2019 NHL draft’s top 62 prospects” – The Athletic – Feb 18, 2019).
“While there are concerns regarding the number of times he puts himself out of position, his size allows him to absorb most of the net and forces the opposition to get creative. He doesn’t flop around and tracks one-timers fairly well while giving shooters little to shoot at from east to west.” – Steven Ellis, DobberProspects
“Huge pro presence. He moves extremely well for such a big goalie. Strong, efficient and quick lateral ability.” – Al Jensen, NHL Central Scouting
“He’s just so fluid for his size, he has pretty good control in his game, and got stronger as the year went on, there was more control on lateral plays. He took some steps and will continue to take steps once he gets on with an NHL team and goes to summer camp and rookie camp. He’ll keep evolving against really good shooters. He’s a very smart person and a very smart goalie.” J.F. Martel, Medicine Hat Tigers goaltending coach
Strengths
- Size and strength
- Lateral movement
- Patience
- Puck handling
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Positioning
NHL Potential
It will take some time for Søgaard to make it to the NHL. He’ll likely spend another season with the Tigers and then spend a couple of seasons in the AHL before he gets a shot at the NHL. That being said, he shows the potential to become a starting NHL goaltender in the future. With goaltenders, there’s always an increased risk that they may not pan out as hoped though.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 4/5, Reward – 3.5/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Goaltending – 6.5/10
Awards/Achievements
In 2017-18, Søgaard won a U18 World Junior D1A bronze medal. Before that, in 2016-17, playing in Denmark, the goaltender collected another U18 D1A bronze, was a U17 DM Champion and was award the U17 DM Best Goaltender with a .962 SV%.