The San Jose Sharks certainly have a promising future when it comes to goaltenders. While the majority of the hype is focused on current Sharks netminder Yaroslav Askarov, Joshua Ravensbergen could be just as, if not more, impactful when he reaches the NHL.
The Sharks drafted Ravensbergen this past summer late in the first round of the NHL Draft. Since then, the 6-foot-5 netminder has taken a major step forward for the Western Hockey League's Prince George Cougars.
Ravensbergen finished the regular season with a record of 31-13-0, recording four shutouts in the progress. He had a league-leading .919 save percentage and an impressive 2.51 goals against average across 46 games.
On Tuesday, the Sharks named him their prospect of the week for the second straight week. He was also named to the WHL's Western Conference First-All Star Team as well.
With the WHL playoffs now underway, Ravensbergen has been just as impressive. The Cougars are currently in the first round of the playoffs, as they face the Spokane Chiefs. Ravensbergen struggled by his standards in game one, allowing three goals on 22 shots, but the Cougars had his back, as they picked up a 6-3 victory.
Since then, Ravensbergen has been almost unbeatable. He faced 45 shots in game two against Spokane, making 43 saves as the Cougars picked up another win, this time though it was quite a bit closer, 3-2.
Then on Monday, the Cougars were able to take a 3-0 series lead over the Chiefs with an overtime win. Ravensbergen saved 30 of 32 shots.
At 19 years old, Ravensbergen has established himself as a top goaltender in the WHL and his future looks very bright.