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Central Division Goaltending Future - Jared Clinton - Oct. 3, 2025 - Vol. 79, Issue. 03

Chicago Blackhawks

Though he got a taste of NHL action last season, appearing in two games for the Blackhawks, DREW COMMESSO is surely due for more AHL seasoning before regular big-league starts come his way. Even so, the 23-year-old is clearly finding his footing in the pro ranks. That was most clear during the first round of the AHL post-season. Commesso almost singlehandedly eliminated Rockford’s intrastate rival, the Chicago Wolves, stopping 66 of 67 shots in the IceHogs’ sweep of the best-of-three round.

Colorado Avalanche 

It’s only a matter of time before ILYA NABOKOV challenges for the starting gig in Colorado. Though he is only 22, Nabokov must be counted among the best goaltenders in the world currently outside of the NHL. His numbers tell the story, as his .926 SP ranks fifth out of 40 KHL netminders to play at least 40 games the past two seasons. None of this is to mention he captured a league title and post-season MVP in the same 2023-24 campaign in which he was named the KHL’s rookie of the year.

Dallas Stars

Will REMI POIRIER unseat Jake Oettinger in the Stars’ crease? Unlikely. But Poirier, 23, is making a strong case to earn backup duty in Dallas in the not-too-distant future. His has been a steady rise through the minors, as he’s charted a course from the ECHL to the AHL the past three seasons. Poirier really rounded into form in 2024-25, playing some of the best hockey of his career and helping backstop the Texas Stars to the AHL’s Western Conference final – with a .919 save percentage in 10 playoff games.

Minnesota Wild 

There’s no more waiting for JESPER WALLSTEDT. For the past three seasons, the 22-year-old has bided his time in the AHL, waiting for an opening. Now, he’s set to see spot-starting duty in Minnesota behind incumbent keeper Filip Gustavsson this season. Wallstedt’s combination of size, athleticism and technical prowess has made him one of the most coveted goaltending prospects in the game, and despite a statistical downturn last season, excitement abounds for his potential to be a future No. 1 for the Wild.

Nashville Predators

There may be no better netminder for 18-year-old JACK IVANKOVIC to learn from than Juuse Saros. In a league of goaltending giants, the 5-foot-11 Saros has established himself among the NHL’s best and most consistent, and that should help provide a blueprint for the similarly undersized Ivankovic. At 5-foot-11, Ivankovic has built his game on technical and positional soundness, and he parlayed that into top-goaltender honors at the 2025 U-18 worlds. He’s headed for a new challenge at the University of Michigan.

St. Louis Blues

If there was any lingering concern about COLTEN ELLIS, 24, after a disappointing 2022-23 season and the hip surgery that brought about its premature end, he has erased any doubts about his potential with his exceptional play the past two campaigns. In fact, among AHL goaltenders with 30-plus games under their belts the past two seasons, he is tied for top spot with a .923 SP. Ellis, whose game is predicated on his ability to read and react, will push for NHL backup duty in St. Louis soon.

Utah Mammoth

Depending on the source, MICHAEL HRABAL is listed at 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. Either, though, illustrates Hrabal’s greatest strength: his sheer size. The 20-year-old casts a long shadow in the crease, and he uses his size incredibly. He’s put that on display at both the collegiate and international levels. At UMass, he’s posted a .919 SP across 66 games the past two seasons. But arguably more impressive are his WJC performances. He’s been a standout, backstopping Czechia to bronze medals at the past two tournaments.

Winnipeg Jets

Though DOMENIC DIVINCENTIIS was bumped back to the ECHL early last year – after a five-game AHL spell – the 21-year-old made his case to get the call-up to the Manitoba Moose by mid-season. And from January on, DiVincentiis owned Manitoba’s crease. The 2022-23 OHL goaltender of the year ultimately put up the best full-season numbers of any Moose keeper, with a 2.84 GAA and .906 SP. Winnipeg will be patient with DiVincentiis, especially with starter Connor Hellebuyck locked up through 2030-31.

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