The 2024-2025 season is set to begin and the draft season for late 2006 and early 2007 birth years is underway. As we start the scouting calendar, these are some of the top draft-eligible goaltenders for the 2025 NHL Draft. As we dive in, it is important to remember that it is only September, meaning that these are initial draft rankings. A lot can and will change over the course of the next 10 months. It’s tough to pinpoint exactly where some of these guys will be drafted, but looking at this class from the start, it’s a strong crop of goaltenders. Here are the top goaltenders at this point for the 2025 NHL Draft.
1. Semyon Frolov
Team: Tolpar (MHL)
Nation: Russia
Height/Weight: 6’3/203 lbs
Semyon Frolov is my top goalie in the class to start the year. Being 6’4 already is the big standout trait for the 17 year old. As we’ve seen in recent years, Russia is the premier goaltending factory. With the top-end goaltenders in the NHL being developed in Russia, more teams are drafting and signing goalies from there. Frolov is the next one in the line of guys with NHL potential. He’s big, quick, and gives you the confidence you want in a goaltender at the highest level. Frolov does an excellent job of keeping himself upright and square when dropping and sliding laterally. A lot of goalies will hunch over or lean forward exposing the top half of the net, but not Frolov. He utilizes his size to his ability and always keeps pucks in front of him while staying square for second chances. I still believe there’s a lot of rawness to his game and some habits he’ll need to iron out, but at age 17, that’s more than normal. With his MHL team being in the lower level, Frolov will see a lot of rubber this year and it’ll be interesting to see how he can do in a full MHL season.
2. Pyotr Andreyanov
Team: Krasnaya Armiya (MHL)
Nation: Russia
Height/Weight: 6’1/207 lbs
The Russian U18 team’s number one goaltender is my number two in my initial 2025 draft
rankings. Pyotr Andreyanov is an absolute stud and very well could become my number one by the
end of the year. I see him and Frolov as more of a 1A/1B for this draft. Andreyanov is fluid in his
movements and has tremendous hip strength to support his quick transitions from RVH post play to pushing out into shots. Andreyanov explodes in his side-to-side movements and like
Frolov, does a great job of staying upright and keeping his upper body square, not giving up any
room upstairs. Andreyanov has already had a really good track record in Russia and has been
the national team’s starter for the 07-age group. He’s been rock solid every time he’s worn the
national team uniform, even if he’s missed out on playing against Canada, USA, Sweden,
Finland, Czech, etc. Andreyanov isn’t a huge goalie, but at 6’1, size is not a major concern.
3. Ondrej Stebetak
Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
Nation: Czechia
Height/Weight: 6’2/175 lbs
Ondrej Stebetak is coming off of an outstanding Hlinka Gretzky tournament that kicked off his draft-eligible season. He put up a .947 SV% in 4 games and helped Czechia earn a silver medal. At 6’2, Stebetak boasts size and smarts in the crease. He does a great job reading cross-ice plays and is always getting where he needs to be in time. He presents a wide butterfly and does not give much space down low to shooters, especially in tight. The challenge for Stebetak will be to use his size more to his advantage. His low stance gives a lot of room to shooters to go high on him. He reacts well to shots high, but as he moves into the smaller ice surface and plays better competition, he will need to take up more of the upper portion of the net. Stebetak is heading to Portland in the WHL for his draft season and will be challenged by some of the best prospects in the world.
4. Josh Ravensbergen
Team: Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Nation: Canada
Height/Weight: 6’4/180 lbs
The top Canadian draft eligible is Josh Ravensbergen, who is coming off a splendid draft-1 season. His numbers were solid behind a really good Prince George team. He does a great job of stretching out to make saves with his long legs. Ravensbergen is 6’4 and takes up a ton of net. He does a good job with depth positioning. He comes out and takes away a lot of net for shots coming from further out and does not get caught too far out in plays happening in and around the net.
5. Love Härenstam
Team: Lulea HF (J20 Nationell)
Nation: Sweden
Height/Weight: 6’1/185 lbs
Love Härenstam starts the year as my 5th goalie. Coming from the Lulea system that developed Jesper Wallstedt, you can see similar habits in certain areas. Härenstam has great post play with his RVH positioning, which was one of Wallstedt’s biggest strengths in his draft year. Härenstam is a battler and does a great job finding pucks in tight, not giving much room for shooters on second chances. He’s 6’1 and the way to beat Härenstam is over the shoulders due to how much they drop when he drops to his knees. This was my concern watching him last year and this has not been changed, as evident at the Hlinka Gretzky. Härenstam is an athletic kid and does a great job of using that to make tough saves, even if it’s a little unorthodox sometimes. He was injured for a good portion of last season and only played 16 league games, but was lights out as Sweden’s number 1 goalie at the U18s last April. It’ll be interesting to see how he does in a full season at the J20 level, as well as when he suits up for Allsvenskan team Sodertalje.
6. Michal Pradel
Team: Barani Banska (Slovakia U20)
Nation: Slovakia
Height/Weight: 6’5/195 lbs
I was very interested to watch Pradel at the Hlinka and he did not disappoint. He faced a heavy workload against Sweden and Canada and held the fort down vs both. At 6’5, Pradel is a big body and he uses that to his advantage. His movements aren’t super quick, but they’re effective. Very controlled, fluid movements that get him from Point A to Point B without looking chaotic and wonky. Pradel is alert and active in the crease, fighting through screens and putting himself in position to make first saves. He controls shots from distance with little chance of second opportunities. That said, when the play does breakdown in front of him, that is when he’s most vulnerable.
7. Patrik Kerkola
Team: Karpat (Liiga)
Nation: Finland
Height/Weight: 6’1/195 lbs
Kerkola has been the backbone of the 07 Finnish age group, which is looking like the weakest we’ve seen in quite some time. Last year, he became the youngest goaltender ever to debut in Liiga, the top Finnish men’s pro league. Kerkola does an excellent job cutting down angles on first shots, he anticipates plays well and has good enough athleticism to go with it. Kerkola has solid skating. I’ve noticed he does a good job when he’s in the butterfly of pushing one way and quickly going back the other way when cross-ice plays happen quick. Save selection doesn’t seem to be an issue, I like the way he uses the overlap on the post not giving any type of bad goal up from bad angles. He has a good understanding of when to use the overlap instead of RVH and vice versa. Some concerns I do have include his balance. Sometimes he’s too far hunched over and gives up the upper portion of the net.
8. Kam Hendrickson
Team: Omaha Lancers (USHL)
Nation: United States of America
Height/Weight: 6’2/185
Let’s try this again, shall we? Hendrickson was passed over last season after dominating high school hockey in Minnesota. I’m ranking him inside my top 10 again this year, as I believe he’ll have a strong USHL campaign, showing NHL scouts that he can’t be passed on twice. Hendrickson patrols the crease with elite confidence, has excellent reactions and makes hard saves often look easy. Hendrickson is at his best when the pressure is on. The busier he is, the better he looks. Hendrickson only played a handful of USHL games last year, but looked more than ready to step in and play a large bulk. His reading of the game is excellent and he boasts elite skating in the crease.
9. Carl Axelsson
Team: Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
Nation: Sweden
Height/Weight: 6’4/183 lbs
The 6’4 Swede comes in at number eight on my list. Axelsson takes up a lot of net and knows how to put himself in position to cover as much net as he can. His numbers aren’t eye popping, but in my time doing this, I’ve seen a lot of similar big goalies to Axelsson. He’s raw, got good athleticism, but doesn’t quite have the edge work and skating to match the size and athleticism he has. He’s a little wonky in the net at times, but he’s capable of making big saves and with more action, the better he looks. He’s going to play for Sioux Falls this year in the USHL and is committed to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA. That’s a great path to put yourself on as a 18-year-old (he’s a late 06 birth year). There’s no rush for his development, which will give him time to hone in on his fundamentals. With patience, attention to his craft, and ultimately putting it together I think Axelsson can be a good goaltender to have in an NHL team’s pipeline.
10. Jack Ivankovic
Team: Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Nation: Canada
Height/Weight: 6’0/180 lbs
Jack Ivankovic is one of the hardest goaltenders to rank. He’s barely 6 feet tall and who knows how
accurate that is. It’s the major flaw and, unfortunately, it’s not something he can control. The
things he does control, however, are outstanding. Ivankovic is an extremely confident
goaltender who lets nothing bother him. His mental game is extremely strong, and when he’s
locked in, he’s tough to beat. His play style does remind me a little bit of Devon Levi. He
anticipates plays well and has the athletic ability to compliment it when timing cross-crease
plays.
Honorable mentions
-Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko (Tolpar, MHL)
-Roope Toivakka (TPS U20, U20 SM-sarja)
-Anton Melchakov (Almaz, MHL)
-Ivans Kufterins (HS Riga, Latvia)
-Bjorn Bronas (Sioux City Musketeers, USHL)
-Gabriel D’Aigle (Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL)
-Michal Orsulak (Karlovy Vary, U20 Czechia)
-Isak Sorqvist (Lulea HF, J20 Nationell)
-Alan Lendak (Fargo Force, USHL)
-Ryan Cameron (Long Island Gulls, U18 AAA)