The Toronto Maple Leafs should look to add to their goaltending depth at the NHL Draft.
One of the most exciting names at the NHL Draft at goalie is seventeen year old, Olivier Rodrigue. He is a native of Chicoutimi, Quebec and is 6’1″/159 pounds. He could be a player the Toronto Maple Leafs look at with one of their picks in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.
For the last two seasons, he has played for the QJMHL club, Drummondville Voltiguers. For those unfamiliar with Drummondville, it’s approximately an hour and a half drive up Highway 116 from downtown Montreal.
In his first season, it was a rocky one for Rodrigue. He played in 41 games in the 2016-2017 season and finished the season with a 3.60 GAA. Unfortunately, his SV% wasn’t impressive either. He registered a .878 SV%.
Rodrigue didn’t let his rough first season in the QJMHL slow him down. This past season, he truly turned it around. He appeared in 53 games for the Voltiguers and owned a 2.54 GAA and a .903 SV%. He also continued his success in net in the QJHML playoffs. In 10 playoff games, he owned a 2.50 GAA and a .891 SV%. His performance in net helped the Voltiguers defeat the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the opening round. Unfortunately in round two, Rodrgiue and the Voltiguers were unable to triumph over the Victoriaville Tigres.
While Rodrigue didn’t make it far in the playoffs, he’ll be celebrating in a few weeks when his name is read on the podium at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Why He’d Be A Good Fit In Toronto?
Currently, the Toronto Maple Leafs have seven goaltenders in the organization.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ top two net-minders are Frederik Andersen and Curtis McElhinney. In the farm system, the Maple Leafs have Calvin Pickard, Garret Sparks, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Ian Scott and Joseph Woll.
The Maple Leafs’ goaltender depth will likely take a hit on July 1 as Pickard is a free agent, with McElhinney to follow next year (although with Sparks knocking on the door, he could be moved anytime). My guess is that Kyle Dubas will choose not to keep McElhinney and Pickard. Instead he’ll opt to move Sparks up to NHL after a spectacular season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Sparks had an unreal season in which he owned a 1.79 GAA and a .936 SV% in 43 games.
Dubas will then place Scott and Kaskisuo on the Marlies to man the pipes. My guess is that Kaskisuo will start in net for the Marlies next season given his success with the Chicago Wolves this past season. In 28 games with the Wolves, he registered a 2.38 GAA and a .914 SV%.
Woll, Kaskisuo & Why Rodrigue
The last man standing is Woll, who was featured on the Boston College Eagles and the United States World Juniors team last year. While Woll played very well in both the collegiate and international stages, he is 19 years old and still has two years of university to go. When Woll has completed university in two years, he’ll likely compete for the backup spot on the Maple Leafs or starting role on the Marlies.
At that point, Kaskisuo might not be on the Marlies and who knows what could happen with Scott. It’s so hard to tell with goaltending prospects. With the future uncertain for many of these prospects, it makes sense to add a new face or two to the depth chart.
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While it’s hard to predict how Rodrigue will be a in few years. He is still very young and has a few more seasons in the QJMHL likely ahead of him. His head coach in Drummondville, Dominique Ducharme is one of the best current junior hockey coaches. With Ducharme as a mentor, Rodrigue could potentially be an all-star goalie down the road. The Toronto Maple Leafs should take a shot and see if he can bring the same success that he’s brought to the Voltiguers to the city of Toronto.
stats from eliteprospects.com