Question of the day: will Ty Edmonds of the Prince George Cougars be selected in the 2014 National Hockey League draft?
Without psychic abilities or a crystal ball, it's impossible to give a definitive answer. Best guess, however, says he has an outside shot of hearing his name called during the proceedings, June 27-28 in Philadelphia. And that outside shot could become a lot better if even one of the 30 NHL teams has taken a long and detailed look at what he has accomplished thus far as a major-junior goaltender.
Heading into the draft, NHL Central Scouting has the 17-year-old Edmonds ranked 18th among North American goalies. Then there's the crop of top stoppers from Europe. Given the overall talent pool, and the fact only 21 goaltenders were selected in 2013, it's easy to see how Edmonds could slip deep into this draft or not be chosen at all.
But, as draft day approaches, Edmonds does have some things in his favour, including the fact Central Scouting had him at No. 8 when it released its midterm list. So is he now a true 18? Maybe not.
Other things that bode well for Edmonds are the level of play he exhibited with the Cougars and the exposure and experiences he gained at the CHL Top Prospects Game in January and at last week's Hockey Canada Program of Excellence goaltending camp.
With the Cougars in the 2013-14 season, Edmonds played in 55 games - more than any other WHL rookie goalie. During his time in the crease, he faced a ton of rubber (1,677 shots, to be exact) and still managed to post a respectable goals-against average of 3.85. His work translated into a 19-19-2-4 record, this for a team that won just 27 games.
Are these the kind of stats pro scouts would notice? If they're paying attention, yes.
In all likelihood, Edmonds put himself on the radar of NHL talent-seekers in the very early stages of his career with the Cougars. Last October, with the season barely underway, he was chosen as the WHL and CHL goaltender of the week thanks to a three-game stint in which he won two games by shutout (2-0 vs. the Victoria Royals, 3-0 vs. the Kamloops Blazers) and gave up just one goal in a loss to the Royals. In that trio of contests, he blocked 81 of 82 shots, had a .988 save percentage and a goals-against average of 0.34.
Rightfully so, Edmonds was invited to the Top Prospects Game, a showcase contest for draft-eligible players. On the ice at the Calgary Saddledome, and with scouts and national television cameras tracking his every move, he was nearly flawless against the top young shooters on the planet. During his 30 minutes of playing time, he allowed just one goal, and it was a deflected puck he had no chance to stop. That night - and the fact he showed he could perform in such a pressure-packed situation - probably gave him another check mark in the eyes of NHL teams.
Then came last week, when Edmonds was back in Calgary for the Hockey Canada goalie camp. That gathering saw him learn some of the tricks of the trade from former NHL stoppers Sean Burke and Fred Brathwaite and allowed him to mingle with guys like Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads and Tristan Jarry of the Edmonton Oil Kings, both of whom are Memorial Cup champions and NHL draft picks. Edmonds' experiences at the Hockey Canada sessions will have made him even more well-rounded and potentially desirable during the upcoming draft.
Ultimately, only one team has to really like Edmonds for him to get drafted. Rankings - whether a player is 18th or 80th - fly out the window if a single club has identified a player as someone it wants in its organization.
Here's one more thing to think about. Last March, Edmonds was asked by Anatoliy Metter of The Hockey Writers website if his own style of play resembled that of any current NHL goalie. Edmonds said he saw similarities (flexibility, willingness to battle) between himself and Jonathan Quick, the same Jonathan Quick who just became a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings and is arguably the best goaltender in the world right now.
Even if Edmonds is only a little bit like Quick, it's hard to imagine that, given the rest of his credentials, a team wouldn't take a chance on him.
