Re-entry goaltenders Carl Axelsson, Michal Oršulák set sights on the 2026 NHL Draft

Re-entry goaltenders can sometimes be overlooked in the early rounds of the NHL Draft, but that doesn’t mean they don’t possess the talent worthy of being a top pick. A lot of times, it’s how the dominoes fall and when urgency sets in for certain positions: Which teams are looking for netminders early?

Carl Axelsson and Michal Oršulák have paved different roads to the NHL Draft and are both potential re-entry candidates this year. 

Axelsson’s path took him from Skellefteå AIK in Sweden to the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede and NAHL’s Austin Bruins last season. Though he went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, he returned to the USHL for his draft-plus-one season, this time with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He posted an impressive .916 save percentage in 44 regular-season games and followed that up with a .912 save percentage in 16 playoff games.

“I was first with Sioux Falls in the USHL, and it was kind of fast, and everything was new. Going there gave me the opportunity to slow the game down,” said Axelsson. “Just a slower pace but similar North American style. It helped me to translate to this level. Things happen a lot closer to you. I like the small ice better. It’s more fun. You get way more shots. You have to be better. You get more action.”

The Lumberjacks’ run to the Clark Cup Final saw Axelsson play a pivotal role. Though they eventually lost in four games to his old team, Sioux Falls, he knew he’d found a true home in Muskegon. 

“We have a good team and have a great chance to go far in the playoffs,” Axelsson said before the playoffs began. 

Relying on the strengths of his game has carried him to success so far in his career. “My player reading ability [is the biggest],” Axelsson stated. “Staying ahead of the play and knowing what’s going to happen before it happens. My speed got a lot better over the summer, and my movements got faster.”

Also a strong passer, Axelsson enjoys having the puck on his stick and doesn’t overhandle with possession. “I’ve been practicing the past couple of months. I like communicating with the defence so they know where to be, and I know they are going to be there. It’s a team thing and nothing crazy with the stickhandling.”

Next season, Axelsson will take his talents to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. At 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, he’ll have every opportunity to get stronger and fill out the rest of his frame. While his core strength and ability to fend off players in his crease aren’t an issue in the USHL, it could pose a potential challenge down the road.  

“I feel pretty strong. I think it’s hard to move me when I’m on my pads. It’s only going to get harder and harder as players get stronger. They will be quicker and faster. I have to keep working on my off-ice strength and transfer it to the ice,” Axelsson admitted.

Minnesota-Duluth was seemingly the only college he wanted to play for, and for good reason. “I always wanted to go to college. My dad [Niklas] went there as a goalie too, so that was a dream of mine to follow his path,” Axelsson revealed. “Off the ice, he supports me a lot with the mental side of the game. I’ll give him credit for that.”

Like Axelsson, Oršulák also made the jump to North America this season, joining the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. A solid first season on this side of the ocean saw him play 20 postseason games and notch three shutouts, earn a starting role for Czechia as they won silver at the World Juniors, and help his team come out on the winning side of the WHL Top Prospects Game. 

“In my mind, I like this exhibition game because we can’t lose two points,” Orsulak explained. “I was so happy to be named to the team. I enjoyed the game. It was fun. It was a great experience.”

Though Oršulák was passed over in last year’s NHL Draft, he believes he knows why.

“I think, because now I am playing in North America, [there’s more attention on me]. And last year, I played badly in some games. I didn’t trust myself. Like, in my mind, I go to the game, and now I'm feeling so good because I trust myself, and everybody on the team trusts me,” Orsulak answered. “It's so different from last year. Now in games, I don't feel pressure on me. I'm not nervous.” 

One of Oršulák’s idols and fellow Czech countryman, Dan Vladař, had a terrific year with the Philadelphia Flyers, and he paid attention. 

“Yeah, I watched him play. Now that I’m in North America, I can watch. I like the way he plays,” Orsulak said. 

But Vladař isn’t the only NHL goaltender Oršulák models his game after.

“I try to model my game after [Sergei] Boborovsky. To me, he’s the best, in my opinion. I like his style. The way he moves. He’s special,” Oršulák said. “I [also] like [Yaroslav] Askarov because he’s a right-handed goalie like me.”

There was a time when right-handed goalies would foul up shooters, but according to Oršulák, “Not anymore. Maybe 30 years ago. Now it’s more normal.”

Oršulák has a big personality and would love to score a goalie goal one day. “I did try in my first WHL game, but I hit an opposing player,” he laughed. 

He also enjoys talking about the other sports that he plays. “In my spare time, I will play soccer and some basketball.” 

If a player can dunk, you can translate his jumping ability to hockey, the same way they measure it at the NHL Combine. It's about speed bursts and explosive bursts, which help a goalie in post-to-post situations.


“It’s close. It depends on how I jump,” said the 6-foot-4 netminder. “Sometimes.”

Though re-entry goaltenders can be overlooked, both of these players have decent odds to be selected the second time around. I’ll be surprised if one of them doesn’t get selected.