Goalies Stock Watch: Boettiger, Tu, Hicks finishing seasons strong
With the regular season now finished or finishing up across each major league, playoff season has officially begun.
On the East Coast, NHL prospects Rudy Guimond and Lucas Beckman man the crease for the respective favourites for the QMJHL playoffs, the Moncton Wildcats and the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
In the OHL, it’s more of a toss-up in terms of favourites, but overagers Mason Vaccari (Flint Firebirds) and Joey Costanzo (Windsor Spitfires), and Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George (Soo Greyhounds) have been exceptional in the playoffs thus far.
Out west, the Memorial Cup hosts’ Kelowna Rockets have seen exceptional goaltending from Harrison Boettiger, while Michal Oršulák (Prince Albert Raiders) and San Jose Sharks prospects Joshua Ravensbergen (Prince George Cougars) have been putting up big performances.
Below are some of the goaltenders whose stocks have shifted the most around the season's end.
Stock Rising 📈
Harrison Boettiger, G, Kelowna Rockets (2026 NHL Draft)
Harrison Boettiger came into the season as one of the top American-born goalie prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft. His season may have provided scouts with less certainty for that case; however, his play down the stretch is surely giving him another shot at the title.
Since mid-February, the Kelowna Rockets starter has posted an above .900 save percentage in 11 of his last 13 starts—five of which are above .950 save percentage. There remains a lot to like about his game: he projects as an NHL-calibre skater, has a workable athletic profile, and is one of the better play readers in the class.
Kelowna is currently in the middle of a playoff push, which he’s already shown to be an x-factor in. As the Memorial Cup hosts, these playoff games aren’t doing much besides building confidence and boosting his stock further before the big tournament at the end of May.
Eric Tu, G, Calgary Hitmen (2027 NHL Draft)
The Calgary Hitmen, while a good team, haven’t been the most favourable environment for goaltenders. Yet, 2027 NHL draft-eligible Eric Tu has managed to give the team confidence to be their starting goaltender this season and for their playoff run.
While he’s battled with inconsistency, as most young goalies do, he’s been single-handedly stealing games for the Hitmen, stopping 49 of 49 against Brandon in Game 1 of the first round.
Here’s what Max Lee had to say about Tu’s game:
“Tu just about has it all. He has a versatile athletic tool kit with some nice edges and great mobility. He made a couple of saves extending out into the splits to keep his shutout. His skating technique is refined, and his t-pushes are quite explosive. Tu’s positional awareness and angling stood out as well. He uses his reads of the ice to intelligently manipulate his positioning. He’s comfortable sitting deep when the puck is in tight and using his 6-foot-3 frame and good butterfly movement to shut down opportunities.“
Tu has put himself and his team in a prime position: facing the reigning champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers. Should he win, this would be massive for his stock, and if he loses, he could very well take up the mantle of the starting role for Team Canada at the Under-18s. Either way, Tu has already put himself among, if not the, top names on our board next year.
Johnny Hicks, G, Univ. of Denver (Undrafted free agent)
Johnny Hicks has been a goaltender I’ve been fond of for quite a while, but never really expected to garner NHL attention due to his size at 5-foot-10. However, his rapid rise through Jr. A to the WHL and now to starting for Denver has perhaps changed that.
Hicks has been indisputably awesome for Denver, posting a .957 save percentage and a 15-0-1 record since joining the program and foregoing his overage season with Victoria. He’s a great skater, with high-end push power and impressive play-reading ability. His tracking is also strong, seeing pucks from the release and after contact. Furthermore, he plays with so much dog, battling for every save. These aspects have made him a world-beater at the collegiate level.
Ahead of the NCAA playoffs, we put Hicks as our highest-rated goaltender on our NCAA Free Agents board in terms of ability, but because of his size and his status as a freshman, we had him at No. 29 on the list. Already, Hicks is giving us a good case to have him higher and could go the way of fellow fabulous freshman Callum Tung, Hunter Miska, and Clay Stevenson and sign after just one collegiate season.
Honourable Mentions: Dylan Garand (New York Rangers), Francesco Lapenna (Undrafted free agent), Charles Menard (2026 NHL Draft), Anders Miller (2025 NHL Draft re-entry), Rémi Poirier (Dallas Stars), Easton Rye (2025 NHL Draft re-entry), Filip Ruzicka (2026 NHL Draft), Mason Vaccari (Undrafted free agent)
Stock Steady ↔️
Parker Snell, G, Edmonton Oil Kings (2026 NHL Draft)
We have been up and down on Parker Snell this season. He began this season as one of the top goalies on our board, with flashes of excellent play reading, combined with standout footwork. However, Snell would find himself in a rut mid-season, losing his starting role with the Oil Kings.
Though lately, we’ve seen that once-lost side of Snell as he’s been excellent down the stretch. He won back the starting role once more ahead of the playoffs and put in a standout effort, carrying the Oil Kings to overtime in Round 1 thrice and giving Saskatoon a run for their money. You can see the change in his play, too, as Snell has been moving with more intention and being more confident in his reads.
An unlikely bet for Team Canada’s Under-18 team, given a lack of history with the program of excellence, it’s likely his season has ended here. However, that final stretch alongside the early-season glimmer should be enough to ensure Snell gets his name called in June.
Stock Falling 📉
Jan Láryš, G, Drummondville Voltigeurs (2026 NHL Draft)
Jan Láryš has been one of the better regular-season goaltenders in the QMJHL, finding success on a structured Drummondville Voltigeurs team. His .908 save percentage in the regular season was good enough for third among DYs.
However, Láryš’s game has seemingly fallen apart in the playoffs, posting an .848 save percentage through five games, losing to the Val-d’Or Foreurs. His game is based around his skating and athletic chops, which are solid for the class. However, Láryš has seemingly lost composure, giving up his angle consistently and becoming more reactive as the structure in front of him faltered under the weight of playoff hockey.
Láryš should have the chance to redeem his stock at the Under-18’s as Czechia’s likely starter, but there are serious questions on whether that will be enough for the prospect to get his name called at the draft.