5 Goalies from the World Juniors to Watch in the Future

The 2012 World Juniors have one of the deepest prospect pools for goal. The goaltending level generally has been very high and even.

In the past, we have seen only one or two goalies really make a name for themselves in this championship. Last year, the field was dominated by Robin Lehner, Dmitri Shikin, Jack Campbell and Mark Visentin. This year, the net is star-studded. If your team is struggling right now but can acquire one of these prospects, you have a reason to optimistic.

Sami Aittokallio - Colorado Avalanche

You, part of the Avalanche faithful, should fret not about the lack of consistency of Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The future is bright!

I present to you your next franchise keeper (I hope), Sami Aittokallio.

Drafted 107th overall, Aittokallio has been superb for Finland, except this last game. He took ownership of the net from Christopher Gibson after a disastrous performance against the Canadian squad. Despite being 19 years old, Aittokallio seems to be the latest in a line of great Finnish goaltenders. He has great composure, takes ownership of his mistakes and has a superb ability to bounce back.

With the shaky tending duo of Varlamov and Giguere, Sami Aittokallio is the next name in goal for the Colorado Avalanche. 

Petr Mrazek - Detroit Red Wings

Detroit fans, I know you guys have Jimmy Howard who is a heck of a goalie, and I also know he's going to be in net for a long time, but Petr Mrazek seems to be the real deal. 

Detroit will be in the same situation as Vancouver is with Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider which is a little short of awesome, but Mrazek is a completely different beast in the NHL landscape.

Coming from the Czech school of goaltending, Mrazek is closer to a Dominik Hasek than to a Tomas Vokoun. Then again, as seen in the video, Mrazek plays with an outrageous amount of swag and enthusiasm. If he makes the jump to the NHL, the Wings will have in their clubhouse a cross-breed between Patrick Roy and Dominik Hasek.

Who wouldn't want to have this player in their system?

Scott Wedgewood - New Jersey Devils

You, Devils fan, who was already having migraines thinking about Martin Brodeur's retirement and the following years of agony in net, rejoice! Wedgewood is the answer to your problems.

While Mark Visentin, one of the only returning players of last year's defensive system, was already a lock to make the team, Scott Wedgewood was by far the best goaltender in the Canadian selection camp. Some media outlets were even questioning Visentin's starting position due to his performance. After a goaltending clinic against the USA, not much negative feedback can be given about Scott Wedgewood. 

Like all quality goaltenders, his ability and psychological sturdiness make him one of the best keepers in the World Juniors this year. 

Devils fans, with Wedgewood in net, this team will be a force to reckon with. 

Andrei Vasilevski - Draft Eligible in 2012

This goalie is the new gem of Russian Hockey. No joke.

After years of enduring the uninterested efforts of Evgeni Nabokov or the inconsistencies of Ilya Bryzgalov, who I absolutely vouch for, this 17-year-old keeper is the next big thing. 

Vasilevski kept the Russians in while receiving pressure on all sides for 40 minutes. He stoned the Czechs, especially in the third period and in the beginning of overtime when the Russians were on the penalty kill. 

Showing the composure of the best in the business, Vasilevski has all the tools to be an elite goaltender in the NHL. If I were the GM of the Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets or even of the St. Louis Blues, I would take a real hard look at taking this kid on the draft. He's too much of a wild card to pick in the first three rounds, but why not waste a pick on the fourth or fifth round of the draft on this kid?

We shall see. 

Jack Campbell - Dallas Stars

I know that in the introduction to this slideshow I already mentioned that Jack Campbell was one of the best keepers at the World Juniors last year, but Jack Campbell is just brilliant. It's not even funny.

Dallas fan, despite how surprising Kari Lehtonen has been and in spite of the of the brilliant tending from rookie Richard Bachman, the future lies with Jack Campbell.

He's been running the show for the two years in the World Juniors and was one of the only bright spots of the USA squad this year. If not for Campbell, the US squad would have suffered a lot more. 

Conclusion

The goaltending field in this World Junior Championships is very deep, and the future is very bright in the NHL. These five prospects seem to have to the tools to excel at the pros and have put on shows throughout the tournament.

Some teams in the NHL could benefit from having such talent in their lineup, but until that happens, all we can do is make projections and hope to be right in three to five years. So, take everything I just said with a grain of salt because none of us has the ability to predict the future.