Best Goaltending of the 07 WJC?

[Heat McManus]

Here are all the goalies as per the rosters on IIHF.com. Which team is the strongest? Which goalies will suprise us? Who will disappoint?

Belarus:
Valery Pronin - HC Keramin Minsk
Vitali Trus - Khimik SKA Novopolotsk
Dzmitry Zhurauski - Dynamo Minsk

Canada:
Leland Irving - Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Jonathon Bernier - Lewiston MAINEiacs (QMJHL)
Carey Price - Tri-City Americans (WHL)

Czech Republic:
Jakub Kovar - HC Ceske Budjovice
Michal Nedvidek - HC Liberec Bili Tygri
Ondrej Pavelec - Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL)

Finland:
Antii Harma - Blues Espoo
Tuuka Rask - Ilves Tampere

Germany:
Danijel Kovacic - SB Rosenheim
Timo Pielmeier - Kolner Haie
Sebastian Stefaniszin - Eisbaren Berlin

Russia:
Nikita Bespolov - CSKA Moscow
Ilya Proskuryakov - Metallurg Magnitigorsk
Semen Varlamov - Lokomotiv Yaroslav

Switzerland:
Reto Berra - GSK Lions Zurich
Lukas Flueller - Ottawa 67s
Raffael Walter - EHC Visp


Slovakia:
Tomas Hiadlovsky - Dukla Trencin
Branislav Konrad - HKm Nitra
Jakub Macek - Slovan Bratislava
Ondrej Mikula - HC Voctovice Ostrava

Sweden:
Jhonas Enroth - Sodertalje SK
Joel Gistedt - Frolunda HC Gothenburg
Johan Thalburg - Vasteras IK-U

USA:
Jeff Frazee - Minnesota
Jeff Zatkoff - Miami Ohio

Click to read more...

 

[Zine]

Best depth - Canada, perhaps Sweden
Best starter - Finland

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I'd say Price for Canada and Rask for the Finns are probably the best goalies in the tournament. The best of the rest are Pavelec, Enroth, and Frazee.

 

[Eagle Eye Cherry]

Best Money Goalie: Switzerland.

 

[MM425]

The tourney features a whopping 6 goalies drafted in the 1st or 2nd round of the NHL draft.

This being his 3rd WJHC, I'd expect Rask to steal the show. Major Junior goalies Price, Irving, and Pavelec should make some noise too. Another guy to keep an eye on is Berra from Swizterland. IMO he's a future NHL goalie.

 

[Tadite]

Hows Varlamov been playing? I haven't heard all that much about him since the draft.

Do we know the starter for the US yet?

 

[Langway]

Hows Varlamov been playing? I haven't heard all that much about him since the draft.

He's stolen the starter spot for Yaroslavl in the RSL and playing quite well based on the numbers & reports. A Russian hockey journalist said recently that he might be the best post-Soviet Russian goaltender.

 

[shaner8989]

We will know alot more after the tourney

as of right now

Berra, Varlamov and Enroth are probably the most intruging goalies. Should be fun to see how they do

 

[Doomsday Device]

Talentwise, I'd definitely say Canada is the best of the bunch.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Hows Varlamov been playing? I haven't heard all that much about him since the draft.

Do we know the starter for the US yet?

I would think Frazee will be given every opportunity to be the starter. He doesn't always put up the best numbers, but tends to get the "W". He also has a pretty outstanding international pedigree. Zatkoff is certainly very capable, but unproven at this level.

 

[Phenomenon]

Rask likes to play as much as possible, so Finland should be at the top of this category. I have no doubt that Tuukka could not handle the pressure, but I am more concerned that are the other members of Team Finland giving him enough support?

Sweden looks also quite good in this department. Modig is quite underrated IMO.

 

[Eagle Eye Cherry]

Best depth - Canada, perhaps Sweden
Best starter - Finland

just because they're "the best", it doesn't mean they're the best in the clutch.that said, I nominate reto berra for that title.

 

[Preds666]

Sweden looks also quite good in this department. Modig is quite underrated IMO.

He is not on the team. That is how deep the Swedish goaltending is this year
Jhonas Enroth and Joel Gistedt will be fighting for the job as starter. Gistedt a starter in the SEL and Enroth having superb stats from the second tier league. Personally, I prefer Enroth.

 

[Phenomenon]

He is not on the team. That is how deep the Swedish goaltending is this year
Jhonas Enroth and Joel Gistedt will be fighting for the job as starter. Gistedt a starter in the SEL and Enroth having superb stats from the second tier league. Personally, I prefer Enroth.

I belive Modig is the third stringer and he would not be so bad even as a starter. That is why I think Sweden is astonishingly strong in their traditional weakness area this year.

 

[Mr. Hab]

Rask VS Price

 

[Preds666]

I belive Modig is the third stringer and he would not be so bad even as a starter. That is why I think Sweden is astonishingly strong in their traditional weakness area this year.

Sweden does not have a third goalie in this championship. They go with 2 goalies, 7 defenseman and 13 forwards.

 

[bulgaria]

He's stolen the starter spot for Yaroslavl in the RSL and playing quite well based on the numbers & reports. A Russian hockey journalist said recently that he might be the best post-Soviet Russian goaltender.

You absolutely right!National senior team coach Bykov said,that Varlamov soon can be in national team!He is only 18 but is № 1 in Lokomotiv!(You have to know that the second goalkeeper Podomatcky was third goalie at the Olympics 2002 in Salt Lake and he is very strong in the net)

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I'd say Price for Canada and Rask for the Finns are probably the best goalies in the tournament. The best of the rest are Pavelec, Enroth, and Frazee.

Varlamov and Berra are both a fair bit better than Frazee, IMO. Reto is highly underrated and Varlamov is an insanely talented 1st round pick.

 

[Panopticon]

Don't jinx Rask.

 

[Phenomenon]

Sweden does not have a third goalie in this championship.

Sorry. My bad. I made earlier a wrong conclusion from this news (Swedish is not one of my strengths): http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/norrbotten/nyheter/artikel.asp?Artikel=1068857

Now there seems to be a updated article about him being dropped.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Varlamov and Berra are both a fair bit better than Frazee, IMO. Reto is highly underrated and Varlamov is an insanely talented 1st round pick.

Well, we don't see eye to eye on Frazee, and that's fine. Frazee's a winner and I think that will come through at this event.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

Here's my top 5

Rask
Price
Varlamov
Berra
Pavelec

Edit: Though I person think that Irving is better then Price and If he weren't a backup, I would put him second and Price third.

 

[Mr. Hab]

Well, we don't see eye to eye on Frazee, and that's fine. Frazee's a winner and I think that will come through at this event.

C'mon! Just admit it!!

It's going to be...

Rask VS Price

 

[Rabid Ranger]

C'mon! Just admit it!!

It's going to be...

Rask VS Price

Never! I do think that Price and Rask are the best goaltenders, but I don't think Finland will make the gold medal game.

 

[Le Golie]

Price
Pavelec
Rask
Varlamov

It's strange to think that in the entire US system there isn't a better goaltender than Frazee. If the US makes noise in this tournament it will be in spite of their goaltending, not because of it.