G Joseph Woll (2016, 62nd, TOR)
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Captain Timo
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- Dec 4, 2015
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The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
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You can tell by a development camp? Anyways with that last name he can't disappoint.
Captain Timo
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"Joseph Wall"
"Woll the Wall"
... NHL.com would have a field-day with that last name.
Pyrophorus
Registered User
Liked what I saw, and really like the path he's chosen. BC has a pretty good track record with goalies. I like many Leaf fans (even post Andersen trade), wanted us to address the lack of goalies in our prospect pool, but not at the top of the 2nd. Getting one in the 57-72 range seems like the ideal option. I really like Woll over the smaller guys like Parsons and Hart, and he seemed more reliable than the very projectable Evan Fitzpatrick. Excited to see what he can do following in Demko's path.
McMatthews
Registered User
Woll might be the best goaltender the Maple Leafs have drafted since Tuukka Rask.
He's better at this age than Reimer was.
Skinnyjimmy08
WorldTraveler
- Mar 30, 2012
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Honest question. . I hear people speak so highly of him and fans are saying he has #1 potential.. but why was he not a high pick?.. again, honest question... there must be a major knock on the guy
McMatthews
Registered User
Woll got hot later in the season. He was arguably the best goalie at the U18 tournament.
I believe he went 62nd overall. That's pretty high for a guy that was a late season riser.
Nikola Tesla
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Skinnyjimmy08
WorldTraveler
- Mar 30, 2012
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Ya I agree that's still decent for a late riser. I'm just interested as to why so many teams passed on him and he didnt get drafted till the 3rd round and now fans are already saying he has #1 potential. And I'm not accusing Leaf fans of only saying it, but also Brian Boucher did too... I'm always intrigued by these non 1st round US goalies that seem to end up doing well (demko, gibson, quick, etc etc just to name a few)
McMatthews
Registered User
Almost every elite NHL goaltender was drafted outside of the 1st round.
I can't really explain it.
TheLeastOfTheBunch
Franchise Centre
The top ranked goalies ended up going middle to late 2nd. Either teams weren't high on this year's class, or drafting/developing goaltenders is basically a crapshoot and so teams are only willing to use their latter picks on them.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Leafs draft Jake Oettinger with one of their 2nds next year. Jake is also a '98-born big American goalie, and he split goaltending duties with Woll with those US junior teams and the U17/U18 WCs squads. I know some USNTDP followers like Oettinger more than Woll, but it will be interesting to see those two up against each other in the NCAA. Both are playing in the Boston area (BC vs BU)
I wouldn't be surprised if the Leafs draft Jake Oettinger with one of their 2nds next year. Jake is also a '98-born big American goalie, and he split goaltending duties with Woll with those US junior teams and the U17/U18 WCs squads. I know some USNTDP followers like Oettinger more than Woll, but it will be interesting to see those two up against each other in the NCAA. Both are playing in the Boston area (BC vs BU)
Woll Smoth
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Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
This was an excellent pick from the Leafs staff. One of those "Goalies of the Future" type picks where he's the darling child of the organization. Toronto made the right decision considering the goalies that went off the board earlier (wasn't too hard to make the right decision considering Sawchenko/Point were still available as well). Woll is heading to the program that helped perfect Demko's style of play so there is good reason beyond Woll being naturally talented to be hopeful of Woll's ultimate potential. He'll be in a fight with other talented goalies for time with the US Junior team though.
What used to be viewed as a top 10 goalie is now a 20-35 pick, a first round goalie is now a late 2nd to 3rd. I'd say part of the reason USA ends up doing well (especially USNDP kids is that they get a bunch of icetime, and aren't fighting it out with vets at the CHL level. The USA has a much better goalie development system due to this in my opinion. I'd also say almost any goalie drafted has #1 potential, no one drafts a goalie to project him as a back up (unless they are just getting organizational bodies).
While Woll went in the early 3rd (1st pick of the 3rd), he was fairly highly thought of in some places. Hockey Prospect's Black Book had him at 37, Central scouting had him as the 5th NA goalie. While I'm a CHL fan, I do think the NCAA route may be the best path for goalies at the time being. I'm excited to see what Woll can do filling in for Demko next year. He's a big guy with solid fundamentals, and always thought he was a good choice especially over using 31 on Carter Hart or Parsons.
Goalie development is a weird thing. For many years people have tried to figure out why the region that produces a significant portion of NHL players in the GTHL (recent alums like McDavid, Tavares, Subban, Pietrangelo etc) can't produce goalies. The best theory I've heard is that it is so easy to move around the GTHL you get extremely concentrated teams of talent, so goalies who are good end up on stacked teams like the Marlies and are rarely challenged, which stunts their development. USA hockey, each region tends to have an elite travel team. While players move to play for certain ones on occasion, it is nowhere close to how kids move from teams that are based 15 minutes apart.
Don't forget Cory Schneider followed the exact same path. Two years at USNDP and then to BC. I'm hoping Woll can live up to the two former USNDP guys at BC. He's still a long way away, but I don't see much difference between any of the goalies taken in that spurt starting at the middle of the 2nd and ending at Woll. All have significant flaws from size to lack of concentration.
Goalies are rarely ever drafted in the first round and the high end ones usually get drafted right around where Woll went. Early second-third.
Especially coming out of the USNTDP for whatever reason. John Gibson and Demko were both second round picks despite being extremely talented.
Demko was actually a late birthday, he would of gone lower out the USNDP. When he was drafted he had actually played a full year at BC, which made it surprising that no one took him late first.
Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
I think instead of questioning why he went in the range he did, the better question is why suddenly is everyone so high on him when he was drafted behind Carter Hart, Gustavsson, Fitzpatrick, Parsons. Especially when it seemed like most Leaf fans seemed to be praying for Parsons in this draft. You're all so happy with Woll now that he's your property, but just because he's on your team and had a good dev. camp, are you saying you'd rather him than the 4 goalies who were ranked ahead of him who you were longing for before the draft?
I get it's impossible to predict who will be the best goalie of the draft, so no point in reaching for one late 1st or early 2nd. He was still the 5th choice of most people and rankings at the draft, which we are only two weeks out of so it's just funny how he's suddenly being called a #1 goalie and the best pick since Rask when we'll be lucky if 1 or 2 goalies out of this draft become #1's.
I get it's impossible to predict who will be the best goalie of the draft, so no point in reaching for one late 1st or early 2nd. He was still the 5th choice of most people and rankings at the draft, which we are only two weeks out of so it's just funny how he's suddenly being called a #1 goalie and the best pick since Rask when we'll be lucky if 1 or 2 goalies out of this draft become #1's.
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