G Tyler Wall - UMass-Lowell, NCAA (2016, 174, NYR)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=253962

I think the Rangers have unearthed a steal.

He's seventh in the NCAA in save percentage and fifth in GAA of goalies who qualify for the two stats, which is more than ten starts. He's on pace for a top ten all time U-19 season in both GAA and SV%. This is all while being a true freshman starter for the #5 team in the country. Yesterday I saw a prospect writer mention him as a sleeper prospect, so maybe he is starting to get noticed for his play.

He came out of absolutely nowhere. If you search his name, you won't find a single post on the prospect board with any information on him. Last season he played in the GOJHL. Even on the Ranger board people only found like one scouting report on him prior to this season.

Click to read more...

 

[Vikke]

Last name checks out.

 

[Kanneda]

It's crazy the amount of promising young goaltenders in the NYR's organization.
I have really high hopes for him, as well as for Huska, playing in UConn. Not to mention Shesterkin who's killing it in the KHL.

 

[Zaddy]

Drafted him in a bunch of mock drafts last season. Didn't know anything about him, but never hurts to bet on a guy with just real solid numbers on every level who also has the size to go along with it. Not to mention the last name Cool to see him do well.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Drafted him in a bunch of mock drafts last season. Didn't know anything about him, but never hurts to bet on a guy with just real solid numbers on every level who also has the size to go along with it. Not to mention the last name Cool to see him do well.

I think you and I took turns selecting him late in every other mock draft last year haha. If you ask folks around the GOJHL loop most were aware that this guy was a gem.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

.923 SV% and 2.00 GAA as a freshman in the NCAA.

Hart's back up next year for Canada at the WJC's?

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

.923 SV% and 2.00 GAA as a freshman in the NCAA.

Hart's back up next year for Canada at the WJC's?

He'll have tough competition in DiPietro, Wells, and Fitzpatrick at the moment. Who knows what kind of steps Scott or Skinner take this summer. My money is on DiPietro right now though. If Wall is playing well though I'd like to see him invited or at least considered for the U20 summer camp.

 

[Zaddy]

.923 SV% and 2.00 GAA as a freshman in the NCAA.

Hart's back up next year for Canada at the WJC's?

Doubt it considering he has no history with HC as far as I know. Dylan Wells is doing pretty well too this year and he has history with HC so I'd expect him to be one of the goaltenders next year. Then there's Evan Fitzpatrick (and Jack LaFontaine) too.

 

[wings5]

Yeah the next couple years there seems to be a decent crop of u20 Canadian goalie prospects compared to recent years.

 

[Irishguy42]

He's been pretty impressive so far. Really nice that he has taken the starters position as a freshman.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

1.95 GAA, .927 SV%

Top 10 in the NCAA in both.

Looking at his stats from previous years, it seems like he's one of those goalies who fills up his EP page with low GAA's and high SV%'s.

 

[OvermanKingGainer]

Doubt it considering he has no history with HC as far as I know.

That must be why he is good.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

An update.

His stats have dropped off a little, but still pretty good, and recently he's been very good. Among U-19 goalies in NCAA history, he's 7th in GAA and 13th in GAA. His GAA is 2.07 and his SV% is .917.

He's having a better NCAA season than Woll, and isn't doing much worse than Oettinger. He leads Oettinger in GAA, but Oettinger has a decent advantage in SV%. And even if they were doing better, its still a pretty good season for a guy as an 18/19 year old true freshman starter for a really good team drafted in the 6th round out of a junior league that rarely has any players drafted out of it.

I would think he deserves an invite to the Hockey Canada summer camp for the 2018 WJC. They'll probably invite guys with bad stats for worse teams in worse leagues, so why not invite a player who's actually had to prove himself this season and certainly has?

 

[Irishguy42]

Went 38/41 last night to win the HEA Championship.

He's had a great year as a freshman. Looking forward to seeing how he does in the NCAA tourney.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This guy is having a really good season after a bad season last year.

He has a .925 SV%. He's splitting time with a player who took his minutes last season, but his SV% is 20 points higher than that guy, and he shouldn't really be splitting time with him. That player had one decent stretch last year, but aside from that has not shown himself to be a good player at this level.

Wall got off to a bad start last season, and never got a chance to play much after that. He has another season in college hockey after this one, and then he probably goes to the AHL.

 

[Sticktape]

What do we think the chances are that he signs after this season? The goaltending depth for the Rangers isn't especially deep, and it might make sense to get him two years of pro hockey experience before Henrik Lundqvist's contract ends after the 2020/2021 season.

 

[Lays]

What do we think the chances are that he signs after this season? The goaltending depth for the Rangers isn't especially deep, and it might make sense to get him two years of pro hockey experience before Henrik Lundqvist's contract ends after the 2020/2021 season.

Rangers goalie depth isn’t deep? What?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

You hear that said very often, and usually it’s true because most teams don’t have a lot of depth, but it’s definitely not true for the Rangers.

It makes no sense for Wall to leave. Next year Geo and Halverson will be the AHL guys, barring a trade. Something will have to give the following season, but Wall will still be competing with Huska for a spot on that AHL team, unless Halverson’s resurgence isn’t real. In that case, there might be room for both.

We also have Lindbom in Europe, so there’s plenty of goalie depth.

 

[StreetHawk]

What the Rangers did was very smart. Using picks after the top 2 rounds to grab multiple goalies. Lindquist is 36 now, so they need to have their heir apparent in the organization. 30 year old starter is about the timeline when you hope that you have drafted your next guy. It takes 4-5 years from their draft year to even be the backup at the NHL level, which would take your current 30 year old starter to 34/35. Ideally backup for 2 years which takes the starter to 36/37 while the heir is then 24/25.

The hardest part with the Rangers now is figuring out who is the most likely heir and getting him the games necessary to develop him at the appropriate level.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The hardest part with the Rangers now is figuring out who is the most likely heir and getting him the games necessary to develop him at the appropriate level.

This is the easiest part of the rebuild. Its Shestyorkin's job, unless he proves to not be good enough, which seems highly unlikely.

The Rangers do not draft well, but one area they scout prospects well is goalie. Thats why I'm not criticizing them as much as some for the Lindbom pick. Do I think it was smart to pick Lindbom in the second round? No, but they know what they are doing scouting that position. Their only real flop in recent drafts on a goalie was Halverson, and even he might not entirely be a huge flop. They've done a tremendous job scouting goalies, besides that.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

.947 SV% through 7 games to start his final season in the NCAA's. His overall numbers in his NCAA career have been really good, but he lost a lot of hype after a bad sophomore season. I think he'll probably get a contract with the Rangers following this season.

 

[teddygmr]

I have to think he will look at all the competition in the Rangers system and wait until August 15 and sign with another team as a UFA.

 

[lawrence]

that's an awesome last name for a goalie. Love it.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I have to think he will look at all the competition in the Rangers system and wait until August 15 and sign with another team as a UFA.

He’d start at the same point in all organizations. I also don’t remember the last time the Rangers were unable to sign a college draft pick.

There will be an open goalie spot in the AHL next season, and he could also not be aware of the depth we have. There are plenty of people out there that still question what we are going to do in net after Lundqvist retires.

 

[Trinstin]

Last name... Wall.. yeah okay.