Ben Gaudreau – 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Ben Gaudreau

2020-21 Team: Sarnia Sting (OHL)
Date of Birth: Jan 11, 2003
Place of Birth: North Bay, Ontario
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 165 pounds
Catches: Left
Position: Goalie
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 First-Year Draft Eligible

Rankings

As one of the top goaltending prospects available at the 2021 NHL Draft, Ben Gaudreau has managed to keep his name in the mix despite having sub-par statistics throughout the 2019-20 season. The reason for this is understandable, as Gaudreau played for the Sarnia Sting, who was one of the worst teams in the OHL at the time.

Related: THW 2021 NHL Draft Guide

Under normal circumstances, Gaudreau would be more than halfway through his second OHL season, showcasing just how much he has developed his overall game. Instead, he is stuck in limbo like so many prospects, meaning that scouts will have to go off prior knowledge when assessing his play until he can get back on the ice full-time.

However, the good news for Gaudreau is that the tape is very kind to him. Despite having mediocre statistics, he is a calm, smart goalie who tracks the puck at an elite level and can use his 6-foot-2 frame and athleticism to cover the crease with ease.

Benjamin Gaudreau Sarnia Sting
While he played for a struggling Sarnia Sting during the 2019-20 OHL season, Benjamin Gaudreau showed that he had those intangibles that general managers look for in a top-end goaltender. (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

To put it simply, he has everything that an NHL general manager dreams of in a goaltending prospect, making him one of the most interesting players to watch in the 2021 Draft.

Ben Gaudreau – NHL Draft Projection

Barring a sudden shift, Gaudreau should be one of the first goalies to hear his name called in 2021. However, despite most agreeing on this, where he could be drafted is a big question mark.

Some scouts see Gaudreau as a late-first round to early second-round pick, as he has the can’t-miss intangibles of a starting NHL goaltender. Others see him more in the third-round range, as goalies can fall down the draft board, especially during times of uncertainty.

Related: THW’s 2021 Draft Guide

Putting all of this together, it would make sense for Gaudreau to be part of that mid-second-round rush on goalies that seems to happen every draft. He will likely be towards the top of that rush, potentially as the second goalie drafted in 2021.

Quotables

His style and composure in net remind me of Carey Price. While this is by no means saying Gaudreau will turn out like Price because that is impossible to predict, he has a lot of similarities to him. The team that gets the goaltender will be getting a guy that definitely has the chance to be a future NHL starting goalie

Mathieu Sheridan – THW

Gaudreau is extremely athletic, and his rebound control and glove hand stand out as strengths. He always seems calm and collected between the pipes.

Josh Bell – FCHOCKEY

Strengths

  • NHL-caliber build
  • Athletic player who moves well in the net
  • Can track the puck at an elite level

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

  • Needs more playing time
  • Hard to judge if his poor statistics were just a product of a bad team

NHL Potential

Everything is there for Gaudreau to become an NHL-caliber goalie. He has the physical attributes needed to excel and the mental fortitude to keep up with the game at all levels of play.

Benjamin Gaudreau Sarnia Sting
Gaudreau has the potential to become a legitimate NHL goaltender, but he will need some time to put everything together. (Terry Wilson / OHL Images)

If things go well, he could easily be an AHL starter in a few seasons that is capable of stepping into a back-up role with a franchise. From there, he could develop into a full-time NHL starter in his own right. All he needs is the time to work on his game and put everything together.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk – 4/5, Reward – 5/5

Selecting a goaltender high in the draft is always a risk, as their development is often slow and imprecise. That being said, Gaudreau has the potential to be worth a first or second-round pick. If he is selected before the mid-second round, then that is a risky pick with the potential to pay off in a big way if he can develop into a full-time starter. If he falls to the third-round, then he could become one of the steals of the draft.

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