The Boston Bruins Select Malcolm Subban 24th Overall.
Here’s the skinny on Subban:
He is a very unorthodox-style goaltender, but is extremely effective with the tools that he has. He has some of the quickest feet in the draft. His post-to-post movement and instincts are very strong and he moves laterally almost effortlessly. His reflexes are the best in the draft this season. He always seems to make ‘the big saves’ with a quick leg kick or a flashy glove. His play this year was a big reason for Belleville’s success. What has observers excited is his progression from where he was last year compared to where he is this year. He has the ability to see the puck well, even with some heavy traffic around him. When he is set, he shows good rebound control and is able to direct where the puck goes, aiming it into the corner with his blocker or pads. He is ultra-competitive and never gives up on a shot, showing a strong glove and blocker. He is not the prototypical positional goaltender that teams love; rather, he relies on his reflexes and amazing athleticism. He always seems to elevate his game in big situations and has a huge compete level.
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Here’s what one of our scouts had to say:
When he is solely reacting and relying on his athleticism, he struggles with putting rebounds in safe areas of the ice. He also has a tendency to play deep in his net, which has become an issue a few times this season and an area that he needs constant coaching on. He needs to be more aggressive at taking away angles, another area that will improve with coaching. He does cheat down low a bit, and doesn’t have the prototypical six-foot-three frame to compensate for it. He needs to be a bit more patient and wait out shots instead of committing so quickly. Inconsistency is the main area that keeps observers leery and the reason he is ranked as the third goaltender even though he possesses some of the best athleticism and reflexes. He will have a game one night where nothing can or will get by him and then the next look like poor Andre ”Red Light” Racicot did 20 years ago in Montreal: A sieve, unable to stop anything.