The American Hockey League annually develops a steady parade of NHL-ready goalies, and this season has been no different.
Kaapo Kahkonen (Minnesota Wild), Kevin Lankinen (Chicago Blackhawks), and Vitek Vanecek (Washington Capitals) each played multiple seasons in the AHL before moving to a full-time position in the NHL this season. Each is the No. 1 goalie on his team, or has spent time as the No. 1, and is in the conversation for the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year.
Here is a look at five rookie goalies playing in the AHL who could follow a similar path to the NHL in the future:
Lukas Dostal, San Diego (Anaheim Ducks)
Dostal (6-foot-2, 174 pounds) has adjusted well to hockey in North America at age 20 after a standout 2019-20 on loan with Ilves in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league.
Selected by Anaheim in the third round (No. 85) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Dostal went 27-8-6 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in 43 games. He was voted the top goalie in the league and was named to the Liiga All-Star team.
San Diego started the season 6-0-0-0 but is 3-9-0-0 since then. Dostal, though, has held steady, with coach Kevin Dineen saying Dostal has been mature and focused. He is 5-7-0 with a 3.09 GAA and .913 save percentage in 12 games. He has played 698:47, third-most among AHL goalies.
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Jeremy Swayman, Providence (Boston Bruins)
The Bruins selected Swayman (6-2, 187) in the fourth round (No. 111) of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played three seasons at the University of Maine, capped by winning the Mike Richter Award as the best goalie in the NCAA last season. He also was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best NCAA player.
Swayman signed a three-year, entry-level contract March 18, 2020, and has had a strong start to his professional career this season with Providence. In seven games, he’s 7-0-0 with a .942 save percentage that is third in the AHL.
He was assigned to the Bruins taxi squad Sunday with Tuukka Rask out with an undisclosed injury but has yet to make his NHL debut.
Logan Thompson, Henderson (Vegas Golden Knights)
Thompson (6-4, 201) came to the Golden Knights without much fanfare, but his work is quickly changing that perception.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year, entry-level contract with Vegas on July 13, 2020, and has had an eventful start to his season. He was named CCM/AHL Goaltender of the Month for February, and made his NHL debut against the Minnesota Wild on March 10, making two saves in 8:15 in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon was familiar with Thompson from their time together with Brandon of the Western Hockey League, where Thompson played from 2014-15 to 2017-18 and McCrimmon was GM and coach. In seven AHL games this season, Thompson is 6-1-0 with a 1.72 GAA and an AHL-best .946 save percentage.
The Golden Knights returned Thompson to Henderson on Wednesday.
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Tyler Wall, Hartford (New York Rangers)
Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin each developed in Hartford before heading to New York, and the Rangers are taking the same approach with Wall (6-3, 214).
Chosen in the sixth round (No. 174) of the 2016 NHL Draft, the 23-year-old played four seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Last season he was 18-8 with six ties, a 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage in 32 games.
Wall is 1-3-0 with a 3.62 GAA and .865 save percentage in four games this season but his workload likely will be going up with Keith Kinkaid in the NHL because of an injury to Shesterkin and rookie Dylan Garand returned to Kamloops of the WHL.
Beck Warm, Chicago (Carolina Hurricanes)
Warm (6-0, 173) played with Tri-City and Edmonton in the WHL last season. The 21-year-old signed an AHL contract with Chicago on Nov. 20, 2020.
He started this season 4-0-0 and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Hurricanes on March 6.
In six AHL games, Warm is 5-1-1 with a 2.02 GAA and .944 save percentage that is second in the AHL to Thompson. He was assigned to the Hurricanes taxi squad Tuesday but has yet to make his NHL debut.
