Top 5 goalies not in the NHL

[PPQB]

Who would you guys consider the top 5 goalies not playing in the NHL yet?

How would you rank them based on skill and based on opportunity?

[Crazy Joe Davola]

Demko
Samonov
Gillies
Saros
Sorokin

HM: Linus Soderstrom and Eric Comrie

[Sulla]

Does Pickard count?

otherwise CJD has them covered off pretty well

[PPQB]

Pickard still available

[The Bottlenecker]

Demko
Samonov
Gillies
Saros
Sorokin

HM: Linus Soderstrom and Eric Comrie

I'm with Crazy Joe here, but would have Samsonov 4th or 5th on the list as I'm pretty sure he won't cross over to North America for a few more years at least. And then he is mired behind this year's Vezina trophy winner in Braden Holtby. Talented, yes, but the opportunity just isn't there.

[Axeman33]

How can Mikko Koskinen not be on any of those lists?

[Bass56]

How can Mikko Koskinen not be on any of those lists?

Top-5 not in the NHL? I knew he had a few good seasons in the KHL but could he bump any of the 5 listed above? I don't know enough about him but I do know the 5 listed above so if he can bump 1 or 2 from that list, I'm all ears on your opinion of him

[RangerFan]

I am definitely curious what Axe thinks about Koskinen. I remember him coming up with the Islanders.

I would be a little leery of his KHL stats. Anders Nilsson had better stats with 0.936 SV% and he was not able to land a starting job.

[Eskimo Brother]

Demko
Samonov
Gillies
Saros
Sorokin

HM: Linus Soderstrom and Eric Comrie

I agree with CJD on his list. I like Axe's mention of Koskinen, however I don't have him on my list. HM for sure though.

[Axeman33]

Considering he is one of the best goalies in the KHL (and has been for years), and just helped Finland win the World Championships against actual NHL players should put him on, if not near the top of anyones list of top goalies not playing in the NHL in my eyes.

The goalies you guys are ranking are all prospects in the development stage. I'd be willing to bet that if Koskinen actually wanted to come to the NHL, he'd have a long list of suitors looking for his services. He could easily be a productive NHL goalie today, unlike some of the names listed in earlier posts.

FWIW, I read that the Kings were one team who attempted to sign him this off-season but Koskinen chose to re-sign in the KHL for two more years.

[Sulla]

Isn't it the Gustavsson/Nilsson/Fasth effect? That is older guys who post strong numbers but don't really transition well to the NHL for any extended periods?

Technically Koskinen has already been in the NHL and I am sure that some teams would explore him

[Axeman33]

And what have the others listed proven so far?

The thread isn't who is the top five prospects not playing in the NHL; the thread is asking who are the top five goalies not playing in the NHL. I'd take Koskinen over pretty much all of the players already mentioned with the exception of maybe Demko.

[Sulla]

nothing - hence the hype is always greater! It's like rookie drafts and players over paying for these guys.... they cary the hopes and dreams as their reputations haven' been sullied by prior or poor performance!

he actually said yet... but I am sure it doesn't matter that much

[Axeman33]

Fair enough. I am just reading the title that brought me in here. If the OP was simply looking for prospects, that wasn't noted anywhere.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

You're right Axe, Koskinen deserves to be on these lists. He's been lights out - especially the last 12 months.

If he didn't have a renewed KHL contract I'd be all over him in fantasy drafts as a team like Calgary would've poached him for a chance.

I certainly went all prospects on my list.