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Sandman · 05-18-2024, 06:16 PM

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 3):

LHG Carter George, 6'1",185lbs

Owen Sound (OHL): 56g, 23-21-6, 3.30 GAA, .907 SV%
Owen Sound (Playoffs): 4gp, 0-4-0, 4.08 GAA, .904 SV%
U-18's (Canada): 6gp, 6-0, 2.33 GAA, .915 SV%
Hlinka (Canada): 5gp, 2.26 GAA, .889 SV%

Besides winning gold at both the U-18's and the Hlinka Gretzky, Carter George is the 2024 winner of the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year, as well as the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award, given out to the league's top academic high-school student. He is the first dual-winner of both awards since Adam Pelech in 2011-12. His name is probably still fresh in the minds of Canadian hockey fans after his excellent performance in the U-18 Tournament that concluded just a few weeks ago, where he didn't always have to be the best goalie in the event, but still made a number of tournament-saving stops, particularly in the gold-medal game against Team USA- where he was clutch. In league play, he has singlehandedly stolen wins for a mediocre Owen Sound team, and though they were swept in the playoffs by Saginaw, it's likely his efforts that got them there in the first place. At the CHL Top Prospects Game, George was a standout, stopping 11 of 12 shots, many of those being of the difficult variety.

George relies a lot on his technical skill, but he's quite athletic and can recover quickly when out of position, though the play is usually in front of him, and he stays square to shooters. He employs very quick, yet efficient movements, with quick side-to-side mobility, and the ability to get back to his feet in an instant after going down in the butterfly. He is rigid and disciplined positionally and technically, but moves around well in the crease and can be acrobatic when needed. He's very confident, poised, and patient, and doesn't overreach, or chase. He is a good puckhandler with the confidence to try to make plays, and he can pull off the odd stretch pass to a streaking teammate. Despite not being the biggest netminder, he manages to fill the net better than most goalies his size, but as a "smaller" goalie, he has trouble at times with fighting off screens. He tracks and anticipates the play well, and doesn't easily bite on fakes.

Like most netminders his age, he struggles a bit with his rebound control, so he needs to learn to swallow those shots, reach into traffic to snag loose pucks, or direct them away to the corner. He can show some difficulty in tracking the play through traffic, and has problems seeing over and around screens in front of him. They say his glove is his weaker side, so he'll need to work on that. George's upside in the NHL is as a starting goalie, and I think he'll have to wait until round 3 to be picked in the draft.

05-18-2024, 06:16 PM	#3242
Sandman Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Calgary Exp:	Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 3): LHG Carter George, 6'1",185lbs Owen Sound (OHL): 56g, 23-21-6, 3.30 GAA, .907 SV% Owen Sound (Playoffs): 4gp, 0-4-0, 4.08 GAA, .904 SV% U-18's (Canada): 6gp, 6-0, 2.33 GAA, .915 SV% Hlinka (Canada): 5gp, 2.26 GAA, .889 SV% Besides winning gold at both the U-18's and the Hlinka Gretzky, Carter George is the 2024 winner of the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year, as well as the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award, given out to the league's top academic high-school student. He is the first dual-winner of both awards since Adam Pelech in 2011-12. His name is probably still fresh in the minds of Canadian hockey fans after his excellent performance in the U-18 Tournament that concluded just a few weeks ago, where he didn't always have to be the best goalie in the event, but still made a number of tournament-saving stops, particularly in the gold-medal game against Team USA- where he was clutch. In league play, he has singlehandedly stolen wins for a mediocre Owen Sound team, and though they were swept in the playoffs by Saginaw, it's likely his efforts that got them there in the first place. At the CHL Top Prospects Game, George was a standout, stopping 11 of 12 shots, many of those being of the difficult variety. George relies a lot on his technical skill, but he's quite athletic and can recover quickly when out of position, though the play is usually in front of him, and he stays square to shooters. He employs very quick, yet efficient movements, with quick side-to-side mobility, and the ability to get back to his feet in an instant after going down in the butterfly. He is rigid and disciplined positionally and technically, but moves around well in the crease and can be acrobatic when needed. He's very confident, poised, and patient, and doesn't overreach, or chase. He is a good puckhandler with the confidence to try to make plays, and he can pull off the odd stretch pass to a streaking teammate. Despite not being the biggest netminder, he manages to fill the net better than most goalies his size, but as a "smaller" goalie, he has trouble at times with fighting off screens. He tracks and anticipates the play well, and doesn't easily bite on fakes. Like most netminders his age, he struggles a bit with his rebound control, so he needs to learn to swallow those shots, reach into traffic to snag loose pucks, or direct them away to the corner. He can show some difficulty in tracking the play through traffic, and has problems seeing over and around screens in front of him. They say his glove is his weaker side, so he'll need to work on that. George's upside in the NHL is as a starting goalie, and I think he'll have to wait until round 3 to be picked in the draft.