[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 14):

LCG Mans Goos (6'5",190lbs)
Farjestad (J20): 24gp/ 11-12-0, 3.17 GAA, .893%

Giant goalie Mans Goos (ranked # 4 EU Goalies) regularly faces a high-volume of shots in Farjestad, many of which are of the high-danger variety- so it's not necessarily fair to judge him on his stats alone. He finds ways to stay focused, calm, and poised under a heavy workload, and makes a lot of high-pressure, highlight-reel stops. His game lacks polish, and he needs plenty of work to develop the finer points of his game. Goos participated in the most recent edition of the U-18 Worlds, getting three games in with Team Sweden, going 2-1-0, with a 3.86 GAA, and an .877 SV%, which aren't exactly stellar numbers, but teammate Love Harenstam didn't fare much better on a leaky Tre Kronor squad. Goos was given a handful of games on the bench with Farjestad's SHL team this season, and elevated his game in the playoffs for his J20 crew, even though it didn't result in a winning record, going 0-2-0, with a 2.80 GAA, and a .903 SV%. Goos (who is relatively young, with a May. 5th, 2007 birthday) is a behemoth goalie who relies a lot on his size and range, but also possesses above-average athleticism and sharp reflexes. He's still young, and quite raw, with many aspects of his game in need of refinement; he doesn't place enough of an emphasis on structure, or technical skill.

Goos' gigantic frame covers the net almost entirely, and his extra-long legs wall-off the bottom of the net when he's down in the butterfly. He's effective in taking away the top of the net as well, wielding a quick glove-hand that snags a ton of pucks out of the air, and a proficiency in deflecting the puck to the corner off of his blocker- he might be the best in this draft-class at that skill. His reaction-speed is no less than stellar, which helps him to excel against breakaways and close-in shots. His lateral movement from post-to-post is borderline explosive, facilitated by powerful t-pushes, but while he moves around his crease with reasonable speed, his footwork and coordination are a bit clunky and erratic. There is work to be done to refine his edgework going forward, in order to achieve the optimum output in his mobility and quickness. When recovering to his feet after being down in the butterfly, he's a touch slow and clumsy, particularly when making a second save. He rarely takes himself out of position in his slides across the crease though, or when darting laterally on his feet, and he never seems to overcommit- showing good control of his movements, and excellent balance for a tall goalie. Goos tracks the puck through traffic easily, processes the play at a high level, and anticipates well- he often seems to know where the puck is going, getting set proactively. He follows shots from distance all the way in to the save, and stays on top of the play behind his net.

With a lack of optimum structure in his game, there are exploitable holes in his stance and positioning; he fails to seal off his posts adequately, leaves corners exposed to sharp-angle shots, and doesn't cover his five-hole well-enough with proper stick-placement when darting laterally. Despite owning a virtually elite blocker, and a dexterous trapper, he has plenty of work to do in his rebound control- particularly off of his pads. There are times when he struggles with second-chance opportunities, being off-balance or out of position in making the first save. The team that drafts Goos will have a bit of a project on their hands, but gambling on him could pay huge dividends. He already has tons of raw skill that just need to harnessed- he has huge upside, with plenty of projectable tools. Look for him in the 4th, or 5th-round.