Top 10 biggest goalie steals in the NHL draft
Though the status of the 2020 NHL entry draft may be unclear, with not even a date being set at the moment, one thing is certain: some teams will make a draft pick that turns out to be a steal. With goaltenders, the talent ceiling is even harder for scouts to predict. Goalies take longer to develop, and the general consensus is usually that most netminders aren't fully developed until around the age of 24. Because of that, we have seen both some big busts, and some great steals through the years. Today we're ranking the top 10 biggest goaltender steals in the NHL draft.
10. shownhl_792_shownhl, 1994 round 5, #124 overall by Dallas Stars
Marty Turco is known as one of the great stickhandlers as far as goaltenders go. He even invented a new technique, when he started using the overhand grip with the glove on the stick, a technique which is as widely used as the traditional way today. Turco didn't just make tremendous breakout passes though, but was also a highly competent shot-stopper. For a fifth-rounder, Dallas must have been very happy.
9. shownhl_787_shownhl, 1994 round 9, #219 overall by San Jose Sharks
Nabokov was a force in the mid 2000's, crowning his career with a 2009-10 season that saw him play 71 games for the Sharks, getting the most wins of any goaltender that year, posting a .922 svs% and topping it off with winning a world championship with Russia. The flexible Russian was not drafted until the 9th round, cementing his status as a steal.
8. shownhl_786_shownhl, 1995, round 5, #116 overall by San Jose Sharks
Miikka Kiprusoff may have been drafted by the Sharks, but despite Kiprusoff having most of his career success with the Flames, a Vezina Trophy winner with fifth round pick has to be regarded a steal, no matter which team got to reap the fruits of the labor. With one of the quickest glove hands the league has ever seen, Kiprusoff played 70+ games an astounding seven seasons in a row for Calgary, a streak that few goaltenders in the modern game, if any, will ever be able to replicate.
7. shownhl_4543_shownhl, 2005 round 3, #72 overall by Los Angeles Kings
Whether a third-rounder can and should be considered a steal can be discussed, but no-one can argue with the impact that Quick has made with the LA Kings. His 2011-12 Cup run with the Kings is considered one of the great goaltender performances in history, and despite Los Angeles and Quick's recent struggles, it is hard to overlook the weight he's carried for the Kings, and his two Stanley Cup championships.
6. shownhl_3480_shownhl, 2004 round 8, #258 overall by Nashville Predators
The 2004 draft saw some good late round picks, with both Mark Streit and Daniel Winnick being chosen in the ninth round. Of the goalkeepers however, there is no doubt Nashville made the best choice that day when they picked Rinne in the 8th round. The tall Finn has been the backbone of the Predators for some time now, and won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18.
5. shownhl_883_shownhl, 1999 round 5 #138 overall by Buffalo Sabres
Likely the most controversial pick on this list, but ever since entering the NHL there have been few goaltenders who have performed at such a consistently high level as Miller. The now 39-year-old American has never finished an NHL regular season with a svs% below .900, and won the Vezina Trophy as well as the Olympic MVP in the 2009-10 season.
4. shownhl_815_shownhl, 1994 round 9 #217 overall by Québec Nordiques
Tim Thomas is one of the game's all time greatest late-bloomer stories. Thomas was drafted in 1994, the same draft year as both Turco and Nabokov, but didn't truly establish himself in the NHL until the 2005-06 season. After that though, he not only won the Vezina Trophy twice, but also earned the Conn Smythe Trophy for the playoffs MVP in the 2010-11 season that saw his Boston Bruins win the Cup.
3. shownhl_4834_shownhl, 2000 round 7, #205 overall by New York Rangers
If you look up the term franchise player, it's likely Henrik Lundqvist would pop up. After being drafted in the 7th round of the 2000 draft, Henrik Lundqvist has carried the Rangers for most of the 21th century, and was named by Sportsnetas the best goaltender of the decade. Though his play has slipped in recent years, few players have meant as much for their franchise as Lundqvist, and that's why he earns himself the third spot on the list.
2. shownhl_612_shownhl, 1984 round 3, #51 overall by Montréal Canadiens
Patrick Roy needs no introduction. He's the highest drafted goaltender on this list, but he's also without question one of the very best netminders of all time. He revolutionized the way goalkeepers played in the 90's, and has a total of four Stanley Cups and three Vezina Trophies to his name. Even going as early as 51st overall, Patrick Roy is one of the biggest draft steals of all time.
1. shownhl_1350_shownhl, 1983 round 10, #199 overall by Chicago Blackhawks
Dominik Hasek has won the Vezina Trophy six times. He has won both the Stanley Cup and the Hart Memorial Trophy twice. He has the highest career svs% of all time with a .922, and one could make the argument that he's the best puckstopper the game has ever seen. However, he wasn't drafted until the 10th round of the 1983 draft. It's easy to see why Dominik Hasek deserves the spot as the biggest goalie steal the NHL draft has ever seen.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 16, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jack Quinn | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Konsta Helenius | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Metsa | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bowen Byram | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||