Welcome back to The Journey, where we track the development of prospects as they excel in junior, make the NHL, and push towards stardom.

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These young netminders are making waves as prospects and may even be on the verge of reaching the NHL, possibly as early as this season, depending on their team situations. I'm pulling from the Top 50 Fantasy Prospect Goaltenders Winter 2024 rankings, and a few of these names may also be on the Top 100 Keeper League Goaltenders rankings for October 2024.

Dennis Hildeby – Toronto Maple Leafs

Hildeby had a standout season last year, finishing with a 21-11-7 record, a .913 save percentage, and a 2.41 goals-against average over 41 games with the Marlies. His performance established him as the clear number one goaltender in the AHL and even earned him an NHL call-up when Ilya Samsonov needed a breather during a challenging winter stretch. This not only underscores his potential but also solidifies his role as the primary starter in the minors.

At the start of this season, Hildeby was called up due to Joseph Woll's injury, stepping into a backup role behind Stolarz. In this brief stint, he faced some challenges, recording a .869 save percentage and a 4.03 goals-against average. While Hildeby may ultimately project as a backup in the NHL, his massive frame gives him an undeniable edge. He may not be the immediate solution to Toronto's goaltending challenges but if he continues refining his skills, he could develop into a reliable option for the Leafs in the future, be it a backup or 1B option.

Trey Augustine – Detroit Red Wings

Augustine was drafted 41^st overall, raising questions about Detroit's decision-making, given that they already had Sebastian Cossa in their pipeline (more on him below). But now, they hold arguably two very strong goalie prospects in the NHL. A product of the USNTDP, Augustine recorded a stellar 2.34 GAA and .928 SV% with the USNTDP Juniors, you can also tag on a bronze medal in the 2023 U18 World Juniors. Let's not forget that he also won a gold medal at the 2024 World Juniors, and MVP honors at the Big Ten Championship. Currently, he's playing for Michigan State University, where in 35 games he's posted an impressive 23-9-2 record, a 2.96 GAA, .915 SV%, and three shutouts. Detroit hasn't had an elite goalie for some time, so having two standout goaltending prospects in Augustine and Cossa is definitely something to get excited about.

Augustine has been nothing short of dominant at every level so far. While he may not have Cossa's towering size but what he lacks in height, he more than makes up for with his winning pedigree, and rock-solid fundamentals. Augustine has all the makings of an NHL goalie and Detroit's goaltending future is looking bright, with both Augustine and Cossa leading the charge.

Erik Portillo – Los Angeles Kings

The Kings made it clear they weren't messing around when they snagged Portillo from the Buffalo Sabres just last year during the Trade Deadline. Portillo wasn't going to sign with Buffalo, given their crowded goalie pipeline in Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, so landing in LA potentially gives him a golden opportunity to make an impact with a team that's been thirsting for a top goaltending prospect.

Portillo's first season as a pro didn't disappoint. He posted a solid 24-11-3 record, added two shutouts, and boasted a .918 SV% which were numbers even better than his final season at Michigan. Although his playoff run with the Ontario Reign didn't end in glory, he still delivered a few clutch performances before they were eliminated. Currently, he's an RFA waiting on his next contract, but I'd be surprised if Portillo is not a key part of the Kings' long-term plans. He's got the frame and skillset to handle the grind of an NHL starter, and if he keeps trending this way, he could be exactly what LA needs between the pipes.

Drew Commesso – Chicago Blackhawks

In the thick of a complete rebuild, the Chicago Blackhawks have been diligently stacking their prospect pipeline, and it's starting to show real promise, especially in net. Currently, Petr Mrazek and Arvid Soderblom are the mainstays between the pipes. Soderblom had a challenging season last year, not quite living up to expectations, but let's be fair, the team in front of him struggled just as much, aside from the standout play of Connor Bedard.

Looking toward the future, Commesso is undoubtedly the Blackhawks' top goalie prospect and could even get a shot in the NHL once Mrazek's contract wraps up in 2026-2027. Commesso brings an aggressive style, excellent play-reading ability, and the poise to perform under pressure. He made his pro debut last season with the Rockford IceHogs, posting a solid 2.65 GAA, a .906 SV%, and two shutouts. Both Commesso and Adam Gajan are inching closer to being NHL-ready, but Commesso's skill set gives him the edge, and he could make his debut as early as next year.

Sebastian Cossa – Detroit Red Wings

Cossa's first pro season was mostly spent in the ECHL with Toledo, where his performance was average, though he only got a brief three-game stint in the AHL with Grand Rapids, posting tough numbers (5.57 GAA, .783 SV%). For a top round pick, Cossa's progression has been slower than expected, especially considering Jesper Wallstedt was drafted after Cossa and is thriving in the AHL with a potential NHL role as early as this year.

Cossa took a big step forward in the AHL last year, posting a 2.41 GAA, .913 SV%, and a 22-9-9 record over 40 games and helped the Grand Rapids make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. He's back with the Griffins this season and could very well contend for the AHL's top goaltender award. Cossa's blend of size and skill still makes him a tantalizing prospect, and an NHL call-up could be just around the corner.

Joel Blomqvist – Pittsburgh Penguins

I honestly didn't plan on talking about Blomqvist this early into the NHL season, but he's been thrust into the starter's crease sooner than he or most of us probably expected. After two seasons splitting duties with Karpat in Finland, Blomqvist made the jump to the AHL, where he posted a solid .921 save percentage over 45 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, solidifying his reputation as one of the top goaltending prospects in the league. Although Blomqvist doesn't have the massive frame that most NHL teams prefer, he's athletic enough to more than make up for it.

Both Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic haven't performed well enough to ease the team's concerns on the back end. The Penguins didn't intend to rush Blomqvist into the NHL; however, the team's situation on the back end is dire, and they're also working on very a limited timeline with their aging stars, so they're practically trying anything to see what works. Ideally, Blomqvist would have benefitted from at least another year in the AHL to further develop and hone his skills but nonetheless, here he is. He should definitely be on your radar, as he may see a fair number of starts this season, although the quality of those starts might be less than ideal, given the team's current struggles.

Thanks for reading! See you next week. For more content/fantasy hockey analysis, or if there’s a prospect, you’d like me to cover, follow and message me on X @Punters_hockey.