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There’s been a lot of talk about the 2009 NHL Draft lately (considering it is TOMORROW!), all about the Tavareses, Hedmans and Duchenes of the draft, but one essential position is being overlooked.  We’re talking about goaltenders, damnit!  There are PLENTY of goaltenders listed on NHL.com’s draft page, but not much is spoken about them.  So I’m going to highlight who I think are the top 3 tenders and give a little background on them for you!  Using first overall pick from 2003, Marc-Andre Fleury, I will use him as a model to take a look at the top goaltenders coming into this draft.

Now, we all know that first round goaltenders are a rarity.  The last first overall goaltender was none other than Stanley Cup Champ Marc-Andre Fleury.  Though he is a tremendous goaltender, he still is learning the tricks of the trade in the ‘burgh and has his definite ups and downs.  That’s why first round goaltenders are so tricky; they have great skill but can struggle on getting back to basics.  Rebound control is one of the things Marc-Andre HAS to improve on to become a top tier goaltender.  Making the little saves, the safe plays and the smart decision of WHEN to get the puck when it is behind your net is something he needs to, and probably will learn in the future.

Top Goalie Prospect #1:  Matthew Hackett

Nephew of former NHL goaltender Jeff Hackett, Matthew is currently playing for the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).  Despite a poor performance by Plymouth throughout the season, Hackett was able to bail his team out time and time again, somehow leading them to the playoffs through his tremendous play.  The Whalers were able to bounce back in the playoffs, beating Sarnia to advance to the second round.  Over the course of a season, Hackett competed in 55 games, earning a 3.04 GAA and a .913 save-percentage.  In the postseason, Hackett was 6-5-0 and received a 3.01 GAA with a .913 save-percentage.  Voted Plymouth’s MVP for the 2009 Playoffs, Matthew has been no slouch in his short career as a Whaler and has proven himself on a sub-par team.

Though not confirmed, it seems that all-star veteran Sergei Fedorov has decided to play out the remainder of his career with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.  Though there was speculation that this would be the case for Feds, it was not for sure, as he did express interest in staying in the NHL with the Washington Captials.  Fedorov, 39, stated in late May that he considered playing with his two brothers, Fedor and Evegny, to finish out his career as a star hockey player.  This move seems like a wise one for the former 3 cup Stanley Cup champion, as he can still play the competitive game in a lesser market.  Though it is rumored that he will be paid $3.8 million over in Russia (not sure how many Rubles that is), nothing has been officially confirmed by TSN or NHL.

Throughout his career, Fedorov played with greats such as Steve Yzerman and the young phenom Alex Ovechkin.  Drafted in the 4th round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Fedorov eventually began his career in Detroit, achieving great success with 3 Stanley Cup wins and multiple individual awards.  He had a brief 2 year stint with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before moving on to the Columbus Blue Jackets and eventually settling in with fellow countrymen Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin of the Washington Capitals.  His last season consisted of 52 games played, 11 goals, 22 assists, tallying 33 points.

According to TSN.ca and NHL.com, expert defenseman Chris Chelios will not play for the Wings come October.  The future hall of famer and Red Wings’ GM Ken Holland came to a mutual agreement last summer that the one year deal will be final and Chris will have to move on.  Though he is not sure where his next (and possibly final) destination would be, he is confident that he can still play full-time and isn’t looking to quit anytime soon.  The 47 year old vet has played 28 games with the Red Wings and has not tallied a point in any of those games.

Sad to see him leave the Wings for sure, he said he still wants to play though, so I wonder who he’ll end up with. Good idea to only sign him to a one year deal, frees up a bit of cap space as well for the Wings. Overall a good investment I’d say, decent backup and mentor for younger players.