Goalie Rodrigue ‘the best’ in the draft

During the weeks leading up to the NHL entry draft, we’re taking a look at players who might be selected by the Montreal Canadiens. The team has five selections in the first two rounds, including the No. 3 overall pick.

OLIVIER RODRIGUE, GOALTENDER

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 159 pounds

NHL Central Scouting Rank: No. 1 among North American goaltenders

What the scouts are saying: While European goaltenders have attracted the most attention in recent years, TSN scout Craig Button describes Rodrigue as “the best goalie in the draft. He’s smart, calm and poised. He reads the play exceptionally well and with that comes economy of effort. He has very good lateral quickness. He has excellent positioning and holds it; he doesn’t play a guessing game. He competes and will abandon technique when necessary to make the save.” The Chicoutimi native isn’t particularly big in his stance. But Button says he plays big in his stance. Canada lost in the quarterfinals of the world under-18 championships, but Rodrigue was outstanding in the tournament. He played three games and had a 1.33 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage. Why the Canadiens would be interested: The Canadiens seemed to be wellstocked in goal, but Carey Price and prospects Charlie Lindgren, Zach Fucale and Michael McNiven all struggled. The Canadiens’ best goaltender at the pro level was backup Antti Niemi while Cayden Primeau and Hayden Hawkey stood out at the U.S. college level. Rodrigue would provide some depth and the chances of Montreal selecting him are improved because Dominique Ducharme, his junior coach at Drummondville, is now an assistant coach for the Canadiens.

Where have all the goalies gone?: There was a time when Quebec was the place to go if you were looking for a goaltender, but those days appear to be gone. MarcAndré Fleury and Corey Crawford have won Stanley Cups in the past decade, but only three Quebec goaltenders played more than 30 games in the NHL last season. The trio was comprised of Fleury, Jonathan Bernier and Roberto Luongo. The 29-year-old Bernier is the baby of the group; Fleury is 33 and Luongo is 39.