HabsWorld.net --
From my perspective the Canadiens are set in goal with Carey Price for the foreseeable future; not only does he have the long term contract but because of a serious organizational lack of depth in the crease there is no one to push him let alone overtake him as the number one. Peter Budaj
is a serviceable back up whose stats are better the less he plays, and the trio of Robert Mayer, Dustin Tokarski and Mike Condon offer nothing but a slim chance of having what it takes to play the most scrutinized position in professional sports.
So who is Zach Fucale? Will he be available late in the first? And should the Canadiens trade up to draft him?
Goalie
Born: May 28, 1995 – Rosemere, Que
Height: 6’1" Weight: 176 lbs Catches: Left
ISS Rank: #1 G THN Rank: 25 Hockey Prospect
Rank: 14
Zach is the highest rated goalie prospect heading into this year’s draft and has been pegged by many as Canada’s next great goalie. Fucale has been on the radar of every NHL team looking for talent between the pipes since his rookie season in which he played in over 50 games as a 16 year old in the QMJHL and helped lead the Mooseheads to the Semifinals. This year the entire hockey world knows what he helped accomplish; a Presidents’ Cup, Memorial Cup and a Gold Medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament posting a shutout in the finals.
Zach will be drafted behind his two star teammates Nathan Mackinnon and Jonathan Drouin, that is a foregone conclusion. But how far after they go will he be chosen? Most scouts believe he will be a late 1st round pick and that makes sense to me but if the Flames hold on to the 22nd overall pick I would hazard a guess as that will be as late as Fucale is available.
If he doesn’t go there though, he could be an option with the Habs’ top
selection.
Scouts praise him as a brick wall and a calm and collected player on and off the ice. He spends a lot of time preparing for each game. Before each and every game he will be seen meditating in the stands listening to his favourite trance and house tracks. This is how he finds his zone and calming energy before each game. When he talks about his game he speaks of patience for the puck and his aim to be methodical in his movements.
When he was a young goalie he looked up to Marty Brodeur but as he has developed he has focused on certain aspects of a few of the top young stars in the league. He tries to be patient like Henrik Lundqvist, and as fluid as Carey Price. In fact a few scouts have compared his economical style of play to that of #31 in Montréal.
If I were Marc Bergevin. Zach Fucale wouldn’t interest me much, Carey Price is
the guy of that I have no doubt. I would, however, be very interested in Eric Comrie who should he fall because of his injury. He had season ending hip surgery in January and I would think it is possible he could fall. The European goalies that I hope the Habs would be interested in would be Marcus Hogberg from Linkoping JR in Sweden and Ville Husso from HIFK JR in Finland.
