4. Round Three, Pick Seventy-Two: G Mack Guzda
Goaltending may not look like a genuine need for the Flyers in their pipeline with Felix Sandstrom getting ready for AHL action next year and 2018 Fifth Round pick Samuel Ersson playing well in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden, but they need more bodies behind the two. This desire only increased with 2015 Third Round selection Matej Tomek struggling in his freshman year with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Mack Guzda is an 18-year-old goaltending product out of Knoxville, Tennessee and he’s got one thing that almost any NHL GM covets out of their net-minders; size. Guzda’s 6’5, 216 pounds and uses every inch to his advantage. As is the same with any big goaltender, he uses his frame to take away most of the top of the net and showcases mobility you wouldn’t wholly expect to see from a guy with his size between the pipes.
Guzda’s OHL stats aren’t great, though. In 49 games with the Owen Sound Attack, he had a 3.63 Goals-Against with a .878 save percentage which tied for tenth worst in the entire league among goalies who have played at least ten games. The year prior wasn’t much better, but it did earn him 2017-18 OHL First All-Rookie team honors. He needs to work on his puck-handling, too, as he was a bit turnover prone when trying to clear his own zone.
His combination of size and athletism is what appeals to me and could end up being a steal for the Flyers. The lack of consistency is concerning, but that should be corrected with the right amount of coaching.
The 2019 NHL Draft starts on June 21st and will last through the 22nd. Anticipate more mocks as the date draws closer.