Is The 13th Pick Goalie Poison For the Flyers?

Jesper Wallstedt— G, Luleå HF, 6-foot-3

Wallstedt spent the season with Lulea in the SHL, Sweden’s top men’s league. He acquitted himself well, racking up 12 wins against 10 losses and a save percentage north of .900. He had an extremely strong WJC-20 tournament, coming in to deliver flawless relief in a 4-0 loss to the USA.

These performances have allowed for most of the scouting services to list him as a top 10 talent, also making him the consensus top goaltender in the 2021 draft. Wallstedt is said to be technically sound with elite positioning and play recognition. These attributes allow him to anticipate where the shots will come from and position himself well in advance of their arrival.

Perhaps his anticipation also produces the poised demeanor that the scouts love. Wallstedt does not seem to get rattled or wilt under pressure. This also translates to his stickhandling and passing where he seems to make the right play, unaffected by opponents’ pressure.

Wallstedt does have some downside, with some scouts questioning his movements from his knees and his tendency to open the top of the net when going down. While these are areas of relative weakness for the prospect, they are not fatal flaws or even areas of struggle, just parts of his game that have not developed  to the level of his higher end tools. Wallstedt is about as safe a bet as there is to be at least an above average starting NHL goalie.

Sebastian Cossa — G, Edmonton Oil Kings, 6-foot-6

Cossa was the starting keeper for a dominant Oil Kings team in the WHL. Cossa was challenged to improve from a very formidable 19-20 campaign where he went 21-6-3 with a GAA of 2.23 and a save percentage of .921. Asked to show more, the youngster went 17-1-1 in 19 starts during the following 23-game season, keeping a GAA of 1.57 and a save percentage of .941, answering the call and vaulting him to a consensus first round pick.

Cossa is a giant in goal standing at 6 foot 6. He is unparalleled in this draft in taking away the high part of the net when prone in the butterfly. He displays great athleticism in his goaltending and has been able to use it to recover when his technique fails him. Cossa is able to challenge shooters on broken plays and make reflexive and athletic saves.

Cossa’s combination of athleticism and size allows him to cover a lot of ground, high and low, and to dramatically shift shooting angles for attacking players. He is able to use his strength to explode from post to post, and then out to challenge shooters.

Cossa does have some weaknesses, with some scouts noting inconsistent technique, focus lapses and skating fluidity that also needs some work.   Others point to his gaudy stats as something as an anomaly, since Cossa was playing on a loaded Oil Kings team in the weak sister division of the WHL