Jakub Málek

July 2025 – Malek has steadily progressed during his time in Finland’s top league, Liiga. At 22, Malek just wrapped up his second full Liiga season with Ilves, posting a strong .910 save percentage and a 2.09 goals-against average over 33 games. The AHL and ECHL goalie depth means it is likely Malek will remain in Europe next season to continue getting consistent minutes. Ilves split starts between Malek and Dominik Pavlat, giving Malek valuable experience facing high-level competition. Over three Liiga seasons, he has compiled a 40-22-15 record with eight career shutouts, showing steady development and poise. Malek’s size, solid mechanics, and calm demeanor have impressed Devils staff at Development Camps, positioning him as a promising goalie prospect with a realistic chance to make the jump to North America in 2025-26. Continued seasoning in Liiga will be key to preparing him for the rigors of pro hockey in North America. Puneet Sharma

October 2024 – Málek has become the Devils’ most promising goaltending prospect over the last few seasons. Since joining Ilves in Liiga in 2022-23, he has turned into their starting netminder, posting a goals-against-average of under 2.35 and a save percentage of over .910 since the start of last season. His athletic ability is undeniable, and at 6-4, he has the stature to become a starting goaltender at the NHL level. JP Gambatese

March 2022 – Málek’s numbers have improved this season, as his 1.95 goals-against average and .932 save percentage sit top-three in the Czech second division. He’s also played the seventh-most games in the league with 31. Málek’s development curve is promising, but I’d like to see him get some top-division action before looking into this further. Hadi Kalakeche

July 2021 – The New Jersey Devils drafted Málek with their 100th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Czech goaltender put up decent numbers in the country’s second division of men’s hockey; his .912 save percentage was eighth in the league, and his 2.29 goals-against average was third-best. His intelligence allows him to anticipate opponents’ intentions when playing down low. He has good lower-body strength to push off either leg, split across for a save, and cover the bottom half of the net. His tendency to stand too low hurts him when shots are thrown at him from the point, especially through screens, and his legs being more spread out in his stance allows the occasional sliding through the five-hole. He needs some work, but he is a goalie who might thrive in higher-tempo leagues where his reactions will come in handy. Hadi Kalakeche