Tristan Lennox

June 2022 – The cancellation of the 2020-21 OHL schedule seemed to stall Lennox’s development, resulting in a 7-20 record arising from a 3.30 GAA and .888 save percentage. Playing for the sadsack 24-33-1 Saginaw Spirit sure didn’t help. At 6-4 and 201, the 19-year-old former late third-round pick has time to rebound. Mark Allan

May 2022 – After the 2019-20 Ontario Hockey League schedule was scrapped due to the pandemic, Lennox and the Saginaw Spirit seemed dispirited this season. The team placed last in the Western Conference with a 24-43-1 record. Its 305 goals against were second-worst in the 20-team league, reflected in Lennox’s 3.20 GAA, .888 save percentage and 7-20 record. Playing for a last-place team can sap the confidence of a young ’keeper. We’ll see how he deals with adversity. Mark Allan

March 2022 – Although the Isles don’t have any puck-stoppers in the pipeline who look like sure-fire NHLers, this youngster they drafted 93rd overall in 2018 could be the best bet. Still a junior with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, the 6-4, 190-pounder has an unimpressive record of 7-20 with stats of 3.20 and .888. He’s not getting much help on a team with an 18-33-1 record, good for last place in the 10-team Western Conference. Mark Allan

July 2021 – Lennox was selected in the third round, 93rd overall by the New York Islanders in the 2021 NHL Draft. Dave Hall

April 2021 – Lennox didn’t have great numbers across 33 games with Saginaw in 2019-2020 but he was stellar for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, putting up a 0.95 goals against average and a .951 save percentage in three games. He made a push for a spot on the Canadian World Junior squad but ultimately fell short and with the OHL on an indefinite hiatus, he has yet to play any meaningful games in his draft year.

The word “battler” gets thrown around a lot when describing goaltenders but it certainly applies to Lennox. He is a very athletic netminder who is active in his crease, able to maneuver through the blue paint with quick movements as he tracks and attacks pucks. He plays a bit of sprawling style that helps him take away the lower part of the net but it can also lead to him getting beat by lateral puck movement. Lennox gets in and out of the butterfly effortlessly but he has a tendency to drop his shoulders when he goes down, making himself small and vulnerable to shots over his glove and blocker. He can also get caught playing a little too deep in his net and sometimes struggles at cutting down angles properly. He tracks pucks well through traffic, fighting to see around screens and get in position to handle shots, but needs to cut down the amount of dangerous rebounds he allows. Lennox is good puck handling goalie and has the ability to move freely in and out of his crease to assist his defenders by stopping dump ins and making good outlet passes. He has some technical things to clean up, and goaltenders are rarely sure bets, but his combination of size, athleticism, and competitiveness should make him one of the first few goaltenders to have their name called at the 2021 NHL draft. Nick Richard