Carson Bjarnason

June 2023 – Bjarnason was selected 51st overall by the Flyers. Pat Quinn

December 2022 – Bjarnason had an exceptionally hot start to the season, earning him an “A” grade from NHL Central Scouting in their first list of the year. He has since regressed, carrying a .909 save percentage through 22 games playing behind a struggling Brandon Wheat Kings team. Despite his team’s struggles, Bjarnason currently has a record above .500, having been the goalie of record for all but one of Brandon’s wins thus far. As a goalie, Bjarnason offers an enticing package of composure, anticipatory ability, size, and athleticism, and will likely be one of the first goalies selected this summer.

Playing behind a defense that surrenders a high volume of high and medium danger chances, Bjarnason has looked calm and composed. His ability to identify shooting and passing threats and then vary his positioning accordingly, along with strong instincts and tidy technical ability, allow Bjarnason to put himself in a strong position for essentially every shot. His footwork is relatively clean, and he tends to set his feet well pre-shot, allowing for strong save mechanics. While he isn’t massive at 6-3, he uses his frame effectively to shift into shots and extend into rebound opportunities. He can be explosive in his movement when he needs to be, facilitating athletic saves from time to time. My biggest criticism of his game at this time is that he can fall into the trap of being overly robotic. He will occasionally overuse techniques like the RVH and position himself and his hands too passively on medium danger chances. Further, I would like to see him battle harder to track pucks through screens.

To summarize, Bjarnason’s processing and technical abilities make him a promising candidate to succeed at levels higher than the WHL. He is not without his faults, but at this time appears to be one of the top goaltending prospects of the 2023 NHL draft class. Colin Hunter