2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Ryerson Leenders

Photo Credit: OHL

The Scouting Report

Ryerson Leenders is a 6-foot-2 and 179-pound goaltender who is a native of Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada. Last season, he posted a record of 24-17-4 with a 3.12 goals-against-average, a .909 save percentage, and three shutouts in 46 games for the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Leenders is a goaltender with good side-to-side movement and keeps his team in the game with timely saves.

Draft Projections

Ranked #55 by EliteProspects.com
Ranked #72 by TSN/ Bob McKenzie
Ranked #78 by Daily Faceoff
Ranked #10 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Goalies)
Ranked #57 by Dobber Prospects
Ranked #78 by Conrad Jack of Inside the Rink

I’ve highlighted some of Ryerson Leender’s attributes. Let’s take a deeper dive into his attributes and areas for improvement.

Patience

Leenders is a terrific goaltender with many qualities, but his best one may be patience. He never makes the first move on a play and waits until the opposing player has run out of room. Behind the net, he never panics and waits for teammates to retrieve the puck instead of rushing to pass the puck. He lets the play come to him and makes the save, regardless of how dangerous the shot is.

Positioning

If the opposition is in the offensive zone, Leenders is always against the post, knowing the opponents could try to sneak one in. When a shot is taken, his angle positioning is perfect and leaves little shooting room. He is in position for deflections and rebounds, not giving away second opportunities. He lets the puck hit him instead of overplaying the puck. On a two-on-one, he lets the opposing player commit to the play and waits him out.

Areas for Improvement

Average Size Frame

At 6-foot-2, he has a good frame for height, but he needs to gain weight and muscle before turning pro. At 179 pounds, he is considered small, but with the right people, he could balk up to 200 pounds. While his small frame may be a disadvantage, he makes up for it with his skill set. Once he goes pro, he will have the right nutritionist to help him gain eight the right and safest way.

Prospect Potential

While he is still young, he has the potential to be an NHL starter due to his work ethic and attributes on the ice. He may be close to 45 games played in the league once he gets adjusted and feels comfortable. He has poise and tremendous agility to make as many starts as needed but he will succeed because of the strengths listed above. Positioning and patience are hard for a young goaltender to be good at this early and before they make their pro debut but Leenders has it down pat.

Best Potential Fit

Leenders may be best suited for a big market city known for its hockey history, as he is confident in his abilities and is good under pressure. The Toronto Maple Leafs may want to keep their eye on him in the draft as he could be available at #23 to help boost their goaltending pipeline as it is thin. While some may think this is too early to take a goaltender, there are not many netminders with his skill set and talent in this draft. The goaltending of the Maple Leafs recently has had some questions and this would be a way to strengthen that position.

Final Thought

Ryerson Leenders is a top-tier goaltender who has the potential to be an NHL All-Star in the near future. He has all of the tools, he is composed between the pipes, and has tremendous movement in the crease. Leenders has big potential and, on the right team, could flourish in the NHL.

ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as the discuss Gavin McKenna making the jump to the NCAA, Pittsburgh and San Jose making additions, and the NHL season to begin on October 7, 2025.
  1. ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing
  2. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos
  3. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  4. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  5. ITR 43: It's Winning Time

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Winnipeg Jets Re-Sign Gabriel Vilardi and Parker Ford

The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Parker Ford to contract extensions today. Ford received a two-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 in year one and $850,000 in year two, per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press. Vilardi received a six-year contract worth $7.5 million annually, avoiding salary arbitration days before the hearing. […]

Read More
Utah Mammoth Extend AHL All-Star

Utah Mammoth Extend AHL All-Star

The Utah Mammoth announced they’ve extended an AHL All-Star to a two-year, two-way contract.

Read More
Jaroslav Halak in net for the Boston Bruins

Jaroslav Halák Announces Retirement

Goaltender Jaroslav Halák has announced his retirement after 17 seasons in the NHL. Halák last played during the 2022-23 season playing in 25 games for the New York Rangers while putting up a 10-9-5 record with a 2.72 GAA, .903SV%, and one shutout. Jaroslav Halák began his career with the Montreal Canadiens after they drafted […]

Read More