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.
