Today’s NHL goalies are specimens. Consider the Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger. He is a 6-foot-6, 224-pounder who moves like a cat. He competes for pucks. Oettinger uses hockey sense to read plays and optimize his speed, size, quickness and agility. The Stars require Oettinger to handle pucks without failure and shuttle them onto his teammates’ tape. When pressure rises, Oettinger is expected to stay cool.
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It stands to reason, then, that a multidimensional goalie like Oettinger could ditch his 50 pounds of gear and reach for a skater’s stick.
The net is no longer where coaches shelter the stout kid with a limited skating and shooting toolbox. It has even become the launchpad from where goalies like Alex Nedeljkovic and Linus Ullmark have scored long-distance goals in recent years.
Today’s goalies are big, fast, athletic, smart and competitive — all the qualities teams want in their forwards and defensemen. In fact, USA Hockey encourages goalies to bypass specialization and play other positions until, at the earliest, the under-12 level.
Could Oettinger, then, have made it to the NHL as a forward or defenseman?
“I think I’d be in the NHL for sure,” Oettinger, who played defense until he was 11, said with a smile. “I don’t know. I have no idea.”
Oettinger is one of nine goalies queried this season about whether they could have been NHL forwards or defensemen had they stripped off their gear when they were younger. Following are their responses and comparable forwards and defensemen they could have been:
Joey Daccord, Seattle Kraken
“I don’t think I would have made it. I wasn’t a good enough skater. I also don’t like getting hit too much. That’s why I played goalie.”
Who he would have been: William Nylander (offense-first wing with minimal physicality)
“I like to score. Scoring’s so much fun. Oh yeah. Skilled guy. I don’t think I could grind. I don’t think I have that in me. I don’t like hitting. I don’t like fighting. I’ll just be a power-play guy.”
Joonas Korpisalo, Boston Bruins
“Of course! Of course! I was a really good skater. Fast winger with a good shot.”
Who he would have been: Ryan Poehling (fast bottom-sixer who can kill penalties and hit occasionally)
“A little physical. Third-line guy. PK.”
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Adin Hill, Vegas Golden Knights
“I think it’s too unknown. But I’m not going to take my chances, because I made it as a goalie. I thought I was decent as a forward. I was scoring. I would have to work on my skating a bit. Because I was falling a bit behind on that. I was also transitioning to being a goalie (at 11 years old). The biggest thing is if I could skate.”
Who he would have been: Jordan Martinook (heavy three-zone forward with occasional pop)
“Probably (Connor) McDavid, no? I think I would have been a two-way power forward with a little bit of skill. I would have been physical.”
Adin Hill says he would have been a “two-way power forward with a little bit of skill” if he’d pursued skating out full-time. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Spencer Knight, Chicago Blackhawks
“I don’t know. If I wasn’t a goalie, I think I probably would have ended up going to college for lacrosse. That was my thing. I was looking to do that too.”
Who he would have been: Dylan Larkin (two-way center)
“Definitely offensive side. But I also played middie in lacrosse. I like playing on both sides.”
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
“Sometimes I wish I’d stayed as a player when things aren’t going so good. But I love stopping the puck. I’m happy I made that decision.”
Who he would have been: Brady Skjei (two-way defenseman trusted in all situations)
“I’d like to think I’d be a mixture of Miro (Heiskanen) and Esa (Lindell). I always tell them that. Solid defensively. A little offensive upside. Second power play.”
Calvin Pickard, Edmonton Oilers
“It’s hard to say. Maybe. Maybe. I don’t know. I would have been a forward.”
Who he would have been: Vincent Trocheck (high-paced forward who can finish)
“I like to score goals. But probably more of an energy guy.”
Stuart Skinner, Oilers
“Could I have made it? Oh my gosh. I don’t know. I don’t know. I wouldn’t have the speed in my legs to play at the speed that guys play at. Maybe I’d have the hockey IQ. But my skating wouldn’t be that good. You should see me skate when there’s a penalty. I’m so slow.”
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Who he would have been: Mark Stone (top-six wing who is defensively responsible)
“For sure top six. I’d be a two-way player, though. It’s probably because I’m a goalie that I’m saying that. I would really try to care about how I play in the D-zone.”
Jeremy Swayman, Bruins
“I’ve got a pretty good shot. But I don’t think my skating is nearly as good as some of these guys. I probably wouldn’t have made it past high school.
Who he would have been: Victor Olofsson (shot-ready left-shot forward)
“I think my pond hockey career could have gone pretty far as a forward. I was always a top pick in my pond hockey days in Alaska.”
Linus Ullmark, Ottawa Senators
“Excuse my language, but f—, no. No. No. Yes, I was a goal scorer. But at the same time, I wasn’t any good at skating. I had the vision for the game. But at the same time, you’ve got to be able to work hard, practice, skate hard and do all the right things. Being the immature kid I was at the time, yes, I was a way better goaltender. Then I worked with a lot of good people when it came to that part. So no, I don’t think I would have made it to the show. It’s fun thinking about what kind of player I would have been if I made it. Would I have been a grinder or a fourth-liner? Or would I be a top-six skilled guy? I don’t know.”
Who he would have been: Zach Hyman (net-front presence on the power play)
“Tomas Holmstrom. Right in front of the net. All the time.”
Linus Ullmark, then with the Bruins, celebrates scoring an empty-net goal in 2023. (Anne-Marie Sorvin / USA Today via Imagn Images)
(Top photo of Jake Oettinger: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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