E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120: Matej Machovsky #94

By Eldon MacDonald

94. Matej Machovsky - “Mr. Skype” - G – Czech Republic

Vitals: Size - 6’2”, 187 lb.; Shoots left; Born 29-Jul-93 - Opava, CZE
Team: Brampton, OHL
2010-11 Stats: 23-1-2.90-.904 + OHL playoffs - 2-0-2.80-.880 + U18 - 5-0-3.20-.897

Rankings:
94 - E-Mac's 2011 NHL Entry Draft Top 120
135 - Christopher Ralph's Top 210
181 - NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings (11th North American goalie)
Draft result:
Undrafted

This is a tough, tough year to rate goalies and all years are tough when it comes to rating goalies. The reason this is year so much tougher is two-fold:
1. After the top 4 rated goalies (the two Gibson’s, Hellberg and Perhonen), many of the better prospects are back-ups who didn’t get that much playing time
2. This has not been a good year for CHL goalies particularly Canadian born ones so you are just as likely to find a decent prospect off the beaten track - Jr. A, US Jr. Leagues, US high school etc. where it can be more difficult to evaluate

NHL CS goalie scout, Al Jensen had this to say about Matej Machovsky at http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=548955 "He has an excellent butterfly style and is tough to beat down low. He presents excellent lateral ability, plays big in his net even in butterfly, and is very controlled in his movements." Machovsky only played just over 20 games but seemed to pick it up when he was traded from Guelph to Brampton and ended up winning the F.W. “Dinty” Moore Trophy for best GAA for an OHL rookie @ 2.90 and he was rated 5th best draft prospect by the goalie guru, Jerry Shields @ http://www.goalierankings.com/. He was also the main goalie for the Czech Republic at the U18’s but was inconsistent.

Bottom line, Machovsky is a good prospect but with so relatively little work to go on he is still a high risk pick and therefore could go much later.