After none were taken in Friday’s first round, a flurry of goalies were picked at the start of today’s second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
First, with the 34th overall pick, the Calgary Flames took Mason McDonald out of QMJHL Charlottetown. Then, with the 36th pick, the Vancouver Canucks selected Boston College standout Thatcher Demko. The Carolina Hurricanes proceeded to take Alex Nedeljkovic of the Plymouth Whalers at No. 37, followed shortly thereafter by the Washington Capitals going with Czech goalie Vitek Vanecek at No. 39.
It was actually a bit of an upset that McDonald went ahead of Demko. NHL Central Scouting had Demko as the top-ranked netminder, with McDonald at No. 2. A strong second half of the season pushed McDonald up from his midterm ranking of No. 7.
On Demko, Central Scouting’s Al Jensen had this to say: “He has that NHL pro-type potential. I can see him three or four years down the road becoming a monster in the net, and for any franchise in need of a future top goalie that’s what you want. He’s big, aggressive and confident, and has remained strong and focused most of the year.”