The first goalie on our top 10 prospect list so far at Oil on Whyte with Samuel Jonsson at the No. 6 spot.
The 22 year old Swedish netminder is slated to enter his second season in North America despite conflicting reports that suggested he may be leaving to return to his home country over the summer. It is a good thing that the Oilers fifth round pick selected 158th overall at the 2022 NHL Draft will play in the Oilers farm system given how well he performed last year.
He played with the Oilers' ECHL affiliate the Fort Wayne Komets last year, boasting an impressive 21-8-2 record in the regular season with a 2.38 goals against average and .910 save percentage. He added to this in the postseason with a 6-3-1 record and a 2.31 GAA and .925 save percentage. His impressive play proved he is capable of being a high end goalie in the ECHL and is likely ready to take another step up with the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
Future outlook
Looking forward to this season, Jonsson is currently attending the Oilers training camp. It is unlikely that he makes it beyond the final round of cuts and is expected to attend the Condors training camp which began earlier this week.
From there, Jonsson will compete for a spot with the Condors but he joins multiple prospects who are creating a logjam in the Oilers goaltending pipeline. He will turn 23 this year, giving him some runway and time to develop but the expectation is that he can win a spot in the AHL and develop at that level. There, he will battle for time with veteran goalie Matt Tomkins and likely honourable mention top prospect, Connor Ungar.
This competition for playing time should create a good environment where Jonsson is forced to prove himself within the club's farm system and show that he is the Oilers top prospect between the pipes. However, if he does not take a spot in the AHL, Jonsson will return to the ECHL for another season and if he does, he should see an improvement in his numbers from year-to-year at the very least.
NHL projection
Goalies are ubiquitously known as the most difficult position to project and scout in hockey with a high degree of randomness that is unique to goalies. However, Jonsson has consistently shown himself to be a capable goalie, despite flying somewhat under the radar. He boasts NHL size at 6'5 and has a very strong track record.
He has yet to receive a nod to represent Team Sweden on the international stage but has put together solid seasons from his time in the Swedish junior ranks to the Hockey Allsvenskan and finally the ECHL last year.
Past performance is usually an indication of future performance and with Jonsson holding a steady save percentage at .910 or above the past two seasons. This success does not always mean that he will become an NHL goalie, or a good one at that, but it is a positive sign nonetheless.
As of right now, it seems likely that Jonsson at least plays NHL games, especially if he remains as a top prospect in the Oilers system. In the right circumstances, he could very well become a tandem option, given what he has shown so far. But, he will have to make it there first and with the Oilers full pipeline, his NHL shot is not guaranteed.
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