The next Andrei Vasilevskiy with the Montreal Canadiens? A huge statement sets the web on fire

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David St-Jean
August 27, 2023 (4:50 PM)

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In the world of hockey, it's quite rare to see a goaltender drafted among the top ten picks in a draft session.

There have been instances like Yaroslav Askarov with the Nashville Predators and Spencer Knight with the Florida Panthers in recent years, but they were selected 11th overall in 2020 and 13th overall in the previous year, respectively. This means that the last one to achieve this feat was Carey Price in 2005. It's been quite a while!

However, it's very possible that a young goaltender could become the first since the Canadiens' netminder to be chosen among the top ten, as reported by Marco Normandin from HabsolumentFan.com. And it's a name that's familiar to Quebecers.

The 16-year-old goaltender for the Victoriaville Tigres, Gabriel D'Aigle, who will be eligible for the 2025 draft, is already capturing the imaginations of some professional scouts. Some even claim that he could be a top 5 pick.

Simon Boisvert even declared that he's the best goaltending prospect since a certain Andrei Vasilevskiy.

For me, Gabriel D'Aigle is the next Andrei Vasilevskiy. It's not because I'm from Quebec, it's not because I'm biased. I tell it like it is. Right now, to me, Gabriel Daigle is the God of goaltenders!

Of course, before reaching such heights, the young man will continue his progression with the Tigres in the QMJHL. In an interview a few months ago on CJSO radio, a station in Sorel-Tracy, the hometown of the young goaltender, he stated, like any young Quebec hockey player, that he dreams of one day wearing the Canadiens' jersey.

Of course. For all Quebecers, it's a dream to play for the Montreal Canadiens, and I'm part of that. To wear such a sacred jersey, it's definitely impressive!

While some fans might get excited by such a statement, others will remain cautious. After all, a certain Pierre-Luc Dubois had loudly expressed his desire to play in Montreal, and we know how that turned out. However, it's important to acknowledge that the context here is quite different, as this is a young prospect and he has no control over which team will draft him in 2025.

In his first season in the QMJHL last year, D'Aigle secured 13 wins in 21 games with a GAA of 3.18, which is very good considering his age and the fact that he's playing in junior hockey.

Now, it remains to be seen how the Canadiens will perform in the 2024-2025 season, and if they have another tough season, Gabriel D'Aigle's name might become quite popular in discussions at that time.

You can listen to the interview that Gabriel D'Aigle conducted on the airwaves of CJSO by clicking here.