It’s time for our annual countdown of the best 25 Nashville Predators players under 25 years old!
This is not only a tradition here at OTF, but is also something that you might see at many other SBNation NHL blogs. The premise is simple: rank the 25 best players who have not yet reached their 25th birthday (as of August 1st, 2018).
We’re down to the top 10!
Vomacka was a quiet fifth round pick a year ago but has quickly blossomed into one of the most promising prospects in the organization. After a stellar first year in the USHL, Vomacka heads to Connecticut with fellow Preds’ prospect Joachym Kondelik to suit up for the Huskies this fall.
By The Numbers
Among goalies who started 30+ games in the USHL last season, Vomacka finished 13th in save percentage at .903%. But, he also face the fourth most shots of that group all season seeing 1230 pucks fly his way.
There were a handful of defensive lapses for the Lincoln Stars last season, and it shows on Vomacka’s stat sheet. The average save percentage of the 14 goalies who started 30+ games was .911. Vomacka gave up 118 goals last season which results in a (negative) -8.53 goals-saved-above-average.
Vomacka ultimately played the second-most games of any goaltender in the USHL last season and collected 24 wins in the process. He will see a lot less ice time this season as the presumptive backup to Adam Huska in Connecticut, so I am curious to see how he responds.
The Eye-Test
The goal-line camera is truly incredible. You’ll notice in the clip above how square to the puck Vomacka stays and that he waits until just the right moment to drop to the butterfly and kick out his leg pad.
The clip above is a good display of Vomacka’s ability to shift across the crease: it’s less of a strong leg push but rather a series of pivots. He gets a tad lucky that the shooter delays, so I’d expect to see a more fluid shift as he starts playing against quicker shooters.
The above clip is a solid display of Vomacka’s above-average athleticism and agility.
Contractual Obligations
Vomacka, as mentioned above, is heading into his first year of collegiate hockey, so he is unsigned by the team. The organization will hold his rights until August of 2022, but I anticipate he signs well before then.
Future Projection
Vomacka has the most raw talent out of the organization’s goalies, but he is a few years away. I’m unsure how he will split time in Connecticut this year, but I would imagine it will be 2-3 years before he is making an elite impact at the AHL level.
All statistics are courtesy of eliteprospects.com. All contract information is courtesy of capfriendly.com.