Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff continues DHN’s examination of the Red Wings’ prospect pool with a discussion of goaltender Trey Augustine, Detroit’s highly-heralded netminding prospect:
Three Reasons Why Augustine Will Play in the NHL
- His combination of athleticism and technique is exactly what NHL teams look for in a goalie today. The days of robotic puck blockers are over. Agility is again a vital quality to be an elite-level NHL puckstopper.
- Augustine is a tremendous competitor. He battles to stop every shot. That’s a character trait shared by every one of the NHL’s all-time great netminders.
- He’s a winner. His resume already contains a list of successes that few NHL goalies can claim.
What May Hold Him Back
By traditional NHL standards, Augustine is undersized to be an NHL netminder. The average height for current NHL goalies is 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds.
Plenty of top college goalies have also peaked at the NCAA level. They struggle when going against the higher caliber of shooters they face in the NHL. Think Jean-Marc Pelletier, Robb Stauber, or Jeff Lerg, like Augustine, a Michigan State netminder.
Continued; EliteProspects lists Augustine at 6’1″ and 194 pounds, so he’s got enough bulk on him, and his reflexes are superb, but his demeanor is what gives him a real advantage.
Augustine is both extremely competitive and, at the same time, quite level-headed, so there’s a real balance to him.
