The Player
Chase Perry
Goalie
Wenatchee Wild(NAHL)
2013-2014 stats: 35 games played, 2.34 GAA, .905 save percentage
Height: 6'2.5" Weight: 189 lbs.
Final Central Scouting Ranking: 8th among NA goalies
What are his strengths? Weaknesses?
The first thing that stands out is that Perry brings prototypical NHL goalie-size to the table, and has the athleticism to match his size. He's a butterfly-style goalie that is known for being very aggressive in challenging shooters.
Like most goalies his age, he struggles with consistency. His aggressive style of play can also get him into trouble. He sometimes drops into his butterfly too early, leaving the upper corners of the net open. He's also fairly average as a puckhandler.
How was his draft year? Trending up or down?
Huge upward trend. Perry was originally slated to head back to Minnesota high school hockey, for his senior season. With their shortened season and wide disparity in competition, it's incredibly rare for a goalie to be drafted out of the Minnesota high school ranks. But late in the summer, Perry decided to join the Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL. The NAHL has developed a reputation for producing strong, under-the-radar goaltending prospects(Anthony Stolarz, Connor Hellebuyck, Evan Cowley), and Perry's promising play this season has helped him move squarely onto the NHL's Draft radar.
Draft projection?
Drafting a goalie, especially early in the draft, is almost always a bad idea. Because goalies typically develop later than skaters do, drafting a goalie at age 18 is almost akin to drafting a skater at age 13. That said, goalies have to come from somewhere, and Perry has shown enough promising signs that he's worth taking a gamble on. Somebody will likely take him in the last three rounds and hope they get lucky with his development and he can turn that potential into NHL ability.
Pro upside?
Perry has the size and athleticism to someday be a starting goalie at the NHL level, but again, like with any goalie, the odds of ever reaching that potential are relatively slim.
Where will he go next?
Perry made a commitment to play college hockey at Colorado College next season. He'll be one of the younger goalies in college hockey next season, and will likely at least split time with Tyler Marble in goal. Perry is a long-term project and will most likely play out his four years at Colorado College before jumping to the pro ranks.