Joel Castle - Prospect Scouting Report

[animal74 1,832]

Joel Castle | G | #74
HT: 5’ 10”
WT: 185 lbs
Birthplace: Victoria, BC, Canada
VHL Entry Draft: 1st Round / 13th Overall / S86
Toronto Legion

 

 

Like many hockey players of this generation, Joel Castle’s development time took a hit due to season stoppages because of COVID. After spending all his formative years playing youth hockey with various Vancouver Island-based teams, he took a chance and went to play under the bright lights of Las Vegas with the VHLM’s Aces. He fit in seamlessly with the team and a few games played and helping the Aces capture their second straight Prime Minister’s and Founder’s Cups was all that Vegas needed to see to bring him back in the VHLM draft (13th Overall). He rewarded the Aces by leading them to a third consecutive Prime Minister’s Cup and Founder’s Cup final but lost to the Philadelphia Reapers. His 41 wins led all VHLM goalies and he was second among starters in GAA and shutouts which garnered him a Benoit Devereux Trophy (Top Goalie) nomination.

 

Castle’s standout season impressed the Geneva Rush of the VHLE who drafted him 11th Overall and began a polar opposite season of sorts for the young goalie. Along with fellow Canadian Ash Sparks who was also drafted by the Rush, Castle had no shortage of rubber to stop as they struggled to push a severely undermanned Geneva squad into the win column most nights. Splitting the crease with Sparks, Castle managed a 6-24-7 record in 43 games with a 3.13 GAA and one shutout. The lone positive was his SV% which was third among starters at 0.937. 

 

Assets:

 

Competitiveness
Castle may seem like a laid back dude, but underneath the mostly unflappable exterior is an unquenchable desire to win. This desire fuels his battle-level in the crease and is resilient when playing from behind. From playing in the Founder’s Cup final to giving the last place team in the VHLE a chance each game, he never takes a night off and always wants to win.

 

Quickness
Helped by his smaller stature and his hobbies of boxing and drumming, Castle’s calling card are his lightning-fast reflexes. His lateral movement is very good and his arms can be a blur.

 

Glove
In conjunction with his quick reflexes along with fantastic hand-eye coordination, the glove of Joel Castle seems alive at times snatching pucks with ferocious ease. Smart shooters will know to shoot elsewhere to avoid being on the wrong end of a highlight-reel save.

 

Joel Castle tracks a puck during training camp.

 

Flaws:

 

Size
5’10” is definitely not an ideal height for today’s goaltenders although not unheard of. Castle makes up for lack of coverage with his reflexes and angles but sometimes it’s not enough to make the save.

 

Focus
While Castle has shown himself to be durable and consistent, once every few games he seems to lose his focus and allow a game to get away from him, letting in 5 or 6 goals. Every young goalie has a bad game but it seems a more noticeable part of his psyche and something he is working on minimizing as he gets closer to the pro leagues.

 

Agility
You’d think a smaller goalie would be very flexible but unfortunately, Castle has a more solid build which seems to lessen his agility. He will need to work hard with his coaches and trainers to increase his flexibility and other areas of this game so this limitation doesn’t hinder his career.

 

Despite his size and slow developmental curve earlier in his career, Castle’s hard work and self-confidence has paid off as he has blossomed in the VHL’s lower leagues and shown the compete level and raw talent that intrigued scouts enough to make him a top prospect. His consistency and fitness still need improvement but the desire, technique and sheer quickness are undeniable. The Toronto Legion have a long history of employing star goaltenders. Will Joel Castle be the next?

 

Career Potential: Talented, hard-working starting goaltender with a lot of upside