ADAM GAJAN

Goalie
6’4/176
Left
Chippewa Steel/NAHL

Related: Michael Hrabal

Adam Gajan is a Big, tall goalie who started to turn heads at the NAHL showcase while a member of the Chippewa Steel in November 2022. With the Chippewa Steel of the NAHL, he had an 18-10-1 record with a 2.54 GAA and .918 SV%. He is committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth and the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL secured his playing rights. He was called upon to be one of Slovakia’s goaltenders in this last Christmas’ World Junior U-20. The Slovakian goalie made a large number of worthy saves that raised his teammates’ confidence and raised his draft status in the early-round discussion. With the Slovakia U20, Gajan had a 2-2 record with a 2.40 GAA and .936 SV% and 1 SO. With his newfound confidence, Gajan went 5-1 with the Green Bay Gamblers, with a 2.48 GAA and .906 SV%. He is an athletic goalie with long legs and excellent reflexes who never gives up on the play. His long legs take away the bottom and before he drops he takes away lots of the net by playing big. Gajan can scramble and make a save due to his anticipation and positioning and uses his body and pads to sponge and absorb shots, and his technique is fundamentally sound. With the performance, he put on at the world junior and the fact that this year’s crop of draft-eligible goalies is weak, the possibility of him getting drafted in the first three rounds is very high.

Size/Strength Excellent
Skating Average
Anticipation Good
Positioning Great
Rebound Control Good
Glove Hand Good
Poise Good
Hockey Sense Good
Consistency Good

Strengths

1. He is a big, athletic goalie with long legs and excellent reflexes who never gives up on the play.
2. His long legs take away the bottom and before he drops he takes away lots of the net by playing big.
3. Has good technique and can scramble and make a save due to his anticipation and positioning.

Areas For Improvement

1. Not a large enough sample size playing against top competition
2. Late Bloomer

Scouting Report

Adam Gajan was one of the Stand out performers for Slovakia at the 2023 World Junior Championships, standing on his head and pushing Canada to Overtime before Connor Bedard eventually scored the game-winner. Due to his performance in that gold medal game, Gajan saw his draft stock rise from a late-rounder to a goalie who may be one of the first ones off the board. At the beginning of the year, he was the starter for the NAHL team, Chippewa Steel. After 16 games playing in Chippewa Falls, he joined the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. Despite only having played two games for the team, he remains undefeated with a save percentage of .961. He has also confirmed that next year he will be playing in NCAA Division I for the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Gajan came out of nowhere and was the star Slovakia needed in this tournament. He may not have gotten the medals he wanted but he still showed the hockey world who he was and he was ready for the next step. The Slovakian goalie is a 6’4 goalie with a big frame, long legs, and excellent reflexes who never gives up on the play. His long legs take away the bottom and before he drops he takes away lots of the net by playing big. Gajan is not afraid to come out and play the puck and is a solid puck handler. Due to his size, positioning, and anticipation, he can scramble to make saves and uses his body and pads to sponge and absorb shots. Because of his large frame, athleticism, and technique, the chances of him being a starter at the NHL level are very strong, although it might take time for him to develop. An NHL comparison for Adam Gajan is Sergei Bobrovsky in terms of playstyle, they are both big and athletic goalies, that can steal games. Right now, I have Gajan projected to be a second-round pick, but depending on team needs, he could either slide or be drafted higher than his ranking.

Skill: A big, athletic goalie with good Positioning and technique

Style Comparison: Sergei Bobrovsky

NHL Potential: Starting Goalie

Season	Team	League	GP	W	GAA	SV%
2022-23	Chippewa Steel	NAHL	32	18	2.61	.915
	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	6	5	2.48	.906
	Slovakia U20	WJC-20	4	2	2.40	.936

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