Amid all the exciting stories within the Blackhawks‘ robust prospect pool, goalie Adam Gajan represents an exception.
Despite a recent uptick, Gajan’s freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth has not gone well overall. As a result, scouts and analysts’ ratings of the highest-selected goalie in the 2023 NHL draft class have declined.
Gajan isn’t one to hide from that scrutiny or sugarcoat his struggles, either. The 20-year-old Slovakian knows better than anyone how difficult this season has been. But he also knows one season doesn’t define a career, and his perspective on his situation reveals older-than-his-years wisdom.
“The Blackhawks didn’t draft me for the goalie I am today,” Gajan said recently. “They drafted me for the goalie I can be in three or five years, and in the future.
“Obviously, I don’t have great results. And hockey is kind of everything I do — I don’t have many other interests — so it’s tough when you don’t have the best results. But I know the stuff I’m doing every day is good for my future, and I believe the results will come.”
Gajan has gone 7-10-1 with an .890 save percentage and 3.15 goals-against average behind a Duluth team that has disappointed in general (despite fellow Hawks prospect Dominic James’ solid individual season).
Gajan’s high-end athleticism didn’t translate smoothly to college hockey. Especially earlier this season, he often ended up scrambling in the crease, off his angle or slow to re-position himself.
It didn’t help he missed two-plus months of the relatively short NCAA season due to an ankle injury suffered in practice in late November. He didn’t return until early February.
Duluth’s academics have also challenged Gajan, who had never attended in-person school in the United States before. In normal conversations, his English sounds excellent, but he said the language barrier has nonetheless been problematic at times.
“Talking about hockey is very different than talking about, for example, communication science,” he said, chuckling.
The Hawks’ acquisition of Spencer Knight — who immediately becomes their most likely goalie of the future — makes Gajan’s road to the NHL murkier, although things could change a lot more between now and when Gajan turns pro in two or three years. He and goalie prospect Drew Commesso’s simultaneous struggles this season likely factored into the Hawks’ decision to target Knight.
Hawks goalie scout Dan Ellis, however, continues to work closely with Gajan, and they have a strong rapport. It’s way too early to write off Gajan in the organization’s long-term plans because development is rarely linear for prospects, especially goalie prospects.
“[Dan] really believes in me and sees a lot in my game,” Gajan said. “He knows I have big potential, and [we’re] trying to work on those details to simplify my game.
“Instead of reaching, [I’m working on] moving my whole body together and staying connected. Sometimes you make a save that looks great and you’re in the highlight video, but you can make it easier. So I’m trying to focus on that, too — to make the saves look easier to give myself a better chance to make those saves often, not just when I reach out my glove.”
Being more relaxed and patient in the crease and standing taller in his stance — taking advantage of his 6-2 height — are other emphases for Gajan.
He’s monitoring his technical improvements more closely than his stats, having learned in two series against Miami (Ohio) and Western Michigan in November that it’s possible to play better and still allow more goals solely based on the accuracy of opponents’ shots.
And Gajan has nonetheless improved statistically since his injury, recording a .913 save percentage over his last six appearances heading into Duluth’s conference tournament this week. He has a long way to go, but he’s confident he will eventually get there.