Måns Goos
2024-25 Team: Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
Date of Birth: May 5, 2007
Place of Birth: Västerås, Sweden
Ht: 6-foot-5 Wt: 190 pounds
Catches: Left
Position: Goaltender
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
Rankings
While all eyes have been on Love Harenstam as Sweden’s next great goaltender, Måns Goos has quietly emerged as a formidable competitor. As a rookie in the J20 Nationell with Färjestad BK, he put up a respectable .893 save percentage (SV%) over 24 games, which improved to a .903 SV% in the playoffs despite losing both games. Among U18 goalies in the junior league, only Harenstam put up better numbers, and just slightly, finishing with a .901 SV% over 23 appearances.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Goos’ best attribute is his size. At 6-foot-5, he covers a lot of the net, and he uses that to his advantage with a wide butterfly stance that takes away a lot of shooting lanes for the opposition. When locked into a shooter, he doesn’t worry about making tiny adjustments, keeping his feet fairly static and instead relying on his size and athleticism to adapt to changes rather than trying to find the perfect position to make the save. He’s especially good at using his blocker to bat pucks into the corners and out of high danger areas, but his glove hand isn’t too bad either. When locked in, he tracks the shooter well with his glove hand, keeping it up and ready at all times.
After the initial shot, Goos is also strong at making recovery saves, using his long pads to block off most of the bottom of the net. In that position, he still can cover most of the top of the net, too, making him a very difficult goalie to get around. He moves smoothly from post to post, and his T-pushes are strong yet measured; he doesn’t overuse them and push himself out of position too often, giving him good lateral movement when being challenged up close.
Unfortunately, Goos’ biggest weakness right now is his quickness, which was a big problem at the U18 World Championship. As Harenstam’s backup, he was put in the net for just two games in the round robin against Germany and Czechia. In both those appearances, Goos struggled when pressured up close, as his quickness wasn’t on par with some of the better shooters of his age group, and although he could often see when he needed to move, he couldn’t get in front of the shooter in time to make the save.
Other times, such as in his relief effort against Canada in the gold medal game, Goos struggled when challenged by shooters at mid-range. In the J20 Nationell, he wasn’t often beaten when given time to set up, but at the U18s, he was beaten cleanly several times after he had ample time to get into position. While he’s not a strong positional goalie, his size helps him stay in the right place most of the time, and his reaction time and athleticism help him get the rest of the way. But much better shooters found the gaps in his stance, and he lacked the quickness to close out those opportunities.
Overall, Goos plays an immature game. He has a ton of potential and has shown flashes of brilliance at home in Sweden, but against more experienced players, he struggled to adapt. As he grows into his frame and continues developing the finer points of his game, those issues will subside. He’s a project, but one that’s almost certainly worth the risk.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Måns Goos – NHL Draft Projection
Goos was just one of five goaltenders invited to the NHL Draft Combine in June, which is a good sign for draft day. Initially projected to be a late-round pick, he could slide into the middle of the draft if scouts like what they see at the Combine. Already, he moved up from ninth among international goalies to fourth, sliding ahead of fellow Swede Love Harenstam, who started most of Sweden’s games at the U18s. Once some of the big names are off the board, look for someone to grab Goos, likely around the fourth or fifth rounds.
Quotables
“Goos had a tough showing in his first start against Germany, allowing four goals on 24 shots. He was great in that pre-tournament game against Canada but had one of the worst showings I’ve seen from him this year in his first real start. Thankfully, he turned things around with a nice effort against Czechia. At 6-foot-5, there’s obvious potential there from a size perspective. I just want him to move quicker and use his size better.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“Goos has a great frame and gets it to the puck well. His movements are more efficient than they are quick, but he gets powerful push-offs and stops on his spot. And his up-downs – or getting in-and-out of his butterfly – are very fast and controlled for such a big goalie. And Goos’ coverage of his corners is simply fantastic. His hands move fast and he follows the puck all the way to the save. But his control of rebounds needs some serious honing, and Goos can be susceptible to being beat in tight. That’s a big weakness in an otherwise pretty solid package.” Gabriel Foley, Recruit Scouting
“Mans Goos is a tall, highly athletic butterfly goaltender who possesses elite raw tools. His movement is quick and sharp for his size, and he shows a reactionary approach to net coverage, with an ability to make second and third-effort saves. Goos is a high-upside, toolsy goaltender still refining his overall structure, depth management, and crease control, but offers a development path with true pro potential if the technical aspects of his game can catch up to the physical gifts.” – Neutral Zone
Strengths
- Size
- Blocker side control
- Coverage down low
Under Construction/Improvements to Make
- Quickness
- Awareness
- Reacting under pressure
NHL Potential
Goalies are always hard to project, but with his size and athleticism, Goos has all the tools to become a starting goaltender in the NHL. Whether he will get there, however, is another question. There are several technical aspects to his game that need improvement, which could hold him back from finding success against tougher competition. He’s a long way away from pushing for an NHL job, but if an organization can wait for him to iron out some of the finer points of his tool kit, he could become an incredibly dominant goaltender.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk –4/5, Reward – 5/5
Awards/Achievements
- 2024-25 U18 World Championship Silver Medal
- 2024-25 World Junior A Championship Silver Medal
Interviews/Links
Måns Goos Stats
Videos
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