Who is this guy?
Sean Maguire is a 6'2" 202lbs Goaltender from Powell River, British Columbia who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
What are they saying about him?
Maguire is described as a Hybrid-style goaltender, noted for his athleticism and lateral movement. While not as tall as some of the other recent picks, he is noted as having an excellent solid size for a future NHL goaltender. He says he wants to model his game after Cory Schneider, saying "I love how he plays, his athleticism, he always finds a way to stop the puck no matter where he is on the ice. I think that’s the thing that I have the most in common with him." He was also the most excellent goaltender during the 2013 Prospect Development Camp, but at 20 years old it is not shocking that he was more developed than the two juniors prospects, but the fact that he outplayed 24 year old soon to be pro Eric Hartzell speaks volumes about his talent.
Of course he isn't perfect and is still considered a fairly raw prospect at this point. Because he is an athletic goaltender with fast post to post movement, he has a habit of overplaying the puck or having less than ideal positioning, relying on his speed to get him where he needs to be, so there are times when he will scramble in the crease trying to stop pucks.
Where has he been?
Maguire came up through the BCHL (Canadian Junior A) playing for the Powell River Kings. As a rookie he served as a backup, seeing limited playing time, but he had excellent stats in his two playoff appearances, with the Kings making it all the way to the BCHL Finals, and was rewarded with the shared Lowest GAA award for him and the starting goaltender's excellent performance.
The following season Maguire became the starter, once again leading the Kings to a Conference Championship and a loss in the BCHL Finals. But his excellent stats continued and he was named to the 2nd Team All-Star. That season he also backstopped Team Canada West as the starter in the World Junior A Challenge U19, bringing home the Gold.
Then last year as a Freshman at Boston University he became the starting goaltender after the other Freshman goaltender got injured and missed the remainder of the season. He continued to put up quite impressive numbers despite facing much tougher NCAA opponents, and he managed to lead the Terriers to finish just 1 spot shy of a berth in the NCAA tournament, finishing his first season as one of the Top 20 goaltenders in the entire NCAA.
When can we expect to see him?
Maguire is headed back to Boston University this Fall and is expected to be a Co-Starter on the Terriers. There are still parts of his game that need work, and he still has 3 years left until he graduates college, so it could be some time before we see him turning pro. However, considering how far ahead he is already compared to the Pens other goaltending prospects, it is certainly possible that he could leave school early to turn pro as early as next year. But he is reportedly majoring in Education, so it would appear that earning his degree is something that may be very important to him, so if I had to wager a bet I would say he will finish out his college career and graduate with the Terriers before turning pro.
Long term he projects as an NHL goaltender that is capable of being a starter, but he will likely wind up serving as backup to the higher potential Tristan Jarry. However, that is still years away from becoming a reality, as he has another 3 years of college and then likely at least 1 year of adjustment in the AHL before he is ready to move up to Pittsburgh. But keep an eye on this kid, he has a bright future in the NHL.
Why is he #20?
Maguire received 1 vote for 8th, 2 votes for 18th, 2 votes for 20th, 2 votes for 22nd, 1 vote for 25th, and 1 omitted him from the Top 25.
How can he climb the list?
Like a lot of underrated NCAA prospects, the biggest thing he needs to do is make a name for himself, as most fans have very little idea of who he is or just how good he already is. He does need to work on his composure and consistency, building solid positioning so that he is not forced to scramble and rely on his speed to make the play. But those are normal things that young goaltenders work out as they continue their development.