Ryerson Renders
2023-24 Team: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
Date of Birth: June 1, 2006
Birthplace: Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec
Height: 6'1″ Weight: 176 lbs
Number of catches: L
Position: G
NHL Draft Eligibility: First year of 2024
Ranking
Ryerson Leanders is one of the best goalies available in the 2024 NHL Draft due to his incredible athleticism and excellent awareness. He played 46 games with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) posting a league-best save percentage (SV%) of .909, 24 wins, 17 losses, 4 draws and 3 shutouts. His performance earned him a place in the Kubota Top Prospect Game, where he stopped 19 of 20 shots. He also earned a backup role at the U18 World Juniors, where he only made one start, but stopped 25 of Team Switzerland's 26 shots in Canada's 7-1 victory.
Leenders' success is due to his incredible ability to track the play. He can get right up to the puck-carrier and then quickly drop into a low butterfly to cut off the five-hole and both low corners. But his top isn't as exposed as it looks, and he can also quickly rise into a more hybrid position. No matter what the shooter does, he's rarely caught off guard and looks comfortable inside the net.
Related: THW's 2024 NHL Draft Guide
He's a decent positional goaltender, but not as strong in that area as some of his draft-eligible peers. Instead, Leanders relies on his athleticism and reflexes to make saves. He shows great foresight in predicting where the puck will go and doesn't regret it once he makes a move. That level of confidence is to be expected in a young goaltender and should help him achieve his dream of making the NHL.
Other Draft Profiles
Ryerson Leanders – NHL Draft Predictions
Despite a strong sophomore season, Leanders has fallen down the rankings since losing his starting spot to rookie goaltender Jack Ivankovic in Mississauga. Ivankovic (a 2025 draft target) had a strong late season, while Leanders struggled with consistency. That gave the Steelheads a strong duo to rely on in the playoffs against the Sudbury Wolves, with Leanders opening the series with a 28-save shutout. However, an injury in Game 2 put Ivankovic back in the spotlight and, more importantly, took Leanders out of it.
Then there's the issue of his size. NHL Central Scouting has him at 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, but the OHL website has him slightly larger at 6-foot-1. That's a bit on the small side for a modern NHL goalie, which will likely hurt his draft rating. He should still be one of the first goalies to be drafted, but we won't hear his name called until the third round at the earliest.
Quote
“Aside from some recent blunders that have the Steelheads struggling a bit, Renders has been great this year. He's regularly facing over 35 shots per game and seems to perform better the busier he is. Not long ago, the team had a 7-1-0 record with two shutout wins, so you have to look past his recent big losses to get a good idea of who he is. Still, Renders looks like the best goalie in the draft for a team looking to add some goaltending depth.” Stephen Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“Leanders' athleticism is what separates him from George. He is never out of the play and always seems to find a way to make an acrobatic save. Leanders has the ability to make game-changing saves, and those intangibles are crucial at the NHL level. He checks all the boxes athletically, moves around the ice quicker than most players, and has better anticipation and reaction time.” Joely Stockl, The Hockey News
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“Lenders' save percentage was the best in the OHL this season at .909 and he has performed well on the bigger stages as well – 19/20 (.950) in the CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game, 26/27 (.963) in his lone game against Switzerland at the U-18 World Cup and 45/42 (.933) in two playoff games with the Steelheads. He's not a big-bodied goalie, but he anticipates the play, runs well from post to post, is athletic for long periods of time, competes at the net and has poise. He's also a good positional goalie with quick in and out of the butterfly, good post protection, good puck tracking, quick recoveries and good feet and hands. He should be a mid to late round selection.” Scott Wheeler, The Athletic (“2024 NHL Draft rankings: Maclyn Celebrini, Ivan Demidov lead Scott Wheeler's final top 100”, The Athletic – March 6, 2024)
Strengths
- Speed of movement around the net and into different positions
- Athletic
- Powerful Recognition and Tracking
Under Construction – Areas to be improved
- Compact
- Inconsistent
- Not as positionally strong as the others
NHL Potential
It's always difficult to predict how well a goalie will perform in the NHL, as there are many factors that go into turning an unknown goalie into a starter. However, Leanders has all the tools to be a future No. 1 goalie. He reads the ice extremely well and has a high level of intelligence to predict plays like a strong two-way center. He'll need time to become more consistent from game to game, but he's definitely worth investing in.
Risk/Reward Analysis
Risk 3/5, Reward 4/5
Awards and Achievements
- 2023-24 Hinckley Gretzky Cup Gold Medal
- 2023-24 OHL Best Save Percentage
- 2023-24 U18 World Junior Championships Gold Medal
Interviews/Links
