Last week, Edmonton Journal columnist Jonathan Willis wrote a thought-provoking piece on draft-eligible prospect Andrei Vasilevski and his soaring stock following the 2012 World Junior Championships. That prompted a fun Twitter conversation between Willis and myself, which then led to him writing a follow-up article with some of my insights on Vasilevski’s potential and long-term value heading into the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Willis is a terrific writer for the Edmonton Journal’s Cult of Hockey blog, as well as the Oilers Nation, Leafs Nation and Hockey Prospectus websites. He has a wealth of knowledge about the game, as well as prospects and advanced statistical analysis, and you can also follow him on Twitter (@JonathanWillis).

The basis of our conversation was, despite the buzz surrounding his play in the World Juniors, which boosted his stock as a sure-fire first-round draft pick, whether or not Vasilevski should still be considered the most valuable goalie available in the upcoming draft.

In a nutshell, Willis brought up the legit concern that goalies should not be over-hyped just because they have one strong tournament. My rebuttal was, as true as that may be, there are legit reasons why Vasilevski could be selected late in the first-round by some NHL teams.

CLICK TO READ “SCOUTING ANDREI VASILEVSKI” BY JONATHAN WILLIS

We also discussed Jack Campbell, the former first-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars. Willis’ thoughts on Campbell, along with my response and thoughts, are highlighted here:

“One of the other points I raised in my initial post was the declining fortunes of Jack Campbell, a goalie drafted 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2010 after some strong tournament performances.  Campbell has since struggled in the OHL, but as statistics from major junior are often a poor indicator of future professional success, I asked Goldman for his take on the Stars’ pick.

Goldman pointed out that not all goalie picks are created equal, as the team making the selection often has a considerable factor in the player’s ultimate success…”

A special thanks to Willis for reaching out to The Goalie Guild for insight on draft-eligible prospects, and it certainly makes the upcoming NHL Entry Draft that much more exciting for the goaltenders. Will Vasilevski go in the first round, or will teams be cautious and wait until the second round? Either way, he’s certain to be one of the first goalies selected this summer!