Chris Driedger

Chris Driedger's path to the NHL was anything but direct. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 18, 1994, the 6'4" left-catching goaltender was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round, 76th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Before he established himself at the NHL level, that road ran through the ECHL — a detail Driedger discussed openly in an hour-long feature interview on Episode 69 of the InGoal Radio Podcast, which InGoal described as "loaded with similarly insightful discussions of an at-times twisting pro path."

The breakthrough came with the Florida Panthers, where Driedger posted a .938 save percentage in 11 games in one season, then followed it with a .927 in 23 games the next Chris Driedger Pro-Read 1. By the 2020–21 season he was at a 7-3-2 start with a .920 save percentage before finishing at 13-6-3 with a .923 Chris Driedger Pro-Read 3 Managing a partial breakaway. That run earned him considerable attention ahead of free agency. According to Clear Sight Analytics, cited in InGoal's coverage, his performance on screens ranked among the top-10 in the NHL that season Chris Driedger: Listen to one of the game’s best at handling screens and tips.

InGoal Magazine has covered Chris Driedger in six Pro Reads. The series, conducted by Kevin Woodley and David Hutchison, documented Driedger's on-ice reads and his willingness to discuss them in detail. In his Pro Reads debut, Driedger broke down a cross-crease play against the Columbus Blue Jackets, explaining his preference for taking ice above the crease early and using backward flow to move laterally on his skates Chris Driedger Pro-Read 1. A second installment examined his approach to screens and traffic, where Driedger described his philosophy directly: "I feel confident when I am more aggressive on them. I just need to make sure I don't get too aggressive and pick my spots" Chris Driedger: Listen to one of the game’s best at handling screens and tips. He added that his instinct on recovering from saves is to get back to his feet whenever possible: "If it's possible to get to my feet, I am getting to my feet every time" Chris Driedger: Listen to one of the game’s best at handling screens and tips.

A third Pro Read covered a partial breakaway from an angle, while a fourth addressed a straight-on breakaway against Denis Gurianov of the Dallas Stars Chris Driedger Pro-Reads 4 Chris Driedger Pro-Read 3 Managing a partial breakaway. On breakaways, Driedger shared his timing cue directly: "When he's at the hash marks, I want to be at the top of my crease, toes on crease line. I just try to keep my feet as long as I can, make them make the first move and it's really just all about that initial depth and matching his speed" Chris Driedger Pro-Reads 4. A fifth Pro Read, timed to celebrate his selection by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and a new three-year contract as their number-one goalie, examined how he switches sight lines around screens depending on the shooter's handedness and position Chris Driedger ProRead 5. The sixth installment, published as the Kraken prepared for their first regular-season game in franchise history, revisited a scramble sequence from his Panthers days in which Driedger acknowledged being too aggressive on the initial attempt and explained his recovery priorities, including getting back to the middle and, when needed, deliberately freezing the puck to allow his team to reset Chris Driedger ProRead 6.

InGoal's coverage also noted that Driedger cuts and holds his stick paddle — a shorter paddle — in the same manner as Sergei Bobrovsky, his former Florida Panthers teammate Chris Driedger Pro-Read 1. He was also previously connected to NET360 camp in Kelowna, where InGoal had worked with him on the ice, noting a flow-based lateral movement that was a characteristic part of his game at that time Chris Driedger Pro-Read 1.

Across 67 NHL career games, Driedger has recorded 31 wins, 24 losses, and 5 overtime losses, with a 2.45 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage, and 5 shutouts. He most recently played for Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League.