Devan Dubnyk

Devan Dubnyk was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft — a pick that launched a career spanning 542 NHL games, 253 wins, and a 0.914 save percentage across 16 pro seasons. Born May 4, 1986, in Regina, Saskatchewan, the 6-foot-6 left-catching goaltender also recorded a 2.61 goals-against average and 33 shutouts over the course of that career.

The defining turn in Dubnyk's career came during a brief stop with the Arizona Coyotes, where goaltending coach Sean Burke delivered a piece of advice on depth management that Dubnyk would carry through the rest of his career. As Dubnyk described it on Episode 142 of the InGoal Radio Podcast InGoal Radio Episode 142 with Devan Dubnyk, Burke never told him where to stand in his crease — only that he wanted him to beat a cross-ice pass on his feet and be set when the shot arrived. "All he said was, 'I want you to beat the pass on your feet and be set. Wherever you're comfortable doing that, I want you to be able to beat the pass on your feet, push, stop and set,'" Dubnyk explained Pro Tips: Depth Decisions with Devan Dubnyk. That framework, reinforced through daily pre-practice drills with passers stationed outside the blue line, accompanied a remarkable turnaround: after finishing the 2013-14 season in the American Hockey League, Dubnyk ended 2014-15 as a Vezina Trophy finalist, placed fourth in Hart Trophy voting, and won the Bill Masterton Trophy, splitting that season between the Coyotes and the Minnesota Wild Pro Tips: Depth Decisions with Devan Dubnyk.

InGoal Magazine has covered Devan Dubnyk in three podcast appearances, three Pro Reads, and two InGoal articles.

That InGoal coverage included an extended series on one of the more distinctive elements of Dubnyk's approach: the poke check. In his first two Pro Reads Devan Dubnyk Pro-Read #1 – Poke Check 101 Devan Dubnyk Pro-Read – Poke Check 101 Part 2, Dubnyk walked through multiple examples from his time with the Wild and the San Jose Sharks, outlining the factors he looks for before committing to a stick-first attack and the keys to executing it properly. He was candid about the examples where the circumstances weren't ideal, noting that the element of surprise could still work in a goalie's favor once the decision was made. "You've got to commit," he said of the full-extension poke check. "A straight-forward sell out." Devan Dubnyk Pro-Read – Poke Check 101 Part 2 He also noted that unpredictability itself carries value in an era where shooters anticipate set patterns from goaltenders.

For his third Pro Read ProReads: Devan Dubnyk Walks InGoal Through a Delayed Penalty and PK Sequence, Dubnyk broke down a delayed penalty and power-play sequence against the Anaheim Ducks — a session that ran more than 15 minutes for a single power play, covering lane selection, stick use on sharp-angle attacks, lateral movement decisions, and rebound management.

After his playing career, Dubnyk has spoken about goaltending and team dynamics through the InGoal Radio Podcast. On Episode 305 InGoal Radio Episode 305 with Devan Dubnyk, he discussed what makes a goalie that teammates will compete hard for, using Calvin Pickard's run with the Edmonton Oilers — which included seven of the team's 14 wins in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs — as a reference point. "You think Calvin Pickard is one of the best 64 goalies on the planet, skill wise? Probably not," Dubnyk said. "Is he a great teammate … who works his ass off harder than anybody and has a great mental mindset? Yes. And look what he's done. Look where he is." How to Be a Goalie Your Team Will Go to War For

Dubnyk described two keys to earning that kind of team investment: working hard and joyfully in practice — finding specific technical goals within drills that aren't structured with goalies in mind — and picking up teammates after mistakes rather than expressing frustration. "It is so much more productive to pick somebody up if they made a mistake," he said. "He knows he messed up. You don't have to tell him." How to Be a Goalie Your Team Will Go to War For He connected both points directly to outcomes, arguing that being a great teammate leads to playing in better environments. "You're going to enjoy your time, you're going to play better, you're going to be on better teams," he said. "All of these things are going to come together if you learn how to become a great teammate." How to Be a Goalie Your Team Will Go to War For He also noted that his own 11-year-old son is a goaltender, and that he passes along the same practice-mindset advice to him How to Be a Goalie Your Team Will Go to War For.