Fedotov's promotion and Askarov's controversial decision
In recent years, the representation of Russian goaltenders in the NHL has steadily increased.
If in the 2016/17 season only four goalkeepers got a chance to prove themselves, then over the past two - 11 at once. And this despite the fact that most of them were not just in the rotation, but were one of the leaders of their teams, and subsequently listed as contenders for individual awards.
So, according to the journalists of the official website of the league, four Russians were among the top ten applicants for the Vezina Trophy at once, and Igor Shesterkin finished first by a huge margin.
And everything goes to the fact that in the next regular season the number of Russian goalkeepers in the North American league will not decrease.
On the one hand, there are already rumors about the return of Ivan Prosvetov, who defended the colors of Arizona, to his homeland, on the other hand, two compatriots can come to replace him at once.
One of them is Ivan Fedotov, who confirmed his readiness to play in the most prestigious league on the planet with his game.
This year, he not only looked great at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, but also helped CSKA win the Gagarin Cup for the second time in history.
In the final with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, he often pulled out the toughest matches alone and eventually became the undisputed best goalkeeper of the playoffs.
Among colleagues who played more than five meetings, he took first place both in terms of the percentage of reflected shots (93.7%) and in terms of reliability coefficient (1.85).
At the same time, the place where Fedotov's career will continue is not a secret.
Back in 2015, he was selected by Philadelphia in the NHL Draft under the 188th overall number and will begin his journey across the ocean in this team.
For a place at the base, he will have to compete with 23-year-old Carter Hart, a promising but still unsettled goalkeeper.
Last season, he spent only 45 matches and could not boast of high performance.
On average per game, he parried only 90.5% of shots and conceded 3.16 goals.
Therefore, he was forced to give way to the experienced, but no more reliable Martin Jones.
However, at the end of the current championship, the 32-year-old Canadian ends his contract, and in light of Ivan's arrival, the prospects for its extension are extremely low.
“Leaving for Philadelphia?
Undoubtedly.
I came to CSKA to win the Cup.
Now I can take a step forward with peace of mind.
I got a good opportunity, now with this background and baggage you can try yourself there.
This is a new challenge and new opportunities.
If you don’t try yourself in the NHL, you can regret it all your life later, ”Fedotov said on Match TV.
Unlike Fedotov, Yaroslav Askarov's prospects are more vague.
If his compatriot goes to the USA in the status of an established professional, then the 19-year-old goalkeeper cannot boast of such.
In the KHL, he spent a total of 16 matches in three years, and this season he rarely went out on the ice at all.
But according to Sport-Express, the player himself does not consider this a problem and intends to sign a three-year contract with Nashville in the near future.
In 2020, the Predators selected the World Youth Championship silver medalist 11th overall, making him the highest drafted Russian goaltender in NHL history.
In addition to him, Andrei Vasilevsky (19th), Evgeny Ryabchikov (21st), Ilya Samsonov (22nd) and Semyon Varlamov (23rd) recognized their future clubs in the first round.
It is unlikely that Askarov will immediately get the opportunity to prove himself in the NHL.
And the point here is not only the lack of experience and age, but also the high competition.
The No. 1 post in Nashville is occupied by one of the contenders for the Vezina, Juuse Saros, and his replacement is David Rittich.
And although the second one does not shine with stability, it is unlikely to give way to a young competitor.
If Yaroslav nevertheless decides to go overseas, then he will spend the first few years in the lower leagues, where he will grow stronger and wait for a chance.
The question is whether such a scenario suits him.
Prospects for Kuzmenko and Morozov's departure
But if Fedotov and Askarov have yet to officially document their transfers to NHL clubs, then Ivan Morozov has already done it.
Back in January, he announced his intention to replenish the composition of Vegas and subsequently did so.
At the end of April, the Golden Knights announced the signing of a two-year contract with the striker.
At the same time, he also signed a trial agreement with the AHL team Henderson Silver Knights, for which he has already managed to hold one meeting.
And although it was not possible to immediately score points, the Russian took part in two successful attacks.
“Vegas and I have been in touch since the moment they chose me.
About once a week they write, they are interested in how I'm doing.
While it is not clear what the role will be, in the NHL no one can guarantee you anything.
There is no one to come, and you were immediately put in the first link.
The club knows what kind of player I am and why I was chosen.
I will do everything possible to get into the main team, ”said Morozov to the Championship.
In addition to Ivan, in the very near future two other ex-SKA hockey players can try their hand at the NHL.
And if Kirill Marchenko goes down the beaten path to Columbus, who secured the rights to the forward during the draft, then Andrei Kuzmenko could end up in any club in the league.
One of the best scorers of the past KHL playoffs could take part in the talent fair already in 2014, but then none of the league teams showed interest in a not-so-large striker.
Although the well-known portal Central Scouting quite highly estimated the prospects of the Russian and put him on the 26th line among Europeans.
One way or another, Kuzmenko was not drafted either in 2014 or in 2016, when he again appeared in the ranking of the most talented players in the Old World.
And you can’t say that it hit his career hard.
By the age of 26, he managed to become the leader of SKA and one of the brightest Russian forwards, and his failure to make it to the Olympics in Beijing became an occasion for wide discussion.
Now he is a tasty morsel for many overseas bands, according to TSN journalist Chris Johnston.
According to insiders, the main contenders for Kuzmenko are Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa.
This information was partially confirmed by the well-known agent Dan Milstein, who noted that the general manager of the Oilers, Kenny Holland, is able not only to discern a potential star, but also to help her develop.
He also added that interviewing Andrei will begin in May, but stressed that the negotiations could be long.
As for Marchenko, his departure to the NHL seems no less of a gamble than in the case of Askarov.
Even if he first started getting time at SKA back in the 2018/19 season, he never became one of the key players in the team.
In the last championship, the forward scored 20 (12 + 8) points in 39 matches, and missed the playoffs altogether, having gone to help SKA-Neva in the VHL.
And given that Columbus' highest-paid forwards are on the fringes, getting into the top 6 seems like a pretty daunting task.
On the other hand, Marchenko could well have been inspired by the example of Yegor Chinakhov.
He came to the Blue Jackets only in 2021 and, although he scored only 14 points and finished the season with a terrible utility indicator (“-27”), he enjoyed the coach’s trust.
In total, he held 67 meetings and even got the opportunity to play next to Oliver Bjorkstrand, the best sniper and second scorer of the team.
The example of Morozov and Marchenko may be followed by another silver medalist of the MFM-2020.
According to Sport24 agent Sergey Isakov, Daniil Zhuravlev will soon join the Colorado team.
Although a few weeks ago, the representative of the hockey player himself refused to confirm this information.
And in the current situation, both the club and the hockey player can win.
The Avalanche have three defenders expiring in the summer, and it is unlikely that any of them will receive an extension offer.
First of all, this applies to Jack Johnson and Josh Manson.
The first celebrated its 35th anniversary in January, and the second is not performing well after the trade from Anaheim.
In 22 matches, although he scored seven (2 + 5) points, he often harmed, as evidenced by the utility indicator (“-11”).
In the event of the departure of at least one of them, Zhuravlev will not only become an acquisition for the future, but can also immediately gain a foothold in the base.