Prospect Info: 2020 4th Rd Selection - #106th OA - G Artur Akhtyamov (RUS) - 6'2 170

[Green Snow Storm]

No sarcasm, former Kings scout Mike Futa on the Sportsnet broadcast stated it during the first round. Something about the Leafs having hired the best scout in all of Russia....didn't catch the name though but I'm sure others caught it. Not sure how long he's been employed by the Leafs though.

Jim Paliafito. Commonly knows as ‘The Russian Whisperer”

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Jim Paliafito. Commonly knows as ‘The Russian Whisperer”

Not technically a scout, but definitely the guy who single-handedly makes our team much more dangerous.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Jim Paliafito. Commonly knows as ‘The Russian Whisperer”

Thanks

 

[Green Snow Storm]

Askarov is 8 months younger.

Askarov has been an International Star his entire life, while Akhtyamov has never been on an International team.

Askarov was playing in the VHL this year, which is extremely rare for people his age, while Akhtyamov played in the MHL, which lacks parity and is easy to artificially inflate your stats (he only had a 5-6-0 record and a .912 against good teams).

Askarov is a lot more refined and gifted both technically and physically.

The stats are deceiving, but at least we have him for like 10 years before his rights expire so it is plenty of time for him to become the first Russian goalie without serious International exposure to make the NHL in a long time (if not forever).

Nah Sorokin will beat him to that who had zero international experience when he was drafted overage. Georgiev also did not see any international play until his d+1 season. If your point was he still won’t get international experience in the future, I’d like your crystal ball, but you’re likely right due to him being behind the best goaltender to come along in a decade.

Obviously it’s hard to say if he will make the U20 team in a backup role because he won’t start with Askarov there, no one would. So he’s been bottlenecked internationally in that sense.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Nah Sorokin will beat him to that who had zero international experience when he was drafted overage. Georgiev also did not see any international play until his d+1 season. If your point was he still won’t get international experience in the future, I’d like your crystal ball, but you’re likely right due to him being behind the best goaltender to come along in a decade.

Obviously it’s hard to say if he will make the U20 team in a backup role because he won’t start with Askarov there, no one would. So he’s been bottlenecked internationally in that sense.

Sorokin was playing full time in the KHL when he was drafted. For European guys, if they are doing well in pro leagues, that overrides international experience for me. It has to be quite special though (like Sorokin was, and like Konovalov was last year).

However, besides Sorokin if he turns out to be good, all Russian goalies have a lot of international experience by the time they are drafted, and usually after it as a result. Just look at the Russian goalies in the NHL right now and you will see.

As for Georgiev, he did not play in his DY at all it seems but he was on international U20 teams as a D+1 (he was very impressive) and had very impressive Liiga numbers for a 19 year old. I would have given a chance based on those Liiga numbers.

I don't make this up for no reason. I make it based on historical trends. When it comes to Russians, and pretty much any other European league except the Swedish league and the occasional Finnish guy, you need to satisfy at least one of the following:

1) Playing meaningful pro minutes and having a moderate amount of success.
2) Playing internationally and having a moderate amount of success.

Typically if you are a top guy, you are doing both with a great amount of success. If you are a mid-late round guy, one of them is fine and you also need to be doing well in your respective junior league (if you are counting on playing internationally being your ticket to getting drafted). Akhtyamov satisfies neither as of right now, so we are betting on him satisfying those conditions in the future and getting a jump on things. Maybe that works out, maybe it blows up in our faces. With the amount of solid quality guys still available at 107, I would have preferred that risk in the later rounds, if at all.

 

[Canada4Gold]

Sorokin was playing full time in the KHL when he was drafted. For European guys, if they are doing well in pro leagues, that overrides international experience for me. It has to be quite special though (like Sorokin was, and like Konovalov was last year).

However, besides Sorokin if he turns out to be good, all Russian goalies have a lot of international experience by the time they are drafted, and usually after it as a result. Just look at the Russian goalies in the NHL right now and you will see.

As for Georgiev, he did not play in his DY at all it seems but he was on international U20 teams as a D+1 (he was very impressive) and had very impressive Liiga numbers for a 19 year old. I would have given a chance based on those Liiga numbers.

I don't make this up for no reason. I make it based on historical trends. When it comes to Russians, and pretty much any other European league except the Swedish league and the occasional Finnish guy, you need to satisfy at least one of the following:

1) Playing meaningful pro minutes and having a moderate amount of success.
2) Playing internationally and having a moderate amount of success.

Typically if you are a top guy, you are doing both with a great amount of success. If you are a mid-late round guy, one of them is fine and you also need to be doing well in your respective junior league (if you are counting on playing internationally being your ticket to getting drafted). Akhtyamov satisfies neither as of right now, so we are betting on him satisfying those conditions in the future and getting a jump on things. Maybe that works out, maybe it blows up in our faces. With the amount of solid quality guys still available at 107, I would have preferred that risk in the later rounds, if at all.

Sorokin was drafted as an overager though. His his draft year he only played 4 KHL games, playing 27 MHL games with a .914 sv%. Probably why he wasn't drafted. Lets see if Artur gets any KHL experience this season.

 

[cookie]

Cat Silverman does goalie “stuff” for elite prospects. She didn’t have him ranked.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Sorokin was drafted as an overager though. His his draft year he only played 4 KHL games, playing 27 MHL games with a .914 sv%. Probably why he wasn't drafted. Lets see if Artur gets any KHL experience this season.

Right, so I say wait until they prove themselves and take them as OA's. Let him play in the VHL or KHL and show he has got the ability, because the MHL is not good enough of an indicator for performance.

As for playing in the KHL, it is unlikely. He is the 4th stringer. He is even the backup to Mifthakov in the VHL right now.

 

[67Cup]

Goalies are voodoo. Russian goalies are double voodoo. So who knows? Not me, for sure. But the numbers are encouraging.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Always a fan of taking a flier on goalies in this range of the draft, especially when you have a lot of picks as the Leafs do.

In the org the Leafs now have: Woll, Scott, Bouthillier, and Akhtyamov

I don't think Bouthillier has done anything special since being drafted so it's important the Leafs keep adding goalies to the pipeline

 

[Stephen]

Goalies are voodoo. Russian goalies are double voodoo. So who knows? Not me, for sure. But the numbers are encouraging.

I don’t know if goalies are voodoo so much as teams still don’t know what to look for. When I see some organizations with 2-3x prospects deep in that position you get the sense some teams are ahead of the curve when it comes to scouting for skillset, body type and mental makeup. Kekkalainen in Columbus said he likes big goalies with technical ability but also the wherewithal to make a second effort, battle, etc.

Anyway I’m liking this pick. The goalie looks quite athletic and economical in his movements and seems to have great aggressive tendencies and puck handling abilities. One downside is he’s not the standard 6’5” giant and obviously he isn’t as athletically gifted as Askarov. Stash him away and hope we have a Sheshterkin or Sorokin in a few years.

 

[Stephen]

Always a fan of taking a flier on goalies in this range of the draft, especially when you have a lot of picks as the Leafs do.

In the org the Leafs now have: Woll, Scott, Bouthillier, and Akhtyamov

I don't think Bouthillier has done anything special since being drafted so it's important the Leafs keep adding goalies to the pipeline

Yeah I would probably draft one goalie in this range every year and not even bother learning their names. Stash them away and see what you have in a couple of years.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Yeah I would probably draft one goalie in this range every year and not even bother learning their names. Stash them away and see what you have in a couple of years.

This kid's first name is likely pronounced R-too if anyone cares

 

[Stephen]

This kid's first name is likely pronounced R-too if anyone cares

Any relation to this guy?

 

[ITM]

Thought Miftakov would have been a nice get. Prefer him to AA. Lightning took him in the 6th...Didn't he better numbers than Askarov?

 

[TheGreatOne11]

Scott's still my future goalie hope, but always mice to have more in the cubbards.

 

[Faltorvo]

Always a fan of taking a flier on goalies in this range of the draft, especially when you have a lot of picks as the Leafs do.

In the org the Leafs now have: Woll, Scott, Bouthillier, and Akhtyamov

I don't think Bouthillier has done anything special since being drafted so it's important the Leafs keep adding goalies to the pipeline

"taking a flier"?

naughty boy, that does not sound like a BPA thingy

 

[TheDoldrums]

Russian Ron Hextall

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Russian Ron Hextall

people really thought Dubas didn't draft for grit/toughness

 

[Shak19]

Where was we ranked among European goalies available?

 

[Maplebeasts]

Always a fan of taking a flier on goalies in this range of the draft, especially when you have a lot of picks as the Leafs do.

In the org the Leafs now have: Woll, Scott, Bouthillier, and Akhtyamov

I don't think Bouthillier has done anything special since being drafted so it's important the Leafs keep adding goalies to the pipeline

Yeah Bouthilier is not really a legitimate prospect anymore. I have no clue what this guy's technique and mental game are like. The numbers are eye-popping though so here's to hoping.

 

[Antropovsky]

people really thought Dubas didn't draft for grit/toughness

He’s gonna need that grit and toughness if he makes the leafs team and our roster has the same toughness... he will be a one-man crease clearing machine.

 

[Stephen]

Just at a quick Youtube glance, he reminds me of a Quebec butterfly goalie the way he moves around and paddles down so athletically, as well as having relatively sleek equipment. Almost looks like a young Potvin. Doesn't have that big chest protector that would suggest he wants to just block with his torso. Puckhandling is impressive too. Only possible downside I guess is he doesn't have that mutant size a lot of modern giant goalies have.

 

[LeafChief]

 

[Stigma]

Does anybody know how we can see KHL games? Is there a youtube channel? I need some hockey and would love to see some of our prospects play.