Prospect Info: Round 3, Pick 80: Kirill Ustimenko, G, St. Petersburg (MHL) aka the Zac Rinaldo Pick

[Rebels57]

I suspect Hextall is going to continue to take chances at goalies he likes until one becomes a Flyer great and forces him to stop drafting goalies early. I have no problem with that.

 

[BritainStix]

He's a lottery ticket at the position we need least, cheerleader.

serious question, what are you even implying here?

 

[sharpeye97]

[/I]

I suspect Hextall is going to continue to take chances at goalies he likes until one becomes a Flyer great and forces him to stop drafting goalies early. I have no problem with that.

100% percent agree.

 

[Beef Invictus]

People always question the goalie picks. I think you have to draft at least one every year.

I think this is the proper strategy. One serious goal pick per year is a really good idea or you end up starting Leighton someday.

 

[Garbage Goal]

He's a lottery ticket at the position we need least, cheerleader.

What? Goalie is our biggest position of need considering we have no established NHL starter. We're deep at forward, d, and goalie at the prospect level after this draft so even there your comment doesn't make sense.

 

[Larry44]

Exactly.

It's easy to find NHL forwards in the draft. Harder to find NHL defenseman. Harder still to find NHL goaltenders. The only way to hit on "the guy" is pure volume - keep picking guys you think could develop into something until one of them finally does.

The Flyers now have arguably one of the deepest prospect pools at all three major positions. They just added 3 first round level talents at forward, i.e. guys that will almost certainly be average-to-great NHL players. Meanwhile, what are the chances that any 3rd round pick develops into an NHL player? Something like 30%. Now, if we were majorly lacking in depth in either of the other two positions, I could understand being a put out by taking a goalie that early, but that's not the case. Might as well take another projectable goalie.

I'm going to watch the U18 bronze game when I get a chance. Kirill the Kid shut out the Swedes.

And they took pretty decent fwd prospects - albeit longer shots - in rds 4-5-6 too.

 

[FlyTimmo]

I haven't looked at this guy much, what have the Russian prospect people said about him?

 

[Delete99991]

What? Goalie is our biggest position of need considering we have no established NHL starter. We're deep at forward, d, and goalie at the prospect level after this draft so even there your comment doesn't make sense.

We have three prospects - arguably four, depending on how you view Lyon - ahead of this one in the queue who have NHL starter potential.

Fast forward two years. NHL, you expect to have one of Hart/Sandstrom & Stolarz; AHL level, the other of Hart/Sandstrom and Lyon.

In this scenario, we'll have dumped Tomek (ie declined to sign him); left new guy in Russia; and drafted/acquired nobody else.

Pipeline is clogged.

 

[mja]

We have three prospects - arguably four, depending on how you view Lyon - ahead of this one in the queue who have NHL starter potential.

Fast forward two years. NHL, you expect to have one of Hart/Sandstrom & Stolarz; AHL level, the other of Hart/Sandstrom and Lyon.

In this scenario, we'll have dumped Tomek (ie declined to sign him); left new guy in Russia; and drafted/acquired nobody else.

Pipeline is clogged.

Goalie prospects flame out all of the time at every level. You don't know what you have until they start winning lots of games in the NHL. All four of those guys could prove to be NHL back-ups at best. Meanwhile, we have 3 forward prospects picked in the first round that are easy to project as top 9 NHL forwards, plus like a dozen other guys picked in later rounds that have have real shots at NHL careers.

You have to pick goalies every year and pray that they hit. If multiple guys hit, fantastic.

Be honest, you just want a sexy forward prospect who's name you already know and who you can easily track, and who has a decent shot of at least seeing the AHL, rather than a goalie you didn't know existed who may never even cross the pond.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I haven't looked at this guy much, what have the Russian prospect people said about him?

He's playing in Russia so there's a chance they might like him.

 

[Delete99991]

Be honest, you just want a sexy forward prospect who's name you already know and who you can easily track, and who has a decent shot of at least seeing the AHL, rather than a goalie you didn't know existed who may never even cross the pond.

Yes, that about sums it up.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

There's no transfer agreement with KHL based players so the Flyers have his rights until he's 27. So they can be really patient & let him develop over there instead of bringing to the AHL if there's a logjam. Most of these guys prefer that anyway.

 

[pit]

We have three prospects - arguably four, depending on how you view Lyon - ahead of this one in the queue who have NHL starter potential.

Fast forward two years. NHL, you expect to have one of Hart/Sandstrom & Stolarz; AHL level, the other of Hart/Sandstrom and Lyon.

In this scenario, we'll have dumped Tomek (ie declined to sign him); left new guy in Russia; and drafted/acquired nobody else.

Pipeline is clogged.

I'd be very surprised to still see Lyon on the Phantoms in two years, especially if he is leapfrogged by younger prospects. He'll sign with another organization where he might be able to crack a lineup.

 

[Stizzle]

I'm going to watch the U18 bronze game when I get a chance. Kirill the Kid shut out the Swedes.

And they took pretty decent fwd prospects - albeit longer shots - in rds 4-5-6 too.

Good call. This is on YouTube...

[Yt]uRyfUQmpJRI[/MEDIA]

 

[Appleyard]

http://dinamo-spb.com/news/kirill-ustimenko-roditeli-skazali-chto-v-filadelfii-teplo/

Interview from after being drafted.

Says he watched the draft live online and was really happy and surprised to go where he went.

Says he knows a lot about the Flyers as a team and would be happy to come to Philly in future as the winters are nicer and he hates the cold.

Says was a Rangers fan growing up.

Seemingly a smart kid, looking at maybe studying for a degree in Economics while playing in next few years.

 

[kudymen]

Says was a Rangers fan growing up.

Seemingly a smart kid

Does not compute

 

[Damaged Goods]

Be honest, you just want a sexy forward prospect who's name you already know and who you can easily track, and who has a decent shot of at least seeing the AHL, rather than a goalie you didn't know existed who may never even cross the pond.

Nick Henry, in particular.

 

[Curufinwe]

http://dinamo-spb.com/news/kirill-ustimenko-roditeli-skazali-chto-v-filadelfii-teplo/

Interview from after being drafted.

Says he watched the draft live online and was really happy and surprised to go where he went.

Says he knows a lot about the Flyers as a team and would be happy to come to Philly in future as the winters are nicer and he hates the cold.

Says was a Rangers fan growing up.

Seemingly a smart kid, looking at maybe studying for a degree in Economics while playing in next few years.

Well now he's my favorite Flyers goalie prospect.

 

[Appleyard]

Names to the Russian B Senior national team for the Sochi Hockey Open in August.

He will certainly be the 3rd string goalie.

http://fhr.ru/en/main/ofnews/card/?id_4=13783

Youngest player selected to the team. Altybarmakyan in 2nd youngest turning 19 next month, Sukhachyov 3rd as turned 19 a couple of months ago.

Rest of the team are 20-~29 years old.

Should be a great experience even if does not get into a game.

Also gives an indication he may well be seriously considered for the WJC - as Sukhachyov will almost certainly be the starter.

 

[lancer247]

I suspect Hextall is going to continue to take chances at goalies he likes until one becomes a Flyer great and forces him to stop drafting goalies early. I have no problem with that.

Agreed
With the plethora of picks he has acquired, why not? It's probably the one position that has kept them from winning a cup since the Lindfos era.

It's not like he is neglecting other positional needs.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Is Ustimenko playing in the MHL this season or will he be playing in the KHL.

 

[dropdeadjoey]

Names to the Russian B Senior national team for the Sochi Hockey Open in August.

He will certainly be the 3rd string goalie.

http://fhr.ru/en/main/ofnews/card/?id_4=13783

Youngest player selected to the team. Altybarmakyan in 2nd youngest turning 19 next month, Sukhachyov 3rd as turned 19 a couple of months ago.

Rest of the team are 20-~29 years old.

Should be a great experience even if does not get into a game.

Also gives an indication he may well be seriously considered for the WJC - as Sukhachyov will almost certainly be the starter.

Hopefully Kirill gets the a game or two at the WJC for experience. It certainly can't hurt him.

Sukhachyov is such an interesting goalie because he's so short, but his numbers everywhere he goes are just crazy.

 

[Stizzle]

 

[deadhead]

You have to keep drafting goalies, but never use a 1st rd pick unless he's an absolute lock, goalies are as bad as pitchers in baseball, you can never have too many, b/c you never know when your elite starter will suddenly start foaming at the mouth.

And goalies often take a long time to develop, a few make it at 21-22, but most are more like 24-25.

So using a 3rd or 4th rd pick each year to stash a goalie in some league makes perfect sense.

 

[Appleyard]

Pretty much the inverse of Michal Neuvirth...