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

[Appleyard]

25 save shut-out in a game where his team were outplayed.

6th shut-out of the season, which leads the MHL.

Now:

22-5-3 on the season. .927 sv%

 

[dats81]

This guy could turn into the dark horse in the goalie prospect race.

 

[whitstifier]

30 games for Ustimenko already? Wow

 

[deadhead]

He's the poster child for the "leave no goalie behind" program.
Hextall likes to take one a year, so far we're hitting on about 1 in 3.
Which is why he'll continue to take goalies, ideally you want them spaced a couple years apart, but hit and miss and "accidents will happen" will provide that kind of spacing, Sandstrom will lose a year, Tomek is in the witness protection program, Stolarz is ???, Lyon is quickly making a case for a new career . . .

Ustimenko is 4-5 years away, just in time to audition for the role of Hart's backup.

 

[RANKKA]

Watched his game today went 21/25 on 3-4 loss, didin't have a good game though i still think he should get up league or 2 next year. Here are the goals he gave up today:

Прямая трансляция матча. МХК«Динамо СПб» - «Русские Витязи». (21.1.2018)

 

[David St Hubbins]

Last one was weak, but the other 2 came on a scramble and a deflection right in front. Not much help on either from his d.

 

[Embiid]

It would be great if he turned out to be another Bob..but we squandered that fortuitous find....

 

[Appleyard]

I've seen him in ~10 full games this season.

The only real issue is he is a bit inconsistent.

Has games where he is just unbeatable... and then has games where he has a 10 minute stretch where just looks really off.

A hell of a lot of talent though. Hopefully he gets VHL starter job next year.

 

[RANKKA]

Hopefully he gets VHL starter job next year.

yea this what im hoping too, there is so much those stretches where he just stands there, hard to play when you see a shot here and there...

 

[Appleyard]

Ustimenko keeps going strong in the MHL.

Shut-out in a 4-0 win today. Stopped all 19 shots.

That was his 10th shut-out of the year, no-one else in the league has more than 6.

His .927sv% is 4th best amongst goalie with 20+gp (45 goalies).

 

[David St Hubbins]

What are his chances of making (and playing in) the KHL in the next couple of seasons?

 

[FLYguy3911]

What are his chances of making (and playing in) the KHL in the next couple of seasons?

I'd imagine he'd play in the VHL next year.

 

[Appleyard]

I'd imagine he'd play in the VHL next year.

Yeh, either for his current club, whose most senior side are actually VHL.

Of if Salavat sign him and send him to Toros. But Salavat+goalie worry me a bit... they HOARD them and often have 3 guys in Toros.

Though next year Khomchecnko is likely KHL or elsewhere... and Flyers Fedotov would probably his tandem partner!

 

[whitstifier]

Why not AHL? There are Russian speakers on the Phantoms

Probably as unprepared as Hart for pro hockey, though, right?

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yeh, either for his current club, whose most senior side are actually VHL.

Of if Salavat sign him and send him to Toros. But Salavat+goalie worry me a bit... they HOARD them and often have 3 guys in Toros.

Though next year Khomchecnko is likely KHL or elsewhere... and Flyers Fedotov would probably his tandem partner!

Did Salavat officially acquire his rights? I know there was a report but never saw anything official.

 

[Appleyard]

Did Salavat officially acquire his rights? I know there was a report but never saw anything official.

Yeh, Salavat confirmed it a day after the reports in December.

"Салават Юлаев" получил права на двух игроков юниорской сборной

 

[GapToothedWonder]

Why not AHL? There are Russian speakers on the Phantoms

Probably as unprepared as Hart for pro hockey, though, right?

Carter Hart might be in an amateur league but he is already playing professional hockey.

 

[David St Hubbins]

I’d think playing goalie for Canada in international competition counts as professional level scrutiny and pressure, even as an amateur

 

[Curufinwe]

Half the point of taking a Russian goalie is so you can stash them there until they are ready to play at least part of the season in the NHL. Tampa got 102 games from Vasilevskiy on his ELC.

Andrei Vasilevskiy - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Audible Velvet]

Where would you folks rank him on the depth chart at this point?

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Damn. 10 shutouts in 44 games. 1.78 GAA.

I've had high hopes for this pick since the draft.

Among Flyers' goalie prospects, he's gotta be getting close to challenging Sandstrom for #2, since Sandstrom has had a down season dealing with the hiatal hernia.

 

[Theo Von]

I have to say this, as a CBJ fan.. this guy could very well be your guys’ next “Bob”.

His stats are pretty flawless. I was surprised to see all the “Mehs” in this thread when you guys took him but he might be one of the biggest steals in this draft. Of course, the question is: will he make the jump to NA or not? If so, I love this pick for you guys. The potential is definitely there. Congrats to your scouts!

 

[pit]

I have to say this, as a CBJ fan.. this guy could very well be your guys’ next “Bob”.

So you like him because he'll be on the Jackets in a few years?

Thanks though, good to have him in the pipeline.

 

[Rebels57]

I have to say this, as a CBJ fan.. this guy could very well be your guys’ next “Bob”.

His stats are pretty flawless. I was surprised to see all the “Mehs” in this thread when you guys took him but he might be one of the biggest steals in this draft. Of course, the question is: will he make the jump to NA or not? If so, I love this pick for you guys. The potential is definitely there. Congrats to your scouts!

Hextall has done a heck of a job building a goaltending pipeline that is the envy of most of the league. Carter Hart, Felix Sandstrom, and Ustimenko all have NHL starter potential. Whether they develop and then get their shot is another story.

 

[Garbage Goal]

I feel extremely justified in my intotial responses within this thread.

Still have no clue why people were so down on a pick like this.