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

[Curufinwe]

Possibly. But I wonder if they would rather see what's available in free agency before circling back to Talbot or Elliott.

The Flyers also carried 3 goalies for most of last season. Maybe they end up doing that again, so you would have Hart, Lyon and a vet on the Flyers, and Sandstrom and Ustimenko on the Phantoms.

 

[deadhead]

All goalies are hot/cold. Few are as extreme as Mrazek. I agree that Hart won’t be Mrazek-level binary. But Hart could go through some rough stretches—just look at his AHL start.

Well, that AHL probably reflected a big jump from the CHL more than anything else, once he adjusted to the physicality of the AHL and the more consistent skill level (you face only a few players who can shoot accurately with a quick release in the CHL, in the AHL there are a lot of scorers like Varone who lack NHL speed but have the skills to dominate at the AHL level) he was lights out.

 

[Ruck Over]

Prediction: We will all be clamoring for Sandstrom or Ustimenko to be called up to replace a struggling Talbot as Hart's backup before the end of the 19-20 season.

Dicktion: Talbot will surpass Hart as the Flyers #1, get injured, then Sandstrom will take the net, get injured, then Lyon will take the net, get injured, then Hart will retake the net, get injured, and Ustimenko will reluctantly take the net before becoming the first rookie goalie since Cam Ward to win a Cup, injured.

Difficulty level: While the winning of the Stanley Cup takes place in June, all of the injury shenanigans will occur within the first 3 weeks of the regular season.

 

[Van Buren Boy]

I'm not worried about Hart, he's not a hot/cold goalie like Mzarek, he's got pre-natural presence for a 20 year old and should be just fine.
Goalie is as much mental as physical, and I don't remember a young goalie with Hart's composure.

Carey Price. Had a great rookie season playing a similar amount of games then didn't have a great sophomore season 2.85GAA with a .905 sv% he slowly got better every subsequent season.

 

[Appleyard]

Asked an ex to translate it... seems a pretty solid kid with a good head on his shoulders. Pretty funny now, I have five different Russian speakers (4 native) who I am pretty good friends with, having seen 2 of them for a while, lived with 2 others, and worked with another! Makes life a bit easier when it comes to Russian hockey. And funnily 0/5 are hockey fans in any way. Every other Russian speaker I have met sans those 5 has been as well.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I didn’t realize this before, but Mike Smith is a UFA. I know he stinks, but I think I’d take him over Elliott & Talbot at backup.

 

[Appleyard]

 

[Ghosts Beer]

He looks so much like one of my old roommates from law school it’s scary.

 

[SanBlom]

He looks so much like one of my old roommates from law school it’s scary.

I see a little (younger) Bam Margera in him...

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I see a little (younger) Bam Margera in him...

A very young Margera, absolutely.

 

[Curufinwe]

The Flyers just traded one of their AHL veteran goalies to make room for him on the Phantoms. In 31 ECHL games he has a .919 SV%.

Flyers Trade Berube to Pave Way for Ustimenko - Lehigh Valley Phantoms

He has gone past Felix Sandstrom (2015, #70) on the goalie depth chart.

Kirill Ustimenko at eliteprospects.com
Felix Sandström at eliteprospects.com

 

[David St Hubbins]

interesting

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

YES! Get the **** out.

 

[Appleyard]

 

[CSKA1974]

Asked an ex to translate it... seems a pretty solid kid with a good head on his shoulders. Pretty funny now, I have five different Russian speakers (4 native) who I am pretty good friends with, having seen 2 of them for a while, lived with 2 others, and worked with another! Makes life a bit easier when it comes to Russian hockey. And funnily 0/5 are hockey fans in any way. Every other Russian speaker I have met sans those 5 has been as well.

@Appleyard , we can always cooperate on translations. (i may not be as good (looking) as your ex).

 

[Appleyard]

 

[deadhead]

It's rough when you have three young goalies (Ersson, Ustimenko, Fedotov) competing for your backup spot behind your 22 year old franchise goalie.

 

[Rebels57]

Hopefully Sandstrom goes back to Sweden where our awful farm system cant damage him further.

 

[KrazyKat]

It's rough when you have three young goalies (Ersson, Ustimenko, Fedotov) competing for your backup spot behind your 22 year old franchise goalie.

Fedotov had some very impressive stats if I remember correctly. I think he will be the first of the 3 to challenge for the back up spot.

 

[PDX Flyer]

Fedotov had some very impressive stats if I remember correctly. I think he will be the first of the 3 to challenge for the back up spot.

He is the one that sucked playing in college and got his game back going home?

 

[renberg]

He is the one that sucked playing in college and got his game back going home?

No that was Matej Tomek.

 

[Curufinwe]

Hopefully Sandstrom goes back to Sweden where our awful farm system cant damage him further.

Sandstrom is already back in Sweden. He’s a backup and hasn’t played while the starter has played 4 games.

Playing in the ECHL didn’t hurt Ustimenko at all, so I don’t know why you’d blame it for Sandstrom’s poor season.

 

[deadhead]

Fedotov is on a 3 year contract I think, which is fine, b/c it usually takes a few years in the KHL before they're NHL ready.
He's a bit of a late bloomer, given he's now listed at 6'8, probably took some time to grow into his body and improve his body control.

But top MHL season followed by an excellent KHL season (10th in S%), and following that with a good start.
So in 2022-23? he should be ready to come over and push for the backup job.

 

[Rebels57]

Sandstrom is already back in Sweden. He’s a backup and hasn’t played while the starter has played 4 games.

Playing in the ECHL didn’t hurt Ustimenko at all, so I don’t know why you’d blame it for Sandstrom’s poor season.

Sandstrom was on an upwards trajectory until he arrived in LHV and he's not the first to stall or take a step back. Its a dysfunctional system.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

I had really high hopes for Sandstrom. He had such quick feet. But it doesn’t look like he’s going to pan out. That glove hand just isn’t good enough, & all of the injuries haven’t helped him, either.