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

[613Leafer]

Leafs seem to have inside track on Russian prospects lately. Pretty exciting if some of them pan out from this recent draft

We've done really well with attracting undrafted UFAs out of Russia, but that's very different from scouting unproven ~18 year olds.

Our most recent draft picks out of Russian leagues are Kizimov, Kara, Korshkov, Chebykin, and Dzierkels. So we haven't really hit in any in the past ~5 years or so (though Korshkov looks like he could be a 3rd or 4th liner).

 

[heatersthebest]

They normally happen early in the morning (Amirov's was at 7:30AM ET today).

Google: "KHL Live Games" and the first link gave me the option to watch any KHL/SHL/Liiga/etc game by just clicking on it on the left side.

If you are a premier league, or serie a fan and have DAZN already they play KHL games on it.

 

[daethfromabove1979]

Updated stats in two KHL games (99:11 TOI):

GAA - 2.42
SV% - 918

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

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.

Bolded, he is not economical in his movements thats what sets him and askarov apart. He seems to be just as gifted athletically but his movements are not controlled and he's exerting too much energy having to scramble back. This is why he reminds me of Gustavsson. Gus had all the potential is the world but he was never taught how to control his movements which is why he failed.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

We've done really well with attracting undrafted UFAs out of Russia, but that's very different from scouting unproven ~18 year olds.

Our most recent draft picks out of Russian leagues are Kizimov, Kara, Korshkov, Chebykin, and Dzierkels. So we haven't really hit in any in the past ~5 years or so (though Korshkov looks like he could be a 3rd or 4th liner).

That is what happens when you draft random guys though. Bobylev and Chebykin should not have been drafted. Dzierkals and Korshkov are fine, but were taken too early. Even Kara and Kizimov are borderline guys.

Russians don't translate often, and the ones who do are already at the top of their peers. I am pretty sure Mikheyev is the only exception thus far. So why teams keep throwing darts at random Russians who are not near the top of their peers is beyond me. Pretty much a guaranteed wasted pick, but we will see if Akhtyamov and Ovichinnikov break that trend a little bit.

 

[Bluelines]

That is what happens when you draft random guys though. Bobylev and Chebykin should not have been drafted. Dzierkals and Korshkov are fine, but were taken too early. Even Kara and Kizimov are borderline guys.

Russians don't translate often, and the ones who do are already at the top of their peers. I am pretty sure Mikheyev is the only exception thus far. So why teams keep throwing darts at random Russians who are not near the top of their peers is beyond me. Pretty much a guaranteed wasted pick, but we will see if Akhtyamov and Ovichinnikov break that trend a little bit.

It might be because most GM's are from the Bure, Federov, Datsyuk generation and they remember that type of elite talent. Hockey is a game of tradition, and hard to break beliefs, it's not true but many people still believe the best defence comes from Alberta/Sask/Manitoba/BC, the best forwards come from Ontario and the best goalies come from Quebec.

 

[mydnyte]

Bolded, he is not economical in his movements thats what sets him and askarov apart. He seems to be just as gifted athletically but his movements are not controlled and he's exerting too much energy having to scramble back. This is why he reminds me of Gustavsson. Gus had all the potential is the world but he was never taught how to control his movements which is why he failed.

thats not always true ...think back to Hasek, or Tim Thomas even. they were flopping left and right, all contorted and twisted around, even Vasilevskiy tends to be 'uncontrolled' in his movements.
Its how you recover that matters. being too stationary can slow your legs a little too much (Anderson) which is why the age of 'stand up' goalies is long past, and they are all hybrid butterfly goalies now. ...though i hate when they go down too early, that drives me nuts too. I think i'm getting off topic now, so, i stop here.

 

[nobody]

That is what happens when you draft random guys though. Bobylev and Chebykin should not have been drafted. Dzierkals and Korshkov are fine, but were taken too early. Even Kara and Kizimov are borderline guys.

Russians don't translate often, and the ones who do are already at the top of their peers. I am pretty sure Mikheyev is the only exception thus far. So why teams keep throwing darts at random Russians who are not near the top of their peers is beyond me. Pretty much a guaranteed wasted pick, but we will see if Akhtyamov and Ovichinnikov break that trend a little bit.

I think I read somewhere that from the 3rd round forwards in the draft the likelihood of you getting an NHL player who will play more than 100 career games is like 2% or something ridiculous. If that is the case and you know that literally only 1 out of your 50 picks will be an NHLer, why not swing for the fences and hope that you can hit on a hidden talent. Russian players are a crapshoot, yes, but the lower leagues are still not that widely scouted and I believe that there are gems available. Even in this draft, I think we have legitimate NHL talent in Akhtyamov and Ovchnnikov. Neither guys are sexy picks but I think long term if they develop properly, they have legitimate shots. One place where we've been super successful is Sweden. The AJ and Engvall picks have been brilliant. Never hurts to throw darts at guys who might be underachieving in leagues due to a myriad of reasons.

 

[VanW27]

I think I read somewhere that from the 3rd round forwards in the draft the likelihood of you getting an NHL player who will play more than 100 career games is like 2% or something ridiculous. If that is the case and you know that literally only 1 out of your 50 picks will be an NHLer, why not swing for the fences and hope that you can hit on a hidden talent. Russian players are a crapshoot, yes, but the lower leagues are still not that widely scouted and I believe that there are gems available. Even in this draft, I think we have legitimate NHL talent in Akhtyamov and Ovchnnikov. Neither guys are sexy picks but I think long term if they develop properly, they have legitimate shots. One place where we've been super successful is Sweden. The AJ and Engvall picks have been brilliant. Never hurts to throw darts at guys who might be underachieving in leagues due to a myriad of reasons.

I'd also add, you can't really talk much about our lack of success producing players drafted out of Russia because for so long we just didn't do it.

Between Kulemin in 2006 and Dzierkals in 2015 we selected zero players out of Russia. That's 8 straight drafts.

Since then we've taken
2016 - Korshkov (2nd Rd), Chebykin (7th)
2017 - Kara (4th)
2018 - Kizimov (7th)
2019 - None
2020 - Amirov (1st), Akhtyamov (4th), Ovchinnikov (5th)

Korshkov was a questionable pick from the get go, injuries set him back and now he looks like a potential depth player
Kara looked good in D1 and D2, but development seems to have stalled a bit (although I'm no expert on him).
Chebykin and Kizimov were both 7th rounders so hard to be too critical of them looking like nothing.

This year will be the test, obviously a 1st rounder has expectations and to me 4th/5th round picks should show promise even if it fizzles out (like Kara showed in D1 and D2).

 

[Magic Man]

Outside of Rodion, this was my favourite pick of this years draft. I think he's right on par with other goalie prospects in the system like Woll and Scott.

 

[Minty Cowboy]

I'd also add, you can't really talk much about our lack of success producing players drafted out of Russia because for so long we just didn't do it.

Between Kulemin in 2006 and Dzierkals in 2015 we selected zero players out of Russia. That's 8 straight drafts.

Since then we've taken
2016 - Korshkov (2nd Rd), Chebykin (7th)
2017 - Kara (4th)
2018 - Kizimov (7th)
2019 - None
2020 - Amirov (1st), Akhtyamov (4th), Ovchinnikov (5th)

Korshkov was a questionable pick from the get go, injuries set him back and now he looks like a potential depth player
Kara looked good in D1 and D2, but development seems to have stalled a bit (although I'm no expert on him).
Chebykin and Kizimov were both 7th rounders so hard to be too critical of them looking like nothing.

This year will be the test, obviously a 1st rounder has expectations and to me 4th/5th round picks should show promise even if it fizzles out (like Kara showed in D1 and D2).

Dzierkals is actually Latvian

 

[VanW27]

Dzierkals is actually Latvian

True, he was drafted out of the Riga system though. I know, also Latvia but part of the KHL/MHL

 

[Leafs87]

This kid is absolutely killing it in the VHL. .941 on the year and .955 in 9 games in November.

 

[HockeyVirus]

So this kid just had a shutout with the Marlies. He's 3-0 with a .964 and 1.0GAA.

Leafs have scary good goaltending depth

 

[Burnie97]

So this kid just had a shutout with the Marlies. He's 3-0 with a .964 and 1.0GAA.

Leafs have scary good goaltending depth

It's awesome.

Just funny we signed Woll for 3.67 was it? Anyway and we have Stolarz, and Hildeby.

By next year we could see that as a tandem with that kid getting major minutes in the AHL. Great situation to be in.

 

[conFABulator]

It's awesome.

Just funny we signed Woll for 3.67 was it? Anyway and we have Stolarz, and Hildeby.

By next year we could see that as a tandem with that kid getting major minutes in the AHL. Great situation to be in.

I think you are suggesting no Woll? Traded? Injured? What happen if Woll comes back and is our 1a or 1b? Can we run both Hildeby and Akhtyamov for the Marlies? Is 40 games each enough? Can Hildeby do this year AND next year as a Marlie? I guess we will have injuries at either the Leafs or Marlies, or both.

 

[Burnie97]

I think you are suggesting no Woll? Traded? Injured? What happen if Woll comes back and is our 1a or 1b? Can we run both Hildeby and Akhtyamov for the Marlies? Is 40 games each enough? Can Hildeby do this year AND next year as a Marlie? I guess we will have injuries at either the Leafs or Marlies, or both.

I'm just not sure what Woll is going to turn into.

Don't get me wrong... I love his ability and he could end up being unreal... but he's injured so often it's frustrating to be honest.

I hope him and Stolarz are a 1a 1b but it worries me then about Hildeby. I wouldn't trade him. I think he's the first guy we've had homegrown that's going to be really good.

3.67 for 3 years is a lot for a goalie if he isn't playing much.

It'll be interesting to see how the goaltending pans out this year. I hope management is smart about it but it's not easy.

 

[conFABulator]

I'm just not sure what Woll is going to turn into.

Don't get me wrong... I love his ability and he could end up being unreal... but he's injured so often it's frustrating to be honest.

I hope him and Stolarz are a 1a 1b but it worries me then about Hildeby. I wouldn't trade him. I think he's the first guy we've had homegrown that's going to be really good.

3.67 for 3 years is a lot for a goalie if he isn't playing much.

It'll be interesting to see how the goaltending pans out this year. I hope management is smart about it but it's not easy.

Yep, that's the situation. I also wouldn't trade Hildeby without a strong return.

 

[AcerComputer]

I'm just not sure what Woll is going to turn into.

Don't get me wrong... I love his ability and he could end up being unreal... but he's injured so often it's frustrating to be honest.

I hope him and Stolarz are a 1a 1b but it worries me then about Hildeby. I wouldn't trade him. I think he's the first guy we've had homegrown that's going to be really good.

3.67 for 3 years is a lot for a goalie if he isn't playing much.

It'll be interesting to see how the goaltending pans out this year. I hope management is smart about it but it's not easy.

I believe Hildeby has 2 more year of waiver eligibility, so he would be the insurance policy if Stolarz is not re-signed falters or gets injured, same with Woll.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Yeah the good news is that if Woll proves to be incapable of ever being healthy for a full season we've got Stolie the Goalie for this season and next, Hildeby just about if not already ready for the NHL, and Akhtyamov showing early signs of being a strong goalie in the future. The only potential damage is to MLSE's coffers having to pay a goaltender who's on the shelf most of the time, which big deal it ain't our money.