Prospect Info: [2024] 5th rd selection - #157 OA - G, Timofei Obvintsev - Krasnaya Armiya, MHL (6′4″/178lb)

[Stephen]

We have way too many already.

Woll, Peksa, Akhtryamov, Hildeby have a combined 39 games played in the NHL, so no we don't really anything.

 

[GQS]

When it comes to goalie prospects, that's a problem you want to have

We already have enough. Seems like wasted picks drafting more when you can take some swings and draft more forwards/Dmen who have a better chance of potentially playing for the Leafs someday.

 

[uncleben]

So is this an indefinite reserve list player?

Yes, he is

 

[keonsbitterness]

Well so far Woll is looking pretty decent and could be the starter if he can stay healthy and Hildeby looks fairly good behind him. Akhtiamov looks promising too. How many more do you need?

As many as it takes and more. Teams are always looking for goalies. And when is the last homegrown one we've drafted and developed into a legit starter for us -- Felix Potvin?

 

[GQS]

By the time this player could be NHL ready Woll will be in his 30's.

You still have Hildeby and Akhtiamov who are several years younger. And you can always trade for a goalie or sign one in free agency when you need it.

 

[BertCorbeau]

1 goalie every 7-9 picks is good.

Need to sustain that pipeline to hit one on

 

[WTFMAN99]

Apparently a freak athlete with unreal reflexes, plays unorthodox, like Georgiev but he's 6'4 vs 6'0

Might need a goalie coach but potential seems high.

 

[Knies iT]

Don't know why we need to waste more picks on goalies when we already have like 3 young goalies who are either playing in the NHL or could be soon.

Woll, 25 (NHL)
Hildeby, 22 (AHL)
Akhtyamov, 22 (ECHL/AHL)
Peksa, 21 (ECHL)
Obvintsev, 19 (MHL/KHL)

Seems pretty staggered/balanced to me. Most of these guys will likely bust anyways so you need to have a glut of lottery tickets. Petruzzelli, Peksa are looking like fodder, along with McKay who both struggled in the ECHL.

Stash Obvinstev in Russia, let Hildeby compete with Akthyamov in the AHL for starts and hope one hits.

 

[7even]

I'll just call him Timo or Obi when I'm posting how he did in games this year

Obi Wan Timofei

 

[SprDaVE]

Obvintsev seems pretty straightforward as a name to me.

It was just a little joke Rojac.

 

[Leafs1991]

Well so far Woll is looking pretty decent and could be the starter if he can stay healthy and Hildeby looks fairly good behind him. Akhtiamov looks promising too. How many more do you need?

None of these goalies are guarnateed to be a #1 at all, even Woll. None of them have shown that yet. So yes, it is smart to keep drafting goalies.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Screw you! Don't call me Timmy!

 

[Machinae]

Imagine having 4-5 NHL caliber goalies in a few years? What a nightmare /s

 

[BlueBaron]

This my official annual complaint we did not take a goalie with a higher pick. I have not been watching close but where is out boy on the goalie draft chart? Top 5 I hope.

 

[uncleben]

This my official annual complaint we did not take a goalie with a higher pick. I have not been watching close but where is out boy on the goalie draft chart? Top 5 I hope.

I actually like the potential for Obvintsev, but he wasn't ranked in Central Scouting's 57 goalies

 

[67Cup]

FWIW, he is rated #5 among goalies by the Black Book with some pretty enthusiastic comments. Basically, he is described as raw but Uber talented.

 

[stats1]

You need to draft a goalie at least once in every draft. Literally lucky in 6 or 7 them develops

 

[GQS]

None of these goalies are guarnateed to be a #1 at all, even Woll. None of them have shown that yet. So yes, it is smart to keep drafting goalies.

At that point I'd rather just trade for someone else's young goalie or find one in other leagues or sign a free agent etc. The point is there's plenty of other ways to get a goalie than to draft them and wait forever for them to possibly develop into an NHL goalie for you. In fact if anything it proves that drafting goalies is a huge crapshoot even more so than drafting a forward or Dman if all the goalies you've drafted so far haven't worked out.

At least with other positions you usually find out pretty soon if a prospect has the potential to become an NHL player and if they do then they can start contributing to your team earlier. The same can't be said for goalies where only the best ones might start playing in the NHL in their early 20s. Otherwise it may take even longer before they might play in the NHL. Give me a forward or Dman that can possibly play in a few years or earlier over a goalie that may take much longer to help your team.

 

[Stringer Bell]

When the Leafs had Gibson, Sparks, Bibeau, and Kaskisuo, it was crazy to waste a pick on Woll.

 

[GQS]

Woll, 25 (NHL)
Hildeby, 22 (AHL)
Akhtyamov, 22 (ECHL/AHL)
Peksa, 21 (ECHL)
Obvintsev, 19 (MHL/KHL)

Seems pretty staggered/balanced to me. Most of these guys will likely bust anyways so you need to have a glut of lottery tickets. Petruzzelli, Peksa are looking like fodder, along with McKay who both struggled in the ECHL.

Stash Obvinstev in Russia, let Hildeby compete with Akthyamov in the AHL for starts and hope one hits.

If one or two of them become good goalies what will you do with all the others? Why not just draft forwards and Dman who can potentially contribute earlier if they're good or that you can use in a trade for someone else's goalie instead? Let other teams draft and develop their goalies and then trade for them if you need to.

Just look at the Caps who just traded a couple of 3rd round picks for Logan Thompson. Maybe he works out or maybe he doesn't, but he'll be ready to go next season instead of waiting for your young guys to take years to develop after you draft them.

 

[Stringer Bell]

At that point I'd rather just trade for someone else's young goalie or find one in other leagues or sign a free agent etc. The point is there's plenty of other ways to get a goalie than to draft them and wait forever for them to possibly develop into an NHL goalie for you. In fact if anything it proves that drafting goalies is a huge crapshoot even more so than drafting a forward or Dman if all the goalies you've drafted so far haven't worked out.

At least with other positions you usually find out pretty soon if a prospect has the potential to become an NHL player and if they do then they can start contributing to your team earlier. The same can't be said for goalies where only the best ones might start playing in the NHL in their early 20s. Otherwise it may take even longer before they might play in the NHL. Give me a forward or Dman that can possibly play in a few years or earlier over a goalie that may take much longer to help your team.

Soros
Hellebuyck
Skinner
Demko
Oettinger
Shesterkin
Vasilevesky
Binnington
Swayman
Sorokin

all drafted by their team.

You know what starting goalies last year were acquired and weren't drafted by their team?

Bobrovsky
Georgiev
Lindgren
Samsonov
Markstrom
Ullmark
Korpisolo
Mrazek
Quick
Fleury
Blackwood
Gustavsson


What category would you rather the Leafs be in? You want them to sign or acquire one like the teams did in the second category?

What are we even talking about here?

 

[GQS]

Soros
Hellebuyck
Skinner
Demko
Oettinger
Shesterkin
Vasilevesky
Binnington
Swayman
Sorokin

all drafted by their team.

You know what starting goalies last year were acquired and weren't drafted by their team?

Bobrovsky
Georgiev
Lindgren
Samsonov
Markstrom
Ullmark
Korpisolo
Mrazek
Quick
Fleury
Blackwood
Gustavsson


What category would you rather the Leafs be in? You want them to sign or acquire one like the teams did in the second category?

What are we even talking about here?

The thing is how many picks do you have to spend to hit the lotto and find a good goalie and how many years will it take for them to develop into becoming not just a starter, but a really good goalie?

Also of the goalies you mentioned, Binnington hasn't been really great ever since the cup win. Skinner is decent at best and often inconsistent and lets in softies. Helle was awful in the playoffs this year and Oettinger was average to decent alot of the time that I saw him.

The point is even if you hit on a goalie, many are still pretty unpredictable. The really good goalies will usually be more consistently good and have fewer dips in their play, but the number of goalies who fall in that category are relatively few. To me goalies are too hard to predict unless they've shown themselves to be really good and are worth a pick on. Otherwise I'd just rather take more chances on forwards and Dmen instead.

 

[djdev]

We already have enough. Seems like wasted picks drafting more when you can take some swings and draft more forwards/Dmen who have a better chance of potentially playing for the Leafs someday.

ye but we have 30 forward prospects in our system now, where are they all gonna play????

lets look at our best goalies we have drafted over the past 30ish years up until joseph woll(whos played like 30 games and cant stay on the ice)

eric fichaud(16th ovr pick)
doug bonner
jamie hodson
sergei rostev
vladimir kulikov
michael tellqvist
jan chovan
todd ford
the cant miss blue chip, chl goalie over the year, team gold medal winner as a the starting goalie...justin pogge.
tukka rask
james reimer
garret sparks
antoine bibeau


so thats what? 1 great starter and 1 backup in 13 picks, including a few blue chip goalie prospects.



goalies are voodoo, pick as many promising ones as u can, having great goalie prospects is NEVER a waste given its the most important position in the NHL.

 

[JeromeHP]

FWIW, he is rated #5 among goalies by the Black Book with some pretty enthusiastic comments. Basically, he is described as raw but Uber talented.

We discussed him in our goalie podcast for those who are curious. This marks the fourth consecutive draft in which the Leafs have chosen one of our sleeper picks: Knies (2021), Grebyonkin & Hildeby (2022), and Cowan (2023).

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Imagine having 4-5 NHL caliber goalies in a few years? What a nightmare /s

1 out of 5 turning into an elite stone wall (not Woll) would be something I don't think we've ever had.

Not from a draft. (but Rask) Sure Potvin, Cujo, and Belfour were really good for us, but since then.......

Really happy to take a chance on a goalie.