G Dmitri Nikolayev - Spartak Moscow, KHL (2018 undrafted)

[scoutclout]

I didn't see a thread for him.

I've been watching some KHL games out of boredom this month, and I came across this 22 year old undrafted goalie starting for SKA (the goalie factory). His form and positioning is unbelievable. He has very strong reflexes, a good active right blocker. He basically stole one of the games for SKA with some very good saves.

Looking at his stats from the MHL and VHL, this kid dominates... at every level. How is no one talking about him? Most I've seen is a late round look at him in 2020 by Scouching. If he takes the crease in SKA full time this year, and continues to play the way he plays, I think he not only has a chance to get an NHL deal in the next couple of years, but he could be the next Sorokin/Shesterkin. He's that good. Would love if more people chime in who've seen him. Am I missing something?

Dmitri Nikolayev - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Dmitri Nikolayev, 2000-01-25 St. Petersburg, RUS Russia. Most recently in the KHL with Spartak Moskva. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Click to read more...

 

[SoundAndFury]

Looking at his stats from the MHL and VHL, this kid dominates... at every level. How is no one talking about him? Most I've seen is a late round look at him in 2020 by Scouching.

Nikita Lysenkov or Nikita Bogdanov are career VHL goalies and they had some spectacular seasons (we are talking .95+ Sv%) in the SKA system because their lower-level teams are that dominant (also VHL is THAT low-scoring). So almost any stat-related argument regarding SKA carries almost no value. Considering he has never played for Russian junior national teams at any age or level there must have been a reason for it.

Now, however, I agree that it's time to start watching more closely.

 

[Caser]

 

[Caser]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's 2018 undrafted, but good thread to make nonetheless.

 

[scoutclout]

Just keeps winning. He beat Lokomotiv with some huge stops. I saw the whole game, some of his saves on the PK were ridiculous. He robbed a near goal on the goal line too.

 

[scoutclout]

Leads the league in wins now, saw the 3rd period and he was left out to dry and still kept the lead. On the broadcast they were talking about Shesterkin comparisons.

 

[Treb]

He needs to prove himself a lot more in the KHL level (MHL and VHL are nice, but hardly indicator of NHL success) before he gathers significant interest, but so far, so good.

Also have to account for the SKA factor, see Mikko Koskinen.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Also have to account for the SKA factor, see Mikko Koskinen.

Not the greatest of arguments considering Koskinen was still obviously an NHL-level goalie, just not the starting one or worth 4 mil per year. Still, he is a terrible example of some kind of "SKA factor" which doesn't exist.

The KHL factor, however, definitely does exist and all goalie stats need to be taken with a grain of salt but again, Koskinen is probably the worst player to illustrate it. Legends like Vladislav Fokin, Vitali Kolesnik or Vitali Koval do come to mind. Hell, even Koskinen actually had better numbers playing for Sibir than SKA.

 

[Treb]

Not the greatest of arguments considering Koskinen was still obviously an NHL-level goalie, just not the starting one or worth 4 mil per year. Still, he is a terrible example of some kind of "SKA factor" which doesn't exist.

The KHL factor, however, definitely does exist and all goalie stats need to be taken with a grain of salt but again, Koskinen is probably the worst player to illustrate it. Legends like Vladislav Fokin, Vitali Kolesnik or Vitali Koval do come to mind. Hell, even Koskinen actually had better numbers playing for Sibir than SKA.

Koskinen was overhyped due to his stats was my point.

Also, Koskinen stats were better in SKA during the PO vs Sibir.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Koskinen was overhyped due to his stats was my point.

Also, Koskinen stats were better in SKA during the PO vs Sibir.

And it's the KHL thing, not the SKA thing, that's my point.

 

[Treb]

And it's the KHL thing, not the SKA thing, that's my point.

Fair enough, although I'd say playing on perennial contenders like SKA and CSKA doesn't hurt.

 

[scoutclout]

Fair enough, although I'd say playing on perennial contenders like SKA and CSKA doesn't hurt.

Is SKA a goalie factory? Yes. I said it in my opening post. They traditionally play a system that allows good goalies to thrive. But I challenge you to actually watch a SKA game this year. Their record isn't indicative of their play. They aren't dominating, they had no business winning the last game as an example. These are close games, not sure what's the reasoning but this isn't a 7W-0L beast, this is a team that's scraping by and gutting out wins. In fact there are stretches where they are getting shelled and this kid is digging them out. This team plays very lazy at times.

 

[Treb]

Is SKA a goalie factory? Yes. I said it in my opening post. They traditionally play a system that allows good goalies to thrive. But I challenge you to actually watch a SKA game this year. Their record isn't indicative of their play. They aren't dominating, they had no business winning the last game as an example. These are close games, not sure what's the reasoning but this isn't a 7W-0L beast, this is a team that's scraping by and gutting out wins. In fact there are stretches where they are getting shelled and this kid is digging them out. This team plays very lazy at times.

21-22 SKA 3rd
20-21 SKA 6th
19-20 SKA 3rd
18-19 SKA 2nd
17-18 SKA 1st
16-17 SKA 2nd
15-16 SKA 10th
14-15 SKA 2nd
13-14 SKA 3rd
12-13 SKA 1st

SKA have been outside the top 3 2 times in the last 10 years and has never been outside the top 10 during that time.

Again, I didn't say Nikolayev is not a good goalie. I said he needs a bigger sample size before receiving legit NHL interest.

It has been producing goalies, but not all goalies that goes through SKA become something.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Fair enough, although I'd say playing on perennial contenders like SKA and CSKA doesn't hurt.

I don't understand why do you insist on dragging this out so much. SKA doesn't play some perfect defense as scoutclout is pointing out, as people have been pointing out for years debating "is Shestyorkin really that good?". Samonov, Kochetkov or Berdin have proven it is entirely possible to not look so good between the pipes playing for SKA as well. However, you will be replaced immediately, which has happened in all of those cases.

Roman Alikin meanwhile, who is considered no more than decent by general consensus, has posted .937, .922 and .929 for basement team Amur the last 3 years. Sibir is even more hardcore case, over the last 10 years there has only been 1 season (18/19) where their starting goalie didn't have at least .92 Sv%.

[lots of numbers, read at your own risk] Koskinen posted .939 playing for them, Salak .945 and .938 separate years, Danny Taylor (!) had .94 in 16/17, Alexei Krasikov .939 in 17/18 and Anton Krasotkin is sitting on .949 this year (so far) after going .931 in 1B role last year.

So yes, being a SKA goalie doesn't hurt but doesn't especially help either, you have just as good chances to post similar numbers on some bottom-5 teams, which, again, was the whole point.

 

[Treb]

I don't understand why do you insist on dragging this out so much. SKA doesn't play some perfect defense as scoutclout is pointing out, as people have been pointing out for years debating "is Shestyorkin really that good?". Samonov, Kochetkov or Berdin have proven it is entirely possible to not look so good between the pipes playing for SKA as well. However, you will be replaced immediately, which has happened in all of those cases.

Roman Alikin meanwhile, who is considered no more than decent by general consensus, has posted .937, .922 and .929 for basement team Amur the last 3 years. Sibir is even more hardcore case, over the last 10 years there has only been 1 season (18/19) where their starting goalie didn't have at least .92 Sv%.

[lots of numbers, read at your own risk] Koskinen posted .939 playing for them, Salak .945 and .938 separate years, Danny Taylor (!) had .94 in 16/17, Alexei Krasikov .939 in 17/18 and Anton Krasotkin is sitting on .949 this year (so far) after going .931 in 1B role last year.

So yes, being a SKA goalie doesn't hurt but doesn't especially help either, you have just as good chances to post similar numbers on some bottom-5 teams, which, again, was the whole point.

Ok,

 

[SoundAndFury]

Is SKA a goalie factory? Yes.

This is actually up to debate as well since the only good goalie they have developed is Shestyorkin whom they acquired from Spartak when he was 19 and his talent was obvious to everyone. Askarov is pretty much running away from their "factory" and the rest have been simply imports whom they got with huge bags of cash (Koskinen, Salak, Hellberg, Johansson).

As mentioned before, their actual home-grown prospects, even relatively highly-touted ones like Melnichuk, Volkov, Ivannikov, haven't developed into much of anything, fringe KHL goalies. I mean it's not bad but not really much different from any other leading Russian hockey school.

 

[scoutclout]

2-1 shootout win, wasn't that worked, but had a lot of high danger chances against. Severstal isn't that good despite their record, but still a good win. SKA continued to leave this kid high and dry, there were so many wide open looks against him that he either saved or thwarted himself. Positionally and fundamentally I thought he continued to look good.

It's very early, and they talked about this on the broadcast again, its only September, but what he's doing at under 23 has only been done by a handful of KHL goalies (Shest, Sorokin, Konovalov). All of them drafted though. Wouldn't be surprised if he beat Shest's box stats especially wins for that age.

 

[SoundAndFury]

It's very early, and they talked about this on the broadcast again, its only September, but what he's doing at under 23 has only been done by a handful of KHL goalies (Shest, Sorokin, Konovalov). All of them drafted though. Wouldn't be surprised if he beat Shest's box stats especially wins for that age.

What is that exactly? Once again, someone like Krasikov had .939 Sv% as a 22 y.o.

I like hype as much as the next guy but this is nowhere near "handful of goalies" territory so far. The 16/17 season alone had 6 starting U23 goalies post .92+ Sv%. Unless you are looking at some odd team stat like "wins to start the season" or something along those lines.

 

[scoutclout]

What is that exactly? Once again, someone like Krasikov had .939 Sv% as a 22 y.o.

I like hype as much as the next guy but this is nowhere near "handful of goalies" territory so far. The 16/17 season alone had 6 starting U23 goalies post .92+ Sv%. Unless you are looking at some odd team stat like "wins to start the season" or something along those lines.

That's what they said on the broadcast.

Guy keeps winning. Another dominant performance today though tbf it was Kunlun. Recently won goalie of the week, will probably win goalie of the month.

 

[scoutclout]

Went the distance last game with amazing save after amazing safe but got no goal support (only let in 1 goal, and in the shootout) and today (above clip) he was on absolute fire shutting out the 2nd best offense in the league 3:0, the game just ended moments ago and with the score you might think it was not close but SKA keeps taking the stupidest penalties (so many offensive zone stupid plays like what Khairullin just did at the end of the game) and playing the laziest d at times and this kid keeps bailing them out. He'll easily win goalie of the month.

 

[blink]

I mentioned this guy in the most underrated prospect thread awhile back and I still stand by that opinion.

He's a very interesting prospect to keep tabs on.

 

[SoundAndFury]

I was about to write a post praising him and then I checked up the stats, he is still behind Nikita Serebryakov in Sv% who plays for Admiral freaking Vladivostok. So I guess everything I wrote in this thread before should still be the main line of evaluation

The undisputed positive, however, is that SKA (and Samonov's injury) is letting him showcase himself fully, he is the first and so far only goalie in the league with 10 games played.

He'll easily win goalie of the month.

I agree but he will because he plays for SKA and has all those wins to show for it. You can't argue that Serebryakov having .951 Sv% and 1.37 GAA with Admiral isn't more impressive.

 

[scoutclout]

I was about to write a post praising him and then I checked up the stats, he is still behind Nikita Serebryakov in Sv% who plays for Admiral freaking Vladivostok. So I guess everything I wrote in this thread before should still be the main line of evaluation

The undisputed positive, however, is that SKA (and Samonov's injury) is letting him showcase himself fully, he is the first and so far only goalie in the league with 10 games played.


I agree but he will because he plays for SKA and has all those wins to show for it. You can't argue that Serebryakov having .951 Sv% and 1.37 GAA with Admiral isn't more impressive.

Hadn't seen Admiral outside of highlights.. but ya that was impressive.


edit: I jinxed Nikolayev but this SKA team is stupid with penalties. I've never seen so many careless penalties, it's fascinating.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Did he get injured?