The Jackets have two highly touted Russian goaltending prospects, including one who has been in the system for a few years.
7. (13) G Sergei Ivanov 6'0", 157 pounds. 5th round (#138 overall), 2022 NHL Draft. NHL projection: 1A (split duty) goaltender. Stats: .911% save percentage, 3.00GAA in 38gp for Sochi (KHL / loan). Currently slated to play for SKA St Petersburg this fall. How we ranked him: Curtis (7), Matt (9), Mike (7).
Why we ranked him here: My opinion is that Sergei is one of the most underrated goaltending prospects in hockey. If he were 2" taller, everyone would probably be raving about him. While on loan with one of the worst teams in the KHL last season, he kept Sochi in a lot of games and posted very strong numbers - especially for a 20 year old. The KHL is one of the best leagues in the world, and he is more than holding his own.
I believe that if he came to North America this summer, he wouldn't need much time to adjust before stepping into the NHL. He's an athletic goaltender who relies on his very good reflexes to make saves. He's very difficult to beat down low, and is pretty polished when you take his age into account. Fingers crossed, this guy comes over and makes things very interesting in the CBJ crease before too long.
6. (15) D Luca Marrelli 6'2", 185 pounds. 3rd round (#86 overall), 2024 NHL Draft. NHL projection: top-four puck moving defenseman. Stats: 19g, 55a, 74pts in 67gp for Oshawa (OHL). Will play for the Cleveland Monsters this fall. How we ranked him: Curtis (6), Matt (6), Mike (6).
Why we ranked him here: Luca is the biggest riser on our list this year, jumping nine spots and landing just outside of the top-5. He had a phenomenal OHL season, finishing fourth amongst blue liners in goals, assists, and total points. He then finished second amongst all skaters in scoring in the playoffs, with 36 points in 21 games.
He has everything teams want in an offensive defenseman. Size, high end skating, ability to distribute the puck, can score from distance, knows how to time his jumps into the play; and he's a coveted right hand shot. He will need to clean up his overall game, but he isn't far off in his defensive zone play either. I'm interested to see how quickly he can adjust to the pace of the AHL.
On the next slide, we look at some guys who made a huge difference in Cleveland this season.