The Colorado Avalanche have had the most eventful year between the pipes that any expert could have imagined. They traded both halves of their goalie tandem early in the 2024-25 season to mostly fantastic returns. But even before all that drama, the Avalanche knew they needed to improve in net.
The Avalanche were the first organization to take a goaltender off the board in this past summer's NHL Draft. By selecting Ilya Nabokov 38th overall, Colorado made it clear that they have high hopes for the Kontinental Hockey League standout.
The young net-minder has an impressive resume playing in his native Russia. Nabokov filled his trophy case in 2023-24. Not only did he lift the KHL Championship (Gagarian Cup), but he also secured the Aleksei Cherepanov Award, given to the best rookie, and KHL Playoff MVP honors.
One might wonder why he stayed over in Russia after reaching the top so quickly. I think it comes down to not just showing appreciation to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, who helped him develop, but knowing the competition was good for his current needs. If he were somehow bought out of his KHL rights early, the shift would have been immediate and shocking—a whirlwind of change that could overwhelm a young player.
Imagining what could have happened if Nabokov were installed over in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles earlier this year while the Avalanche goalie room was burning down is a fantasy probably best left to Franchise Mode in NHL 25. I'm sure it would have made for feverish discourse amongst Avs Faithful, but it would have been unprecedented pressure for an Avalanche goalie.
Furthermore, I think if the heart-wrenching story of Alexandar Georgiev tells us anything, it is a reminder that goaltending is perhaps just as mental as it is physical. If things start to fall apart on you in net, getting right again is far from guaranteed.
Instead, because everyone involved exercised some patience, Ilya Nabokov got an opportunity to try and repeat. Nabokov saw more action this year, six more games played, with a slight drop in save percentage, from .930 to .923. Those are still numbers to be excited about for Colorado Avalanche coaches and fans. It might not be proof he'll be great, but it indicates comfortable consistency.
While Metallurg's early exit is certainly a bummer forbNabokov today, it could jump-start the next phase of his career. In a peculiar twist of fate, the beginning of that nudge out of the KHL ranks was helped along by another Colorado Avalanche prospect who scored the first of three goals against Nabokov in the 3-2 loss.
Colorado Avalanche prospects collide in KHL Playoffs
Yesterday's Game Six Quarterfinal saw the scoring kick off in the second period when Avangard Omsk's Mikhail Gulyayev scored in the second period. Many Avalanche diehards will know the name. That's because Gulyayev is also a recent Colorado draft pick. Gulyayev was selected in the first-round of 2023, 31st overall.
Gulyayev is still only 19 himself, and there is a lot to like about his game. He is a left-shot defenseman who can flat-out fly. The word on him coming out of his draft was that speed and skating ability are his greatest strengths. We all know how much this team values those things.
With 7 goals and 8 assists this season for Omsk, Gulyayev has put up respectable numbers. One thing I do like to see though, is that Gulyayev looks like he might be a playoff performer. He contributed just 4 goals and 8 assists last year in the regular season, he chipped in 2 goals and an assist in playoff games in a fraction of the time. This year, he's already got a goal and an assist.
Stats like those might not grab everyone's attention on day one if Gulyayev eventually makes the NHL. But I can say, as an Avalanche fan with a decent memory, timely goals are more than welcome on any team. A clutch blue liner like Josh Manson comes to mind when I think of the last Cup run.
Interestingly, the other two goals tallied against Nabakov also have an Avalanche connection. They were both scored by Nail Yakupov. Yakupov played six seasons in the NHL. The last one, after stints in Edmonton and St. Louis, was for the Colorado Avalanche, in 2017-18.
What's next for Ilya Nabakov?
Simply put, now we wait to see if Ilya Nabokov will make his jump to North American hockey. Technically, now that his season is over with Metallurg, he is eligible to move. If it does happen, it will most likely be a move to the Colorado Eagles, as they gear up for their own playoff run at the Calder Cup.
As per my last article, you can trust I'll be tracking Eagles news as well. Sadly though, the Jacob MacDonald record-watch is on hold. He took a tough hit in the last moments of Friday's game and did not return. He was then out last night, as the squad scored a bounce-back win. In happier news though, Taylor Makar did make his American Hockey League debut.
It is just another example of how in flux rosters can be at this time of year in hockey. Heck, if Avangard is done soon enough we might even see Nabokov and Gulyayev suit up as teammates for the Colorado Eagles sooner rather than later.