The Colorado Avalanche should be able to rest easy as far as the worry level regarding their goaltending group. While they currently have two starting-caliber goalies, it won’t stop fans from discussing their top goalie prospect, Ilya Nabokov.
Nabokov recently spoke with media with the help of a translator by his side and he did not sound like a guy who expects to spend the entire 2026-27 season in Loveland with the Eagles. In fact, his confidence level appears to be so high that he wants to play in the NHL this year.
"My plans for the season are to play as many games in the NHL this season as possible and just prove that I belong here."Ilya Nabokov on his expectations
Those are some confident words for a player who has not played a single game even at the AHL level. It’s also a good thing to have that confidence. The world expects Nabokov to be the next best goalie prospect in team history.
What should expectations of Nabokov be for the Avalanche this season?
One thing that teams try not to do is to rush players along. If a player gets pushed into a situation earlier than he expects, it could hurt his confidence. Nabokov has yet to play in the AHL. There are at least two things that might be difficult for Nabokov to adjust to: The size difference in the rinks compared to the KHL and the communication the game of hockey relies on.
That’s not to say that it can’t be done. Players such as Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen have had tremendous success despite not having english as their first language.
Additionally, as far as the Avalanche go, it could be best if they hold onto both Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood as a duo this year. They both have shown that they can hold the fort down for an entire season, as evidenced by their duo earning the Jennings trophy for allowing the fewest goals this season.
It is also possible that Nabokov plays the first half of the AHL season with the Eagles and then gets brought up later on. If that were to happen, it would be for one of at least two reasons: An injury to either Blackwood or Wedgewood, or the Avalanche pulling the trigger on a trade—presumably Blackwood to clear cap space.
The cap space idea would be to clear some money for the future, as Lehkonen, Wedgewood, and Nicolas Roy are heading into a contract year.
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