The second day of the NHL draft is well underway. With their second pick in the third round, the Calgary Flames have selected goaltender Kirill Zarubin out of the MHL with their 84th overall pick.
Kirill Zarubin player profile
Zarubin is a Russian goaltender who has played in the MHL for the last two seasons. Standing at 6’4″, he brings some much-needed size to the Flames prospect pool between the pipes. Zarubin had a tremendous 2023–24 season, posting some sparkling numbers in the MHL including a 1.99 GAA and .944 save percentage.
| Season | Team | League | GP | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Dizelist Penza | NMHL | 16 | 2.70 | .906 |
| 2022–23 | AKM-Junior Tula Region | MHL | 25 | 3.67 | .901 |
| 2023–24 | AKM Tula | MHL | 29 | 1.99 | .944 |
Analyzing the Flames’ pick
This one is a bit off the board, but the Flames did need to add a goaltender to their prospect pool with Jacob Markstrom leaving last week. Zarubin was regarded as one of the better goaltenders in the draft and a potential hidden gem, so this is a decent pick from the Flames that could look even better in a few years.
What’s next for Zarubin
The hope is that Zarubin can start to see some KHL action in the next year or two to allow him to face steeper competition and continue to work on his game. As we all know, goaltenders are long-term projects and Zarubin is no different. Make no mistake though, the potential is there.
