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Rangers Recall Dylan Garand

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The New York Rangers have recalled goaltender Dylan Garand (Twitter link). The move is reportedly precautionary, per The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, who shares that emergency third-string goalie Louis Domingue is “a little banged up” (Twitter link). The Rangers will otherwise stick with their usual tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick in Game 6.

Garand likely won’t be on the NHL roster for very long, but this move could still have major implications on the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who kick off the AHL’s Atlantic Division Finals against the Hershey Bears on Thursday. They’ll now have to do it without their starter, Garand, who’s been an important piece of their postseason success. The 21-year-old has posted five wins and a .931 save percentage in seven postseason games – a big step up from his 16 wins and .898 in 39 regular season games.

In Garand’s absence, Hartford will likely turn towards Olof Lindbom. Lindbom spent much of his season in the ECHL, posting 10 wins and an .884 save percentage in 29 games. He was a bit more effective in his six AHL appearances, recording a .916 save percentage, though he only managed one win. Hartford also has Hugo Ollas and Talyn Boyko on their roster – the former playing in his first pro games after starting for Merrimack College this season, and the latter Linbom’s backup in the ECHL.

Kings Mutually Part Ways With Assistant Coach Trent Yawney

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The Los Angeles Kings have announced they’ve mutually parted ways with assistant coach Trent Yawney, adding that a replacement will be sought after the team hires their next head coach (Twitter link). The news brings an end to Yawney’s five-year tenure in Los Angeles.

Yawney has a storied career in the NHL, beginning with his third-round selection in the 1984 NHL Draft. He’d go on to play 12 seasons in the league – spending half with the Chicago Blackhawks – and total 129 points and 783 penalty minutes in 593 career games. He even served as Team Canada’s captain during the 1988 Winter Olympics. Yawney retired during the 1998-99 season, only to return to the Blackhawks as an assistant coach in the 1999-00 season. He’s been closely tied to the NHL ever since, serving as either an AHL head coach or an NHL assistant coach in each of the last 25 seasons. He even earned a brief stint as the Blackhawks head coach in 2005-06, though he was replaced by Denis Savard midway through the following season.

This move is a backward step for the Kings, who face a head coach vacancy after parting ways with Todd McLellan in February. He was replaced by Jim Hiller, who remains a top candidate for the permanent role. Hiller led the Kings to an impressive 21-12-1 record, even earning a playoff appearance. The Edmonton Oilers eliminated the Kings in just five games, though their success showed their playoff potential. And while it’s hard to replace the near-40 years of experience Yawney has in the league, the space for one more hire offers enticing flexibility as the Kings look to maintain a staff capable of a postseason push.

Afternoon Notes: Devils Coaching, Drouin, Zadorov

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The New Jersey Devils have seemingly found their favorites on the coaching market, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting on the Jeff Marek Show that the team is currently favoring Sheldon Keefe and Jay Woodcroft (Twitter link). More specifically, Woodcroft was the favorite before Keefe’s firing. But the Devils were quick to interview Keefe when he became available, even going as far as requesting permission to interview him amidst his closing days in Toronto. The interview clearly went well, with Keefe now a favorite for what Elliotte Friedman described as the coaching role with the highest ceiling.

New Jersey would offer a similar backdrop for Keefe – boasting some of the strongest top-end forwards but struggling to find the same consistency in net. The Devils have the exciting advantage of a much, much deeper defense group than Toronto carried during Keefe’s tenure – with the core quartet of Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemec, Luke Hughes, and Jonas Siegenthaler stronger than what most of the league offers. New Jersey’s season was marred by injuries, best exemplified by star centerman Jack Hughes missing 20 games and star defender Hamilton missing 62. The inconsistent lineup was too much for head coaches Lindy Ruff or Travis Green to handle, with the Devils ending the year with a 38-39-5 record.

But even after the slow season, the sky still seems to be the limit for the New Jersey Devils. A fully healthy season out of Jack Hughes, a full year of young defenders Hughes and Nemec, and a fruitful addition with the 2024 10th-overall pick should set the bar high for the skilled Devils lineup, giving them playoff aspirations under the right leader.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Colorado Avalanche could be set to add a top-six winger back to the lineup, with head coach Jared Bednar dubbing Jonathan Drouin as a game-time decision, per Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Drouin has so far missed every postseason game with a lower-body injury – but upgraded to a full-contact jersey, and top power-play unit reps, at the team’s Monday practice. Those are good signs of progress for Drouin, who recorded a career-high 56 points in 79 games this season. He’s seemingly found his footing in Colorado, and will now be set to add to his postseason career totals of 21 points in 33 games. His return should bump one of Joel Kiviranta or Brandon Duhaime out of the lineup, depending on if Colorado wants to prioritize skill or grit.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety has fined Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid at the end of Game 3. Zadorov hit McDavid right into Carson Soucy, who landed a cross-check on McDavid’s face. Soucy will have a hearing sometime today for the incident. And while they’re certainly holding their breath in anticipation of a possible Soucy suspension, the Canucks are certainly relieved that Zadorov avoided harsher punishment. He has been one of Vancouver’s best defensemen this postseason, posting four goals and seven points through nine games, while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time each night. Zadorov has brought skill, finesse, and grit to the lineup – although maybe a bit too much of the latter, as he’s now facing DoPS punishment.

Morning Notes: Brindley, Soucy, Reichel, Rangers

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Team USA has added Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Gavin Brindley to their World Championship lineup, per Steven Ellis of the Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Brindley becomes the fourth collegiate athlete to join the squad, stepping into a room with World Juniors teammates Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Trey Augustine. The quartet played a major role in USA’s drive towards the 2024 World Juniors Gold Medal – and they’re now rewarded with an opportunity with the Men’s National Team. Brindley isn’t expected to line up for USA’s Monday matchup against Team Slovakia, instead joining Leonard and Matt Kessel as the team’s healthy scratches.

Brindley is continuing to have a fruitful off-season, signing his entry-level contract and making his NHL debut in early April. He received 12 minutes of ice time but wasn’t able to change his stat line. With Columbus’ season ending soon after, Brindley’s scoring this season was limited to the 25 goals and 53 points he managed in 40 games with the University of Michigan. He also added 10 points in seven World Juniors games.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL Department of Player Safety is expected to hold a hearing for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Soucy could be facing punishment for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid in the face, after McDavid was knocked over by Nikita Zadorov, during a late-game scrum. Soucy has been suspended once in his career, receiving a one-game booking for charging Conor Garland in March of 2021. He was also assessed a $2,500 fine for a roughing penalty in November of 2022. It will likely be Noah Juulsen who steps in should Soucy miss any time. Juulsen has played in one postseason game this Spring, recording a -1 in 11:24 of ice time. Juulsen is coming off a career-high 54 NHL appearances this season, though he only managed seven points.
  • Team Germany has also made a lineup addition, bringing in Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel, per Ellis (Twitter link). Reichel has been a key piece of Germany’s international presence, recording 11 points in 13 games across the last two World Championships. He also joined the team at the World U18 Division 1-A Championship in 2019 and the World Juniors in 2020. Reichel is coming off an up-and-down year, scoring just 16 points in 65 NHL games. He’ll look to reestablish his scoring spark in the familiarity of international play, with five games remaining on Germany’s slate before the quarter-finals.
  • The New York Rangers welcomed forward Filip Chytil back to practice on Monday, after he missed Game 4 with an illness. Blake Wheeler is also progressing from injury, upgrading to a full-contact jersey, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). Both Chytil and Wheeler should slot right back into the lineup, should both be cleared to play, likely bumping Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle back to the skybox. Wheeler made a strong impact on the Winnipeg Jets’ first round run last season, scoring six points in five games to bring his career playoff scoring up to 45 points in 65 games.

Seth Appert Promoted To Buffalo Sabres Assistant Coach

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The Buffalo Sabres have promoted AHL head coach Seth Appert to an Assistant Coach role with the NHL club, shares the Rochester Americans (Twitter link). Appert will slot in behind new head coach Lindy Ruff, backfilling the role that Jason Christie served behind Don Granato. Appert’s season just recently ended, following a 3-2 series loss against the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL’s North Division Semifinals.

Appert is coming off his fourth season as Rochester’s head coach. He’s led the Americans to the postseason in each of the last three years, going as far as Round 3 last season. The Americans have totaled a 123-94 record under Appert, despite having one of the youngest rosters in the AHL. Appert has been lauded as a development coach, after over 10 years in coaching roles across the NCAA and three years as a head coach in the U.S. National Team Development program. He’s vindicating those development skills now, doing well at supporting the many top prospects in Rochester. Both Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen have carved out top-line, nearly point-per-game roles under Appert – but he’s also found ways to make Viktor Neuchev, Kale Clague, and Nikita Novikov look comfortable in their pro roles.

This move will offer Appert the first NHL role of his career. Buffalo is reportedly content with where their coaching staff sits after his promotion, with the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski sharing that the team is not planning to add anyone else to the NHL staff (Twitter link). Lysowski also shared that veteran NHL defenseman Dan Girardi, who’s served as a development coach for the Sabres since 2020, won’t be back with the team next seasons (Twitter link). These moves round out the Sabres bench and remove Buffalo from the long list of NHL teams currently reworking their coaching staff.

Team USA’s Alex Lyon Leaves World Championship Injured

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Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon has stepped away from the World Championship in Prague, after being injured in Team USA’s Saturday matchup against Team Germany, per Jon Morosi of NHL Network (Twitter link). Lyon left the game just 24 minutes in, suffering an undisclosed injury seemingly during a scrum in the crease. He was replaced by 19-year-old backup Trey Augustine, who saved 11 of the 12 shots he faced to become the fifth U20 goalie to record a win at Worlds since 2000. Augustine and Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic are now the only two netminders on Team USA’s roster, though the team could add another goalie at any time.

This news brings a sudden close to what was an exciting opportunity for Lyon, who earned the Team USA starting role after fighting into the same role with the Red Wings this season. Lyon was red-hot in the first half of the year, setting a 18-9-2 record and .912 save percentage through his first 29 games. His second half stalled out a bit, as the Red Wings went on a dismal losing streak, but Lyon still concluded the year with 21 wins and a .904 save percentage through 44 games, earning a confident role over James Reimer and Ville Husso.  This year’s World Championship tournament was Lyon’s first chance to represent America internationally, with his only previous IIHF tournament coming in 2015, when he served as USA’s third-string goalie at Worlds. Lyon will now conclude this year’s tournament having allowed three goals on 50 shots, setting a .940 save percentage through two games.

All attention now turns towards who Team USA could bring to Czechia for the rest of the World Championship. Casey DeSmith led the squad at last year’s Worlds, posting five wins and a .918 save percentage through seven appearances. He’s currently busy backing up Arturs Silovs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but USA could turn towards last year’s backups – Calvin Petersen and Drew Commesso – who are each enjoying their off-season. There are also plenty of high-upside choices now available, including Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck, who has an open schedule following the Winnipeg Jets’ first-round loss.

The Americans are facing a pivotal decision, with their goaltending room now trimmed to a collegiate teenager and fringe NHL starter. There are a lot of different ways they could turn, as they chase their first World Championship Gold Medal since 1960.

Five Key Stories: 5/6/24 – 5/12/24

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With the offseason underway for most teams, the annual coaching carousel is now in full swing.  Several teams made moves behind the bench which is among the news recapped in our key stories.

Coaching Positions Filled: A pair of coaches got good news in recent days.  The Blues decided they liked how they finished the season so they rewarded Drew Bannister by removing the interim tag and signing their bench boss to a two-year deal.  He helped lead St. Louis to a 30-19-5 record after taking over from Craig Berube back in December and will now get the chance to lead the team through what’s expected to be somewhat of a retooling process.

Meanwhile, Travis Green didn’t wait to see if he was going to have his interim tag removed by New Jersey.  Having been granted permission to talk to other teams despite being in consideration to stay with the Devils, Green found a new home as he was named as the new bench boss for the Senators, inking a four-year contract.  This will be the third team that Green will run having held down the top job having spent parts of five seasons with Vancouver while replacing Lindy Ruff for the stretch run this season.  The Sens made another decision of note off the ice as well, electing not to forfeit their first-round pick this year from the penalty assessed in the vetoed Evgenii Dadonov deal two years ago.  They’ll have to give up either their 2025 or 2026 first-rounder now.

Coaching Positions Opened: While two vacancies were filled behind the bench, two more opened up.  The Jets are now on the lookout for a new head coach after Rick Bowness announced his retirement.  The 69-year-old had contemplated retiring after being let go by Dallas in 2022 but decided to give it one more go with Winnipeg.  The Jets made the playoffs in both seasons that Bowness was at the helm but they were ousted in the first round each time.

The other opening is in Toronto after Sheldon Keefe was let go after five years with the franchise.  The Maple Leafs had plenty of regular season success with Keefe behind the bench; his .665 points percentage is third-best among all active coaches.  However, the team hasn’t had much playoff success during that time as they won just one series and were ousted in the opening round by Boston.

IIHF Issues Sanctions: Given that Ivan Fedotov and CSKA Moscow defied the IIHF’s ruling early in the season that Fedotov’s contract with Philadelphia was valid and not theirs, sanctions were expected.  Those sanctions were announced over the weekend.  Fedotov has been suspended from international play for the next three seasons while also receiving a six-month suspension if he was to leave the NHL to play for an international club.  (He does have a new two-year deal with the Flyers being next season so this one shouldn’t be a concern.)  Meanwhile, CSKA will be banned from making any international transfers for a two-year period beginning on August 11th while being assessed a fine of $1MM Swiss Francs.

Bridge For Reichel: After a tough season, it was a foregone conclusion that the Blackhawks wouldn’t work out a long-term deal with Lukas Reichel but rather a bridge pact.  They wasted little time getting that done as the two sides agreed to a two-year, $2.4MM contract.  The deal is slightly back loaded as he’ll be owed a $1.3MM qualifying offer in 2026.  A first-round pick in 2020 (17th overall), expectations were high for the winger after Reichel put up 15 points in 23 games with Chicago in 2022-23.  However, he struggled in his first taste of extended NHL action, notching just 16 points in 65 contests.  Despite that, they’ll still be counting on him to be an important part of their future plans.

Losing Leads To A Win: This season was an ugly one for the Sharks who allowed the most goals in the NHL by a considerable margin and scored the second-fewest, leading them to a 32nd-place finish and one of their worst seasons in franchise history.  However, they were rewarded for their ‘efforts’ as they were able to win the draft lottery, giving them the first-overall pick, one that’s expected to be used on Macklin Celebrini.  They also won the first two draws for the second pick but since they already had the top pick, they had to redraw until another team won that one.  The winner of the second draw was Chicago, the one team who had fewer goals than the Sharks this season.  Those two teams had the top odds going in and the draft order wound up being unchanged by the lottery for the first time since 2010.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

Snapshots: Henrique, Pesce, Utah

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The Edmonton Oilers will be without centerman Adam Henrique in Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury, reports Tony Brar of Oilers TV (Twitter link). Henrique missed Game 1 of the series with a lower-body injury. And while he returned for Game 2, he played in just 11 minutes of ice time, limited by the injury that will now hold him out of action.

Connor Brown is expected to step back into the lineup in Henrique’s absence. Brown has played in one game this postseason, though he failed to change his stat line in any way. He’s coming off an incredibly slow season, scoring just 12 points in 71 games despite being recruited to play on Connor McDavid’s wing. It was a far, far step down from the 39 points Brown posted in 64 games during the 2021-22 season – though a torn ACL limited his 2022-23 to just four games. He’ll likely step right into Henrique’s role as the team’s third-line left-winger, though Brown may not be the choice for Henrique’s limited role on special teams. Those minutes could be fed to someone like Warren Foegele, who brings a bit more grit and energy and has similarly operated on the fringe of special teams.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to the team’s practice on Sunday but remains doubtful for the lineup, head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter link). Pesce has been out since April 22nd, battling with a lower-body injury suffered midgame. He was ruled as out indefinitely at the time, and while no direct timetable has been provided, his upgrade to doubtful is an encouraging sign of progress. Pesce played in 70 games this season, recording a career-low 13 points. He’s added one assist in two postseason games. Pesce’s return would likely bump Tony DeAngelo out of the lineup, with DeAngelo boasting just two points in his seven playoff games so far.
  • Utah is beginning to fill out their front office, with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that agent Chris Armstrong could be a candidate for a senior management role with the club (Twitter link). Armstrong has ties throughout the hockey world, representing Kyle Dubas in his negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs and advising Utah owner Ryan Smith throughout the buying process, Seravalli adds. Armstrong is currently the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Media Group LLC, where he supports the representation of top NHL clients including Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Zach Werenski. He also represents star golfer Tony Finau.

Ivan Fedotov Suspended From International Play For 3 Years

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The International Ice Hockey Federation has levied sanctions against Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov, KHL club CSKA Moskva, and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation for disregarding Fedotov’s 2022 entry-level contract, shares Jonathan Bailey of Philadelphia Hockey Now. Fedotov signed the deal in May of 2022, attempting to join the Flyers ahead of the 2022-23 season. But he was detained by Russian authorities when trying to leave the country, and forced to serve one calendar year of military service. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that this service came on an aircraft carrier in the Murmansk region, far from the front lines.

He went on to sign a two-year KHL contract with CSKA this season, warranting the sanctions. The official punishments, per an IIHF statement, are as follows:

  • Ivan Fedotov is suspended from playing in any IIHF competitions, including the Olympic Games, for the next three years.
  • Ivan Fedotov will receive a six-month suspension from playing at the club level, should he leave the Flyers to play for an international club.
  • CSKA will be banned from making international transfers for two years, beginning on August 11, 2024 and ending on August 10, 2026.
  • The Russian Ice Hockey Federation has been assessed a fine of $1MM Swiss Francs.

In search of any silver lining, Fedotov can at least be happy with his closing performance in Russia. He recorded 21 wins and a .914 save percentage across 44 games, adding a .916 in five postseason appearances. CSKA terminated his deal following the end of the season, allowing him to move to Philadelphia one year early. Fedotov made that move just before the end of the Flyers season, slotting into the first three NHL games of his career and saving 43 of the 53 shots he faced.

Fedotov stamped his spot in Russian hockey during the 2021-22 season, leading CSKA to the Gagarin Cup and Team Russia to a Silver Medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He posted dazzling stats throughout, setting a .919 save percentage in 26 KHL games and a .943 in six Olympic appearances. While a future Russian Olympics roster would likely turn towards NHL stars Andrei Vasilevskiy or Igor Shesterkin, Fedotov would undoubtedly be on the shortlist of final options.

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