The Future of Carolina Hurricanes Goaltending: Pyotr Kochetkov

The Carolina Hurricanes are set in the crease for the time being, but down the road, who projects to play in goal for the team? Could Pyotr Kochetkov be the answer?

If your dreams are crushed the first time around, you try again. If they’re crushed a second time, then… just ask Pyotr Kochetkov. He was passed over twice in the NHL draft, before finally proving to NHL teams they made a mistake. So, why the change of heart?

Goaltending is the toughest position to evaluate as a scout. For perspective, from the 2007 to 2017 draft, there was only 8 goalies selected in the 1st round and only 1 of those goalies (Andrei Vasilevsky) has gone on to be a starting goaltender in the NHL. Goaltenders are tough to project.

For Kochetkov, one of the factors that could’ve led to him being overlooked was that he was playing in Russian junior leagues. Its difficult for scouts to get a read on guys they don’t get to see a lot, and to top it off, Kochetkov’s team, Kapitan Stupino of the MHL, only won 6 of 64 games in 2017-18.

But this past season, things changed for Kochetkov. He moved up to the VHL, which is basically the Russian equivalent of the AHL. His numbers in that league, a 2.13 GAA and a .930sv%, earned him a promotion to the KHL, where he played 2 games for HK Sochi and had a respectable .911sv%.

His success during the season thrust him into the spotlight as Russia’s goaltender at the World Junior Championships, where he dazzled with a .953sv% and 4-1 record. Kochetkov was named as the top goaltender in the tournament, and with that cemented his impending draft status as a top tier prospect.

Which is where the Carolina Hurricanes came into the picture. The Hurricanes, heading into the draft, had yet to sign Petr Mrazek, and were anticipating the impending exits of Curtis McElhinney and Scott Darling. They went out and acquired Anton Forsberg, but the depth in the goaltending department was shallow. And then came their first selection of the 2nd round.

The Carolina Hurricanes ended Kochetkov’s 2-year slide in the draft, taking the #1 ranked European ranked goalie by NHL Central Scouting 36th overall in the draft. Kochetkov, at 20 years old, was the 2nd goaltender taken (Spencer Knight was a first-round pick) and arguably the most NHL ready goaltender in the draft.

As mentioned, Kochetkov is 20 years old so he’s already 2 years further in his development than a kid in his first year of draft eligibility. He’s also primed to take a massive leap up to the KHL full time, after being traded to KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg, where he’ll likely share the crease with former NHLer Magnus Hellberg.

Kochetkov is not far out from an NHL gig if he can impress in the KHL. He has good size and he’s a very atlethic goaltender, with his quick reflexes and attacking style showcasing his quality. Sometimes he can be a little over aggressive though, but can make desperate saves thanks to his flexibility. He’s also tracks the puck extremely well.

I would say Kochetkov is probably 2 years away from an NHL job, and potentially a little more. Petr Mrazek, James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic are all under contract for 2 more seasons, which gives Kochetkov ample time to continue refining his ability in his Russian homeland.

But how does he stack up in the Hurricanes prospect pool? I would say he is easily the cream of the crop. His style is rather similar to Alex Nedejkovic, but his size is more prototypical. Nedeljkovic knows how to win though (as evidenced by his 65 wins in 94 his last AHL starts), and these 2 should compliment each other beautifully as the future in the Hurricanes crease.

Also in the system, Callum Booth and Jeremy Helvig both have great measurables and are growing steadily, but they’re both older than Kochetkov and have yet to even secure a spot as an AHL backup. They each have potential, but are both likely long-shots at this point to be NHL starters.

Elsewhere, Jack LaFontaine has really fallen far since being a 3rd rounder in 2016 and is likely a bust. Eetu Makiniemi (4th round, 2017) looked promising at prospect camp and is moving up to the top Finnish league this year, but he’s raw as a prospect and has a lot to prove still.

So as of now, Kochetkov is clearly the diamond of a stacked Hurricanes goalie prospect group, and has a very bright future ahead of him. He’s likely still a couple years away, but he has all the tools to be well worth the wait.

Question for CC readers: Is Kochetkov the future?