A Look At The Future Of Carolina Hurricanes Goaltending
By Alex Ohari
Pyotr Kochetkov
Goaltenders have always been the most difficult players for scouts to project in terms of development. If you need proof of that, look no further than Pyotr Kochetkov, who was the Canes’ 36th overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Drafted with the second-round pick acquired in the Jeff Skinner trade to Buffalo, the 20-year old Kochetkov had already watched 2 NHL drafts come and go without hearing his named called. The talent was always there, but unfortunately, scouts don’t see many Russian minor-league and junior games.
Fortunately for Kochetkov, he caught the eye of scouts when he was named to the Russian World Junior team in 2019, and also manned the Russian net in the 2019 CHL Russia Challenge where he shut down the OHL All-Star team.
“He [Kochetkov] was only passed over twice because we never got to see him play.” – an anonymous NHL goalie coach said in early 2019.
When Kochetkov finally got his chance in the spotlight, he absolutely did not disappoint. He posted a 1.45 GAA and a .953 save percentage at the U20 World Junior tournament, and won the Goalie of the Tournament award along the way. He also tore up the VHL (which is the Russian equivalent to the AHL) with a .930 save percentage in 18 games.
Due to that success after grabbing the attention of scouts, it was of little surprise to anybody when Kochetkov was the 2nd goaltender picked in 2019 NHL Draft, despite his status as a double overage selection. Kochetkov however, wasn’t ready to make excuses, and embraced being overlooked by NHL teams in the previous drafts.
“[I told scouts] Maybe you guys were looking in the wrong places or looking poorly,” Kochetkov joked. “But I’ve always been a realist and maybe I wasn’t good enough [to be drafted] the previous years. But I never lost hope.”
Patience paid off for Kochetkov, who’s looking like he has a really bright future ahead in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Hand-picked by the new management regime, Kochetkov was the highest-picked goalie by the Canes since they took Cam Ward in the first round way back in 2002. Obviously, Carolina is expecting big things from this kid in the future.
For now, he continues to develop his game in Russia, where he was traded in-season from KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg to Vityaz Podolsk, and he’s received more playing time. In 7 games with Vityaz of the KHL, Kochetkov has a 1-4-0 record, but a promising .922 save percentage. Unfortunately though, it’s been a bumpy season for him, as he’s played with 4 different teams across 3 different leagues.
But there’s no need to panic. It’s extremely difficult for a 20-year old goaltender to break into the KHL, which is the second best league in the world. It’s a testament to his skill level that he’s managed to appear in 13 games at that level this year, and will look to continue to build on that next season before his KHL contract expires.
When his contract is up, he’ll have the option to come overseas and sign his entry-level deal with Carolina, who could foresee a complete overhaul of their goaltending situation by then. Petr Mrazek and James Reimer are scheduled to be UFAs that summer, and currently unproven Alex Nedeljkovic will be an RFA. If Kochetkov is NHL-ready by then, he could fast-track his way right to Raleigh.
He possesses extreme athletic ability, and he’s got a real good chance of being an NHL starter with potentially elite upside. His style and overall game have drawn comparisons to Braden Holtby, which would be a really favourable outcome for Carolina. All things considered, he’s arguably the most exciting goaltending prospect in the Hurricanes organization.