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Carolina Hurricanes: Updating the 2019 Draft Class – Part 1 of 3

By Alex Ohari

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Ryan Suzuki reacts after being selected twenty-eighth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Ryan Suzuki reacts after being selected twenty-eighth overall by the Carolina Hurricanes during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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VANCOUVER , BC – JANUARY 4: Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov #20 of Russia of Russia crouches in the crease against the United States during a semi-final game at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Rogers Arena on January 4, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER , BC – JANUARY 4: Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov #20 of Russia of Russia crouches in the crease against the United States during a semi-final game at the IIHF World Junior Championships at Rogers Arena on January 4, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images) /

G Pyotr Kochetkov (2nd round, 36th overall)

The second goalie off the board in 2019, the twice-undrafted Kochetkov looks to be a good find for the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s older than most drafted prospects – at 20 – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing since he’s basically 2 years ahead of the rest of the class in his development.

Scott Wheeler recently said this about Kochetkov’s progression:

"“Kochetkov is an agile, technically-capable goalie who tracks the puck well through traffic and can get to rebounds with his athleticism. His proven track record in a good pro league should be enough to stir NHL belief.”"

It’s unfortunate, but Kochetkov has had an extremely weird season. He’s started multiple games for 4 different clubs, in 3 different leagues. After being traded mid-season from KHL powerhouse SKA St.Petersburg to Vityaz Podolsk back in October, he’s played in just 9 games since (7 in KHL, 2 in MHL).

On the fortunate side, his KHL numbers with Vityaz have been rather impressive. Despite a 1-4-0 record in his 7 appearances, Kochetkov has a 2.88 GAA and a stellar .922 save percentage. He’s got prototypical NHL size, and his reflexes are quite good.

Athletically he’s also very sharp; though he’s been knocked as being overly aggressive at times. Thankfully, because of his reflexes and lateral movement, he recovers extremely well and can routinely make desperation saves. There really isn’t many noticeable flaws in his game.

His progression to the NHL is fast-tracking, but he definitely still needs time. He’s yet to fully secure a KHL spot – which isn’t an easy task for a 20-year old goaltender to do – but the reality is he needs the experience and in-game reps to continue trending the right way.

The hope is that Kochetkov will be a full-time KHLer next year; and start a chunk of games. His KHL contract will expire after NEXT season (the summer of 2021) and the Hurricanes currently have zero goalies under contract past that summer. If Kochetkov continues to fast track, who’s to say he can’t be in the mix for a role in Carolina’s crease by then, at age 22?

It’s tough to say one way or another – he could also potentially need some AHL time to acclimate to North American ice – but with his age and experience in pro hockey, he’s not a long-term developmental prospect, and could be closer than people think.

Estimated NHL arrival: 1-3 years away

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