Here’s the thing about goaltending numbers over in Russia: they can be deceiving.
Take Artur Akhtyamov’s 2022-23 season into account – he had a .943 save percentage and six shutouts in the second-tier pro league, and had shutouts in both of his playoff victories. The following year, Akhtyamov was named top goaltender in the VHL with a .927 SV% – and yet, that was the 20th-best save percentage in the league. In fact, 16 goalies had at least a .930, and four over .940.
So while the numbers might look flashy – especially compared to just about any other development or junior league in the world – it’s not exactly difficult to pull off results like that. The real test comes when a player makes the move to either the NHL or AHL.
Fortunately for Toronto, Akhtyamov has looked tremendous with the Marlies. Akhtyamov entered the weekend with a 4-0-0 record with a shutout and a .941 save percentage – eerly similar to his 2022-23 season back home. All three of Toronto’s goalies – including Dennis Hildeby and Matt Murray – have looked good for the red-hot Marlies this year. But, perhaps by pure luck thanks to Hildeby starting in the NHL, Akhtyamov might have won the No. 1A goalie duties because of just how good he has looked early on.
The 23-year-old was drafted 106th overall in 2020. At the time, he had just laid a beating on the Russian junior league and was set to play pro the following year. He even won his lone World Junior game in Edmonton in 2021 as backup to Yaroslav Askarov.
Still, he wasn’t exceptionally athletic, he wasn’t a massive beast like Hildeby and Russian goalies putting up good numbers are a dime a dozen. But now that real, tangible results are starting to happen – in front of the Leafs’ brass, no less – it’s a really promising thing to see.
“You saw the talent, but there were games where he barely broke a sweat back home,” one scout said. “He needed a challenge. He could have got that in the KHL, but moving overseas was always the right move.”
Artur Akhtyamov made 15 saves on 18 shots in a 4-3 shootout win against Belleville on Friday.
The AHL rookie remains undefeated through 4 starts.
Totals: 4 GP, 4-0-0, .941 SV%, 1.47 GAA#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/vMbtPHAlso
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) October 26, 2024
Being part of a three-goal rotation probably doesn’t hurt, either. The development staff isn’t rushing him, and they know they need Hildeby to keep getting starts, too. Between them, both look like potential long-term options for them, likely as backups. Anthony Stolarz has been unbelievable this year, and if it lasts, and they continue to keep Joseph Woll around, it could make getting starts with the big club much harder for their younger guys. But goalies develop much slower than other positions, and the transition from Europe to North America is a difficult one to begin with. A new culture, a new lifestyle, new friends, a new everyday language – it’s never an easy thing to deal with. Just ask Vyacheslav Peksa, who , who, between injuries and overall weak play, has struggled mightily since making his AHL debut last year.
Akhtyamov’s play is so fascinating. Sure, not every game has been overly difficult, but he made 37 saves in a debut victory and followed it up with a shutout two games later. The Marlies are a good team that can seemingly roll with anyone in net right now, but Akhtyamov has specifically been a standout from the get-go.
It’s still a small sample size, but it’s hard not to love what we’re seeing from Akhtyamov. Goaltending depth is a real strength of Toronto’s right now in a way that hasn’t been seen in a very long time. Both NHL goaltenders are playing well, and the two young AHL prospects are also making some noise. For Akhtyamov, you couldn’t ask for a better start to his AHL career – and if all goes well, it could translate to the NHL sometime in the next few years, too.
