Former Avalanche goaltender reveals his secret for stealing the starting role in Calgary next season
Photo credit: David Zalubowski / AP
Former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Ivan Prosvetov could be in line to seize the starting job from Dustin Wolf with the Calgary Flames next season.
Prosvetov is set to rejoin the NHL ranks after a season with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Ivan Prosvetov set to steal the spotlight in Calgary next season.
Sergey Demidov from RG.org writes that the 26-year-old Russian netminder has inked a one-year, one-way deal with the Calgary Flames worth an AAV of $995,000. Prior to his stint with CSKA Moscow, Prosvetov spent eight seasons in North America, appearing in 24 NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche, along with 146 games at the AHL level.
Following a standout season with CSKA Moscow, where he recorded a 2.32 GAA, .920 save percentage, four shutouts, and a 20-16-2 record, Prosvetov drew interest from multiple NHL teams. Ultimately, the key factor in choosing Calgary was the chance to earn consistent playing time.
Here's what Prosvetov had to say in an exclusive interview with RG.
"The most important thing is the opportunity to play and compete for the starting position. I believe I have a chance to play in Calgary. When choosing my team, I evaluated the goaltending situation across various NHL clubs.
I didn't want to sign somewhere that already had goalies with long-term $6 million contracts, like Thatcher Demko with the Vancouver Canucks. It's challenging to compete with someone like that. I was also looking closely at the contract terms. I only seriously considered one-way contracts because teams knew I wouldn't accept a two-way deal." -Prosvetov
I didn't want to sign somewhere that already had goalies with long-term $6 million contracts, like Thatcher Demko with the Vancouver Canucks. It's challenging to compete with someone like that. I was also looking closely at the contract terms. I only seriously considered one-way contracts because teams knew I wouldn't accept a two-way deal." -Prosvetov
Prosvetov knowns the road ahead won't be easy, especially with the Battle of Alberta looming. As a member of the Flames, he'll regularly go up against Connor McDavid and the high-powered Edmonton Oilers.
«To be honest, I'm already preparing to face McDavid. Just recently, I watched videos of his training. I think I should prepare similarly. I've already faced star players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar-both geniuses, in my opinion. That experience gave me an understanding of how to work against elite talents. It's tough but achievable. Bobrovsky, for example, managed it in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals." -Prosvetov
At the end of the day, Prosvetov is focused on team success. While no Canadian team has hoisted the Stanley Cup since 1993, the 26-year-old views that long drought through an optimistic, statistical lens.
The longer something hasn't happened, statistically, the higher the chance it eventually will. Winning the Cup with Calgary would be unbelievable. Seriously, though, I don't think this drought indicates any particular trend. The Stanley Cup is incredibly difficult to win. Usually, the champion is a team that's been a contender for several years. There's a specific path teams must take toward winning. It's very rare to just suddenly take the Cup.» -Prosvetov
Prosvetov was originally selected in the fourth round (114th overall) by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2018 NHL Draft.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 23 | 21 ANSWERS Former Avalanche goaltender reveals his secret for stealing the starting role in Calgary next season Will former Avalanche goalie Ivan Prosvetov steal the starting position in Calgary next season? | ||
| yes | 7 | 33.3 % |
| no | 14 | 66.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
