Found this article from Phinally Philly.com thought I would post it along…<\/p>\n
Midway through the Boston series, I got some very good news. The news of course was that the Flyers had signed Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.<\/p>\n
Since I assume most people reading this won\u2019t know much about him, you can consider him the KHL\u2019s version of Vokoun. He has been languishing on one of the worst KHL teams (it was an RSL team his first year) for three seasons.<\/p>\n
Bobrovsky\u2019s Metallurg Novokuznetsk finished in last place in goal scoring with 105 total goals in 56 games (1.88) but, thanks to the efforts of their goalie, finished 13th out of 24 teams in goals against with only 159 (2.83 GA\/G). Once again his just plain bad team had a little bit of a bright side thanks to their now 21-year-old netminder, who had seen the team through three terrible years back to when they were a part of the RSL before the KHL was even created. To give you a hint, the team didn\u2019t do much better than last place in any of the seasons.<\/p>\n
Those disappointing years of course couldn\u2019t be pinned on their star; the one the Flyers happened to steal last week.<\/p>\n
In this past season on the worst team in the KHL, Bobrovsky put up a 2.72 GAA and a 0.919 SV% in 35 games played despite a frustrating 9 wins. In 2008-09, he had an even better 2.49 GAA and a 0.927 SV% in 32 games but, thanks in large part to his team, managed only 7 wins. He also played another 32 games over the course of two seasons in the RSL as a teenager accounting for a 2.85 GAA and a 0.901 SV% in the grown-up league.<\/p>\n
He definitely has talent despite his team, and his biggest goal was to make it to the NHL.<\/p>\n
That should not be too hard for a kid who plays a similar style to the Capitals\u2019 Semyon Varlamov and is often noted to be competing with him for the position of top young Russian goalkeeper.<\/p>\n
Oh yeah. Did I mention he\u2019s Russian? A Russian\u2026 Goalie on the Flyers. Not only are we not known to have any Russians, but since when are we known to have goalies?<\/p>\n
Well the Russian thing may be changing with Bobrovsky and defenseman Denis Bodrov in the mix. There are also rumors the Flyers are finally going to manage to get break-out forward Andrei Popov to journey to North America while the KHL battles their own nearly league-wide financial crisis.<\/p>\n
The goalie thing may be changing as well. Joacim Eriksson has signed an SEL contract but still holds out hope that the Flyers might give him a shot in the organization this year. If you couldn\u2019t tell by the Philadelphia hoodie he is often seen sporting over in Sweden, he\u2019s just a little excited to make the trip. He likely won\u2019t be in Adirondack next season with Bobrovsky hold the position, but he\u2019s definitely in the Flyers\u2019 long-term plans.<\/p>\n
On top of that, goaltending prospects Nicola Riopel of the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL and Jacob DeSerres of the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL will be competing in the upcoming weeks for a shot at the Memorial Cup, a junior hockey tournament that puts the three CHL champions against a team that is hosting for the title of CHL champion. Mike Richards won one of those back in the day. Claude Giroux came close. It\u2019s kind of a big deal. Also in the mix is Eric Wellwood, surprise break-out forward for the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL. It should be a good chance to get a reading on some of our prospects that will be in the AHL next season.<\/p>\n
So things are definitely looking up for the Flyers, and Bobrovsky is going to get his shot. He has all the talent in the world. Here\u2019s the breakdown on our two promising goalie prospects:<\/p>\n
Sergei Bobrovsky
\nAge: 21
\nBorn: 9-20-88
\nHeight: 6\u20322
\nWeight: 190
\nContract: NHL
\nAthleticism: Above Average
\nGlove: Solid
\nReflexes: Elite
\nRebound Control: Average
\nComposure: Elite
\nPositioning: Above Average<\/p>\n
Age: 19 \u2013 2007-08 Metallurg Novokuznetsk (RSL): 24 GP \u2013 2.91 GAA \u2013 0.901 SV%
\nAge: 20 \u2013 2008-09 Metallurg Novokuznetsk (KHL): 32 GP \u2013 2.49 GAA \u2013 0.927 SV%
\nAge: 21 \u2013 2009-10 Metallurg Novokuznetsk (KHL): 35 GP \u2013 2.72 GAA \u2013 0.919 SV%
\nAge: 22 \u2013 2010-11 Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL)<\/p>\n
Joacim Eriksson
\nAge: 20
\nBorn: 4-9-90
\nHeight: 6\u20322
\nWeight: 187
\nContract: SEL
\nAthleticism: Above Average
\nGlove: Solid
\nReflexes: Above Average
\nRebound Control: Solid
\nComposure: Elite
\nPositioning: Elite<\/p>\n
Age: 17 \u2013 2007-08 Brynas (SWE-J20): 16 GP \u2013 3.31 GAA \u2013 0.875 SV%
\nAge: 18 \u2013 2008-09 Brynas (SWE-J20): 33 GP \u2013 1.99 GAA \u2013 0.930 SV%
\nAge: 19 \u2013 2009-10 Leksand (Allsvenskan): 38 GP \u2013 2.40 GAA \u2013 0.926 SV%
\nAge: 20 \u2013 2010-11 Skelleftea (SEL)<\/p>\n
Since there are no YouTube videos of him, here are a few Sergei Bobrovsky saves for those who would like to see him in action:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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