At this point, saying Danny Briere’s first draft as Philadelphia Flyers GM was good, or even great, is an understatement. Matvei Michkov and Oliver Bonk are both high-profile first-round picks, and Denver Barkey has had his time in the sun, as well. However, the Flyers might have found themselves the next stud Russian goalie as well.
Yegor Zavragin, drafted 87th overall by the Flyers in third round of the 2023 NHL Draft, was just named as the VHL’s Rookie of the Week. Zavragin only turned 18 on Aug. 23, and has dominated his competition in both the VHL and the MHL. The 18-year-old has stopped 68 of the last 70 shots he’s faced, which is good for a .971 save percentage. Zavragin had a 19-save shutout of HK Chelny on Dec. 19.
So far this season, the Flyers prospect has made a mockery of both the VHL and the MHL, but especially the former. In the VHL, Zavragin is a perfect 9-0-0 with a 1.12 GAA, a .957 save percentage, and three shutouts. He’s been equally as good in the MHL with a record of 6-1-2, a 1.63 GAA, a .945 save percentage, and two shutouts. This may be the understatement of the century, but I think the Flyers’ young star is ready to move on to the KHL.
Doing so would be progress in the right direction for the Flyers, as the Russian Ice Hockey Federation has considered implementing a set of rules to keep their young players in Russia for a certain amount of time, before they would be allowed to play internationally. This apparently will not affect Matvei Michkov due to how early he started in the pros, but it will affect Zavragin, who has not touched KHL ice just yet.
Regardless, with the amount of time we’ll have to wait one way or the other, it’s nothing worth spending further thought on other than acknowledging it. Until he comes to North America, the Flyers and Flyers fans can continue to enjoy the Zavragin Show from afar.
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