Ilya Nabokov Emerging as Avalanche’s Netminder of the Future

The NHL Draft has been hit-and-miss for the Colorado Avalanche. Outside of the obvious draft hits of Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen when they were rebuilding, but due to their current championship status now, it's obviously much tougher.

The Avalanche have less draft picks to deal with, as they are using the best available to make the best roster possible in trades. Any picks they have left are going to be much later in the draft, leading to trying to find a diamond in the rough outside of the bona fide first-rounders.

Outside of the early showings of the most recent 2026 NHL Draft, which is showing great early signs, the 2024 NHL Draft is a draft that has already impacted the Avalanche.

Max Curran and Will Zellers were in packages to acquire Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson, and we could see Tory Pitner and Jake Fisher from the NCAA soon with the Colorado Eagles in a couple of seasons, but it's pick #38, goaltender Ilya Nabokov, that's making waves now that he is with the Colorado Eagles.

In the five years that he played in the KHL, he finished playing 135 games with a record of 68-37-14, with a .919 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average. In 35 playoff games, he finished with a record of 20-13-0, with a .930 SV% and a 2.01 GAA.

On route to win the Aleksei Cherepanov Award (best rookie award), make the first all-star team, and win the KHL Gagarin Cup while being named MVP in the playoffs.

On paper, he was one of the best KHL goaltenders before signing his ELC and heading over to North America. Last summer, he signed his ELC, but he was loaned for one more season before joining the Colorado Eagles. Now with the Eagles in the AHL, he has been everything and more of what he showed in the KHL. 

In seven games played, he has a record of 4-2-2 with a .931 SV% and a 2.11 GAA. Among all goaltenders in the AHL with seven or more games played, he has the best save percentage and the second-best goals-against average. With his play, he has taken the starting role from Trent Miner, who had a great season but has started this season battling some injuries.

In the draft, he was touted as one of the best goaltending prospects available, thanks to his solid six-foot-one size paired with great athleticism and quick glove skills. While there are bigger goaltender prospects in the league, his footwork is quick and strong, allowing him to move around the crease quickly and efficiently.

Nabokov doesn’t achieve success by simply filling the net. He is proactive and confident in the crease, taking away space from shooters by making explosive pushes and getting set immediately. His details on the post are strong; he has a very solid hinge to stay on angle, and he simply understands how to utilize reverse-VH in a way that works for him. - EliteProspects 2024 NHL Draft Guide 

Nabokov's Play Could Earn Him A Roster Spot