Update On Habs Goaltending Prospects

The first goaltender we will discuss today is likely the netminder that has had the most success as of late, Yevgeni Volokhin, who has been playing in the VHL with Khimik Voskresensk for most of the season. Volokhin has also played 4 KHL games with Spartak Moskva, where he has had some struggles with an .870 and a 3.45 GAA alongside his 1-2 record. However, he hasn’t played in the KHL since December 7th, when he was in goal for a 7-5 loss in which he allowed 4 goals on 30 shots after coming in relief for Spartak’s starting netminder, so it’s been a while since he has shown what he could do in the top Russian league.

With that being said, Volokhin has been on fire in the VHL ever since. In 6 games with Khimik Voskresensk, he has posted an incredible .959 save percentage and 1.17 GAA, while posting a 4-1-1 record, including 1 shutout. He has been dominant, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets his next opportunity to play for Spartak Moskva in the KHL at some point. Volokhin may never come over to North America, but he’s likely the best goaltending prospect outside Jacob Fowler in the Habs organization. If Volokhin ever does come over, he has the potential to be an NHL backup.

The next netminder is Belarusian Arseni Radkov, who is now playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs after being traded by the Boisbriand-Blainville Armada earlier this month. Ever since the trade, he has continued his up-and-down season in the QMJHL, where he’s posted a .890 save percentage with a 3.58 GAA and 2-2-1 record. Meanwhile, prior to the trade, he had a 12-7-3 record in 23 games with a .894 save percentage and a 3.02 GAA, so he is still adjusting to playing with his new team.

In fact, his last game was against the Armada, where he put up one of his worst games of the season as he allowed 5 goals on 26 shots in a 5-1 Sea Dogs loss. Hopefully, things get better for the Habs prospect as the rest of the season plays out.

Alexis Cournoyer has been having a great year in the NCAA with Cornell University, but since the New Year, his overall play has dropped a little. In 5 games since the start of 2026, Cournoyer has posted a .894 save percentage and a 2.20 GAA with a 4-1 record. He is still winning games, but compared to his red-hot start to the season, Cournoyer is not playing nearly at the same level that he once was. However, the reality is that Cournoyer has probably fallen back to what has been expected of him. He likely won’t ever be an NHLer, but he is having a solid season at Cornell nonetheless. Cournoyer was even recently added to the Mike Richter Award shortlist as the NCAA’s best goaltender.

Going from one goaltender prospect in the NCAA to another in Quentin Miller at the University of Denver. Unlike Cournoyer, Miller’s New Year hasn’t gone well at all, as he and the Denver Pioneers have gone 1-5-1 in 7 games during January. During that time he has allowed 21 goals for a 3.00 GAA and an .882 save percentage.

The final goaltending prospect that is worth discussing is Emmett Croteau, who is the Habs’ 3rd goaltending prospect in the NCAA. He plays at Dartmouth College, where he’s only played 11 games this season, which includes 4 games as of the New Year. In those 4 games, his play has been up-and-down, as he started off with 2 rough games where he had a save percentage below .900 before having a strong .933 save percentage in his last 2 matchups. Of all these prospects discussed, Croteau is the one that likely gets discussed the least due to the small number of games that Dartmouth plays.

The Habs also have prospect Mikus Vecvanags, who was recently cut by the Newfoundland Regiments and is now in the BCHL playing for the Victoria Grizzlies. His first game was last night, where he made 29 saves on 31 shots in a 2-1 loss. Vecvanags played for Latvia at the World Juniors, where he was given one game in which he allowed 8 goals on 41 shots against Finland in an 8-0 loss. It has not been an easy year for the Habs prospect, as he has yet to prove that he can play well in North America.

Do you see any of these Habs goaltending prospects getting signed by the team eventually?