The Montreal Canadiens have drafted well in recent years, which could prove to be very rewarding for the organization in the long term.
There has been much discussion about the future on defense. The emergence of offensive talent has also been highlighted with their recent first-round pick Ivan Demidov.
But it's also the case in goal. While American Jacob Fowler is present, the Canadiens could potentially have a future goaltender like Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Russian has been among the NHL elite for several seasons, showcasing his quality with a Stanley Cup win and individual awards.
The Canadiens' 5th-round pick in 2023, Yevgeni Volokhin, boasts better statistics than Vasilevskiy at the same age and in the same league.
Statistics for Yevgeni Volokhin and Andrei Vasilevskiy in the season following their draft year:
Yevgeni Volokhin (MHL): Record of 22 wins, 4 losses, and 4 overtime losses / Goals against average of 1.57 / Save percentage of 0.938
Andrei Vasilevskiy (MHL): Record of 17 wins, 6 losses, and 4 overtime losses / Goals against average of 1.93 / Save percentage of 0.930
Volokhin has very promising potential and could potentially become a steal for the Canadiens organization.
This doesn't mean he will follow the exact same path as the Lightning's goaltender, but it will certainly be intriguing to see how things unfold with this Canadiens prospect.
