If the Calgary Flames had waited any longer, they weren’t going to get their guy. Read More
The Flames believe that goalie prospect Kirill Zarubin has ‘a bright future ahead of him.’ How soon could he pay his first visit to Calgary?
The Flames believe that goalie prospect Kirill Zarubin has ‘a bright future ahead of him.’ How soon could he pay his first visit to Calgary?
Article content
If the Calgary Flames had waited any longer, they weren’t going to get their guy.
Article content
That was the feedback that Jordan Sigalet, the Flames director of goaltending, received from his counterparts around the league after selecting Russian netminder Kirill Zarubin with the No. 84 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Article content
Article content
“You get the text messages right after — ’Screw you, we were taking him next!’” Sigalet said with a chuckle. “So then you feel kind of relieved.
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
“There were a lot of people that were hoping he was going to slip to the fourth round. I’ve heard a couple teams were going to take him with their next pick in the third round. So I think we got him at the right time.
Article content
Noon News Roundup
Article content
“We think we have a really, really good goalie with a bright future ahead of him.”
Article content
And now comes the patience part.
Article content
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Article content
It’s worth noting that the Flames have not often drafted a twine-minder as early as the third round, especially not of late, so they clearly believe that Zarubin has major upside.
Article content
Many consider him to be Calgary’s most promising puck-stopping prospect, a candidate to someday be Dustin Wolf’s sidekick/understudy at Scotia Place, but even the most optimistic projections would put him a few years away.
Article content
Adding to the intrigue is that there’s a measure of mystery with this 19-year-old masked man.
Article content
Flames fans have been scouring social media for highlight clips, but those can be hard to find.
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
While Zarubin is studying English, a sign he is serious about a sooner-than-later move to North America, he isn’t ready for interview requests just yet.
Article content
Read More
-
Brent Dodginghorse, Willie O’Ree award winner, on importance of diversity and respect in sports
-
Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf finishes second in Calder Trophy race
-
Advertisement embed-more-topic
Story continues below
Article content
With the current advisories against travel to Russia, Sigalet wasn’t able to attend any of his games this winter with AKM Tula in the junior-level MHL, although he didn’t miss a single start on the online stream. Since Zarubin will remain with the same organization for another season, it will be a similar setup in the coming months.
Article content
If he is able to secure a visitor visa, Zarubin hopes to attend development camp this summer. That would mark his first trip to Calgary and he’d likely be surprised by how many folks will show up to watch him practise with the other future pieces.
Article content
“His maturity, both physically and mentally, it’s far beyond his age,” Sigalet said of Zarubin, who is 6-foot-3, roughly 200 pounds and turns 20 in September. “He’s big. He’s smart. He’s very, very patient. And he has mature details for a 19-year-old. He’s very calm, very composed. But when he has to get uncomfortable, he can move. He can get to his spots.
Discover more from World Byte News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
