Prospects Report: Vasilevskiy and DeAngelo
Mike Barrett
2015-03-07
Are Vasilevskiy and DeAngelo the Lightning’s two top prospects at the moment?
In this week’s edition of The Journey, we are going to take a closer look at a pair of electrifying prospects from the other side of the blue line from the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. The first is 2012 first-round pick Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was the last goalie worthy of a first round draft pick in the NHL Entry Draft with the exception of Malcolm Subban, who was selected after him in the same year. The second is 2014 first-round pick, OHL all-star defenseman Anthony DeAngelo.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Team Ranking: Tampa Bay Lightning Top Goaltending Prospect
Flashback to the 2010 season, where Andrei Vasilevskey performed admirably for Toplar Ufa of the MHL in spot duty. A 9.37 save percentage accompanied by a 1.81 goal-against-average over 14 games earned him nearly double the starts the following season. In 2011-12, his draft year, the Russian played 27 games and maintained that level of play, finishing with a .931 save percentage and a 2.23 goals-against-average. What perhaps was most impressive though, was his performance for his country at the 2012 World Junior Championships. Not only did he make the team as a 17-year-old, he started five games and finished with a .953 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against-average including many huge performances and clutch saves.
As a Canadian, I will always remember Vasilevskiy first and foremost for the save he made on Jonathan Huberdeau in the waning seconds of the 2012 World Junior classic that ended in Canadian heartbreak. The super-sized tender looked down and out, just a thin red line between a black disc and lifelong glory. Until a giant padded leg comes in and crushes all those hopes and dreams with a game-winning save for his nation, and turns the heads of many important people in the hockey world.
Team Russia did however end up losing in the finals to Sweden, but a silver medal at 17 is nothing to be ashamed of. Unsurprisingly, Vasilevskiy returned for his final two years of eligibility, and did so quite successfully leading the Big Red Machine to back-to-back bronze medals.
While he may have never won the tournament’s top goaltender award, there was no better goalie over those three years. In the 15 World Junior Championship games he played in, he averaged a sparkling .945 save percentage and 1.88 goal-against. Throw in the aforementioned three consecutive medals and those are some pretty legendary numbers.
It should be noted that he spent those 18 and 19 year-old seasons competing in the KHL, playing in eight and 28 games respectively. He posted nearly identical numbers with a .924 SV% and 2.22 GAA in 2012-13, followed by a .923 SV% and 2.21 GAA last season.
Coming over to North America was big news, and he backed it up with big play. Vasilevskiy went 14-6-5 in Syracuse, sporting a .917 SV% and 2.45 GAA before being recalled by the Lightning to backup Ben Bishop following the retirement of Evgeni Nabakov. So far he has played in 11 games, with a 5-3-1 record and .921 SV% and familiar 2.21 GAA including his first career shutout.
The bottom line is, Vasilevskiy has never NOT been good. He is a consistent performer, and proves capable of raising his game in pressure situations.
Standing at 6'3" and already weighing 207 pounds, Vasilevskiy is a tall, firmly built athlete who certainly has the makeup of a franchise goaltender. He has cat-like reflexes, but plays a patient game low in his crease and makes the most of his big frame. He allows the puck to hit him first, and relies on those reflexes to make quick twitch saves in tight. Due to his physical traits and style, he is excellent in working through traffic, and remains calm and well positioned.