The NCAA season has begun with a strong start by Boston University goaltender phenom Mikhail Yegorov.
Yegorov Stays On Top
Mikhail Yegorov stopped 36 of 38 shots in his season debut 4-2 win over LIU. Last season, Yegorov sported a 11-6-1 record with a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% after coming over to Boston University mid-season, so it is encouraging to see the now sophomore netminder continue where he left off. This victory came with a bit of history. According to GoTerriers.com, it was the first time Boston University has ever played LIU.
It’s hard not to be excited about the rise of Mikhail Yegorov, who very much seems to be on the trajectory of a future starter in the NHL. Yes, goalies are notoriously hard to predict, but Yegorov just feels different. Of course, anything could happen and this page will track his progress closely.
Yegorov is in a great program in Boston University to develop under coach Jay Pandolfo. His position as starter is relatively secure. Backup Terriers goaltenders Max Lacroix (5 total NCAA games as a 21-year-old) and 18-year-old freshman Steven Luciano are unlikely to overtake him. There are reports on X that Boston University has also retained the services of Senior goalie Jack Perry as a depth move. All in all, it seems the Terriers plan in net is Yegorov or bust.
So, the Terriers net very much belongs to Yegorov. It will be fun to see what he does with it.
Around the Pool
- In other NCAA Devils prospect news, defenseman Chase Cheslock has started strong with a two assist effort in the opening game for St. Thomas. One of those assists was on the power play, indicating some growth in the more defensively-oriented defenseman. Cheslock also took a rather bad cross-checking penalty in the game, so there is still room for growth, but overall an impressive season opener.
- Center Gustav Hillstrom is the first Devils prospect to crack double digits in points and is now up to 13 points in his first 6 games playing for Brynas IF of the U20 Nationell. How excited should we be for Hillstrom’s point explosion in the lesser juniors-level league will likely be a subject of a future article.
- KHL defender Daniil Orlov continues his strong play with a couple more points and is now up to 8 in 11 games (2 goals, six assists). Those 8 points are more than half of Orlov’s production of 15 from last season in 52 KHL games. Orlov is signed until 2027-2028, so it will be awhile until the defender has a chance to come over to North America.
- Lastly, it appears the rumors are true and defenseman Victor Hurtig has signed with Karlskrona HK of the third tier HockeyEttan in Sweden. At 23-years-old, Hurtig is pointless in his first two contests and it would be one of the great comeback stories if Hurtig ever transitioned back to North America as a serious prospect.
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