Canucks: Alexei Medvedev sure seems like the goalie of the future

National Post

2 days ago

Comparisons of prospects with previous hockey greats should not be made lightly.
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But from the moment Alexei Medvedev became the latest Vancouver Canucks goalie prospect — picked in the second round of last week's NHL entry draft — you took notice how quickly people who ave watched him develop over the past 18 months move to make big-time comparisons.
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'There's Tuukka Rask vibes here,' said Canucks goalie coach Marko Torenius. 'He's calm and composed.'
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And then there's another comparison: Andrei Vasilevskiy. 'The way he uses his edges,' Torenius explained further.
That's heady company. Both are Vezina Trophy winners. Both have been big-time playoff performers.
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'Of course, it's long journeys for both those guys,' Torenius cautions. Nothing is certain when it comes to prospects, and especially with goalie prospects.
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But with Medvedev there's lots to like already that can be projected forward.
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After a seven-inch growth spurt over the past two years, he is standing 6-foot-3, and when you speak with him, you are well aware of just how long his arms and legs are, the kind of stature modern goalies need.
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The athleticism is there — and that's not just Torenius' assessment. That is how multiple NHL scouts see him too. He is athletic and already dialled in on his technique. That's the calmness that Torenius sees. There is some polishing yet to be done with his skills, but more than anything the biggest focus for him is going to be training his eyes and his brain to read the game as it gets faster as he progresses toward the NHL from junior hockey.
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Medevdev's energy and enthusiasm is evident from the moment you first speak with him. His eyes light up, his smile broadens when he was told the names that Torenius brought up. His grin didn't change when he shifted to talking about his first week as a Vancouver Canuck, about what he and Torenius had spoken about.
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'I feel like I have a lot of stuff that he talked about me (needing) already in my game,' Medvedev said Thursday, following an energetic scrimmage at the University of B.C. to close this week's development camp. 'I love the way he coaches.'
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Being a goalie is just about all Medvedev has ever wanted to be. He has been a goalie since he was nine years old. Goalies, as we know, are a unique, self-selecting breed.
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'I just just saw the equipment. And watched some games on TV. I just loved the way goalies look. So I got a set of gloves and went from there,' he said.
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He moved from St. Petersburg, Russia, his hometown, to suburban Toronto in 2021, aged just 13. His uncle lives there and he saw his future in hockey. The chances to progress toward the NHL would be higher if he moved over to Canada.
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That proved to be a great choice. He played for the Vaughan Kings in the Greater Toronto Hockey League's U16 AAA division, as tough as it gets for that age group in Canada, as just a 15 year old.
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He drew notice then, and jumped to Junior B with the St. Thomas Stars. Last season he landed with the London Knights, the famed Ontario major junior hockey factory.
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He is going to be the starter for London this coming season, then who knows what comes next. He's still just 17 — his birthday is Sept. 10 — another thing that excites Torenius and the Canucks. He's still got plenty of physical maturing yet to do.
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He names Igor Shesterkin, another elite NHL goalie, as the guy he has tried to model his own game after. He got a first-hand view of Shesterkin playing for SKA St. Petersburg.
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He shies away from the elite comparisons. That's who he wants to be, after all.
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'I got so much knowledge in these five days, it's been great,' he said of how he is going to become one of the Canucks' NHL goalies three or four seasons from now. 'Just being a leader, I feel like that's a big part of it. I'm going to be an older guy next (season), so I want to lead my team, to be that guy who can support the guys, maybe share my experience and stuff like that. Just keep working, getting better. Just looking at this level, there's a lot of work to be done, and I really want to play here. So I'm really motivated.'
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