Flyers Goalie Prospects Dominating; Bright NHL Futures Ahead

For what feels like the first time in forever, the Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospects are legitimately good. Aleksei Kolosov has seemingly graduated to the NHL level in short order, which means it is the Carson Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin show outside of Philadelphia.

Bjarnason and Zavragin, 19, were, of course, drafted one round apart in the 2023 NHL Draft by Danny Briere, Brent Flahr, and the Flyers. They needed goalie prospects, they drafted two of them, and each happens to be among the very best in their respective leagues.

Zavragin is the most hyped Flyers goalie prospect at the moment (and deservedly so) because he is already playing in the KHL, Russia’s top men’s hockey league. He’s also dominated while doing so, despite having no prior KHL experience and having just turned 19 years old on Aug. 23.

Egor Zavragin receives top KHL honors

If you were not already closely following Egor Zavragin’s progress, you may want to stick his name in the back of your head for future reference.

The Flyers’ 2023 third-round pick was just named one of the KHL’s four Players of the Month, making the group as the representative for rookie players. Vladislav Podyapolsky was the goalie, Alexander Nikishin was the defenseman, Sergei Plotnikov was the forward, and Zavragin was the rookie.

Additionally, Zavragin was named KHL Best Rookie for the month of October, and was also included in the KHL All-Rookie Team of the Month.

Objectively the top Flyers goalie prospect, Zavragin has started his KHL career with a 9-5-0 record, a 2.35 GAA, a .928 save percentage, and two shutouts in 15 games split between SKA St. Petersburg and HC Sochi.

For comparison, Igor Shesterkin was 5-2-0 in the KHL in his D+2 season for SKA back in 2015-16, posting a so-so 2.58 GAA and .912 save percentage.

Does Zavragin ever get to the point where he’s putting up a .953 save percentage in the KHL like Shesterkin did in 2018-19, the year before he made the jump to the NHL?

We will have to wait and see, but the fact that a Shesterkin outcome is even in the realm of possibility is cause for excitement all on its own.

Carson Bjarnason making WHL leap

Carson Bjarnason, fresh off a 33-save shutout of the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night, appears to be taking that important leap in his last year of junior hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Much of the criticism levied against Bjarnason from Flyers fans was derived from his lackluster statistical output.

In his draft year in 2022-23, Bjarnason went 21-19-5 and put up an uninspiring 3.08 GAA and .900 save percentage, despite three shutouts. Bjarnason’s numbers were similar in his D+1 season last year, compiling a 24-17-4 record, two shutouts, a 3.01 GAA, and a .907 save percentage.

The 19-year-old Carberry native was also shelled in the playoffs, going 0-3-1 and stumbling to a 7.35 GAA and .831 save percentage as a weak Wheat Kings team was easily bounced from the WHL playoffs in four games.

19-year-old Flyers goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason posted a 33-save shutout, his first of the season, against the Medicine Hat Tigers last night

He's 4-3-1 so far this season with a 2.77 GAA and a .924 save percentage 👀 #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/4jrYDOqDan

— Jon Bailey (@ByJonBailey) November 3, 2024

But, in Bjarnason’s time with Brandon, the Wheat Kings have been just that – a weak team.

They’re much improved this year in the talent category, and it’s reflecting in Bjarnason’s stats.

Forward Jaxon Jacobson, just 15 years old, has 12 points in 13 games and ranks third in scoring for Brandon. Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Roger McQueen is tied for the team lead in goals with eight, and he has 11 points in just eight games.

Stay-at-home defenseman Charlie Elick, a second-round pick by Columbus in June’s 2024 draft, returns for his D+1 season to help clear the crease for Bjarnason.

So far, the results are adding up.

Bjarnason, the Flyers’ 2023 second-round pick, has a 4-3-1 record, a 2.77 GAA, a .924 save percentage, and is coming off his first shutout of the season. Bjarnason also leads all D+2 year WHL goalies in save percentage and is second among D+2 WHL goalies in GAA.

The Flyers are hoping to see Bjarnason represent Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championships in December, and if the 6-foot-4 netminder can extrapolate his hot start, there’s no telling how far Bjarnason can take himself in the next few weeks and months.