The Flyers may have a solid future with Carter Hart between the pipes, but over the last few years, they have drafted and developed a number of goalies. One of those recent draft picks is a step closer to reaching the NHL.
Kirill Ustimenko, the Flyers third-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers, the team announced on Wednesday. The news was first reported via Twitter by Ustimenko’s agent.
Ustimenko had a solid season in the MHL in Russia with Dynamo St. Petersberg, posting a 1.78 GAA and .927 save percentage in 46 games. In one game in the VHL with Dynamo St. Petersberg, Ustimenko had a 3.04 GAA and .875 save percentage.
The numbers from last season in the MHL were similar to previous years for Ustimenko. In his draft year of 2016-17, he had a 1.74 GAA and .938 save percentage in 27 games. Last season, he had a 1.81 GAA and .929 save percentage in 53 games.
Ustimenko gives the Flyers yet another goalie prospect to work with in the system. Hart has solidified a place in the NHL with his excellent start to his career. Felix Sandstrom made his professional debut with a win for the Phantoms on April 12 and is expected to be with the Phantoms next season.
There is certainly a chance that Ustimenko could be the top netminder for the Reading Royals in the ECHL while Sandstrom gets started at the AHL level and Hart continues at the NHL level. The Flyers still need to sign a backup for Hart for next season and the team still has Alex Lyon in the system as well.
