Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #6 Ilya Nabokov

Metallurg Hockey Club player, Ilya Nabokov (30) seen in... — Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Did the Avalanche just draft their future starter in net?

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by Mile High Hockey staff members. Six writers have ranked players under the age of 25 in the Colorado Avalanche organization as of August 1, 2024. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

The Colorado Avalanche turned heads at the 2024 NHL draft when they chose a 21-year old Russian goaltender who had been through the draft three times before — and with their first selection in the draft. At 38th overall Ilya Nabokov was also the first netminder off the board of the entire 2024 draft class. It was a very aggressive move for an organization who usually lets the draft come to them. Clearly the Avalanche decision makers had the idea in mind when they traded down out of a first round pick and chose to make this goaltender the crown jewel of their draft class.

Nabokov is a worthy investment after an incredible 2023-24 season in which he won KHL rookie of the year in his first full season with Magnitogorsk taking over the starting job at 20-years of age putting up sparking statistics of a 2.15 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. The fairy tale didn’t end there as Nabokov went on to backstop his team all the way to a Gagarin Cup championship with a 16-6-0 record, 1.82 GAA and .942 save percentage. He won playoff MVP honors as well, becoming the youngest goaltender to do so breaking Ilya Sorokin’s record.

Nabokov will be back in the KHL this season and is starting his second campaign with Magnitogorsk in a matter of days. He has one year left on his contract and then it is up in the air as to what his plans are after. A move to North America and a contract with the Avalanche organization would put the netminder on the fast track to a NHL opportunity. Perhaps the one year in the AHL would suffice like Pavel Francouz did. But with Alexandar Georgiev’s contract up after the season as well Colorado’s entire goaltending depth chart might get shaken up and Nabokov’s arrival could play a part.

Although he doesn’t have a large frame that every scout covets, at six-foot-one Nabokov is around the same size as Alexandar Georgiev, Philipp Grubauer and Francouz so clearly the Avalanche are comfortable without a mammoth in net. Nabokov’s active style and ability to play the puck would serve him well in the NHL and should be a good fit in Colorado. Our ranking of Nabokov is due to the high potential he possesses and the initial signs of a commitment that the organization has already made to put him on a path which could even lead to the talented Russian becoming the starting goaltender for the Avalanche.