Alexey Dementyev has commented on the prospects of goaltender Ilya Nabokov with the Colorado Avalanche organization.
The agent discussed the 23-year-old netminder’s future after Nabokov announced his move to North America following the season with Metallurg, where he played on loan. Colorado recently assigned Nabokov to the AHL.
“How do you assess Nabokov’s chances with Colorado?”
“In the NHL, the situation with goaltenders is always complex. It requires a systematic approach and much more time to adapt compared to skaters. To become a number one goalie in the NHL, you need to be among the top 32 goaltenders in the world. The fact that the share of Russian goaltenders in the league is fairly high gives some optimism. I have no doubt that Nabokov is a promising and interesting goaltender. But he will need time to adjust to North American hockey. How quickly he gets through this stage depends both on him and on the people around him,” Dementyev said.
