CHN+
Goalie Scout Shares Strengths Of Ilya Nabokov, And Greatest Concern (+)

It had been over a decade since the Colorado Avalanche used a second round pick on a goaltender, and 23 years since their top pick was a netminder. That all changed on Saturday at the 2024 NHL Draft.
After trading out of the first round, Colorado used the 38th overall pick to select Ilya Nabokov, a 21 year old goaltender coming off a dynamite season in the KHL. Not only was he named the top rookie in the league for the regular season, but he was awarded the KHL Playoffs MVP after helping his team win the championship. Not bad as a 20 year old in a pro league.
Still, not many people had him going as high as 38. I’m far from a goaltending expert, so I reached out to Gregory Balloch, the head goalie scout for Elite Prospects, and asked for his opinion.