Leafs goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov will play in North America next season
Agent Dan Milstein confirmed to Toronto Sun reporter Terry Koshan that Toronto Maple Leafs goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov will play in North America next season, and is expected to arrive at the Maple Leafs’ training facility next week.
Agent Dan Milstein confirms @HockeyNewsHub report that #Leafs goalie prospect Artur Akhtyamov is coming to Toronto to continue career. Akhtyamov is scheduled to arrive at the Leafs' training facility next week.
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) June 26, 2024
The news confirms X account @HockeyNewsHub’s report from early Wednesday morning that Akhtyamov, the Maple Leafs’ fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, will be leaving the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan organization to play for Toronto in 2024-25.
Hearing #LeafsForever prospect Artur Akhtyamov will leave Ak Bars and continue his career in the Toronto system. pic.twitter.com/QYPZiHwcrY
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) June 26, 2024
Akhtyamov was eventually loaned to the VHL’s Neftyanik Almetievsk, where the prospect was named the 2023-24 Goaltender of the Year for the VHL, the second-highest ranked league in Russian hockey. He had a 16-5-0 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .932 SV% in 21 games.
He also led the ninth-ranked Almetievsk and won the VHL Championship, the Petrov Cup. He would also be named Petrov Cup MVP.
Congrats to #LeafsForever prospect Artur Akhtyamov and Neftyanik Almetievsk for sweeping AKM to win the Petrov Cup 🏆
Artur Akhtyamov named MVP of the Petrov Cup ‼️ pic.twitter.com/luhToIBtGj
— Hockey News Hub (@HockeyNewsHub) April 23, 2024
Last season, the Maple Leafs went 46-26-10 with 102 points, third in the Atlantic Division. They were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins in seven games.
Ilya Samsonov went 23-7-8 with an .890 SV% and 3.13 GAA, while Joseph Woll, who may sign an extension in the coming days, went t12-11-1 with a .907 SV% and 2.87 GAA.