2026 Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #25 Yvegeni Volokhin

Introduction

To say Yevgeni Volokhin had a great season in the VHL (Russia’s equivalent of the AHL) would be an understatement. In 40 games, he posted a 25-10-5 record with a 1.51 goals-against average and .948 save percentage, along with nine shutouts. His playoff performance was also impressive, with three shutouts in 23 games and .936 mark. His regular-season save percentage was the second-best mark in the entire VHL, and top among those with a regular workload.

He already has one strong season in the KHL, playing 28 games with HK Sochi in 2024-25, and would ideally get more than the four games in the top league than he played last year, though he was in the active lineup for 12.

His path to the NHL won’t be easy, but the changes that we’ve seen within the last three years are encouraging. He has plenty of time as he is under contract in Russia until May 31, 2028, and just turned 21 in April.

Goaltender development is rarely linear, yet Volokhin’s progression over the past year has accelerated faster than anyone anticipated. What once looked like an intriguing late-round selection now appears to be one of Kent Hughes’ best value picks from the 2023 NHL Draft.

Voting

As some of you might know from experience, having a toddler at home and a pregnant wife resulted in me filling up my ballot (I had ranked all 55 prospects!) but forgetting to officially submit it. Thus, my personal voting won’t appear this year. But worry not, I shall mention where I had my profiled prospects ranked. Volokhin was within my 21-23 range, my second goaltender ranked after Jacob Fowler, which would have placed me in the higher end of the voters.

Volokhin finished tied with Luke Mittelstadt at the same average ranking of 27.889 across the nine ballots. The first tiebreaker we use is high votes, and Volokhin had three at or above Mittelstadt’s high of 20th.

Top 25 Under 25 History

Volokhin didn’t start out high when he was drafted in 2023, but jumped the next season and stayed around that level in 2025. This year he makes another big rise, and his total improvement of 21 places is among the highest we’ve ever seen.

History of #25

Strengths

Volokhin’s game is built around efficiency rather than athletic desperation. His greatest strength remains his positional discipline. He consistently arrives on angle, minimizing net exposure without relying on highlight-reel recoveries.

One of the most noticeable improvements over the season was his ability to deaden shots into safe areas. Instead of simply stopping pucks, he actively directed rebounds into low-danger areas or absorbed them cleanly, greatly reducing second-chance opportunities. That calmness became especially noticeable during the VHL playoffs, where opponents struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure against him.

He displays impressive composure in traffic. Rather than overreacting to screens or cross-ice movement, he trusts his positioning and remains patient. His post integration and east-west mobility have improved noticeably, allowing him to seal the lower portion of the net effectively while maintaining balance.

Perhaps his greatest developmental leap has been his consistency. He rarely experiences prolonged slumps and has demonstrated the ability to quickly rebound after allowing goals.

Weaknesses

His results were considerably more modest in KHL duty, posting an .870 save percentage while adapting to the faster pace and increased offensive talent of Russia’s top professional league. Although the statistics were disappointing, they represented valuable developmental experience rather than a cause for concern, considering his age and limited playing time. Spartak Moscow was also a fairly weak team, posting 29 regulation wins, six overtime wins, 24 regulation losses, and nine overtime losses in 68 games played.

His puck-handling also remains average. While he is capable of making routine plays behind the net, he does not yet consistently help his defencemen transition out of the defensive zone. Improving this aspect would further help his overall game.

Building up additional physical strength would help with the rigours of top-level professional hockey. As he faces larger forwards battling for positioning around the crease, continuing to build lower-body strength should improve both his explosiveness and ability to hold his ground during net-front scrambles.

None of these issues appear as major flaws. Rather, they are the typical areas young goaltenders refine as they climb through the developmental leagues.

Projection

As the goalie guy on the staff, I always want each and every one of the goalie prospects to pan out, but the reality is that very few will. Or sometimes even the least probable one will. For every elite Junior goalie who becomes an NHL starter, another plateaus before reaching the highest level. The position simply develops too unpredictably to project with certainty. That said, Volokhin has significantly improved his odds over the past year.

His contract in Russia will see him continue to develop within the Spartak organization before he considers making the transition to North America. The organization appears willing to allow him ample time to mature rather than rushing his development.

Volokhin projects as a potential lower-end NHL starting goaltender if his development continues along its current trajectory. His combination of size, technical foundation, composure, and statistical consistency provides a strong developmental profile. While projecting goaltenders remains inherently difficult, his 2025-26 season increased confidence in his NHL potential.

The next major evaluation point will be whether he can translate his VHL dominance into sustained performance as a full-time KHL starter. Success at that level would firmly establish him among the Canadiens’ top prospects and as one of the more intriguing young goaltenders outside North America.