The 1st Ohio Battery summer prospect series continues with our #10 best prospect in the Blue Jackets organization, goaltender Danill Tarasov.
Reason for Ranking
The Blue Jackets selected Tarasov with the 86th pick (third round) of the 2017 NHL Draft. At the time, it was seen as a bit of a wild-card play. Tarasov missed his entire draft season due to injuries and an eventual tibia surgery, but that didn't stop GM Jarmo Kekalainen from saying that "he was the number one goalie on our list."
Tarasov's father, Vadim, is a former KHL goaltender who was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1999. NHL.com reported after that draft that Vadim was idolized by Sergei Bobrovsky, who grew up in the same hometown Novokuznetsk.
Now, the 19-year-old Daniil looks up to Bobrovsky. Talk about full-circle.
Internally, we have mixed feelings about Tarasov. Sam and I both had him ranked as our eighth-best Blue Jackets prospect, while Paul wasn't quite as high on him, as he had him slotted at No. 14.
NHL Projection
Eventual NHL starter.
As referenced when ranking Veini Vehvilainen, goalies are so difficult to project. It's part of the reason most NHL teams pass on them in the first round of drafts. In the past five drafts, only two goalies have been selected in the first round.
Tarasov has been absolutely lights-out for Tolpar Ufa of the MHL, Russia's top junior hockey league. Many of the MHL's top players are able to make the jump to the KHL, and that's definitely the next step for the 6-foot-4, 181-pound netminder.
In 40 games with Tolpar Ufa a season ago, the then 18-year-old posted a 24-10-6 record, with a 1.85 GAA and a .928 save%. He's slated to play in the MHL again in 2018-19, but after that, it will be interesting to see him make the jump to pro hockey, be it in the KHL or perhaps the AHL.
Best Case Scenario
Tarasov has perhaps the highest ceiling of any goalie prospect in the Blue Jackets system, but also the most question marks.
Comparisons exist to Andrei Vasilevsky, another lanky Russian who also played for Tolpar Ufa before he made the jump to their KHL affiliate, Salavat Yulaev Ufa. But don't get overly excited, as Vasilevsky was a top goalie prospect who went in the first round of the NHL Draft, was a starter in the KHL in his age 19 season, was playing in the NHL at 20, and took over the starting job from Ben Bishop at 22.
He's probably not Vasilevsky, but remember, Sergei Bobrovsky wasn't even drafted. If he continues to ascend the ranks in Russia, the sky is the limit.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Tarasov has prototypical NHL size at 6-foot-4 and that lanky, athletic build that teams covet. He played terrifically at the U18 World Juniors, and was named one of the top three players on Team Russia.
The injuries appear to be behind him, but whenever a kid misses his entire draft year, it's a potential cause for concern. He seems to have done everything he can in the MHL, and I'd like to see how he fares against professionals, but the Blue Jackets may prefer him in a starting role in a lower league as opposed to a backup in the KHL, especially after missing a full season.
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