Key Takeaways
- Ivan Prosvetov joins the Calgary Flames on a one-year, $950,000 contract after a strong season in the KHL.
- The 26-year-old chose Calgary due to the clear opportunity to compete for the starter role against Dustin Wolf.
- Prosvetov is already preparing mentally and physically for matchups against NHL stars like Connor McDavid, inspired by goalie Sergey Bobrovsky’s composure.
Ivan Prosvetov (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Goaltender Ivan Prosvetov is returning to the NHL after spending one season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. The 26-year-old Russian has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Calgary Flames with an AAV of $950,000. Before joining CSKA, Prosvetov spent eight years in North America, playing 24 games in the NHL between the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche and 146 games in the AHL.
After an impressive season with CSKA, where he posted a 2.32 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, four shutouts, and a 20-16-2 record, Prosvetov had several NHL offers. However, the critical factor in his decision was the opportunity for consistent playing time.
“The most important thing is the opportunity to play and compete for the starting position,” Prosvetov said in an exclusive interview with RG. “I believe I have a chance to play in Calgary. When choosing my team, I evaluated the goaltending situation across various NHL clubs. I didn’t want to sign somewhere that already had goalies with long-term $6 million contracts, like Thatcher Demko with the Vancouver Canucks. It’s challenging to compete with someone like that. I was also looking closely at the contract terms. I only seriously considered one-way contracts because teams knew I wouldn’t accept a two-way deal.”
With the Flames, Prosvetov will compete for the starting goalie role with Dustin Wolf following Dan Vladar’s move to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Proving Himself in The KHL
Prosvetov believes his year in Russia significantly boosted his stock in the NHL and aided his overall development.
“I played a lot and was the starting goalie,” he explained. “Despite an injury that kept me out for over a month, I still played over 40 games. At one point, I played 20 consecutive games, which was amazing. My stats improved, and so did my game. I proved to myself that I could perform at any level. I’m very satisfied with this past season.”
Prosvetov is known for rigorously following his goalie system, even in scrimmages and practice games.
“Yes, I stick to my system consistently, even in summer scrimmages,” said the goalie. “It’s the Oleg Romashko system, derived from Ian Clark, who coached Demko, Sergei Bobrovsky, Roberto Luongo, and Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom also played under Flames goalie coach Jason LaBarbera. During our negotiations, I mentioned that I follow this system, and they were familiar with it, which was a positive factor.”
Preparing For McDavid And Emulating Bobrovsky
Prosvetov understands the challenges awaiting him in the NHL, particularly the Battle of Alberta between the Flames and Edmonton Oilers, meaning he’ll face Connor McDavid regularly.
“To be honest, I’m already preparing to face McDavid,” Prosvetov smiled. “Just recently, I watched videos of his training. I think I should prepare similarly. I’ve already faced star players like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar—both geniuses, in my opinion. That experience gave me an understanding of how to work against elite talents. It’s tough but achievable. Bobrovsky, for example, managed it in two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.”
The new Flames goalie regards Bobrovsky as one of the best in the league and hopes to emulate his calmness and composure.
“He’s incredibly composed and focused,” Prosvetov noted. “He also makes mistakes, but the difference is he doesn’t let those mistakes affect him mentally. After an error, he continues to play just as confidently. His mental strength is remarkable. He’s a legend. His entire preparation process is something I’m aspiring to achieve.”
At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Prosvetov believes NHL trends favor taller goalies due to their greater margin for error.
“Yes, Connor Hellebuyck won the recent Vezina Trophy, but I’m more impressed by goalies like Bobrovsky, Demko, and Markstrom,” he said. “I really admire their playing style, even if they don’t always have the best stats. I think the trend is leaning toward taller, bigger goalies because size can compensate for technical flaws. Smaller goalies simply have less room for error.”
Eyeing a Cup Breakthrough
Ultimately, Prosvetov dreams of team success. Canadian teams haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993, and the 26-year-old sees this drought optimistically from a statistical standpoint.
“The longer something hasn’t happened, statistically, the higher the chance it eventually will,” he joked. “Winning the Cup with Calgary would be unbelievable. Seriously, though, I don’t think this drought indicates any particular trend. The Stanley Cup is incredibly difficult to win. Usually, the champion is a team that’s been a contender for several years. There’s a specific path teams must take toward winning. It’s very rare to just suddenly take the Cup.”
Prosvetov was a fourth-round pick (114th overall) by Arizona in the 2018 NHL Draft.
