Blackhawks goalie prospect Ivan Nalimov only played one game this past week, but he made it count with a 19-save shutout in Sochi’s 2-0 win over HC Kunlun Red Star. After being traded from SKA St. Petersburg to Sochi, he struggled to settle in a bit and now he’s found his rhythm. He’s only allow three goals in his last three starts, including the shutout last week, to improve to 2-3 with a 1.80 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Andrei Altybarmakyan, LW (KHL, HK Sochi/VHL HK Tambov)
Weekly stats: 2 GP, 2 SOG, 3 BLS
Season stats: 17 GP, 2G, 4A, 13.3 SOG%, -1, 9 hits, 6 BLS, 21 PIM, 11:43 ATOI
Altybarmakyan was scoreless in two KHL games this week after his three-game VHL stint. He blocked two shots in 15:56 minutes of ice time in against Dinamo Riga in his first KHL game since Oct. 13 then had two shots on goal and one blocked shot in 9:54 against Kunlun.
Victor Ejdsell, C (SHL, Färjestad BK)
Weekly stats: 2 GP, 1G, 2 PIM, 1 hit, -1, 5 BLS
Season stats: 14 GP, 5G, 5A, 4 PIM, 9 hits, +13, 5 BLS, 16:21 ATOI
Ejdsell scored his fifth goal of the season and was on the ice for one goal against in Färjestad BK’s 5-2 loss to Orebro. He then had two shots on goal, one hit and served one penalty in a 4-1 win over Djurgardens. He’ll probably not return to North America, but it’s worth following along to see some SHL action.
Mathias From, W (HockeyAllsvenskan, Modo)
Weekly stats: 2 GP, 1G, 1A
Season stats: 16 GP, 3G, 5A, 6 PIM, +8, 12:55
From had a goal and a primary assist in Modo’s big 9-3 win over Sodertalje. He’s seventh on the team in scoring with 11 points and tied for fifth with five goals (three game winners). He’s certainly maximizing his minutes.
Jakub Galvas, LH-D (Liiga, Jukurit)
Weekly stats: 3 GP, 1A, 5 SOG, -1, 2 PIM
Season stats: 19 GP, 1G, 9A, -7, 6 PIM, 20:58 ATOI
After going four games without a point, Galvas found the scoresheet with a long stretch pass in Jukurit’s 3-2 loss to Lukko. It was also the first game of the season his ice time dipped below 17 minutes. He has a team-high nine assists and is tied for second in points with 10.
#Blackhawks defenseman prospect Jakub Galvas with a stretch pass from way downtown for #Jukurit today. He has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) while averaging 21:19 of ice time in 18 #Liiga games. pic.twitter.com/54L6ywbJ67
— Brandon (@brandonmcain) November 1, 2019
(Note: The season stats of ice time and games played in the tweet do not include Galvas’ third and final game of the week.)
Artur Kayumov, W (KHL, Lokomotiv)
Weekly stats: 3 GP, 2A, 1 SOG, +1, 2 BLK
Season stats: 24 GP, 4G, 5A, 11.1 SOG%, 4 PIM, +4, 6 hits, 14 BLK, 15:44 ATOI
Kayumov had one assist with a slick pass from behind the net against SKA St. Petersburg, but did not record a shot for the second straight game. He’s put at least one shot on net in all but four games this season. He’ll likely surpass his 13-point total from last season.
Great setup by Artur Kayumov on Nikolai Kovalenko’s goal. #Blackhawks #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/zEvToIXKkK
— Russian Prospects (@RUSProspects) November 2, 2019
Roope Laavainen, RH-D (Liiga, HPK)
Weekly stats: 1 GP, +1, 15:46 TOI
Season stats: 14 GP, 2A, 4 PIM, -1, 11:25 ATOI
Laavainen recorded a plus-1 rating in 15:46 minutes in HPK’s 5-1 loss to KooKoo. The defensive-minded defenseman is still holding down his spot on the third pairing.
Niklas Nordgren, RW (Liiga, HIFK)
Weekly stats: DNP
Season stats: N/A
Nordgren has started training with HIFK’s under-20 team and is expected to play with them before joining the senior Liiga team.
Nordgren scored 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 13 games with HIFK U20 team last season and had seven points (four goals, three assists) in 15 Liiga games.
Wouter Peeters, G (EIHL, Guilford)
Weekly stats: 0-1, 5 GA, 23 saves
Season stats: 1-1, 3.53 GAA, .887 SV%
Peeters stopped 23 of 28 shots in a 5-3 loss to Sheffield. It’s unlikely the Blackhawks will retain his draft rights.
Antti Saarela, C (Liiga, Ilves)
Weekly stats: 2 GP
Season stats: 9 GP, 1G, 2A, 2 PIM, +4, 44.3 FO%, 10:29 ATOI
Saarela is now scoreless and without a shot on goal in three straight games, and had his worse performance at the faceoff dot with at least 10 draws in a game this season. He was 44.4 percent on nine draws against SaiPa then a dismal 25 percent on 12 draws against TPS.
Max Shalunov, C (KHL, CSKA Moscow)
Weekly stats: 2 GP, 5 SOG, 1 hit
Season stats: 18 GP, 4G, 2A, 39 SOG, 8 PIM, +6, 50.3 FO%, 10 hits, 8 BLS, 14:40 ATOI
Shalunov returned to action after missing two weeks for undisclosed reasons. He had a strong game in his first outing back with four shots on goal, one hit and a 55.6-percent success rate on faceoffs (5-for-9) in 13:37 in a 2-1 loss to Sibir. CSKA then took care of Barys 3-0, but Shalunov struggled at the dot going 28.6 percent (2-for-7) and only recorded one shot. It was only the third game all season he hasn’t recorded at least two in the game.