Quite often, the New Jersey Devils have been stifled by Russian goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who boasts an 11-6-1 record with a .914 save percentage (SV%) against them. Since Shesterkin entered the league in 2019-20, the Devils have iced a multitude of starters. Now, a potential answer for the Devils’ future is making a name for himself, just as Shesterkin once did in the Rangers’ pipeline: 6-foot-5, 18-year-old Russian Mikhail Yegorov, also known as “Big Mike”.
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Yegorov’s Journey
Sure, Jacob Markstrom has been excellent, but he’s 35 years old already. He’s a temporary solution (and a great one at that), but not the answer in the crease for the future.
On the second day of the 2024 NHL Draft, the Devils traded defenseman John Marino and a fifth-round pick to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a 2024 and 2025 second-round pick. Literally seconds later, the Devils took Yegorov with the 2024 pick. Playing for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), he became the first North American goalie to come off the board – and second out of 24 total drafted.
A quick glance at his numbers made some fans feel he was a reach, as he went 8-25-3 with an .892 SV% in Omaha during the 2023-24 season. But some believe the Lancers would not have won more than one or two games without him…that’s how much they struggled. The Devils knew he was committed to Boston University (BU) where he would eventually have higher-end talent around him.
He started the 2024-25 season in Omaha again, where he was similarly peppered with shots on a nightly basis. Regardless, he still improved, playing to a .912 SV% despite winning just three of 18 games. On Jan. 2, 2025, he had to make 66 saves in a contest which set a Lancers franchise record.
On Jan. 21st, he headed east to finally join BU – his first games in quite some time with a defense that helped him more than it hurt him. He was instantly thrown to the wolves as his very first start came against the top-ranked school in the nation: Boston College. He stopped 23 of 24 (.958 SV%) in a 2-0 loss – the only non-empty net goal from Nashville Predators prospect Teddy Stiga.
He’s had two more starts since, first a 7-2 victory over University of New Hampshire. Then, against Harvard University in the Beanpot Tournament semifinals, where BU won 7-1. In the two games combined, he stopped 45 of 48 (.938%), raising his cumulative total to .944%. It’s a small sample but that’s pure dominance nonetheless. In just a couple weeks, he’s instantly became a hero at BU, where the student section has absolutely taken the nickname “Big Mike” and ran with it.
Yegorov greets the Dog Pound after securing his first collegiate victory.#BUvsUNH pic.twitter.com/VV6F43X1wZ
— Boston Hockey Blog (@BOShockeyblog) February 1, 2025
The Hockey Writers talked to Matt Beck, who was Yegorov’s goalie coach in Omaha since he came to North America in 2023. He was quick to praise the young netminder: “I think Mike has all the attributes of an elite goalie,” he said. “He is always at the rink working to get better and knows himself very well. He’s got an incredibly high IQ, on and off the ice. That’s contributed to his ability to adapt and learn so quickly.”
It’s no kidding that his IQ is equally high off the ice, as his classes while attending BU’s College of Arts and Sciences don’t seem like a cakewalk: Intelligence & Homeland Security, Hospitality, Calculus and Microeconomic Analysis. That’s no small feat while simultaneously training to become a dominant goaltender.
It wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows for Yegorov, whose determination and curiosity got him to where he is so far. “When he first came over (to the USHL), he had to adjust to the pace of the game, especially on east to west plays,” said Beck. “The USHL is fast. He’s always been very hard working and wants to know why we do things. He’s an analytical thinker who is always curious to learn and get better.”
With that came being a little too hard on himself at times. “Mentally, it took time for him to work through adversity and being hard on himself,” Beck said. “This year, he embraced being counted on every single night while also taking responsibility for the good and the bad. Physically, his 6-foot-5 frame, combined with his athleticism and play-reading is what makes him elite. He’s worked really hard on his tracking, skating and simplifying his game.”
Nothing is a guarantee, but Yegorov looks super promising. Once he gets more games under his belt at BU, expect him to become a household name when it comes to elite prospects.
