As the Philadelphia Flyers transition from rebuilder to contender, perhaps their biggest question mark is goaltending. Per Natural Stat Trick, they’ve finished at the bottom of the league in team save percentage over the past two seasons. While signing backup Dan Vladař should help, a complete transformation is unlikely.
Related: 3 Flyers Hot Takes for 2025–26
So, the Flyers are relying on their pipeline. Carson Bjarnason, a 2023 second-round pick, is set to join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season and make his American Hockey League (AHL) debut. Alongside him in the fight is Aleksei Kolosov, a 23-year-old whose .867 save percentage across 17 games with the Flyers last season indicates he’s not yet ready for the NHL.
The jury’s out on what these two can become, but “superstar” would be a reach, given what they’ve shown to this point. That’s not such a lofty goal, however, for Egor Zavragin. Despite celebrating his 20th birthday in August, he’s off to another hot start in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), which some believe is the best non-NHL league in the world.
Zavragin’s Status Entering 2025–26
Before we get into what the youngster’s done this season, let’s look at some background. Between his draft-minus-one and draft-year seasons, Zavragin accumulated a .926 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average in 52 games at the MHL level, which is Russia’s top junior league. The Flyers drafted the poised, highly athletic netminder 87th overall in 2023.
In 2023–24, Zavragin started to show signs of a potentially great prospect. Putting up a .945 save percentage in nine MHL games, he graduated from the league for good—it was no longer worth his time. But interestingly, the same was true for the VHL, Russia’s second-tier pro league. His .943 save percentage and near-perfect 13–1–0 record meant he had only one more hill to climb: the KHL.
Last season, Zavragin did exactly that. On a loan with HC Sochi, he had a .941 save percentage across six starts between September and October. This forced SKA St. Petersburg’s hand, recalling the 19-year-old to their prestigious club.
Despite his youth, Zavragin appeared in 37 more contests, setting the games played record for his age group in the process (42). His .912 save percentage, 2.55 goals-against average, and 17–11–3 record with SKA showed that while there was room to develop (those are slightly below average numbers), he was already a capable full-time starter in Russia’s finest.
Zavragin Is Back to Dominating the KHL
It’s only September, but Zavragin is picking up where he began last season. In three starts, the 20-year-old has a .949 save percentage, 1.66 goals-against average, and a 2–1–0 record. He is the youngest goalie in the KHL with at least one start, yet ranks second in save percentage among them.
The stat is a tad cherry-picky given how early in the season it is, but only Zavragin and New York Islanders superstar Ilya Sorokin have a .945 save percentage or better with at least two wins in their age-20 KHL seasons, according to QuantHockey. Even if we should expect the numbers to drop, the production is unprecedented.
It’s not just the numbers with Zavragin, either. As mentioned, he has a lot of poise for the amount of athleticism he possesses. Young, gifted goalies can sometimes be frantic in a professional crease, but he isn’t. Game by game, he brings jaw-dropping stuff. He’s a human highlight reel.
SKA is one of the most prestigious non-NHL clubs in the world. There is a reason they chose a teenager to be their full-time starter last season and are giving him the same chance this season: he’s getting results. What Zavragin becomes in the NHL, should he make it, is anyone’s guess, but the upside is evident. The Orange and Black may have themselves a gem.
