Vladimir Proskurin was the lone goaltender drafted in the 2026 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues, and he was immediately well received by fans. He showed great promise in Russia in the MHL, the KHL’s minor league, and now he is getting a bit of love from his new NHL club.
He was selected and will be playing in the WHL for the Victoria Royals. He was drafted in the fourth round. That is where he will be playing in 2026-27 and likely beyond that.
The pipeline in between the pipes just got scolding hot. Let’s go over why.
Proskurin gets some love
Getting selected by the Blues this past draft adds another layer to the goaltending pipeline. Right now, it is spearheaded by Joel Hofer and then backed up by Jordan Binnington. Springfield ran with a three-headed monster last season with Will Cranley, Georgii Romanov, and Vadim Zherenko. Zherekno, however, is now in Ottawa. Following that, it is Proskurin and Love Harenstam in juniors and over in Sweden, respectively, patiently awaiting their turn and getting more experience.
To be included under Hofer and Binnington for this training camp session is a great opportunity for Proskurin to make some solid plays under the watchful eyes of General Manager Alexander Steen. Facing off against NHL-ready talent, the opening night Blues roster will paint a very clear picture.
What is the best outcome?
For Proskurin, this is a great chance to see the best talent in the world taking shots on him. Jimmy Snuggerud is an elite goalscorer already, as is Dylan Holloway. Pavel Buchnevich is a 30-goal scorer, as are Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael, who have flirted with that 30-goal mark before.
The best possible outcome here is for him to get this experience and for him to go play a season or two in juniors before joining Springfield. Binnnington is very likely on his way out of St. Louis, which means that either Cranley or Romanov will get their turn next. Proskurin has to be ready to answer the call when he is called.
These next few days are going to be tough for him, but a valuable learning experience. Much like Justin Carbonneau got advice from Brayden Schenn in last season's training camp, maybe Hofer or Binnington can do the same for this kid.
Obviously, general manager Alexander Steen has high hopes for this goaltender. Let's see just how well he does.
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