St. Louis Blues: Why I have my doubts on Vadim Zherenko
When Vadim Zherenko was drafted in 2019, the Blues and the 30 other NHL organizations most certainly did not expect him to post a sub-3.00 GAA and at least a .915 save percentage in his next two seasons in some of the best leagues in Russia. Since those two seasons, Zherenko has posted solid, though not as impressive, numbers in the Liiga and the AHL. Despite this, I still have significant doubts about Zherenko's potential impact for the Blues. Here are the two biggest reasons why I think so.
His Lack of Technique in the Net
When watching Zherenko, two things stand out pretty quickly: his size and his agility in the crease. At 6'4" and 196 lbs, he certainly has the size to be an NHL goaltender. Additionally, his agility is impressive, as it's not rare to see Zherenko make acrobatic saves, jumping from one side of the net to the other. This can be a good sign, as no NHL team wants a goalie who can't steal a few goals. However, the frequency at which Zherenko has to rely on these dramatic saves can be concerning.
Many of these saves wouldn't be necessary if he were in a better position initially. He sometimes loses his post, isn't square to the puck, and tends to be too aggressive. While this doesn't impact his play much in lower leagues, where most players don't have great shots and are easier to save even from a poor position, it raises questions about his performance at higher levels. When he faces players who can exploit these weaknesses, what will happen then?
Most of the best goaltenders in recent history, such as Carey Price and Martin Brodeur, were amazing technical goalies. They could make those spectacular saves, but that wasn't their primary means of stopping the puck.
Defence Helps Him?
When I first started scouting Zherenko, his stats were certainly eye-popping. Statistics like a 0.936 save percentage in the MHL and a 0.920 in the VHL are impressive. However, when I delved deeper into his stats, some worrisome trends emerged. Over the last four seasons, Zherenko had another goaltender on his team with better or at least similar stats in a comparable number of games.
A good example is last season with the Thunderbirds. Zherenko posted a respectable 0.904 save percentage in 29 games, but his teammate Malcolm Subban had a 0.907 save percentage in 31 games, and Colten Ellis had an outstanding 0.924 save percentage in 16 games.
This brings up the question: Is Zherenko a good goalie, or are his stats inflated by playing on strong defensive teams? The answer is unclear at this point, but it raises significant concerns.
Where does that leave us?
In conclusion, while Vadim Zherenko's raw stats and physical attributes suggest the potential for an NHL career, significant doubts remain about his future impact for the St. Louis Blues. His lack of consistent technique in the net and his tendency to rely on acrobatic saves are red flags that could be exploited at the highest levels of play. Furthermore, the strong defensive teams he has played behind may have inflated his statistics, masking underlying weaknesses in his game.
The next few seasons will be critical for Zherenko's development. If he can refine his technique and demonstrate consistent performance without the crutch of a superior defensive setup, he could still carve out a successful NHL career. However, until he addresses these concerns, his potential as a reliable starting goaltender for the Blues remains in question.
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