The Anaheim Ducks’ 2022 sixth-round pick, goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets, spent most of last season grinding through the ECHL, with brief stops in the AHL and a short NHL cameo that came only after the Ducks were hit hard by injuries.
Buteyets opened the year in the ECHL, got the call to San Diego in November, then was summoned to Anaheim in December. By mid-December, he was sent back down, and from there he kept bouncing between the AHL and ECHL for the rest of the season.
In Tulsa, where he worked as the Oilers’ starter, Buteyets handled the heaviest workload of his North American season. He appeared in 44 games and finished 18-19-5 with a 3.11 goals against average, a .908 save percentage, and two shutouts. His goals against average rose from 2.82 the year before, but his save percentage ticked up from .905.
His time with the Gulls was much shorter, but it still gave him a little more to build on. Buteyets played in four games for San Diego, backed up in several others, and went 1-3 with a 4.29 goals against average and a .865 save percentage. Both numbers were better than the season before, and he also picked up his first career AHL win.
The NHL appearance came in unusual circumstances. Buteyets was recalled when Lukas Dostal and Petr Mrazek were injured and Calle Clang had left San Diego on a personal leave.
Ville Husso started that game, but he was pulled after giving up four goals. Buteyets came in and saw 13 shots, allowing three goals, though two came on deflections off Anaheim defensemen.
Now his path takes him back to Russia. Buteyets signed a two-year deal with Traktor and was then loaned to the Shanghai Dragons for the upcoming season.
He’ll be part of a three-goalie rotation with Patrik Rybar and Pavel Khomchenko, both of whom played in the KHL last season. Rybar appeared in 28 games, while Khomchenko played in 50.
Rybar was one of four goaltenders to suit up for Shanghai last season and played the most games of that group.
That setup could leave Buteyets looking for ice time in the VHL if the Dragons lean on the veterans ahead of him. And that’s where the next step in his development really sits.
The most KHL games he has played in a season is one, so the hope is that he gets into at least five games for Shanghai this year. If he does spend significant time in the VHL, he’ll also need to improve on his 2023-2024 numbers there, when he posted a 2.57 goals against average, a .913 save percentage, and one shutout.
Even with that NHL debut on his résumé, Buteyets is still a long way from real NHL consideration. The Ducks saw him only because the depth chart was stretched thin, and he still needs to prove he can handle consistent work in the KHL before Anaheim can start thinking seriously about him.
Buteyets remains a restricted free agent. After so much time in the ECHL, it was a little surprising to see the Ducks issue him a qualifying offer, but the season also showed why teams need goaltending depth.
If he signs again, it will likely be a one-year, two-way deal. It also wouldn’t be a shock if Anaheim simply keeps him as a restricted free agent and holds his NHL rights for the next several years.
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