The New Jersey Devils’ prospect pipeline took a hit across the board in 2025-26, and Mikhail Yegorov may have felt the sting more than anyone else.
That’s not because the goaltender suddenly stopped looking like a high-end talent. It’s because Boston University around him fell apart in ways that made his season look much worse on paper than it did at its best. The Terriers lost a lot of talent, and Yegorov spent plenty of nights dealing with the kind of chaos that can make a goalie look like he’s reliving his USHL days.
The numbers tell the story. After posting a .927 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average in his freshman year, Yegorov dropped to a .904 save percentage and a 2.73 GAA.
He also went from helping BU win its first Beanpot in years in 2025 to carrying the Terriers all the way to the National Championship Game in the Frozen Four. At his peak, he looked like one of the best goalie prospects in hockey.
Last season, though, the results were rougher. BU lost more games than it won, and there were nights when the support in front of Yegorov just wasn’t there. The forward group lacked that defensive edge, the blue line wasn’t exactly airtight, and Yegorov himself had stretches where soft goals at big moments hurt him.
Even with that dip, the talent is still obvious. He remains one of the better goalie prospects in the NHL. But not everyone is treating him like a top-tier name right now.
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic placed Yegorov ninth in his summer goalie prospect rankings, slotting him at the end of tier two. Wheeler’s top group is led by names like Jacob Fowler, Sebastian Cossa, and Trey Augustine, and Yegorov isn’t quite being pushed into that same conversation by most evaluators. Still, there are cases to be made that he belongs ahead of some of the goalies ranked above him.
Utah prospect Michael Hrabel, for instance, has mechanics issues to clean up. Sergei Murashov, meanwhile, brings questions about size and whether he can be a starter at the next level.
Wheeler still had plenty of praise for Yegorov, calling him “(Mikhail) Yegorov is a freak athlete who has high-end attributes. He’s a 6-foot-5 goaltender with raw, natural athleticism that presents itself in his ability to go post-to-post or low-to-high.
He also has good hands, and he reads and anticipates the play smartly.Yegorov is a freak athlete who has high-end attributes. He’s a 6-foot-5 goaltender with raw, natural athleticism that presents itself in his ability to go post-to-post or low-to-high.
He also has good hands, and he reads and anticipates the play smartly.”
So the tools are there, and Wheeler’s report still points to starter upside. But the ranking leaves Yegorov lower than some Devils fans might expect, especially after what he showed before last season’s dip.
Wheeler’s work is usually right on the money, but this one feels off.
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