Ivchenko was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 3rd round (78th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft.

Evaluating the Crease: 2026 NHL Draft Goaltender Spotlight

Dmitri Ivchenko, Omskie YastrebyI’ve said it multiple times already, but Ivchenko is probably one of my favorite goalies in this class andcertainly one of the most projectable long-term. The level of competition he faced was questionedthroughout the year, but it’s impossible to ignore the tools and projectable traits he displayed all season.His overall game is extremely clean, but what stood out most was his ability to slow plays down and makeeverything look easy. That translated into elite puck tracking. His eyes stayed locked on the puck from theshooter all the way into his body. Whenever he gave up a rebound, his eyes stayed with the puck, makinghis recoveries quick and controlled.Throughout all my recent viewings, he remained extremely well positioned thanks to strong anticipationand highly efficient crease routes.There honestly weren’t many weaknesses that stood out in his game. However, on some occasions, hestayed locked into the overlap position for too long, which made him vulnerable against sharp-angleshooters and passing plays. Also, while his blocker stayed projected on slides and he caught nearlyeverything to the glove side, his hands could still become more active while moving to further improveangle coverage.Bottom line, Ivchenko will be near the very top of my goalie rankings and I fully believe he’s worthy of athird-round selection.

Dmitri Ivchenko

Goalie of the week spotlight

Dmitri Ivchenko

Omskie Yastreby, MHL

In this series, instead of simply pitching the goalie with the top numbers, I’ll highlight one goalie prospect who stood out to me in my viewings in the last month.

Dmitri Ivchenko is off to an excellent start this MHL season with the Omskie Yastreby. After three starts, he remains undefeated, boasting a 1.98 GAA and a .938 save percentage. His main strengths are immediately noticeable in every viewing : a tall, powerful goaltender who moves with both speed and purpose. Yet, the more I watched him, the more I realized there’s something truly special about his game. That’s why he earns the spotlight this week.

Strengths

His speed and power through crease movements are undeniable. He pushes and slides effortlessly to beat passes and square up to plays on his feet. However, what stood out most was his ability to read the play and make intelligent, timely adjustments. He consistently recognized when to challenge on rushes and when to hold back and tilt his body to react to a pass. This level of play recognition, combined with his exceptional mobility, makes him extremely difficult to beat.

Weaknesses

He needs to better utilize his 6-foot-4 frame to take command of his crease. At times, he becomes vulnerable on screens and net-front scrambles, struggling to maintain optimal positioning and upper-body structure to face shots or track pucks effectively from the point.

Projection & Potential

At this point in the season, Ivchenko has shown a skill set that should generate significant interest heading into the 2026 NHL Draft. His speed, athleticism, and play-reading ability are all highly valuable traits that project well to the next level. However, Ivchenko’s technical fundamentals and mechanics remain somewhat raw. He’ll need to refine and polish those areas as the season progresses, doing so could firmly place him among the first goaltenders selected in the draft.

Final Rankings: Ivchenko is one of the most projectable goaltenders in this class. He moves with clear purpose, takes intelligent routes, and rarely appears rattled by the pace of the game in front of him. His butterfly flare is wide and controlled, making him very difficult to beat along the ice, while his tracking on elevated shots remains reliable. The overall package is mature, efficient, and technically refined. I see considerable upside here and view him as an excellent value option in the third round. –