#9: Andrei Vasilevskiy – 2012 NHL Draft, 19th overall
A more recent newcomer to the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, rising goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is a blooming star in the NHL and shown flashes of brilliance during his relatively short time in the league. After getting drafted in the first round in 2012 by the Lightning, Vasilevskiy spent a couple of more seasons in Russia playing for Salavat Yulayev of the KHL and Tolpar UFA Jr.
Before jumping into the NHL right away, Vasilevskiy spent time in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch and adjusted to North America life and the style of play. While in Syracuse, he appeared in 25 games and posted a 14-6-5 record to go along with two shutouts, a .917 SV%, and a 2.45 GAA during the 2014-15 season. He also split time between the NHL and AHL when Evgeni Nabokov was released and he served as the primary back-up to Ben Bishop.
Vasilevskiy appeared in 16 games during the 2014-15 season and posted a 7-5-1 record with one shutout, a .918 SV%, and a 2.36 GAA. He earned his first NHL win on December 16, 2014, in a 3-1 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. From that point, he would continue to impress with his athletic ability and poise in net, which would eventually lead to him earning the primary back-up spot behind Bishop and a somewhat daunting future appearance in Game 2 of the 2015 Cup Final.
From that point, he would continue to impress with his athletic ability and poise in net, which would eventually lead to him earning the primary back-up spot behind Bishop and a somewhat daunting future appearance in Game 2 of the 2015 Cup Final.
He earned the victory in that Game 2 of the Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks and proved that he can play in big games and high-pressure situations. It would only add to his case for being one of the elite young goaltenders in the NHL.
This past season, Vasilevskiy appeared in eight more games and finished with an 11-10-0 record, but with worse numbers in save percentage and goals-against average. However, he took over in net during the Eastern Conference Finals after Bishop went down early in Game 1 and led the Lightning to a Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
During that seven game stretch, he stopped nearly 40 shots every game and kept the team in most of the games when the players in front of him looked dazed and confused.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has shown that he can handle the starting job in goal and perform well in the regular season and in the playoffs when the stakes are much higher. If not here, he could be a starter for most teams in the league, but the hope is that he or Bishop stays in Tampa Bay to man the net. The Lightning picked a rising star in Vasilevskiy and he has proved his value to the organization by showing his future potential, which is why he lands at number nine on this list.
Next: Number Eight