24-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs prospect gets some bad news
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending prospect Artur Akhtyamov got to spend some time in the NHL these past couple of weeks, although it's coming to an end.
When Joseph Woll went down with an injury a couple of weeks ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs had no choice but to call up Artur Akhtyamov.
The 24-year-old Russian goaltending prospect was the backup for Dennis Hildeby, and in a short amount of time, he was able to make quite an impression.
Fans were very happy with what they saw from Akhtyamov, especially this past Saturday, as he came into the game against the Edmonton Oilers to relieve Hildeby.
Today, it was announced that Joseph Woll would return to action against the Chicago Blackhawks, and the implications of that were quite clear.
Artur Akhtyamov is going back to the Toronto Marlies
Just moments ago, the Maple Leafs announced that they would be sending Akhtyamov back down to the minors. Quite frankly, everyone should have seen this coming.
Hildeby will now get to be the backup until Anthony Stolarz returns. However, at this moment, it is hard to say when Stolarz will be ready to make a comeback.
Now, Akhtyamov will be able to get some real playing time with the Marlies, which will help him really develop as a goaltender, instead of being subjected to the bench.
His stint with the Leafs proves that he is capable of someday being an NHL goalie, and the franchise should be happy with what they saw.
Given Woll's propensity for getting injured, fans should not count out Akhtyamov going forward. There is a world where he gets called up again.
Either way, the Leafs are deep when it comes to goaltending talent, and that will help them dearly in the long run.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 16 | 347 ANSWERS 24-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs prospect gets some bad news Do you believe Artur Akhtyamov was impressive during his stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs? | ||
| YES | 240 | 69.2 % |
| NO | 107 | 30.8 % |
| List of polls | ||