Anaheim Ducks Lockout Prospect Report: Igor Bobkov

Name: Igor Bobkov

Age: 21

Position: Goaltender

Hometown: Surgud, Russia

Draft Story: 3rd round, 76th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

How did he become a Duck? Drafted. He signed his ELC in October 12th, 2010 with the Ducks.

Where did the Ducks send him for the lockout? The Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League, where he will battle for one of the goaltender roster spots.

2011-2012 League & Team: Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.

Other hockey ventures: Bobkov started two games for gold medal-winning Russia at the 2011 U20 World Junior Championship and was 1-1 with a 3.85 GAA and .903 save percentage. This included a 5-3 come-from-behind win against Canada in the gold medal game of the tournament.

Key Stats From Last Season: Bobkov was the starter for Kingston this season, after spending last season as a backup for the London Knights. He started in 58 games with a 17-32-6 record and a 3.64 GAA and .902 save percentage. Those numbers are big improvements over his stats with the Knights in 2010-2011. The Frontenacs didn't make the playoffs, and for the second consecutive season, Bobkov was sent to AHL to finish up. In four starts for the Syracuse Crunch, Bobkov was 2-1-1, stopping 116 of 127 shots, posting a .913 save percentage, and a 2.68 goals against.

Scout's Take: From Hockey's Future: "Bobkov has ideal size to play goal in today’s NHL with solid athletic ability and flexibility to go with it. His reads have improved and he battles hard between the pipes. A big transition year last season and a weak defensive team in front of him this campaign may obscure exactly what type of prospect he is currently, but soon enough the world will get a clearer look at the Russian import. He has shown flashes of brilliance, particularly in international play. Still raw, Bobkov’s future remains uncertain but promising."

Is he a Work-in-progress, Future trade-bait, or a Keeper?: Work-in-progress. Igor Bobkov is probably one of the highest risk/reward players in the Duck's system right now. He could be the next Ilya Bryzgalov or he could never see NHL ice time.

Should we be excited?: Maybe? On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd say he's a 3. If he pans out he's a 4 or 5, but if he doesn't he's a 1. Honestly his career could go so many different ways, its hard to say.