With the 20th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Blue Jackets have selected CSKA Moskva (Russia) goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov.
Here’s what you should know about the newest CBJ netminder in the moments after his draft pick.
The Andreyanov file: The No. 1-ranked international goalie by NHL Central Scouting, Andreyanov has posted impressive numbers thus far in his career. Playing for CSKA’s junior team this past season, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, Andreyanov posted a 23-6-6 record, 1.75 goals-against average, .942 save percentage and three shutouts, then added a .929 save percentage in six playoff games. He’s yet to play any KHL or VHL games in Russia, but Andreyanov fits the bill as a goalie prospect because of his excellent athleticism and technical abilities while measuring 6-0.5, 207 pounds.
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How he fits: You can never have enough goalies in the system, and this year seemed particularly well-stocked with protectors of the crease. There was talk of some other netminders being worthy of a first-round pick, but the Blue Jackets had Andreyanov highest on their list and as the best prospect they've seen in the draft in years. He’s a long-term project – all goalies are – but with a pair of first-round picks, the Blue Jackets saw fit to add someone with big potential to the pipeline for down the road, with Niklas Backstrom comparing him to a young Sergei Bobrovsky.
What do the analysts say? Andreyanov landed squarely as a top-100 selection in the eyes of many rankings, with TSN’s Bob McKenzie placing the netminder 58th on his list, Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala ranking him 57th and FloHockey’s Chris Peters slotting him at 65th overall. Bukala notes, “Andreyanov is a stocky goaltender who takes up a good share of the net with his stature. He’s athletic but, at times, too active although he never quits on a puck and has the overall quickness required to recover and make saves.” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff writes, “Andreyanov had a tremendous season against Russian junior competition, showing some flashes of high-end ability. His save percentage was above .940 for most of the season, and while his team did score a lot, he seemed to thrive when he faced more action. His glove hand is quick, he’s reactive when he needs to be, and he doesn’t get frazzled when he lets a goal in.”
Get to know him: A hockey player since the age of 3, Andreyanov has played with the Russian junior national team and also been called up to the CSKA’s main squad at times in recent seasons. His favorite goaltender is Tampa Bay Lightning Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy, and he enjoys watching Steph Curry highlights. Sitting on the Volga River in the Saratov Oblast southeast of Moscow, his hometown of Volsk was founded in 1699 and has a population of around 60,000 people.
What’s next: Though he is coming to Columbus tomorrow and will attend the team's development camp, it might be a while until Blue Jackets fans see Andreyanov in an NHL game, as Waddell indicated that he has a contract in Russia that will run through the next four or five years. That’s fine, though, as the path is long and winding for goaltenders, and he’ll continue to develop in one of the world’s best leagues for the foreseeable future. The Blue Jackets have one goalie already putting up impressive performances in Russia in 2022 fifth-round pick Sergei Ivanov, and Andreyanov will join him while in the system of one of Russia’s best teams.
