Telescope Talk is a series where we discuss Islanders’ prospects far off in the distance of the NHL roster. These players, selected in the third round or later, will take a couple years to crack the NHL roster. In their most recent draft, the Islanders selected two goaltenders: Marcus Gidlof and Dmitry Gamzin.

Gidlof, though brief, has been exposed to North American eyes courtesy of a short showing at the 2025 World Junior Championship. Gamzin, however, plays in a country that did not attend the WJC. Unless an Islanders fan wakes up to watch KHL games, Gamzin is a tough man to watch live. What do Islanders fans need to know about our mysterious Russian netminder?

Gamzin joins the Islanders organization from Moscow. He stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs around 175 pounds. At 21 years old, he is yet another overage Islanders prospect under the leadership of Lou Lamoriello. He has split time between the KHL and the VHL over the last two seasons. Gamzin plays for CSKA Moscow in the KHL (just like current Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin did), and Dmitrov Zvezda VDV in the VHL. The relationship between the KHL and VHL is very similar to that of the NHL and AHL. The KHL serves as the highest professional league in Russia, and the VHL is the second-highest. In his draft year, Gamzin balled out. He posted a 1.98 goals against average and a .937 save percentage across 13 games in the KHL.

In 2024-25, Gamzin has served primarily as the backup for CSKA Moscow. He has played in 12 games in the KHL this year. In those 12 games, he has posted a .921 SV% and a 2.50 GAA. He also has posted two shutouts this year. He struggled in mid-October, posting three consecutive games where he gave up over three goals. Since then, however, he has given up three goals over his last two starts. There is an important consideration, however.

#Isles Prospect Dmitri Gamzin had a phenomenal final start of 2024. He stopped 39 of 40 in a 2-1 shootout win for CSKA Moscow of the @khl_eng

Highlights below…https://t.co/yUi2uDChwZ pic.twitter.com/o1YGYPBTA0

— Joey McAuliffe (@Joey_McAuliffe8) January 3, 2025

The KHL, seemingly, is an extremely goalie-friendly environment. Last season, three KHL goalies had a GAA under 2.00. No goalies had a GAA under 2.00 in the NHL in 2023-24. Eight KHL goaltenders had a SV% over .930. Zero NHL goalies held a mark like that last season. In other words, goaltending statistics in the KHL are seemingly inflated. Gamzin’s statistics should be considered with this grain of salt in mind. His numbers will probably dip when he gets to North America.

Though Gamzin and Sorokin come from the same team, they are quite different stylistically. First, Gamzin towers over Sorokin. His stance is quite akin to that of Robin Lehner. He seems most comfortable in the standup. Usually, larger goalies sacrifice speed and agility due to their larger frame. Gamzin, however, doesn’t seem to lose too much.

No, he doesn’t get post-to-post as quick as Sorokin. But he moves admirably for an elephant that stands as tall as he does. Like seemingly all Russians, he has maddening flexibility in his lower body. It’s crazy enough watching Sorokin do the splits, but it’s even crazier watching Gamzin do them with his massive frame.

Gamzin’s KHL contract will expire following the 2024-25 season, making him eligible to come stateside as early as next year if he likes. The Islanders recently hired Sergei Naumovs to coach goalies with the Bridgeport Islanders. He coached CSKA Moscow goaltenders for six seasons before coming to North America. Perhaps Gamzin would come straight to Bridgeport to learn under the tutelage of the same coach who developed Sorokin?

Dmitry Gamzin remains an intriguing prospect for Islanders fans to watch. His blend of size, flexibility and composure in the net makes him a unique player with potential, though his transition to North America will undoubtedly pose challenges. Adjusting to a less goalie-friendly environment and refining his game against faster-paced competition will be crucial for his development. While Gamzin’s journey to the NHL is still far off, his progress in the KHL and beyond will be worth monitoring as the Islanders continue to build their goaltending depth for the future.

Featured image courtesy of Dmitry Kulinich/KHL

Joey McAuliffe

Joey McAuliffe is a passionate Islander fan pursuing a Masters of Accounting in Buffalo, NY. His favorite player of all time is Jordan Eberle. He has followed the team closely since 2014, but he began regularly attending games during the 2006 season. Outside of hockey, Joey loves music and the Buffalo Bills.