Observations:

June 2014 – Igor Bobkov has signed a one year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. He had somewhat of a bounce back season after struggling for the past two. He posted a 17-8-4 record with a 2.04 GAA and .921 SV%, good for second and fifth respectively among ECHL goaltenders. He also earned Goaltender of the Month honours for February and March. This one year deal will probably determine whether he fits into the Ducks' long-term plans or not, so he will have to take full advantage of it. –Kevin Won

March 2014 – Bobkov has earn the ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the week March 17-23. Bobkov posted a 3-0-0 record with a GAA of 1.33 and a save percentage of .950. Bobkov has thrived from the workload in the ECHL, ranking third in GAA with 2.07 and fifth in SV% with .921. He has been extremely hot this past little while, posting a 15-2-2 in his last 19 decisions. –Kevin Won

March 2014 – Bobkov has received the ECHL Goaltender of the Month honour for the month of February by posting a 7-1-0 record with a 2.17 GAA and .917 SV%. The large 6-6 goaltender has been strong with the Utah Grizzlies with a 12-5-2-2 record and two shutouts. With the move of Viktor Fasth during the 2014 trade deadline, a spot has freed up in the crowded Anaheim prospect pipeline. –Kevin Won

Igor Bobkov is a goaltending prospect selected by the Ducks in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. At 6'6, 235 pounds, he's one of the largest goalies drafted by any team. Bobkov plays a stand-up style and is quite mobile for his size. He must rely on his athleticism to be successful. Bobkov is best known for winning the gold medal with Team Russia at the 2011 WJC, where Bobkov led the team to a 5-3 victory after stepping in from a 3-0 deficit. From here he then played with the London Knights and Kingston Frontenacs, where he got a decent amount of starting time with average numbers. Heading into last year, he was primed to take over the number one spot with the Norfolk Admirals but was overtaken by Frederik Andersen. He struggled to find consistency in his game. This season, he was again leapfrogged by highly touted John Gibson for the second AHL goaltending spot. As a result he was sent to the ECHL last month and will be starting for them. Stuck in one of the deepest pipelines with Hiller, Fasth, Andersen, and Gibson, Bobkov is now on the outside looking in. It's hard to believe he will become a great talent staying with the Ducks organization, but he still has great potential. Look for him to post strong numbers in the ECHL this year. His future with Anaheim is very hard to predict; if he gets moved somehow this will greatly benefit his potential to be an NHL starter.

Fantasy Outlook: C

Bobkov has a lot of raw potential, but will need to find a place other than Anaheim to be successful.

Footage:

Bobkov makes a few saves at a Ducks prospects scrimmage:

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