Nikita Prishchepov has his own development journey to worry about, but he’s going to be a valuable member of the Colorado Avalanche organization this season regardless of how he performs on the ice.

The Avs have a pair of young Russian goalies — top prospect Ilya Nabokov and recently signed Nikita Novosyolov — who are going to play their first season in North America this season. Making that transition from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean can be hard for any player, but especially so for young Russian goalies.

While Novosyolov might be a bit of a wild card, Colorado invested its top selection in the 2024 NHL draft (No. 38 overall) in Nabokov. He is the club’s top prospect, or among the top two or three, according to every prospect evaluator. Helping these goalies get settled and having helpful resources around them could be huge for their development.

That’s where Prishchepov, who played 10 games for the Avs two seasons ago but was injured for much of last year, and new addition Fedor Svechkov can help.

“I have a couple friends here who have been in the NHL, Nikita Prishchepov and Fedor Svechkov,” Novosyolov said via a translator Friday. “I’m very grateful that they are always close by, helping with everything, helping to translate and just helping with life in general. That’s really nice.”

Nabokov, 23, has won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, earning playoff MVP honors in the process. He spent three seasons as the club’s No. 1 goalie, including last season after signing his entry-level contract with the Avalanche.

The 6-foot, 179-pound goaltender was loaned back to his KHL club for one more year of seasoning.

“I wanted to make sure I’m ready for this next level mentally,” Nabokov said through the translator. “It’s a different country. Everything is different over here, and just wanted to make sure that I show up at my best.”

When Magnitogorsk’s season was over, Nabokov joined the Colorado Eagles during their Calder Cup playoffs run. Nabokov did not play, but he practiced with the team. He had Danil Gushchin around to help with any language issues.

Nabokov isn’t fluent in English yet, but he’s making the effort. He greeted the assembled media at the Avs’ practice facility on Friday with “hello” and ended the interview with “have a nice day.”

“I’m envious of guys like that who can go to a totally different culture, not speaking a word, but earn the respect of the room based on how he works,” former Eagles coach Mark Letestu said in May. “He goes out there and he competes in practice. He puts forth an effort in English. I think the guys cheer for him every time he learns a new phrase.

“He’s a part of us right now. He’s one of the guys. He’s not on his own. We’re doing our best to teach him as much as we can, but he’s really earned respect and admiration of his teammates with his work. I think hockey is a universal language, and when guys see somebody work like that, you don’t have to worry about a language barrier.”

Nabokov played with Minnesota’s Danila Yurov and Philadelphia’s Nikita Grebenkin in the Magnitogorsk system, and has picked their brains about the transition. The Avs also have former goalie Pavel Francouz on the amateur scouting staff, and his ability to speak Russian makes him a valuable resource for Nabokov and Novosyolov.

The Avs have Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, who just combined to win the William Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed this past season. Blackwood has four more seasons under contract, but Wedgewood turned 34 years old last month and is on a one-year deal.

Both played very well for the Avs, but there could be a path to playing time for Nabokov in the near future. He’ll likely start the season competing with Trent Miner for starts with the Eagles. If everyone is healthy, Novosyolov will likely play for the club’s new ECHL affiliate in New Mexico.

It appears that Nabokov is not short on personality or confidence. The Avs are trying to put an infrastructure around him to help him reach his potential. They could use a draft and development success story.

“I want to see what I can do in the NHL while I’m young,” Nabokov said. “I will do my best to have the best career I can possibly have. My plans for the season are to play as many games in the NHL as possible, and just prove that I belong here.”

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