After getting docked with even more injuries, the Vancouver Canucks have called up two prospects to help handle the load for the final two games of their season.
On Monday, the Canucks called up defence prospect Kirill Kudryavtsev from the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, and he will make his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.
Kudryavtsev, 21, is expected to debut for the Canucks on a defence pairing with fellow prospect Victor Mancini. The Russian former seventh-round pick was called up on the basis of emergency conditions, as the season-ending injury to Derek Forbort has left Vancouver without six healthy defencemen.
It is currently unclear if or when Tyler Myers will play for the Canucks again this season.
Kudryavtsev is playing in his first full season as a professional hockey player, making the jump to the AHL after three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 21-year-old appeared in 202 OHL games, recording 18 goals, 118 assists, and 136 points. In his first season with the Abbotsford Canucks, Kudryavtsev has impressively scored five goals, 21 assists, and 26 points in 63 games.
The 5-foot-11 defenceman is regarded as a smart player, a good skater, and an above-average puck-mover with a strong basis of details and fundamentals to his game.
In addition to Kudryavtsev, Canucks goalie prospect Nikita Tolopilo will be making his NHL debut, getting the nod to start against the Sharks on Monday night. Tolopilo, 25, will become the second Belarusian goalie to play a game in the NHL, following in the footsteps of Philadelphia Flyers rookie Aleksei Kolosov, who accomplished the feat earlier this season.
Tolopilo has two full seasons of AHL experience under his belt. So far, the 6-foot-6 netminder has a career record of 38-27-3 to go along with his 2.75 GAA, .903 save percentage, and four shutouts--all of which have come this season.
The 25-year-old has stopped 150 of the last 159 shots he's faced, giving him a .943 save percentage to spring off of into Monday night's game against the Sharks.