Vyacheslav Peksa
With their third and final pick in the 2021 draft, the Maple Leafs selected goaltender Vyacheslav Peksa.
Playing in the Supreme Hockey League (SHL/VHL) in Russia for Bars Kazan, in his first 27 games, he has earned a record of 12 wins, 11 losses, and three overtime losses. Over that span, Peksa has posted a goal-against average of 2.17 and a save percentage of .927. Two of his wins have come on shutouts.
Playing juniors in Russia’s Junior Hockey League (JHL/MHL), Peksa dazzled between the pipes last season. Stopping puck for Irbis Kazan, the 6’2″, 163 lbs prospect carried his club into the playoffs. Despite a strong showing, they weren’t able to capture the Kharlamov Cup, after being eliminated in the semi-finals.
Peksa’s regular season numbers were unbelievable. He started 56 games and made scoring against him extremely difficult. He had a 1.79 goals-against average with a save percentage of .936. That was good enough to help Irbis win 30 games he started.
Peksa still hasn’t seen a true challenge. The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a better sense of where the goaltender fits in the organization once he makes the jump to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Peksa’s development will likely make a leap once he begins facing professionals with better shots and releases.
The 2021 draft class wasn’t one of the strongest. What the Toronto Maple Leafs managed to accomplish with the picks they had and the players available will be remembered, especially if Knies and Voit continue on their current trajectories.