‘he’s Competitive As Hell’: Why Artur Akhtyamov Will Make His First Nhl Start Against The Islanders

Sometimes all you need is an opportunity, and for Russian goaltending prospect Artur Akhtyamov, that time is now. The goaltender will make his first NHL start for the Toronto Maple Leafs when the club visits the New York Islanders on Thursday.

This was clearly not the plan for the Leafs, but they arrived at this situation quickly. Anthony Stolarz sustained a lower-body injury early in the Leafs’ 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, forcing Joseph Woll into a busy night. Stolarz’s season could be over; the goaltender, who has already been sidelined twice this year, requires imaging on his latest ailment.

Dennis Hildeby has had some success with the Leafs as the No. 3 option in these types of situations. He played in 19 games while one or both of Stolarz and Woll were unavailable for various reasons, posting a 5-6-4 record with a .912 save percentage. However, Hildeby played for the Marlies earlier in the day, helping the AHL club clinch a playoff berth with a 4-3 win over the Utica Comets.

So, rather than exposing either Woll or Hildeby to starts on consecutive days, the Leafs will turn to Akhtyamov, a player Head Coach Craig Berube is eager to evaluate.

Berube confirms Akhtyamov will make his first NHL start tomorrow.@Ozoon_CA

— David Alter (@davidalter) April 9, 2026

“I really liked him right from camp,” Berube said. “He’s backed up a couple of times this year and just has a great personality. He's played well down there. He's a competitor, he’s got fast reflexes, and he's competitive as hell. I like the kid a lot”.

Akhtyamov has posted a 20-12-4 record this season with the Marlies alongside a .903 save percentage. Selected in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft, the goalie from Kazan signed a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $900,000. The last two years of that deal are one-way.

“He’s a really good goaltender, really dialed in,” Leafs forward Bo Groulx said of Akhtyamov. “Really, a mentally strong goalie. If he gets scored on or a bad goal goes in, he’s not fazed by it. And he takes on the challenge to be better. I think that’s his greatest strength".

With Woll and Stolarz both unavailable earlier this season, Akhtyamov made his NHL debut in relief on Dec. 13. He stopped all five shots he faced in 11 minutes of action during a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.