Vyazovoy is a big, no-frills goaltender who blocks off a ton of his net and doesn’t overcomplicate things. He’s a dynamic goaltender who exudes confidence without a sense of hesitation. Whether facing shooters off the rush or attacking from in-zone play, he pushes out toward them and cuts down angles. He challenges well beyond the blue paint any chance he gets. Vyazovoy’s confidence isn’t limited to just making saves. He is highly mobile and eagerly leaves the net to play pucks, which he does quite often and extremely well. He surveys the ice to identify his options, he easily sets pucks up for his defense, starts breakouts and sends stretch passes up ice to create offensive opportunities. His mobility extends to his crease agility as well. Vyazovoy’s post-to-post movement is quick and his puck tracking is well above average. He doesn’t give up many rebounds and when he does they don’t go far. His focus and anticipation let him follow the play effectively. He has more of a hybrid style and is not a classic butterfly goaltender, but he does use that technique well to take away the bottom of the net even if he relies on dropping down more often than he needs to. He does a great job of sealing off the bottom of the ice. He tends to go down to make saves on longer shots that could be easily handled while remaining on his feet. At times, he can go down earlier than needed but quick and active hands combined with cutting down angles and a taller stance while in the butterfly allowed Vyazovoy to get away with this and defend the upper net. He already looks comfortable wearing big equipment, which helps pucks stick to him. Even though his movement is a little slow it’s still very fluid and controlled, getting into his butterfly or moving post-to-post without opening himself up too much. He preserves energy because he doesn’t need to rely on speed and reflexes. Aside from being a little slow, the only other knock on him is his positioning, as sometimes he can lose his angle and give up too much net to shoot at, but that can be fixed over time through development. Vyazovoy is an impressive goalie with all the skills and athleticism to become a professional mainstay with some NHL potential.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide