Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
One of the New York Rangers’ most notable moves of the 2026 NHL Draft was their selection of goaltender Danai Shaiikov in the third round.
The selection of Shaiikov marked the first time the Rangers drafted a goalie since Talyn Boyko in 2021.
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Being drafted to the NHL is a moment that all young hockey players dream of. Shaiikov comically experienced that moment.
“I was surprised. I honestly was in (the) bathroom when I got picked,” Shaiikov revealed. “I came back, everybody (was) clapping, looking at me.”
Aside from Dylan Garand, the Rangers don’t have a ton of goaltending prospects to complement Igor Shesterkin and newly acquired Joonas Korpisalo at the NHL level, so Shaiikov instantly becomes one of the team’s most intriguing young goalies in the pipeline.
The 19-year-old goaltender expressed his excitement to join the Rangers’ organization, while underplaying the significance of being the first goalie drafted by the franchise since 2021.
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“I’m just happy to be here,” Shaiikov said. “It’s an honor to be in such a legendary organization.”
The Kazakhstan native played for the Gatineau Olympiques in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League this past season, recording an 18-26-2 record, .903 save percentage, and 2.78 goals against average in 50 games in his role as the starting goaltender.
While he idolized Sergei Bobrovsky as a young boy, Shaiikov confessed that his style of play is more comparable to that of Shesterkin.
“I was saying that Bobrovsky is my idol, but I compare myself more to Shesterkin,” Shaiikov said.
Shaiikov is expected to return to the QMJHL for the 2026-27 season.
