Could Egor Zamula Be the Next Un drafted Superstar?

Despite not being drafted in 2018, Egor Zamula has blossomed into one of the best defensive prospects in the NHL at just 20 years old. 

 The Hextall masterclass of prospects keeps providing as Zamula was signed to an entry level deal in September of the same year after proving himself at training camp. Is he at the caliber to become a top 4 defensemen in this stacked Flyers defense?

Zamula impressed from the start of training camp as he outplayed most of his teammates from his draft year. Even though he only scored 18 points in 69 games the year prior, his WHL teammates had believed that he was able to put up much more and he was also great at shutting the door at the back end.

 Coaches at camp noted before his signing that he was a “smooth skater and had immense talent” even though he had just turned 18. Over the 2018-19 season playing for the Calgary Hitmen, Zamula was able to put up 10 goals and 56 points which ranked him 7th among defensemen in scoring, right around players like Ty Smith, Bowen Byram, Jett Woo, and Caleb Addison who were all drafted no later than the 2nd round.

Zamula blew all expectations out of the water that season and most GMs likely were kicking themselves over missing out on such a prospect. In the first year of his contract he put up points like no other, Zamula was playing more than 20 minutes a game and had the 5th most points in the league before he sustained a concussion in the Corral Series at the midway point of the season.

Even after Calgary started as one of the worst in the league with only 5 wins in over 20 games, Zamula carried them out from the depths of the WHL standings and into the playoffs with 22 points in 15 games. He finished up very well just a year removed representing Russia in the U18 World Championships where he earned a goal and an assist.

Zamula was already at the level of a 1st round pick as he out scored talents drafted ahead of him and scored more than 50 points from his previous season. 

The 2019-20 season would turn out to be his best as he lit up the league’s best goalies and scored at a ridiculous rate that earned him a spot on the 2019 Russian World Juniors team as the number one Defensemen.

Zamula led off the season with 9 points in the first 6 games, the highest by any defensemen in the league. At the time of his call up to the national team, he became a point-per-game player. The World Juniors is highly regarded as the most talented young athletes get the chance to prove themselves before a national audience.

Heading into the tournament, Zamula started turning heads with his natural ability to dictate play. With the pressure on and the hockey world gazing upon him, he excelled with standout performances at the highest stage and was competing with high end talents.

Zamula played extremely well, as he notched 5 points in 7 games. Along with fellow highly touted defensive prospect,  Alexander Romanov, he lead Russia to the grand finale. Unfortunately, Russia would go on to lose to Canada, but nevertheless it was a strong showing for a once unheard of player in Egor Zamula.

His hard work was also in vein as he developed a back injury midway through the tournament which at the time was thought to be a degenerative condition. Zamula decided to play through the injury and required surgery soon after the tournament finished. He was then held out the remainder of the 2020 season but would be ready for next season’s training camp for the Flyers.

 An un drafted defenseman that Hextall signed? Sounds like another player on the Flyers current roster in Phil Myers. Ever heard of him? He’s scored 16 points in 50 games after finding his role on the second pairing with Travis Sanheim.

Zamula I believe has the potential to surpass 16 points in his first season and play top minutes alongside Provorov if he develops at the rate we’ve seen him dating back to 2017. Egor is a big bodied but looks light on his skates which allows him to play a style of game that’s way above his teammates in Calgary.

I was lucky enough to witness most of his junior career. Going from playing 6 minutes a night on the bottom pair to one of the best players in the league. The reason for his huge change in ability is his skating. He trained his speed and did edge work in his off time and in optional practice to prepare for training camps after the 2018 draft.

Because he improved so much, he was given the opportunity in Calgary Flames prospect camp, but was let go after not performing well enough to earn a contract. This changed when he was invited to Flyers prospect camp and seemed like a new player. Hextall obviously saw his talent after his previous stint and brought him in to test his ability. Zamula would earn his entry-level deal after playing in 2 preseason games, outplaying most of the drafted talent on the roster. His play would only get better.

This year’s training camp saw Zamula play alongside the Flyers top 6 in hopes of acquiring a role as a backup if any significant injury happened in the playoffs. Flyers Head Coach, Alan Vigneault, was happy with Zamula’s performance in camp and said that he moves the puck very well, better than most players his age.

Having secured a roster spot in the only preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Zamula wasn’t able to score a point but impressed much of the front office and silenced any doubts of his well-being after surgery. We get to see Yegor in a Phantoms sweater to start next season but if he’s able to transfer his unique ability from juniors to majors, it won’t be long until we see him don the orange and black uniform.

There is no question that Yegor has the potential to crack this Flyers lineup but can he provide the homegrown talent that shifts him into a steady regular on the blue line? I think so. If he can do what he’s shown in the past two seasons I really believe that he’ll be playing top line minutes with Provorov for the foreseeable future. 

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Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

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James Iacovone

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