Danai Shaiikov

Danai Shaiikov is a goaltender selected by the New York Rangers in the third round (67th overall) of the 2026 NHL Draft. Born April 13, 2007 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he was developed not at home but inside Russia's Avangard Omsk system before the Gatineau Olympiques took him in the 2025 CHL Import Draft — one of only a handful of Kazakhstan-born goaltenders ever drafted into the NHL, and notably not from Ust-Kamenogorsk, the country's traditional goalie hotbed.

He arrived in Quebec as the backup, then seized the crease and became the workhorse, playing 50 games for a club near the bottom of the QMJHL's Western Conference. He opened his North American career 3-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average to earn QMJHL Prospect of the Week, and NHL Central Scouting ranked him 14th among North American goaltenders.

The adjustment story is its own charm. Speaking to Radio-Canada, he shares a billet home with Slovenian-born captain Jan Golicic, who he leans on as a cultural bridge; he is learning both English and French ("French is such a beautiful language, but it's very difficult"); and he misses home cooking most of all — "I enjoyed poutine, but I miss traditional borscht." Radio-Canada introduced him as a goalie with "fire in his eyes." He grew up idolizing Sergei Bobrovsky and now models his game on the Rangers' Igor Shesterkin — the goaltender ahead of him in the very organization that drafted him.

This page gathers Shaiikov's measurements and draft details in one place. InGoal Magazine will expand its coverage as his career develops.