On Tuesday, August 10th, the Kansas City Mavericks announced that they have re-signed forward Nick Pastujov for the 2021-22 season. Last season, the 23-year old Bradenton, FL native skated in 49 games for the Mavericks and scored 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists). With Pastujov, the Mavericks have locked up a young talented forward with a high ceiling.
Pastujov played junior hockey with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) of the USHL, and was on the U.S. National U17 and U18 teams. In the 2015-16 season, he played in the U18 World Junior Championship where he won a bronze medal and scored four points in seven games (three goals, one assist). Nick was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 7th round of the 2016 NHL Draft at 193rd overall. After being drafted, he went on to an impressive collegiate career with the college hockey powerhouse University of Michigan, where he played with his brother Michael. In four seasons with the Wolverines, Nick scored 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists) in 136 games. Pastujov was an important part of Michigan’s power play and tied for fifth in the Big Ten in Power-Play Goals with six in 2019-20. He has also attended The Islanders’ prospect development camp.
Pastujov joined the Mavericks last season after originally signing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (now the Bridgeport Islanders) of the AHL. Pastujov did not play a game with Bridgeport, and joined the Mavericks on February 16, 2021. After joining the Mavericks, he quickly started making an impact. He scored his first professional goal in his 4th game with the Mavericks on February 28, in a 3-1 win over the Tulsa Oilers.
Pastujov brings high-end talent, speed, puck handling, and an effective shot to the Mavericks. Young talent like Nick Pastujov is hard to lock down in the ECHL, which makes the signing all the more impressive. Going into his second professional season, he is most definitely a player to watch out for as he could be poised for an explosive breakout year.
Featured Image By: David M. Rainey/ Special To The Examiner