The Flyers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Aleksei Kolosov from AHL Lehigh Valley. With the move, Philly has now used all four of its post-deadline standard recalls after using three on Rodrigo Abols, Emil Andrae and Olle Lycksell, who were papered to the AHL on deadline day to make them eligible to suit up for Lehigh Valley in the postseason.
Kolosov, 23, headed down to the minors on deadline day without much fanfare after reportedly threatening to refuse to report to the AHL at the beginning of the season if he didn’t make the Flyers’ roster. He’s spent much of the campaign on the NHL roster as a third-string option behind Samuel Ersson and Ivan Fedotov, although it hasn’t gone particularly well. In 11 starts and four relief appearances, the 2021 third-rounder has a 4-8-1 record, a .870 SV%, and a 3.45 GAA with just four quality starts. The advanced numbers aren’t much better. His -5.7 goals saved above expected grade him better than Fedotov on a per-hour basis but worse than Ersson, per MoneyPuck.
Across a few brief assignments to Lehigh Valley this year, things haven’t been much better for Kolosov. He’s got a 3.11 GAA, .884 SV%, and a 5-6-1 record in 12 showings for the Phantoms after underwhelming with a .885 SV% in a pair of appearances for them to end last season.
Before coming to North America last year, the 6’0″ netminder was making waves in his native Belarus. Across 120 appearances for Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League from 2021 to 2024, he posted a strong 2.56 GAA and .909 SV% with six shutouts. He also starred for Belarus at the 2022 D1A World Juniors, posting a .932 SV% in five games at what was the country’s most recent junior international tournament performance before being suspended by the IIHF.
While he has one more season left on his entry-level contract, his performance this season may convince the Flyers to loan him back to Dinamo for 2025-26 or pursue a mutual contract termination – the former option Kolosov desired at the beginning of the year if he didn’t get NHL playing time. Philly has two other high-level goalie prospects in their system, Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin, although the soonest the latter can come over from Russia is the 2027-28 campaign after his current deal with SKA St. Petersburg expires.
There’s no injury designation to either Ersson or Fedotov, so it appears Philly is just giving Kolosov one last chance to show what he can do at the NHL level with 10 games remaining in the season.
Kolosov really sabotaged his potential to have a chance of making it in the NHL. If he was simply humble and patient he could’ve started the year in the AHL and maybe even played the whole year there. He would’ve gotten more playing time and been able to start adapting to the game. Ersson and Fedotov struggled and if he was any good in the AHL the team would look to him next year to have a real shot at being the guy.
Doubtful. According to their Athletic beat writer, Kolosov was habitually one of the last to show up to practice and first to leave. Such a brazen “NHL or bust” demand says a lot about a player not just on the ice but off it as well.
That kind of attitude is what I’m calling out. If he was humble at all and willing to put in the work he was in a great position and he blew it simply because of his minder and behavior.
Where have you gone, Bernie Parent?
He’ll go somewhere else and become Bob.
Like the dozen (or more) guys since Bob haven’t done?
Bob was completely different. Bob showed up at 22 years old or so and was in the NHL because he was that good. He was a playoff goalie in his first year in the NHL.
Bad attitude and not a good player.