Metropolitan Notes: Fedotov, Niederreiter, Rangers
Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov has been arrested in Russia, reports Sport-Express’ Alexey Shevchenko. The issue appears to pertain to the netminder’s mandatory military service which has not been fulfilled. Fedotov left his contract with CSKA Moscow to sign a one-year deal with Philadelphia back in May. That team is owned by the Russian army (the A in CSKA stands for Army) with its players being considered military personnel so his departure could be classified as a breach of contract. On the surface, that could put his NHL plans on hold for next season which could have the Flyers back on the hunt for a backup goaltender as the 25-year-old was widely expected to be Carter Hart’s backup next season after being a finalist for the KHL’s top goaltender in 2021-22. GM Chuck Fletcher released the following statement on the matter to Oliver Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link):
We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter will test the open market when it opens up on July 13th, his agent Andre Rufener told Pierre LeBrun in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link). Rufener didn’t rule out the possibility of Carolina re-signing him but the 29-year-old will see what’s out there first. Niederreiter is coming off his second straight season of at least 20 goals which should have his market somewhere close to the $5.25MM he had on his set-to-expire contract.
- As the Rangers look to find their second-line center for next season, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that they have shifted their focus to the trade market. He notes that the team was unable to meet the asking price of Ryan Strome, their second-line pivot for the past four seasons, or Andrew Copp, their prominent trade deadline acquisition. New York has been linked to Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois although, with just $11MM in cap space per CapFriendly with several roster spots to be filled, it would be difficult for them to afford Dubois’ next contract – he’s a pending restricted free agent – onto their books as it will undoubtedly come in higher than what Strome and Copp receive.
Flyers Sign Ivan Fedotov
It has taken quite a while but the Flyers have finally been able to sign prospect goaltender Ilya Fedotov, announcing that they’ve inked the netminder to a one-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 25-year-old was drafted in the seventh round back in 2015 and the only reason that Philadelphia was able to retain his rights for that long without ever signing him is that the Russian Hockey Federation doesn’t have a signed Player Transfer Agreement with the NHL. He was capped at signing a one-year contract due to his age.
Fedotov has had a stellar KHL career, recording a 2.13 GAA along with a .925 SV% in 89 games over seven years. His numbers this season were very close to that as he posted a 2.00 GAA and a .919 SV% in 26 appearances with CSKA Moscow during the regular season. He was even better in the playoffs, helping his team engineer a comeback from being down 3-1 to Metallurg Magnitogorsk while recording a 1.85 GAA and a .937 SV% in 22 contests. Fedotov may also be recognized from the Olympics as he suited up for the Russian Olympic Committee in that tournament, helping lead them to a silver medal.
It’s unlikely that Fedotov will be coming to North America to play with Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. Instead, he should be expected to form the other half of their goaltending tandem with Carter Hart and with the youngster struggling over the last couple of seasons, there will be an opportunity for the 6’8 Fedotov to push for playing time right away. The Flyers had to wait nearly seven years to sign Fedotov and they’ll soon be able to find out if he was worth the wait.
Philadelphia Flyers Working On Contract With Ivan Fedotov
One of the more interesting notes from Chuck Fletcher’s media availability this morning (apart from the confirmation that Mike Yeo will not return as head coach) is that the Philadelphia Flyers are working on a contract with Ivan Fedotov and expect to agree to terms in the near future. The general manager explained that it is complicated because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but is confident they will ultimately be able to work out a contract and bring him to North America for next season.
Fedotov, 25, was a seventh-round pick of the Flyers way back in 2015 and has been slowly developing into one of the best netminders in Russia ever since. This season he was the starter at the Olympics, posting a .943 save percentage in six games and winning a silver medal, and then returned to CSKA Moscow to take his club all the way to a Gagarin Cup championship. Fedotov had an eye-popping .937 save percentage in 22 playoff appearances, allowing a goals-against-average of just 1.85.
It was at the Olympics when Fedotov suggested to reporters that he was planning on coming to North America next season, and it appears as though there could be an NHL spot waiting for him when he arrives. Fletcher indicated that the big netminder will compete for the backup NHL role, should he be signed.
Standing 6’8″, you likely aren’t going to find a goaltender that fills the net as much as Fedotov, but it’s not just his frame that has allowed him to reach a high level. His overall play has steadily improved over the last several years, as he was brought along through the junior and minor leagues. Now a real option for an NHL team, the Flyers could be getting a ton of value out of a late-round pick that happened well before this management regime was installed.