Alexei Kolosov (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)
Flyers’ top goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov may not be in North America to begin next season if Flyers brass cannot convince him otherwise, mulitiple sources report.
BH correspondent Stepan Voronkov reports Kolosov is dealing with issues adapting to North America on and off the ice. He was drafted in the third round, 78th overall of the 2021 NHL Draft and is now under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, signing a three-year entry-level contract in July 2023. He can not decide to strip his contract and go back home, there needs to be a set plan in place.
At the end of the KHL season, Kolosov arrived in Philadelphia on April 2 and was loaned to Lehigh Valley, the Flyers AHL affiliate and minor league club, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since joining the Phantoms, Kolosov played in two regular season games with 3.03 goals against and a .885 save percentage. Not such strong numbers on paper but the product in front of him was not always perfect either.
Through two rounds of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Kolosov was the backup to Cal Petersen and did not get any playing time. The Belarusian goaltender was never given a fair chance to prove himself this season, possibly leaving a sour taste in his mouth with the Philadelphia regime in both the minor and pro leagues.
Regardless of the rumours, General Manager Daniel Briere and the Flyers are doing everything they can to keep Kolosov in North America. The transition has been hard on the 22-year-old, especially moving far away from home. The club believes the young goaltender is feeling homesick and are unaware of anything further.
It is unknown if the move back would be permit or if Kolosov would be loaned back to the KHL for another season.
