Alexei Kolosov Could Make Official Flyers Debut vs. Canadiens

In lieu of the struggles of Philadelphia Flyers backup goalie Ivan Fedotov, it is now a possibility that top goalie prospect Alexei Kolosov makes his official NHL debut for the Flyers on Sunday vs. the Montreal Canadiens.

Kolosov, 22, made a surprise return to North America after holding out in Belarus for the entire offseason and most of training camp. The former third-round pick managed to play parts of two preseason games for the Flyers before being re-assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.

Flyers GM Danny Briere postulated on Sept. 17 that Kolosov wanted a full-time role in the NHL and, magically, nine days later, Kolosov appeared at training camp as the two sides apparently reached some sort of agreement.

While Kolosov is not being guaranteed anything, he may get his wish this weekend, if only temporarily.

A source familiar with the situation indicated to Philly Hockey Now that a conversation on the matter will take place on Saturday following the Flyers game against the Minnesota Wild and that a decision has not been made one way or another.

Because the Flyers currently have the maximum 23 players on their roster, a transaction will have to be made in order to fit Kolosov into the equation.

Rookie center Jett Luchanko sticks out as the first name on the list given that he can return to the Guelph Storm of the OHL, though his fate is independent of Kolosov’s, according to the source. Other options might include placing Cam York, who was injured in Wednesday’s loss to the Washington Capitals, on injured reserve retroactively.

Kolosov has played in all four games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, posting a 1-2-1 record, a 3.29 GAA, and a .875 save percentage. Considering that the Phantoms have only scored nine goals this season and only six players in total have scored a goal, it would be a reach to place too much blame on Kolosov.

However, some better looking statistics would certainly allow fans to feel a little more confident in the 22-year-old goalie if he is to make his NHL debut against Montreal this weekend.