Flyers Solve Logjam by Trading Goalie to Blue Jackets

The Flyers will enter the preseason with Samuel Ersson and Dan Vladar vying for the starter’s net. It’s likely that Aleksei Kolosov will be assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Philadelphia is unlikely to re-sign Carter Hart.

Ersson has posted an .888 save percentage over 110 career regular season games, while Vladar has maintained a .895 save percentage through 105 career NHL games. Neither goalie has shown much promise – but mediocre netminding is nothing new in Philly.

For Columbus, there’s not a great deal of risk in acquiring Fedotov for a sixth-round pick. Elvis Merzlikins enters the 2025-26 season as the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 goalie but he will be challenged by 24-year-old Jet Greaves, who is a career .924 netminder through 21 regular season games.

Fedotov will figure into Columbus’ netminding competition. The 28-year-old posted an outstanding .921 save percentage over 133 KHL games. He’s yet to find success in the NHL. Over 29 games, Fedotov has posted a 6-14-5 record with a 3.29 goals against average and a .874 save percentage.

It was good business for Daniel Briere and the Flyers to gain a draft pick for an expendable goaltender. The Blue Jackets will allow Fedotov an opportunity to prove himself with a new organization.