Flyers reportedly making goaltending prospect available in trade talks

The Philadelphia Flyers continue to look for a resolution with goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov regarding his future with the organization. The young netminder spurned the Flyers this week by not reporting to their rookie camp, and he’s not expected to join the team for training camp, either, as he hopes to return to his home country of Belarus for the 2024-25 season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote Monday that Philadelphia has made Kolosov available to interested teams, but there’s no indication a change of scenery would dissuade his desire to return home.

A lack of communication has been made apparent between the Flyers’ brass and Kolosov, as many people within the organization are confused by Kolosov’s request. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic recently spoke to the head coach of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Ian Laperriere, and he said players on the Phantoms made repeated attempts for Kolosov to join them for team activities but were rejected.

Kolosov debuted with the organization at the end of last season. The young netminder skated in two games for the Phantoms while securing a 1-1-0 record with a .885 save percentage. He spent most of last year with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk (the team he is looking to rejoin), producing a 22-21-3 record in 47 games with a .907 SV%.  He holds a career .909 SV% over four years in the KHL and does not appear interested in continuing his development in North America.

The Flyers are reportedly asking for a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but many teams are hesitant to pay that price. There has not been any confirmation either way if Kolosov is not comfortable playing in a foreign place or if he’s unhappy with the Flyers organization specifically. No team will sacrifice a second-round pick in a relatively deep draft class if Kolosov has no intentions of returning to North America. If Kolosov is willing to return to the NHL under a new organization, it is reasonable to assume the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning would maintain some level of interest in the former 78th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft.

The Flames could use a stronger long-term option next to Dustin Wolf, and the Blackhawks may be looking for someone to upseat Drew Commesso as the organization’s top goaltending prospect. Colorado’s reported interest in Yaroslav Askarov indicates the team is looking to address its long-term answer in the crease despite its limited draft capital. Lastly, the Lightning currently has Los Angeles and Toronto’s second-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft thanks to a couple of trades this offseason. The team may be willing to part with one of them to solve its backup goaltending situation heading into the 2024-25 regular season.