Growing Concerns About Alexei Kolosov, Future With Flyers
The Flyers drafted Alexei Kolosov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Belarussian prospect has grown into one of the top goaltending prospects in the world over…
The Flyers drafted Alexei Kolosov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Belarussian prospect has grown into one of the top goaltending prospects in the world over the past three seasons in the KHL in Russia.
Rumors have circulated following a shaky landing in the AHL after Kolosov came to North America in April 2024. The possibility exists that he would be more comfortable playing professionally overseas closer to his home country.
He also missed Flyers Development Camp in July after a late change of plans. Does he have a future in the NHL?
Was Alexei Kolosov Homesick?
The latest reports out of Belarus don’t exactly inspire confidence. Kolosov has recently practiced at the facility of his former KHL team, Dinamo Minsk.
An article originally published in Russian described Kolosov’s behavior as “infantilism” (via Google translate) after he emigrated to North America to finish the 2023-24 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
“I heard that the goalie has already asked the Minsk (his former KHL team) management to do everything to help him resolve the issue of terminating his contract in the NHL. The funniest thing is that he was supposed to fly to Pennsylvania on June 20 on tickets purchased by the Pilots, but 'completely accidentally' overslept the flight and remained in Belarus.” -Belarus Hockey (via Google translate)
The Flyers, their fans, and anyone following hockey in North America must consider the language barrier, cultural differences in media practices, and the simple uncertainty of all speculation before jumping to conclusions about Alexei Kolosov.
However, there are additional reasons to doubt his NHL future. Look at another key Flyers prospect who skipped Development Camp in 2023.
Travis Sanheim On Missing Development Camp
The Flyers traded the absentee Cutter Gauthier in January 2024 just over six months after he missed Development Camp at the Flyers Training Center in Vorhees, New Jersey.
Travis Sanheim spoke candidly the night of the trade about a prospect who declined an invitation to an NHL Development Camp.
“The only thing I had heard (about Gauthier’s trade request) was the (decision to skip) development (camp), not wanting to be there. Obviously, as a player in this locker room, that was something that stayed with us (current Flyers). For as long as I know, you show up to development camp, whether you skate or not. If he doesn’t want to be here, we’re happy to move on.” -Travis Sanheim
Gauthier’s attitude clearly didn’t sit well with at least one NHL veteran, and Sanheim had no problem speaking for some of his teammates.
It’s fair to wonder if the same attitude translates to a questionable situation surrounding Alexei Kolosov.
Danny Briere Speaks On Alexei Kolosov
Danny Briere pointed to “a lot of logistics” as the reason Kolosov didn’t attend Flyers Development Camp.
“He came in late last year to Lehigh (and) had a long season (before) coming here, so we just gave him the option to stay home a little longer.” -Danny Briere (July 1)
The young general manager directly admitted last summer that Gauthier declined his invitation to Development Camp. He told the media that the organization didn’t know why, but he never mentioned the Flyers offering up an option.
Although the slight variance in messaging is important, Briere didn’t speak with the most conviction when Kevin Kurz asked him if the Flyers expect Kolosov to return for the 2024-25 season.
“At this time, yes. I know there’s the rumblings. We’ve been in discussions with him. He’s told us there’s nothing to that (reports he’ll remain overseas). We’re still hopeful that it’s just noise. So as far as we know, he’s under contract. He can’t play anywhere else. I don’t know what else or what other option (Kolosov has) if he decides to stay home. They did it with (Ivan) Fedotov I guess. It got him and them in trouble. I can’t see that happening, so really, we expect him in camp with us.” -Danny Briere
Briere’s tone aligned with Dan Hilferty’s message in June about the Flyers being “as transparent as possible in an environment where not everything can be transparent” during their organizational rebuild.
However, phrases like "as far as we know" and "if he decides to stay home" left plenty of room for additional questions about his goalie's future.
A Top Flyers Prospect
Alexei Kolosov played 111 regular-season and 14 playoff games in the KHL over the past three seasons. The 22-year-old landed second in 97.5 The Fanatic’s upcoming Flyers prospect rankings. Only Matvei Michkov will rank ahead of him.
The Flyers also drafted goaltenders Carson Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin in 2023. They’ve built a prospect pipeline that the organization is excited about.
However, the outrageous chaos surrounding the position in this organization certainly isn’t lost on Briere.
“There’s been a lot of issues along the way in the Flyers’ history with goaltending. What we’ve tried to do is build a solid upcoming class of goaltenders that hopefully down the road can become the next goalies for the future of the Flyers.” -Danny Briere on 97.5 The Fanatic
Download the 97.5 The Fanatic app to hear Tim Saunders and Todd Fedoruk on the flagship radio broadcast of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Philadelphia Flyers entered the 2024 NHL Draft with a possible 10 picks. They had a chance to pick three times in the first 36 picks.
However, Danny Briere was as active as any NHL GM at the Las Vegas Sphere. He traded back from 12th to 13th in the first round to draft Jett Luchanko, a center from the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League.
Flyers at 2024 NHL Draft
The Flyers dealt the first-round pick acquired from the Florida Panthers in the Claude Giroux deal in 2022. The Columbus Blue Jackets also exercised their option to defer the conditional second-round pick from the Ivan Provorov deal to the 2025 NHL Draft.
Related Content: The Mad Russian: What Matvei Michkov Reports Mean For The Flyers
The Flyers ultimately picked only seven times in Vegas. Once the Columbus pick came off the table, Briere used the draft capital he's acquired to swindle and land his coveted targets.
The Flyers sent the 32nd-overall pick to the Edmonton Oilers for a conditional, top-12 protected first-rounder in 2025. They now own three first-round picks in 2025, which they project to be a loaded draft.
The 2024 class didn’t have clear consensus after the expected top pick Macklin Celebrini. The NHL Draft also doesn't include many players who debut in the league the following season, so don't expect these prospects in orange and black just yet.
However, most of them will debut at Flyers Development Camp in Vorhees next week.
1st Round (13)- Jett Luchanko
Center, Guelph Storm (OHL)
Danny Briere thought outside the box. Jett Luchanko wasn’t the choice of the mock drafts. He wasn’t even on the radar of most NHL scouts before the 2023-24 season.
However, the Flyers determined that Luchanko’s excellent speed makes him a prospect with a high ceiling.
The Flyers traded back one spot and passed on prospects ranked higher than Luchanko in the public sphere. However, they showed the willingness to push against the majority opinion.
Photo by Dale Preston/Getty Images2nd Round (51)- Jack Berglund
Center, Farjestad BK (Sweden)
Elite Prospects called Jack Berglund a physical forward with a strong two-way game and capabilities as a playmaker.
He spent most of the 2023-24 season playing in the lower professional levels in Sweden before earning an eight-game promotion to the SHL, among the best leagues in the world.
The Flyers have had success over their history with Swedish players like Pelle Lindbergh, Mikael Renberg, and Peter Forsberg.
2nd Round (59)- Spencer Gill
Defenseman, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)
The Flyers traded back from the 12th-overall spot to the 13th in the first round. They passed up the opportunity to select defenseman Zeev Buium, a prospect generally ranked higher than Jett Luchanko.
Danny Briere acknowledged that Buium’s size on the blue line played a factor. The Flyers went the opposite direction in the second round.
Spencer Gill stands at 6-foot-4. He brings more of a physical game than some of the current Flyers defensemen but less offensive upside. He scored 12 goals and added 34 assists in juniors in Quebec last season.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images4th Round (107)- Heikki Ruohonen
Center, Kiekko-Espoo (Finland)
The Flyers continued their heavy emphasis on the center position. They entered the draft without much prospect depth at an impact position and used three of their first four picks on centers.
Elite Prospects called Heikki Ruohonen a playmaker and a powerful skater with a strong two-way game. The 18-year-old Finn will continue his development at Harvard University when he comes to North America.
5th Round (148)- Noah Powell
Winger, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
The Flyers drafted an overager coming off a breakout season in the fifth round.
Noah Powell racked up 74 points in 61 USHL games last season. He’ll continue his development at Ohio State University, the alma mater of Lehigh Valley Phantoms favorite Tanner Laczynski.
The Illinois native went undrafted in 2023. He turned 19 in February.
6th Round (173)- Ilya Pautov
Right Wing, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Russia)
The risk to draft Matvei Michkov despite international political turmoil didn’t turn into a long-term burden for the Flyers. Briere additionally mentioned their willingness to draft Russian prospects in 2024.
Ilya Pautov scored 15 goals and added 30 assists in the MHL in Russia last season. Elite Prospects described him as a playmaker with good hockey sense.
7th Round (205)- Austin Moline
Defenseman, St. Mary's Shattuck Prep (US High School)
The Flyers drafted a Las Vegas product at the Sphere in the final round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Austin Moline brings more size to the blue line standing at 6-foot-4. The right-handed defenseman will play in British Columbia next season before starting his NCAA career at Northern Michigan University.
