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Philadelphia Flyers 2021 Third Round Selection: Alexei Kolosov

By Collin Coyne |
Belarus' goalkeeper Alexei Kolosov faces the puck during the IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championships preliminary round group A match between Russia and Belarus, at the Olympic Sports Centre in Riga, Latvia, on June 1, 2021. (Photo by Gints IVUSKANS / AFP) (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)
Belarus' goalkeeper Alexei Kolosov faces the puck during the IIHF Men's Ice Hockey World Championships preliminary round group A match between Russia and Belarus, at the Olympic Sports Centre in Riga, Latvia, on June 1, 2021. (Photo by Gints IVUSKANS / AFP) (Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images)

With their third round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, The Philadelphia Flyers have selected a goaltender out of the KHL, Alexei Kolosov.

Kolosov posted a .911 save percentage for Dinamo Minsk in the KHL in the nine games he played for the club. Similarly, playing in the Belarus Extraleague Kolosov put up a .910 save percentage playing for Dinamo-Molodechno. He did struggle statistically when tapped to represent Belarus in the IIHF 2021 World Hockey Championship, losing both games he played and putting up a .886 save percentage and a 4.17 GAA.

Something important to note about these not especially eye-catching numbers is the fact that Kolosov has been primarily playing against very tough competition, especially in the World Hockey Championship which features NHL talent, so these numbers in context are impressive for a goaltender his age.

Kolosov was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the 2nd best European goaltender in this draft, and he certainly has a number of tools to support this evaluation. When it comes to having the mind of a goaltender, Kolosov has all the fundamentals in spades. Excellent lateral movement across the crease, and great positioning and rebound control have elevated Kolosov as a prospect above most of the other goaltenders in this class.

His mentality and work ethic have also been commended, with experts ensuring that he doesn’t get rattled, and is easily able to overcome mistakes and settle back into playing strong after every goal, which is something that is a crucial part of goaltending.

All the mental tools he can control are there, but the tools he can’t control leave some to be desired as he stands at only 6’1”, incredibly small for a goalie. As netminders have trended bigger, Kolosov is dwarfed, but his great technique still may elevate him as a prospect.

Goalies are notoriously tough to predict the development of, and Kolosov is no exception, and an immediate impact from the goaltender should not be expected. He has all the tools to succeed in the NHL, and he will certainly be a prospect worth keeping track of as he returns to the KHL next year. The Flyers will hold his rights indefinitely while he is there.

Check out some of the newest Flyer, Alexei Kolosov’s highlights here.

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