Aleksei Kolosov, the Flyers' enigmatic Belarusian goaltender, is getting another opportunity to prove he belongs in the NHL. On Thursday afternoon, he was recalled to the Philadelphia Flyers from Lehigh Valley due to an injury to backup goalie Sam Ersson.
It's unclear when or if Kolsov will play for now or how long Ersson will be sidelined. A player on IR cannot return for seven days, so unless the Flyers backdate Ersson's stint, he won't return until at least next Thursday.
What This Means for Kolosov
When Kolosov arrived in Philly, he hoped to compete for the starting job in net with Errson and Ivan Fedotov. By "hoping to compete", we really mean "demanded" to take one of the two NHL-level positions, as he threatened to stay in the KHL and play for Minsk instead of being demoted to the AHL
His performance last year in net was not very solid. None of the goalies really solidified any hold on their job in the net. Dan Vladar was brought in as one of the two main starting goalies; Ersson would take the second spot, and Fedotov was traded away. As training camp went on, it was clear that Kolosov would be sent back to the AHL.
While he had previously resented playing at this lower-than-NHL level, he has taken off thus far. In five games, he's posted some solid numbers. He holds a goals against average of 2.60 with a .918 save percentage. So far, he holds a 3-2-0 record with the Phantoms with one shutout to his credit. Being 23 years old, there is still time for him to develop into an amazing goalie. This is his shot.
Numbers like that aren't bad. It shows some growth and maturity on his part. He's settled in and found some of the magic that he had when he had previously played for Minsk. With Vladar becoming more and more entrenched as the starter, this is a fantastic opportunity for Kolosov to cement a role as a backup. A really good stretch here in the NHL could force the Flyers to make another goalie trade.
What This Means For Ersson
This couldn't have come at a worse possible time for Ersson. While Vladar has been pretty steady in net, Ersson has struggled a bit. He's gone 2-1-1 with a goals against average of 3.08 and a save percentage of .867. However, he did win both of his last two starts in shootouts. It looked like he was beginning to turn the corner after a few rough starts to the season.
The injury to Ersson hasn't been revealed yet. All we know is that he has been placed on IR after sustaining a "minor tweak" during practice. He has suffered groin injuries in the past. Could it be another one? Will Kolosov get in to play during that time? Maybe.
Depending on how long this injury lasts, this could hurt Ersson and his time in Philly. Again, after a rough start to the season, it looked as if he was turning a corner. If this is a long injury and Kolosov gets more time to play, it could work against Ersson, especially if Kolosov plays well.
With Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin lurking in the background, something has to give. Vladar is playing lights-out hockey. This means, most likely, that Ersson or Kolosov could be the odd man out. Ersson needs to get back and healthy soon so his job is not usurped. He also needs to prove, if/when he gets back to the NHL, that he should/could be a starting goalie; if not for Philadelphia, then for some other team (preferably Western Conference!).
Keep an eye on this injury as this has the potential to be a game-changer for this franchise in the weeks and months ahead.