With a crowded goaltending room and training camp about to start, the Flyers needed to make a move. Sam Ersson is the starter, while Dan Vladar will challenge as the backup.
Then there was Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov. Neither provided enough support last season to be counted on. But with Carson Bjarnason stepping up to the professional level, there wasn't enough room at the AHL level either.
So the Flyers needed to choose. Would they go with Fedotov? He fought tooth and nail to get to North America in the first place. Or would they pick Kolosov? The Belarusian didn't come without his own drama either. Both showed flashes during their time in the net.
The Flyers decided to put their faith in Kolosov, trading Fedotov to the Blue Jackets on Saturday. It was an unfortunate situation for a goaltender who did everything he could to make his NHL dream come true. Now, he'll have a chance to fight for playing time in Columbus.
Kolosov has to show the Flyers faith was warranted
Kolosov will now jump to the third goaltender on the depth chart. He should be first in line if there are any injuries or poor play at the NHL level. He could even force himself onto the roster with strong play elsewhere. Assuming any prior drama is gone, Kolosov should have time to develop in the AHL, something he likely should've had before.
"Developmentally, we would prefer that last year he spent a little more time in the American Hockey League," President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones said before rookie camp opened up. "It just was not in the cards. I wouldn't do it differently, but I'm excited about the depth that we have."
There is promise in what Kolosov can become. He has the size and athleticism. However, he is still rather unrefined and could use a less pressure situation to work on his game. The Phantoms will give him that opportunity. Kolosov should get his fair share of the net, with Bjarnason behind him. However, their play will ultimately determine how the rotation is structured.
Kolosov's NHL chances aren't over by any means. But now, he needs to prove that the Flyers were right in choosing him. Coming to Philadelphia ahead of training camp is a good sign that he intends to put in the work.
Getting off on the right foot is important. Kolosov must take this opportunity seriously.