There’s no sugarcoating it, the Flyers needed better play in the net from all of their goaltenders. It’s one of a few areas that the team needs to address this summer. But one reported decision has already been made regarding one of Philadelphia’s current goaltenders.
Ivan Fedotov is expected to start next season in the AHL. Going off the initial report from Anthony SanFillipo, Anthony DiMarco corroborated the report when talking about the Flyers’ goaltending options this summer. That would mean the likely tandem for the Phantoms would be Fedotov and Carson Bjarnason, who turned pro at the end of the season.
There are still question marks on Aleksei Kolosov. It seemed as if he was going to head back to Belarus and play for Dinamo Minsk. But after his former team signed Zach Fucale, a return seems unlikely. He remains under contract with the Flyers and the team would expect him to honor that deal. But the likelihood of Kolosov forming a successful tandem with Sam Ersson is hard to believe.
Kolosov has a lot to learn about being a professional at this level and a lack of experience to go with it. And with the constant rumors surround his reported lack of interest in getting better or playing in North American to begin with, it doesn’t seem as if things will happens for him here.
This makes it even more important that the Flyers find a way to address their backup goaltending position. The market isn’t rich for options. Jake Allen appears to be the best one available, but that could make his price higher than normal. Aside from the Flyers, Edmonton and San Jose have shown interest in the veteran netminder.
Allen has settled into a backup goaltending role over the last few seasons. At this stage of his career, he could be good for 30-40 starts in a season. With Ersson potentially trending toward being a solid 1B option, that could be the perfect split for him. Allen has posted above a .900 save percentage in all but two of his 12 seasons. His four shutouts this past season were his best since the six he had in 2015-16 with the Blues.
He is expected to earn at least $3 million on his next deal, something the Flyers could swing, especially if Fedotov is buried in the AHL. They will get a $1.5 million relief by doing so. Having a veteran behind Ersson would be the best option.
If a bidding war begins to happen or Allen re-signs with the Devils, the next best option could be a former netminder in Alex Lyon. He would cost significantly less, but lacks experience. Despite having eight seasons of professional experience, Lyon has only appeared in 113 games. He’s put up rather decent numbers since leaving Philadelphia.
His last two seasons for Detroit were the first time he played a significant role, appearing in 44 and 30 games respectively. His goals against average has been below 3.00 in three of the last four seasons, though he only had two starts in one of those seasons.
The draw for Lyon would be his cheapness and the unlikelihood of him blocking any of the Flyers’ goaltending prospects. Bjarnason is going to need at least a season or two to develop in the AHL. There’s no certainty of when Egor Zavragin will be able to come to North America. And there isn’t much else at the forefront.
There are other options the Flyers could peruse and Danny Briere is sure to exercise every option he has. But it’s now a matter of when, not if, when it comes to acquiring a goaltender.