Alexei Kolosov leaving KHL to join Flyers organization

One of the Flyers' top-rated KHL prospects appears to be heading to North America. According to Dinamo Minsk, Alexei Kolosov has played in his last game in the KHL and will be joining the Flyers' organization.

This has been the desired outcome since Philadelphia signed Kolosov to an entry-level contract last offseason. He was subsequently loaned to Dinamo Minsk, where he would continue to develop this past season. He would then make his North American debut following the season. Early in the season, Kolosov talked about the constant communication between the Flyers and his agent. Both sides were fully aware of what was happening.

Translated, the above post thanks Kolosov for his season and says he is leaving the club for the Flyers. While Philadelphia hasn't confirmed this at the time of this article, the team mentioning it happening is a valid source. The Flyers likely have to wait until his visa situation is cleared before confirming anything. The post also goes into detail about the strong season, and career, Kolosov had while playing for Dinamo Minsk.

Kolosov had a solid season, posting a 2.39 GAA and a .907 SV% in a career-high 47 games. He was also named to the KHL All-Star game in December for his performance this season. He was even more reliable in the postseason, doing everything he could to help Dinamo Minsk. In six games, Kolosov recorded a 2.21 GAA and a .925 SV%. Unfortunately, the team went 2-4-0 in the postseason. But it was no fault of Kolosov.

Despite the issues the Flyers have at the backup goaltending position, there is no expectation that Kolosov will jump to the NHL right away. While he has been playing on NHL-sized ice, other factors go into adjusting to North America. His development is also key, so getting as much playing time as possible should be at the forefront. While Cal Petersen has settled down at the AHL level, the plan should be for Kolosov to get as many starts as possible. With the Phantoms in a playoff push, the atmosphere would be perfect for Kolosov to jump into.

The only possible avenue for Kolosov to come to the Flyers immediately would have to see either Sandstrom or Sam Ersson unable to play. The team has a vested interest in Kolosov, so they could look toward him instead of what they've already seen in Petersen. That is a hypothetical scenario, though, so expect Kolosov to fight for the Flyers' net during training camp next season.