Flyers: No Winners in Kolosov Saga

What was rumored for months over the summer was confirmed last Wednesday when the Flyers rookie camp roster was announced. Alexei Kolosov’s name was not on the roster. The prospect goalie, rumored to not be coming to North America, was not reporting for camp. That was only further confirmed by the release of the team’s main training camp roster on Tuesday.

But Tuesday presented a monumental moment in this saga between the Flyers and the 2021 third-round pick. After brushing aside the subject as more of an unknown during the offseason, GM Danny Briere had to address it head-on.

“We hope that he changes his mind and decides to come, but it's not looking like it at this point,” Briere said. “It is what it is. We have to move on.”

Briere maintained that, since Kolosov signed his entry-level deal, that the Flyers do not want to loan him back to the KHL for another year, have no plans to toll the contract yet, and essentially believe that he cannot play anywhere else this upcoming season. That puts the ball in Kolosov’s court. It’s left Briere to wonder what Kolosov’s intentions are for the future.

“Yeah, we do wonder at this point because he doesn't show that he wants to come,” Briere said. “That was the understanding last year when we signed the contract; he asked us to loan him back for one year so he could keep developing one more year, and then he would come over. We're here now, and he's still saying the same thing. That's part of the reason it's time for him to step up and respect the contract.”

Kolosov was here for a brief period last season. Following his KHL season with Dinamo Minsk, Kolosov joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the AHL playoff push. He appeared in two games. 

As the summer progressed, and Kolosov was also absent at the team’s development camp in July, reports started that Kolosov was not willing to return to North America for the upcoming season. There were further rumors swirling around his experience over the few weeks he spent in Lehigh Valley, citing being homesick. Could the Flyers have done something different to help the situation?

“If we could have had a player that he would have felt comfortable with speaking the language in Lehigh Valley, maybe,” Briere said. “It's tough to do when you're right at the end of the season. He came in, and we thought, that's going to give him the chance to see what it's like. No promises were made. He was just coming to see it.”

Briere echoed Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere about how players and coaches on the team were trying to welcome Kolosov and integrate him into the team culture. There were multiple invites to dinners with teammates that were seemingly turned down. 

Briere also noted about how Kolosov’s expectations may have been an immediate jump to an NHL spot. While awaiting Kolosov’s arrival to North America last season, the team also brought in Ivan Fedotov and immediately placed him on the NHL roster, then re-signed him in the offseason. While Briere notes that there would have been an open competition in training camp, it appears Kolosov had made up his mind he would be AHL bound.

This certainly hurts Kolosov’s current career situation. He’s a developing goalie who needs to play to prove he’s ready for the NHL level. That was likely to take time, considering he’s only 22 and most goalies don’t reach their peak until their mid to late-20s. Now the netminder runs the risk of having no team to play for in the KHL, unless a team willingly violates the NHL contract he has signed, and potentially has no NHL team interested in his rights if it’s a question if he ever comes to North America.

However, that doesn’t mean the Flyers are off the hook either. Kolosov’s absence and the subsequent saga this has caused comes just nine months after the team traded Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim. Gauthier, too, expressed a desire to not play for the Flyers. While Kolosov has not specifically indicated that this is solely directed at the Flyers organization – his desire to stay in the KHL indicates he would currently play for no NHL team – this is the second highly-touted prospect to be in a similar situation.

That has to be a reflection on the organization, and Briere’s regime in particular. During a rebuild, the team needs prospects to pan out. Draft picks developing and reaching their potential are of the essence to a successful rebuild. And while Briere and the Flyers have successfully brought their top prospect Matvei Michkov over from Russia to the US, this is the second time there has been a saga surrounding a prospect.

Are the Flyers reflecting on these situations and wondering what they could do to be better as an organization?

“Yeah, we're all always looking at ourselves and seeing how we can do better,” Briere said. “Don't forget, we're talking about two guys from the outside. When I look at the culture that we're building here on the inside, the players that are on the inside want to be here. They realize how fortunate we are as a Flyers organization. I include myself in that. I'm fortunate to be working for this organization. They give you everything you want and everything to succeed. I'm more worried about the people on the inside than the people on the outside. Once they come in, they realize how good we have it. I think it's a great missed opportunity for him.”

As good as things may be on the inside, the Kolosov situation clouds that a bit. Kolosov signed a contract. Kolosov played two games for the AHL affiliate. Kolosov was on the inside. And he decided not to attend.

It’s one thing to draft players successfully. It’s another to get them on the inside and develop them, to acquire the players via trade or free agency and advance the process further, thus getting them on the inside of the organization and the culture.

Specifically from a draft perspective, is there something more the Flyers could be doing to get ahead of these situations? Could all of this be preventable by researching more about a player’s mindset or goals for the future?

“Yeah, that's always something. You try to get to know the players better,” Briere said. “You do some background searching, but it's not easy. Sometimes you think character can be a strength rather than a flaw. Now, same thing, look at Matvei Michkov. People were saying that he was a bad teammate. So far, we've seen a great communicator off the ice, even though he doesn't speak the language fully. An ultra-competitive player on the ice, which makes for what you want when you're looking for a hockey player. 

“It's really tough to do, but believe me, our guys put in the work. They try to dig in and try to find out as much as they can on every prospect. Sometimes you miss some of those character issues. I wouldn't call them flaws, but character that you're not looking to bring into the culture that you're trying to build.”

As much as this is a no-win situation for Kolosov and his NHL hopes, it’s equally a no-win situation for the Flyers. A second prospect, widely regarded to be in the Top 10 of the organizational depth chart, is a no-show. It’s a pattern that is concerning for a rebuilding team that needs to rely on prospect development to make it all succeed. 

And while the Flyers may have their prized prospect ready to debut, they also have put all of the eggs into the same basket: Matvei Michkov and the 2025 NHL Draft, where the team will bring in potentially six new draft picks in the first two rounds. It’s a draft where they can’t afford misses, whether through talent evaluation, developmental deficiencies, or situations like the two that have unfolded within the last year.

Kevin Durso is Flyers insider for 97.3 ESPN. Follow him on social media @Kevin_Durso.