Flyers Prospect's NHL Future On Hold

The Flyers are in a holding pattern regarding one of their goaltender prospects.

Apr 16, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Owen Tippett (74) reacts after loss against the Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia Flyers shocked the world when they managed to sign Matvei Michkov to his entry-level contract. The team's first round pick in 2023 is one of the best players outside of the NHL. Many believed he wouldn't come over to North America for at least a few more seasons. The Flyers managed to do the unlikely and lure Michkov over to the States sooner than expected.

With that move, it appeared the floodgates would open for prospects playing in Europe. For the Flyers, however, they haven't found that to be true.

That is especially the case with their goaltender prospect Alexei Kolosov. The Flyers drafted Kolosov in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Belarus-native played the past few seasons in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk. He increased his stock steadily over the past two seasons, posting a goals against average of 2.55 and 2.39 in 2022 and 2023 while starting 42 and 47 games for the club.

The performance impressed the Flyers enough to ink him to his entry-level contract. The excitement ramped up even further when Kolosov made his way to North America at the end of the 2023-2024 season. He was assigned to the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and appeared in two games.

The expectation after his debut in the AHL was that he would spend the 2024-2025 season there and try to earn his way to the NHL. But then, things took a turn. Immediately following the 2024 season's conclusion, speculation began that Kolosov wanted to return home and play in the KHL. The Flyers were apparently unaware of any larger issues. NBC Sports Philadelphia journalist confirmed that belief as well.

I'm hearing Flyers are not aware of anything regarding Alexei Kolosov going back to KHL. The belief is he was homesick and the hope is he'll be OK.

Kolosov, 22, is under contract and played in KHL on loan this season. He joined Phantoms in April. https://t.co/gKQ3DNaO6W

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) May 16, 2024

After the offseason, the Flyers expected Kolosov at the team's prospect development camp this offseason. Surprisingly, the goaltender didn't attend and the rumors ran wild again. Belarus Hockey reported that his absence was due to oversleeping and missing his flight, but a month has passed and Kolosov is still not stateside. The Hockey News' Siobhan Nolan cited the report out of Belarus as one of the reasons the Flyers are unsure if he will attend the team's upcoming training camp.

The drama and speculation continue to grow around whether or not Alexei Kolosov wants to return to the U.S. for #LetsGoFlyers upcoming preseason camps. Read more on @TheHockeyNews ⬇️https://t.co/V7ORuxCt6g

— Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) July 16, 2024

There is still time for the young goaltender to make his way to Philadelphia, but the concern is growing. If he doesn't return, he will be involved in a mess of legal trouble and contract disputes. The Flyers are hoping it doesn't come to that and one of their most talented prospects is playing in North America in 2024, but there is no guarantee at this point of the offseason.

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