In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers news and rumors report, we look at some bad news about 22-year-old goaltender Alexei Kolosov, what Garnet Hathaway had to say about the Flyers following his recent contract extension, and which prospects will be representing the Orange and Black for Team Canada in the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase (WJSS). Without further ado, let’s get into some reports.
Kolosov Might Terminate Contract with Flyers
Right now, there’s a lot of panic going around about Kolosov, who I ranked as the team’s second-best prospect in the organization in my 2024-25 prospect pyramid. An article coming out of Belarus, Kolosov’s home country, suggested that he is looking to terminate his entry-level contract with the Orange and Black.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Prospect Pyramid
Apparently, the young netminder is looking to resume his play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) even though he was supposed to play in North America. The piece said the following: “I heard that the goaltender has already asked the Minsk [his KHL team] management to do everything to help him resolve the issue of terminating his contract in the NHL,” later noting that “Kolosov did not take part in the Philadelphia training camp, which took place from July 2 to 6.”
If this is true, it is obviously a very bad look for second-year general manager (GM) Danny Briere. He was forced to trade top prospect Cutter Gauthier on Jan. 8 because the player demanded a trade (and did not take part in training camp in 2023). Since that point, the Flyers have avoided anyone with a single connection to him in the draft like the plague, passing on top players like Gabe Perreault and Zeev Buium. On top of this dilemma, losing another top prospect would be devastating for Briere. Even if the young netminder were to come to the NHL at some point, being able to secure this kind of player is the bare minimum. He likely just needed some more time to himself back in Europe and everything will be okay, but this is still a little bit concerning nonetheless.
This is just speculation, but perhaps bringing 27-year-old goaltender Ivan Fedotov over from the KHL last season caused this. Signing a two-year deal worth $3.275 million per season, that’s a lot of money to pay for a backup with two games of NHL experience. This move essentially blocks Kolosov from making the Flyers until 2026-27 with Sam Ersson as the starter, so this might have bugged him a bit. Additionally, once he came over to North America last season, he didn’t get much playing time in the American Hockey League (AHL) from head coach Ian Laperriere, who Briere extended in the offseason.
There are no guarantees in any of this, but there’s one thing that is certain: the Flyers need to do a better job of communicating with their players. If they aren’t on the same page with their best prospects, their “New Era of Orange” plan is destined to fail. Something has to change on this front.
Hathaway Believes in Flyers’ Plan
On Monday, July 15, Hathaway spoke with the media about his two-year contract extension that is set to keep him in Philadelphia through his 2026-27 campaign—he will be 35 years old by the time that season ends. He was asked a lot about the Flyers’ future and culture, and he spoke like the veteran leader that he is.
Hathaway touched on how he is willing to help 19-year-old prospect Matvei Michkov adjust to the NHL, seeing as it’s a completely different atmosphere than what it was in the KHL for him. As a grinder who has shown an ability to excel in some pretty meaningful minutes, Hathaway’s style could be useful for some of the younger players already in the lineup.
The 32-year-old winger said that he is happy that he gets to be a part of the Flyers’ process. He made it apparent that the culture around the team is appealing to him, and it makes sense why that is. Philadelphia has the second-youngest roster in the entire NHL with arguably the best prospect in the hockey world on their team (Michkov), so they could emerge as contenders before his contract is up.
There was a lot to like about Hathaway and the Flyers last season even without a player like Michkov. Now even younger than what they started their 2023-24 campaign as, perhaps there is room for growth in the team. Though pretty limited in terms of offensive upside, Hathaway should be a pretty decent part of that. His defensive and physical game are excellent attributes for Philadelphia’s bottom six.
Flyers Prospects Playing for Team Canada
Focusing back on some prospects, the Flyers have quite a few representatives for Team Canada in their 2024 WJSS event. It is set to take place from July 26 through Aug. 3 and consists of both NHL-drafted prospects and some players to look out for during the 2025 class.
The Flyers have the following five athletes who will be competing for Canada. Per my prospect pyramid, they were all in either my second or third tier behind Michkov:
- Jett Luchanko (Forward)
- Denver Barkey (Forward)
- Oliver Bonk (Defenseman)
- Carter Sotheran (Defenseman)
- Carson Bjarnason (Goaltender)
Based on the names listed here, this Team Canada group will be pretty stacked. Luchanko is the Flyers’ only member from the 2024 NHL Draft, while Barkey, Bonk, Sotheran, and Bjarnason were all taken by the Orange and Black in 2023. It’s clear that the Flyers have an interest in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as a whole, as a very large number of their drafted players have come out of that league under Briere. When he isn’t drafting out of Canadian juniors, he’s likely taking Russians (Michkov, Yegor Zavragin, and Ilya Pautov).
With two months left until the preseason and less than three until the regular season, we still have a long way to go before hockey starts up for the Orange and Black again, but it’s approaching. Their 2024-25 campaign should be eventful for both the team and prospects in the organization alike.