When the Philadelphia Flyers brought 6-foot-7 netminder Ivan Fedotov over from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in March 2024, there was excitement about what he’d bring. A champion in the KHL with extensive professional experience, the hope was that he could translate his play from Russia to North America somewhat quickly. So far, however, it’s been ugly at best.
Fedotov, 27, signed a two-year contract worth $3.275 million per season following a short but underwhelming stint with the Orange and Black in 2023-24. With teenage prospect Matvei Michkov also being brought over from the KHL, perhaps the necessity of a Russian mentor played a factor in Fedotov’s payday. Nevertheless, it was a high-risk gamble on a goaltender who, rather unsurprisingly, struggled in his 2024-25 debut against the Calgary Flames.
A seventh-round pick in 2015, Fedotov has been a member of the Flyers’ organization for quite some time—it’s been over nine calendar years. Philadelphia will need even more patience with him as he adapts to the NHL, though. Whether he finds his groove or not, it’s likely for this to be a long-term process.
Today, Fedotov Is Not an NHL Goalie
As we speak, Fedotov is nowhere near an NHL-level goaltender. In four appearances, he has a record of 0-2-1, a .821 save percentage (SV%), 5.01 goals-against average (GAA), and minus-6.56 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Without a single game under his belt where he stopped more shots than expected, it has been beyond difficult for the 27-year-old. Making the same money on a cap-hit basis as some starting netminders out there, his deal looks bad on paper.
There would be a little bit more comfort if Fedotov was simply getting unlucky, but his positioning and athleticism have seemed poor from the moment he arrived in Philadelphia over six months ago. More than basically any other NHL netminder, he’s not putting himself in the best position to make saves and he has sacrificed countless goals because of it. Despite having most of the spring and the entire summer to improve upon his weaknesses, he hasn’t. Fedotov has only stopped 81 of the 94 shots he has faced (.862 SV%) in the 2024-25 preseason and regular season combined.
Tonight's highlight pack, you're welcome.#Flames | @scotiabank pic.twitter.com/dYjNiCWd9Z
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 13, 2024
Considering his level of play thus far, it’s hard to say that Fedotov belongs in the NHL. Even in his previous KHL campaign, his numbers didn’t stand off the page—percentile-wise, his SV% was comparable to Cal Petersen’s in the American Hockey League (AHL). Seeing as Petersen and Fedotov have both had their issues with the Flyers, it’s not looking great so far. But that doesn’t mean things can’t change.
Flyers Can’t Give Up on Fedotov
Though he hasn’t shown much upside, Fedotov still deserves patience. In the KHL, he had a few noteworthy stints that inspired future success in the NHL. He’s a few seasons removed from that level of play, but deep down, he might have the potential to be a starter.
Related: Flyers’ Goaltending Options for 2024-25 Provide Hope
While Fedotov has decreased the Flyers’ chances of winning games, getting two points isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. The Orange and Black should be more focused on the future rather than the present, and that means seeing what this netminder can provide.
If Fedotov’s woes theoretically continue for another game, sending him down to the AHL solely due to fear of missing the playoffs would be the wrong move. Making the postseason could be very valuable to the Flyers’ core of young players, but not at the expense of development. When you invest so much into an unknown commodity, working that player through the demands of the NHL is a far better option than giving up on them right away.
The Flyers always should’ve known that Fedotov wasn’t going to become Igor Shesterkin overnight. In reality, they probably did. This was a known gamble from the get-go—patience is necessary. Though it may cost the team some games, he should play in the net once or twice a week like a normal backup. Aside from it being essential to rest starter Sam Ersson from time to time, more experience can only be worthwhile for Fedotov.
How Long Is Fedotov’s Leash?
Now, Fedotov won’t have an infinitely long stab at this thing. If you play at a sub-NHL level for long enough, the opportunities will vanish and you’re suddenly on a bus to Allentown to play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
At some point soon, Fedotov will have to get a quality start in there somewhere. Just being a net positive would do the trick, something he hasn’t shown yet in his short NHL career. He’s a shoo-in for back-to-backs, a type of matchup that the Flyers have two more of in the month of October. With nine games remaining in the month, he seems poised to start around three of them.
If Fedotov can’t show promise in any of those appearances, there should be concerns but no action yet. If he can’t figure things out by American Thanksgiving in November, that’s probably when the team should consider pulling the plug and testing out someone like 22-year-old Alexei Kolosov in the NHL. In the event that Fedotov puts together a couple of good starts over the next few weeks, his job should be a little more secure.
When your goaltender is making eight fewer saves per 100 shots on target than the NHL average, there will be frustration. While he hasn’t cost the Flyers any games per se, Fedotov’s play with the team couldn’t be worse than it has been. Still, he deserves time and experience before final judgments are made.
