In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers news and rumors report, we’ll look at a report on goaltender Alexei Kolosov, check in on the team’s prospects, and look at the Flyers’ preseason schedule. With a month and some change left until the team begins the regular season, it’s almost time for hockey in Philadelphia.
Kolosov Likely Returning to KHL
According to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, it is now expected that Kolosov, a 22-year-old goaltending prospect, will not report to training camp. This has been an ongoing rumor for about four months, continuously denied by the team’s top reporters throughout the process, who received contradictory information to the original reports. Finally, though, it seems like there is some clarity—Kolosov is probably returning to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for 2024-25.
While it is not officially confirmed, the expectation is that Alexei Kolosov will not be reporting to PHI training camp.
— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) September 9, 2024
In the event of this the assumption is that the contract will be tolled, similar to Ivan Fedotov's two years ago.
Kolosov was supposed to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, but there’s been a change of plans. Quite possibly the team’s best goaltending prospect in a room with some very promising young athletes, it’s disheartening to lose somebody this important. While he hasn’t requested a trade from what we know, it would’ve been fun to see him play in North America.
It’s not the end of the world that Kolosov is going back home, but it’s not the greatest look for an organization that was forced to trade a different top prospect in the 2024 calendar year. I put Kolosov in the second tier of my prospect pyramid earlier this summer, projecting him as a high-end NHL starter someday if he hits his stride.
Related: Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Prospect Pyramid
It’s not best to speculate on a situation that we really don’t know a lot about, but this seems to be a souring relationship between this player and the team. Let’s hope they can settle their differences, otherwise the Orange and Black will be in hot water. Kolosov is a goaltender who they should go to every length to keep based on his potential.
Early Check-In on Some 2024 Flyers Draft Picks
While it’s still only September, some Flyers prospects are already showing out. Most of them are either in preseason or haven’t begun playing at all, but there are a few notable ones to monitor. Who are they?
Ilya Pautov
Ilya Pautov, a sixth-round winger taken by the Flyers in the 2024 NHL Draft, has started off well in the Junior Hockey League (MHL) with five points through three contests. He scored 45 points in 46 MHL contests last season, putting him in the 93rd percentile for points per game (P/G) among forwards with at least 10 games played—some progression in the production department was to be expected and he has done that in this short stint.
Pautov could be ready for the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) during this season and potentially the KHL in 2025-26 if he continues to produce. With 1.67 P/G so far, it’s reasonable to think Pautov can keep up that pace if he projects to be an NHL player in the future. Just for context, superstar Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning finished his first MHL campaign after being drafted with 1.87 P/G. There’s a lot of talent here, so this isn’t your ordinary late-round pick—the Flyers might have found a diamond in the rough. I wouldn’t say Pautov has star potential right now, but that is a possible outcome if he plays well this season and continues that in professional leagues like the VHL and KHL.
Jack Berglund
Jack Berglund, one of the Flyers’ two second-round picks in 2024, has a goal in his only J20 Nationell affair this season. The 18-year-old Swedish center has a ton of defensive upside, so I wouldn’t necessarily expect him to show out offensively in a comparable manner to Pautov. After scoring 34 points in 41 contests in J20 Nationell last season, there’s some definite room for offensive growth but he might not be playing in juniors for the entirety of his 2024-25 campaign. Last season, he scored a goal in eight contests in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), one of the top leagues in Europe.
The star potential here seems doubtful, but that doesn’t mean Berglund can’t be useful in the NHL. To me, the ceiling here is a very good two-way, third-line center—think someone like Jordan Staal but in his more recent years. Berglund is 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, and uses his body well. A return to the SHL in 2024-25 would be nice for gauging how he stacks up against professional competition now that he’s had previous experience and an offseason to develop—can he create more offense?
Jett Luchanko
He has only appeared in the preseason, but I really like what I have seen from 13th-overall pick Jett Luchanko thus far. He makes his dynamic speed a weapon, coupling that with great hockey sense. He creates scoring chances at a very high level, which is something that the Flyers desperately need.
Set to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2024-25, there’s a lot of potential for growth in his numbers. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound center had 74 points in 68 contests last season, placing him in the 86th percentile for OHL P/G among forwards with 10 games played. A comparison I find interesting is of Robert Thomas, who finished his 2016-17 campaign in the 87th percentile for OHL P/G before being selected by the St. Louis Blues at 20th overall. The latter is one of the NHL’s best playmakers, registering the ninth-most even-strength assists in the league since 2021-22 (114).
Thomas and Luchanko had similar OHL numbers the year before either of them was draft-eligible, finishing with 15 points in 40 games and 14 points in 46 contests respectively. If Thomas really is the model, we should expect a points surge from Luchanko in 2024-25—anywhere from 100 to 110 points in a healthy season (68 games) is both the goal and more reasonable than it might sound. Considering Luchanko’s heavy involvement offensively, his scoring could go through the roof. He was one of the youngest players in his draft class, too (as was Thomas), which is something else to consider.
Flyers’ Preseason Schedule
Finally, preseason is creeping its way up. The Flyers start some on-ice festivities such as both rookie and training camp over the next two weeks, including the team’s annual Rookie Series against the New York Rangers at PPL Center in Allentown. But I’ll be focusing on the preseason schedule below (times listed in Eastern Standard Time):
- Sept. 22: Flyers at Washington Capitals, 3:00 p.m. at Capital One Arena
- Sept. 23: Flyers at Montreal Canadiens, 7:00 p.m. at Bell Centre
- Sept. 26: Flyers vs. New York Islanders, 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center
- Sept. 28: Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center
- Sept. 30: Flyers at Islanders, 7:00 p.m. at UBS Arena
- Oct. 1: Flyers at Bruins, 7:00 p.m. at TD Garden
- Oct. 3: Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center
Eyes will be on prospect Matvei Michkov in the Rookie Series, but the preseason will be our first real taste of what he can do against NHL athletes. In 2023-24, Sean Couturier led all forwards in preseason ice time with 74:28 in total. With that in mind, we should get a decent chunk of action from the 19-year-old rookie, as he will be a roster player. It’ll be fun to see how he’ll perform, along with any other young prospects who get a chance to play.
The Flyers begin their regular season on Oct. 11 visiting the Vancouver Canucks. We’ll provide lots of coverage and analysis throughout what should be an exciting 2024-25 campaign!
