With Ivan Fedotov in the fold, goaltending has become the deepest position on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ah, but is he with the Flyers for training camp next month?
So far, no one knows.
Not his agent. Not Flyers general manager Danny Briere. Not Keith Jones, the team’s president of hockey operations.
There is no one.
It shouldn’t be that complicated after an International Ice Hockey Federation ruling on Monday, but when you’re dealing with Russia, well, things aren’t always black and white.
unfortunately, Fedotov – who should be approaching the peak of his hockey career – caught in the middle of Russian politics.
Maybe Russia will wish him good luck and tell him to enjoy making a name for himself in the NHL.
Or maybe it will ignore the IIHF’s decision and insist that he stay in the KHL in Russia.
Earlier this week, the IIHF ruled that the ultra-promising Fedotov had a valid contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for the upcoming season when he signed with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. He belongs to the Flyers for the 2023-24 season, according to the ruling.
Difficult Relationships
But things are complicated because relations between Russia and North America are strained. The attack on the former Ukraine was the reason.
Before the IIHF’s decision, Fedotov, 26, said he would abide by any decision it made.
However, he is still in Russia.
“I think they still have a chance for an appeal this week,” Briere said Thursday. “I believe he’s still in camp with his team in Russia, so we can’t really control what they do there or what they decide to do. We are waiting whether they will accept the decision or not. “
Russia should accept the verdict and not use a hockey player as a political football, plain and simple.
Since the decision in favor of the Flyers, Briere has spoken several times with Fedotov’s agent, JP Barry, “and (he) doesn’t seem to know any more than we do,” the GM said. said.
In other words, everything is in the dark.
There was an Ice Age in the Navy
When Fedotov comes to the Flyers, he will challenge the No. 2 seats, rear Carter Hart. Fedotov took a year off from playing hockey in the KHL while fulfilling military duties, but he was on the ice at least twice a week during that time, he said in a recent interview in Russia.
He led Russia to a silver medal in the 2022 Olympics. When in shape, he will give the Flyers a fantastic backup who will get more starts depending on how well he plays.
Depending on how he progresses, Fedotov could also make a deal with Hart a stronger possibility at the trade deadline.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. For now, Fedotov might not be in Philly — or with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms — when the season rolls around.
If Fedotov were to join the Flyers organization, would Briere want him to play for the AHL’s Phantoms first to get more starts and shake off the rust from his one-year layoff?
Interesting Pipeline
“He’ll be given a chance to compete with all the goalies,” Briere said, meaning his play will dictate whether he stays with the Flyers.
The other goalies were Hart, Cal Petersen, Felix Sandstrom, and Sam Ersson. Ersson is incredibly talented but doesn’t need to clear waivers to be sent to the Phantoms. Sandstrom, on the other hand, will have to clear waivers if the Flyers try to move him.
“There were too many balls in the air today as far as our goalies,” said Briere, who wasn’t sure if the Flyers would carry two or three goals. “I don’t want to say one way or the other” where Fedotov will land if he goes to North America. “We’ll see what they do on the ice and who plays well. We have high hopes for him. Some of the things we’ve seen from him in the past, he seems like an elite goaltender. I don’t wanting to put myself in a corner before I see him.
Fedotov’s development since the Flyers drafted him in the seventh round in 2015 – bravo, Ron Hextall – has given them great depth at the game’s most important position. In addition to the aforementioned goaltenders, the Flyers have a good prospect Alexei Kolosov plays in the KHL, and they drafted highly regarded goalies Carson Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin in the second and third rounds, respectively, in June.
“We feel like goaltending is a strong position for us,” Briere said. “Things change quickly in the NHL. We’ve seen it before. The Flyers have had bad luck with goaltending. We wanted to build a good stable of goaltenders. So we looked at the draft and strengthening it and also preparing for the future. It’s exciting.”
It’s even more exciting if a 6-foot-7 Russian goaltender is part of the future.
Sam Carchidi writes a weekly column for Philly Hockey Now. He and Jeff Hare worked on a TV series during the Flyers’ glory days, called Bullies: A Love Story. Carchidi can be reached at samcarchidi55@gmail.com.