The Flyers made a trade on Sunday morning, sending Ivan Fedotov to Columbus for a sixth-round pick. There was no salary retention in the deal.
Fedotov, 28, was likely going to start the 2025-26 season in the AHL. The Flyers already have Sam Ersson leading the way in the NHL and the offseason signing of Dan Vladar rounding out the picture.
The timing of this trade is what is interesting. Rookie camp is wrapping up early this week. Carson Bjarnason led the way in goal, playing the entire rookie game on Friday and half of the game on Saturday. The 20-year-old is turning pro, so he’s expected to see plenty of action in the AHL.
The other factor is Aleksei Kolosov. The 23-year-old spent a majority of last season as the third goalie on the Flyers NHL roster, but his 5-9-1 record, 3.59 GAA, and .867 save percentage indicated that more development in the AHL was probably necessary.
Kolosov was resistant to playing in the minors. He has reportedly adjusted his stance and is willing to go to the AHL. For the Flyers to make such a move, they must have confidence that Kolosov is following through on that.
Having three goalies all in need of playing time in the AHL was going to be an issue, so the Flyers alleviate that situation by moving Fedotov and keeping two young goalies waiting in the wings.
Of course, the other angle is the recent developments around Carter Hart. Hart, who was acquitted on sexual assault charges on July 24, last played an NHL game on Jan. 20, 2024. Prior to the Flyers next game, Hart was granted a leave of absence before it was announced that he was charged in the Hockey Canada trial.
The NHL announced last week that Hart and the other four players in the trial, all of whom were acquitted, would be eligible to sign contracts no sooner than Oct. 15 and return to play on Dec. 1. So, with the Flyers moving a goalie out just days before training camp, could a reunion potentially be in the cards?
When Dan Hilferty and Keith Jones were asked about the possibility on Wednesday, they were non-committal to an answer. The league had not yet made a ruling on the status of the players, and Hilferty repeatedly stated that “the NHL runs the show.”
There are many things to consider when it comes to Hart. He hasn’t played in a professional game since January 2024, a nearly two-year layoff. For any team that chooses to sign Hart, it will be a controversial decision. The Flyers already have two NHL goalies and could further cloud the picture by bringing Hart back into the mix.
And, there’s also what Hart feels. According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Hart is looking for a fresh start, “which would effectively rule out the Flyers.”
It remains to be seen if the Flyers make any subsequent moves to the goaltending pool, or just provides the clarity to move forward with two dedicated netminders at each level. The picture will certainly play itself out over the coming weeks with training camp getting underway later this week.