While Cerberus may need three heads to guard the Underworld, three heads are just not as conducive when it comes to protecting an NHL net. So it was only a matter of time before a roster move happened for the Flyers.
On Wednesday, Aleksei Kolosov was finally loaned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The news comes one day after general manager Danny Brière held his annual midseason press conference and said the Flyers were “looking” into sending the 23-year-old goalie down. Among goalies Sam Ersson, Kolosov, and Ivan Fedotov, Kolosov is the only one who is waiver-exempt.
“There’s a lot of moving parts,” the GM said. “I mean, a few days ago, he was the backup goalie. We’re looking at different options. Fedotov is the backup, so we’re looking at different things. We’re also trying to be careful with Sam. He’s played a lot. It’s not ideal having three goalies, we realize that.”
The obvious question now is whether Kolosov will hop on the Northeast Extension to Allentown. Kolosov showed up late for training camp with rumors swirling that if he was sent to the AHL again — where he said he felt isolated last season — he would go back to the Kontinental Hockey League.
“As far as I know, yes,” the GM said of Kolosov reporting to Lehigh Valley. “I don’t have any reasons to believe that he wouldn’t. That would be his decision, but it has nothing to do with anything that’s going on.”
Ersson returned from his third stint out due to a lower-body injury on Jan. 9 and has been stellar in net since.
The Swedish netminder has started six of the last seven games and since that loss to the Dallas Stars, he has won five straight, tied for the most wins during that stretch with Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers and Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals. Among goalies who have played at least five games since Jan. 9, he is tied for fourth in goals-against average (1.82) and fifth in save percentage (.920).
Fedotov, who had temporarily been dropped to No. 3 in the pecking order after allowing two goals on seven shots against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 5, had supplanted Kolosov as Ersson’s backup. When the Flyers’ No. 1 goalie was injured against the San Jose Sharks on New Year’s Eve, Fedotov reentered the picture and earned a point in two of his next three starts.
Kolosov has not appeared between the pipes since he allowed four goals on 26 shots to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 2. An athletic goalie, he has struggled at times to find his form and proper positioning at the NHL level. In 15 starts, he went 4-8-1 with a 3.45 GAA and an .870 save percentage.
Olle Lycksell, 25, was also returned to the Phantoms on Wednesday. He did not record a point in six games while averaging more than 10 minutes of ice time. Coach John Tortorella said recently he was impressed with how comfortable the Swede has been compared to his 18 games last season with the Flyers.
“He looks fast,” Tortorella said on Jan. 11. “I’m not sure if that’s him, or maybe we’re dragging a little bit, I don’t know. But each and every time he’s come up, he’s played better.”
The one positive for Lycksell is that the loan will allow him to play in the AHL All-Star game, in Coachella Valley, Calif., from Feb. 2-3. It is his first time being named to an All-Star Game.
“I think it’s a good sign, at least I take it positively,” he said the day after he was named the Phantoms’ lone representative. “I think I’ve had a good season, and I see the team is doing really good now. So yeah, I’m just a bit excited.”
In a corresponding move, Anthony Richard has been recalled from Lehigh Valley. The speedy forward has eight goals and 19 points in 18 games with the Phantoms and made quite an impression during his stint with the Flyers in November. In seven games, the 28-year-old had two goals, six points, and a plus-minus of plus-4 while averaging 11 minutes, 55 seconds of ice time, including time on the power play.
“Really difficult,” Tortorella said after Richard was sent down on Nov. 23. “It by no means is with his play. We’ve got roster situations. … I hated seeing him go down. … He did some really good things for us. It [stinks] sending him down.”