The Philadelphia Flyers are officially chipping away at their final roster decisions, and the latest move dropped hard: goaltender Aleksei Kolosov got assigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. This came right after a brutal showing where he let in five goals on just 24 shots against the Capitals, a performance that probably sealed his fate faster than anyone expected as the Flyers try to get their goalie situation sorted for the regular season.
Kolosov’s Rough Ride Down to the AHL
Let’s be real, you don’t give up five goals on just 24 shots in a game and expect to stick around in the NHL for long. Kolosov’s outing against the Capitals was, as his head coach put it, one where “every time [the Capitals] shot, they scored.” Ouch. He certainly didn’t get perfect support from his D, but the source says he had his “own struggles” too. The guy just never seemed comfortable in net and was reportedly having “real trouble picking up even the more routine shots” coming at him. That’s a tough look for any netminder trying to make an impression at this level. It’s hard not to feel like that difficult showing played a huge part in this rapid decision, even with the Flyers’ stated strategy for their prospects. They’ve been opting to send prospects down to get “a much higher volume of minutes in the AHL” instead of having them “hanging around on the NHL roster” hoping to get into a depth game or two. For Kolosov to continue working on his game, he absolutely needs consistent starts, and he’s definitely gonna get that down with the Phantoms. He’ll team up again with Carson Bjarnason, forming their regular tandem as they head into their final preseason game on Tuesday and then their season opener on Saturday.
The Big Signal: Dan Vladar’s Comeback Clears the Crease
But here’s the real kicker and probably the biggest piece of good news for the Flyers in all this: the organization is feeling incredibly good about Dan Vladar’s return! Remember that injury he took way back in his only preseason game against the Bruins? Well, it looks like his road back to health and game readiness wasn’t going to be “particularly lengthy” after all. The guy was already skating late in the week and seemed “close to ready” to make his comeback. In fact, GM Danny Briere even dropped a hint on Saturday night, saying that if that game had been a “meaningful one,” Vladar “might have been good enough to go them.” This move, sending Kolosov down, clears up the crease big time, essentially confirming that Vladar is set to join Joseph Woll as the main regular tandem in the NHL. With Yaniv Perets, who was signed to a Professional Tryout, as the immediate depth piece, the Flyers now have their three goaltenders solidified as they move towards the start of the regular season.
So, while Kolosov is off to get those crucial minutes in the AHL, the big takeaway is the very positive news on Vladar’s health. Flyers fans can breathe a little easier knowing their projected starter is on the verge of returning. Now, we wait to see how Vladar performs once he’s back between the pipes!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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