Flyers goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov raising stock with Russia in Olympics

When the Philadelphia Flyers chose 6-foot-8 goalie Ivan Fedotov in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, then-general manager Ron Hextall admitted he was a long shot.

“He’s a shot in the dark,” Hextall said at the time, saying he liked the goalie’s size and his athleticism in junior (MHL) competition.

The longshot isn’t so long anymore.

Fedotov, 25, is turning heads in the Beijing Olympics — just like he has done in the KHL.

In two games, the 6-foot-8 Fedotov has two shutouts for Team Russia, blanking Switzerland, 1-0, and Denmark, 2-0. He has stopped all 49 shots he has faced.

Russia is the defending champion and tournament favorite; it is officially known as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) in these Games.

The Flyers own Fedotov’s NHL rights in perpetuity because there is no NHL-KHL agreement, per general manager Chuck Fletcher.

The Flyers have been talking with Fedotov’s agent about signing him, according to another source, “and we will continue speaking as his season comes to an end.”

There are whispers that the goalie wants to come to North America next season. He would be a candidate to serve as Carter Hart’s backup, and would be an intriguing player in his own right.

In his last three season’s in Russia’s KHL, Fedotov has put together goals-against-averages of 2.01, 2.21, and 2.00, along with save percentages of .931, .925, and .919.