Flyers’ Kolosov Eliminated from KHL Playoffs; What it Means

After six hard-fought games, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Alexei Kolosov and his Dinamo Minsk have been eliminated from the KHL playoffs, losing to No. 1 seed Dynamo Moscow.

Kolosov allowed seven goals between the first two games of the series as Minsk fell into an early 2-0 hole, but allowed just five over his next three games. Kolosov stopped 34 of 35 shots in Game 3, and 43 of 44 shots in Game 5, putting Minsk on his back in the team’s only two wins of the series.

So, what’s next for Kolosov and the Flyers?

If you remember, a few weeks back, HC Sochi terminated the contract of Marat Khusnutdinov – a teammate of Matvei Michkov – allowing him to sign with and join the Minnesota Wild for the rest of the NHL season. They did this because the KHL season technically runs until April 30, and that way, Khusnutdinov avoids running afoul of further contractual obligations.

Kolosov already signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers, putting pen to paper on July 8. The 22-year-old was loaned back to Minsk 11 days later, and, as we know, finished what looks to be his last season there. If Minsk does Kolosov a solid and terminates his contract, the Belarusian could arrive in Philadelphia within a week or two, provided he’s ready for the jump.

It’s unclear what the Flyers’ plans will be if this is the case; they could either give him some time with the main roster and allow him to face NHL-level shooters in practice, or they could allow him to get a feel for the North American game down in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. With Felix Sandstrom on the NHL roster right now, I’m sure the Phantoms wouldn’t mind some reinforcements to stand in for Cal Petersen from time to time.

Kolosov is now free to join the Flyers at any time, but when will depend on if Minsk terminates his contract.

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