Ivan Fedotov to occupy Flyers' backup role, extension talks underway

The Flyers have assigned goaltender Felix Sandström to AHL Lehigh Valley, GM Daniel Briere told reporters Friday (including Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports). The move indicates that netminder Ivan Fedotov, who arrived in Philadelphia and spoke to reporters alongside Briere Friday morning, will be reinstated to the NHL roster and the team’s backup netminder behind Samuel Ersson to close the regular season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that extension talks between the Flyers and Fedotov, a pending UFA, have begun.

It’s unclear when Fedotov will make his NHL debut, but he will likely dress for his first game on Saturday when the Flyers host the Blackhawks. Reports Thursday indicated that the 27-year-old, who had spent all of 2023-24 with CSKA Moscow of the Russian KHL, violating his valid NHL contract and an IIHF arbitration ruling, had his contract with CSKA terminated and was en route to join the Flyers.

Speaking on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Fedotov didn’t appear pleased with the events that led him to remain in Russia this season. “The current situation was untenable; he didn’t want to be there, he wasn’t playing well, and the Flyers wanted him in North America,” Friedman said.

In his media availability on Friday, Fedotov gave the following statement (via Kurz):

"I’ve been here a long time ago, around eight years. It’s been a long time. So now I’m here and for sure I’m so excited and happy be here. Great feelings, because really difficult two years [it] was for me."

A tough season it was for Fedotov, whose .914 SV% and 2.37 GAA were remarkably the worst of his career since breaking into the KHL full-time in 2019-20. The seventh-round pick of the Flyers back in 2015 has long been one of the most talented netminders outside of North America, who firmly planted himself in the conversation with a 2021-22 campaign that included a Gagarin Cup championship with CSKA, KHL Best Goaltender, and First All-Star Team nods, and a silver medal with Russia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The following summer, the Flyers first attempted to bring Fedotov to the NHL, signing him to a one-year, entry-level contract with plans to have him start the season as the backup to then-starter Carter Hart. However, Fedotov was detained by Russian authorities when trying to leave the country and accused of skipping out on required military service, missing the entire 2022-23 season as a result.

The NHL tolled his contract, making it valid for 2023-24. However, since Fedotov would be 27 at the end of the contract, not 26 as originally intended, he becomes a UFA upon expiry instead of an RFA. If he hits the open market in July, he’d be free to sign with any NHL club. Still, all indications point toward at least Fedotov remaining in Philadelphia through next season.

Fedotov hopes to provide some stability to the Flyers’ crease outside of Ersson, who’s largely held the fort after Hart left the team in January to face sexual assault charges. Sandström and Cal Petersen have received tryouts in the backup role but have put up unplayable numbers for a team in the playoff hunt. The former returns to the minors Friday after being recalled to replace Petersen on Feb. 29, posting a .823 SV% and 3.87 GAA in three starts and two relief appearances during his stint on the roster.

After similarly poor numbers during his time in the NHL last season (3-12-3, .880 SV%, 3.72 GAA in 20 appearances), time is running out for the 27-year-old Sandström. A UFA this summer upon completion of his two-year, $1.55M extension, it seems highly unlikely he’ll be offered a contract to remain in Philadelphia. The Flyers selected him 70th overall in 2015, four rounds ahead of Fedotov.