Trade deadline day is upon us, and while the rumors are swirling around the Flyers, they’ve taken their first bit of concrete action on the small scale.
Transaction: We have loaned goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to the @LVPhantoms (AHL).
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 7, 2025
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The Flyers announced this morning that they’ve loaned Aleksei Kolosov to the Phantoms ahead of this afternoon’s AHL roster deadline. This move assures that Kolosov will be available to play for the Phantoms in the upcoming Calder Cup playoffs.
Now, the possibility remains open that this is something more like a paper transaction, and Kolosov keeps hanging out with the NHL squad and waiting in the wings for his next start to roll around, but it does feel like it’s in everyone’s best interest to make Kolosov’s stay in the AHL a longer one.
As it stands, Kolosov hasn’t started a game since January 28, the final game before the AHL All Star break, and he’s only dressed for one since then when he backed up for Ivan Fedotov in Winnipeg last weekend. Kolosov is in a key point in his playing career from a developmental standpoint, and getting reps is the most important thing for him (and whatever bit of work he’s getting in during practices is just not enough), and an extended stay in the AHL will assuredly see him getting in more work than he has been in the month and change. The Phantoms, too, could really use him — Cal Petersen returned from injury last weekend and gave the team a boost, but that came just as Parker Gahagen was going down with an injury of his own, and dealing another blow to the team’s goaltending depth.
We’re just over a month away from the beginning of the Calder Cup playoffs, and Kolosov has the chance to be a part of something meaningful, in doing his part to settle down and support this Phantoms team, and help them head into the playoffs on a high note. Maybe he sees a late season recall back to the NHL as a reward for being a good sport, but the most important thing for him right now is to put in some good work with the AHL squad, to get his game back to where it needs to be, and prove to the organization that he can be a team player.