The Flyers signed a Finnish goalie to a tryout offer. What does that mean for Alexei Kolosov?
Eetu Mäkiniemi, a 25-year-old netminder, has made two NHL starts and spent the past two seasons in the Sharks organization.
The Flyers report for training camp in less than a month, but one of the major questions hanging over the organization is what’s going on with goaltender prospect Alexei Kolosov?
Thursday night may have provided a good hint at where things are trending, as the Flyers signed Finnish goalie Eetu Mäkiniemi to a professional tryout offer (PTO), according to his agency WD Sports and Entertainment. Mäkiniemi will be invited to the team’s training camp next month to compete for a job within the organization.
Flyers.com contributor Bill Meltzer had previously linked the Flyers with Mäkiniemi.
Mäkiniemi, 25, has two NHL starts to his name and has spent the past two seasons in the San Jose Sharks organization, primarily playing for the AHL Barracuda, which also play in San Jose. Last season, Mäkiniemi compiled an 8-8-0 record with a .900 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average in 18 AHL games.
While bringing in an extra goalie for training camp isn’t uncommon, within the larger context of the ongoing Kolosov saga this transaction surely perked up a few ears. The move comes a few weeks after Flyers general manager Danny Brière revealed on the Nasty Knuckles podcast that he was unsure whether Kolosov would report to training camp.
“Nothing has been said directly to us,” Brière said on the podcast. “We were trying to get some answers. And again, Alexei doesn’t speak English, so we can’t just grab the phone and call him. And it was tough to get answers from his agent or clear answers. There’s always dancing around the pot.”
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Kolosov, 22, who is considered one of the team’s top prospects, recently switched agencies from CAA Sports to Dan Milstein of Gold Star Sports Management Group. He joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms late last season and appeared in two AHL games after completing his season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Dinamo Minsk. But reports surfaced this summer that the Belarusian was homesick and eager to get out of his contract and return to the KHL.
“We’re hearing all these rumors. We haven’t had a full or clear answer at this point, but if he wants to play hockey, he has to come over here,” Brière said on Nasty Knuckles. “He’s under contract with the Flyers. He’s not allowed to play anywhere else. We want him here, so we’ll see. In our mind, he has to report. ... So we’re waiting to see.
“We’ve asked the agent, ‘OK, what’s going on? Can you give us an answer? We want to make sure he is coming.’ But we haven’t had, again, a clear answer at this point,”Brière said.
Now all eyes will be on whether Kolosov, who posted a .907 save percentage in the KHL last season, reports to the first day of rookie camp Sept. 11. The Flyers currently plan to go into the season with Sam Ersson and Ivan Fedotov at the NHL level, with Kolosov, veteran Cal Petersen, Parker Gahagen, and the recently signed Keith Petruzzelli listed on the Phantoms roster.
Never a dull moment in Flyers land ...