When the Philadelphia Flyers introduced 6-foot-7 netminder Ivan Fedotov over from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in March 2024, there was pleasure about what he’d carry. A champion within the KHL with intensive skilled expertise, the hope was that he might translate his play from Russia to North America considerably shortly. Thus far, nonetheless, it’s been ugly at finest.
Fedotov, 27, signed a two-year contract price $3.275 million per season following a brief however underwhelming stint with the Orange and Black in 2023-24. With teenage prospect Matvei Michkov additionally being introduced over from the KHL, maybe the need of a Russian mentor performed a consider Fedotov’s payday. Nonetheless, it was a high-risk gamble on a goaltender who, relatively unsurprisingly, struggled in his 2024-25 debut towards the Calgary Flames.
A seventh-round decide in 2015, Fedotov has been a member of the Flyers’ group for fairly a while—it’s been over 9 calendar years. Philadelphia will want much more persistence with him as he adapts to the NHL, although. Whether or not he finds his groove or not, it’s doubtless for this to be a long-term course of.
At present, Fedotov Is Not an NHL Goalie
As we converse, Fedotov is nowhere close to an NHL-level goaltender. In 4 appearances, he has a report of 0-2-1, a .821 save share (SV%), 5.01 goals-against common (GAA), and minus-6.56 objectives saved above anticipated (GSAx). With no single recreation beneath his belt the place he stopped extra pictures than anticipated, it has been past troublesome for the 27-year-old. Making the identical cash on a cap-hit foundation as some beginning netminders on the market, his deal seems unhealthy on paper.
There can be a little bit bit extra consolation if Fedotov was merely getting unfortunate, however his positioning and athleticism have appeared poor from the second he arrived in Philadelphia over six months in the past. Greater than mainly another NHL netminder, he’s not placing himself in the very best place to make saves and he has sacrificed numerous objectives due to it. Regardless of having a lot of the spring and your entire summer season to enhance upon his weaknesses, he hasn’t. Fedotov has solely stopped 81 of the 94 pictures he has confronted (.862 SV%) within the 2024-25 preseason and common season mixed.
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— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 13, 2024
Contemplating his stage of play to date, it’s exhausting to say that Fedotov belongs within the NHL. Even in his earlier KHL marketing campaign, his numbers didn’t stand off the web page—percentile-wise, his SV% was corresponding to Cal Petersen’s within the American Hockey League (AHL). Seeing as Petersen and Fedotov have each had their points with the Flyers, it’s not wanting nice to this point. However that doesn’t imply issues can’t change.
Flyers Can’t Give Up on Fedotov
Although he hasn’t proven a lot upside, Fedotov nonetheless deserves persistence. Within the KHL, he had a number of noteworthy stints that impressed future success within the NHL. He’s a number of seasons faraway from that stage of play, however deep down, he might need the potential to be a starter.
Associated: Flyers’ Goaltending Choices for 2024-25 Present Hope
Whereas Fedotov has decreased the Flyers’ probabilities of successful video games, getting two factors isn’t that vital within the grand scheme of issues. The Orange and Black must be extra centered on the longer term relatively than the current, and which means seeing what this netminder can present.
If Fedotov’s woes theoretically proceed for one more recreation, sending him right down to the AHL solely as a result of worry of lacking the playoffs can be the mistaken transfer. Making the postseason could possibly be very beneficial to the Flyers’ core of younger gamers, however not on the expense of improvement. While you make investments a lot into an unknown commodity, working that participant by means of the calls for of the NHL is a much better possibility than giving up on them immediately.
The Flyers all the time ought to’ve identified that Fedotov wasn’t going to grow to be Igor Shesterkin in a single day. In actuality, they in all probability did. This was a identified gamble from the get-go—persistence is critical. Although it might price the group some video games, he ought to play within the web a few times every week like a traditional backup. Except for it being important to relaxation starter Sam Ersson now and again, extra expertise can solely be worthwhile for Fedotov.
How Lengthy Is Fedotov’s Leash?
Now, Fedotov received’t have an infinitely lengthy stab at this factor. In case you play at a sub-NHL stage for lengthy sufficient, the alternatives will vanish and also you’re immediately on a bus to Allentown to play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Sooner or later, Fedotov must get a top quality begin in there someplace. Simply being a web optimistic would do the trick, one thing he hasn’t proven but in his quick NHL profession. He’s a shoo-in for back-to-backs, a kind of matchup that the Flyers have two extra of within the month of October. With 9 video games remaining within the month, he appears poised to start out round three of them.
If Fedotov can’t present promise in any of these appearances, there must be issues however no motion but. If he can’t determine issues out by American Thanksgiving in November, that’s in all probability when the group ought to think about pulling the plug and testing out somebody like 22-year-old Alexei Kolosov within the NHL. Within the occasion that Fedotov places collectively a few good begins over the following few weeks, his job must be a little bit safer.
When your goaltender is making eight fewer saves per 100 pictures on track than the NHL common, there will likely be frustration. Whereas he hasn’t price the Flyers any video games per se, Fedotov’s play with the group couldn’t be worse than it has been. Nonetheless, he deserves time and expertise earlier than remaining judgments are made.
