Brian Boucher was impressed with Ivan Fedotov’s NHL debut Monday night.
When Ivan Fedotov finally arrived to the Flyers three and a half weeks ago, he hoped it was the start of a "long time together."
They'll be together for at least the next two years.
The Flyers signed Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension Tuesday. The deal has an average annual value of $3.25 million.
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While the AAV seems a bit high, the Flyers likely had to do plenty of work just to get Fedotov to the NHL. The 6-foot-7 goaltender was also very accomplished in the KHL, Russia's top pro league, and international competition. The Flyers have a chance to work with Fedotov and see how his game translates without committing long term.
Following a difficult journey, the 27-year-old suddenly joined the Flyers at the end of March. At the time, general manager Danny Briere declined to comment on the specifics behind the timeline of Fedotov's arrival. The 2015 seventh-round draft pick appeared in three games (one start) for the Flyers, recording a 4.95 goals-against average and an .811 save percentage.
Fedotov signed his one-year entry-level contract with the Flyers in May 2022, signaling his plan to come to North America and compete for a roster spot. But not even two months later, he was detained for allegedly evading military service in his home country of Russia.
After spending a year away from the game to fulfill his required military duties, Fedotov returned to the net this season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. He had a 2.37 goals-against average, .914 save percentage and four shutouts in 44 games.
NHL
As of now, the Flyers are planning to have Fedotov and 24-year-old Samuel Ersson make up their tandem next season.
At his end-of-the-season press conference last Friday, Briere did not have an update on Carter Hart's status. The Flyers played five goalies this season. They lost Hart on Jan. 23 because of the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. The trial reportedly won't begin until after the start of the 2024-25 season. The 25-year-old Hart is a restricted free agent this offseason.
The Flyers finished this season tied with the Senators for the league's worst save percentage at .884. Considering the circumstances, the club has kept the numbers in perspective.
"Let's face it, things got thrown into a really weird situation when we lost Carter," head coach John Tortorella said a little over two weeks ago. "But having said that, we had discussions in the summer about the situation with Carter and figured something was going to go on, right? We've got to be honest about it, it's not a great situation for our team when we lost him. But it showed me a lot of good things about a specific guy in Ers, how he handled it. But it has been a lot."
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