The Philadelphia Flyers are officially in offseason mode after they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, who now await the winner of the ongoing series between the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens.
The Hurricanes, who are a perfect 8-0 in the postseason so far, swept the Ottawa Senators before doing the same to the Flyers. Jackson Blake’s goal in overtime of Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena game them the historic win, becoming the first team since the dynasty Edmonton Oilers of the mid-1980s to start the playoffs with an 8-0 record.
Meanwhile, Flyers GM Daniel Briere has several decisions in the weeks and months ahead of how his team is going to look next season. But in the meantime, he’s taken care of an important matter of internal business.
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The Philadelphia Flyers Have Re-Signed Goaltender Aleksei Kolosov To A One-Year Contract Extension
The Flyers announced on Friday that they’ve re-signed goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to a one-year contract extension with a salary cap hit of $850,000.
The Belarus native was taken by the Flyers in the third round (78th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. So far, he’s appeared in a total of 21 NHL games, posting a record of 5-11-1 with a 3.64 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage with no shutouts.
He’s mostly appeared with the American Hockey League affiliate Leigh Valley Phantoms, posting a record of 21-28-3 in 52 total games with a 3.02 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage, and two shutouts.
This represents a depth signing by the Flyers, who have starter Dan Vladar under contract for another season, while backup Samuel Ersson, a pending restricted free agent, is in need of an extension of his own.
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Flyers Goalie Dan Vladar Revealed An Injury He Suffered In Round 1 Against The Penguins
Vladar, who was acquired from the Calgary Flames last offseason and signed to a two-year contract, revealed that he suffered an injury in their opening-round victory of the playoffs over the Penguins.
However, he said that’s just the nature of hockey, and that several of his teammates were also dealing with ailments during the playoffs that they had to gut through.
“It obviously wasn’t just me. I’d say three-quarters of the team had something going on,” he said during the club’s exit interviews. “So I don’t consider myself a warrior; there are other guys that should be getting credit for playing through injuries.”
Now, Vladar is looking ahead to bigger and better things in what will be his second year wearing a Flyers jersey.
“It’s going to be probably the biggest thing for me heading into the summer. Obviously, I’m not satisfied with that season. I want more,” he said. “At the same time, I know that we have a great team staff around here in Philly, and also I trust my guys back home over in the summer. I think everybody is on the same page. It’s going to be a conversation we’re going to have to get me as ready as possible, and even better.”
Flyers Announce Official Goaltending Contract Extension