Philadelphia Flyers News and Rumors: Kolosov, Prospect Check-In, Preseason Schedule – Hockey Writers – News and Rumors

In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers news and rumors report, we'll take a look at the report on goaltender Alexei Kolosov, examine the team's prospects, and take a look at the Flyers' preseason schedule. With a month and a bit of change left until the team starts the regular season, it's almost hockey time in Philadelphia.

Kolosov Likely Returning to the KHL

According to Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff, it is now expected that Kolosov, a highly regarded 22-year-old, will miss training camp. This has been a rumor that has been going on for almost four months, which has been repeatedly denied by the party's senior journalists during the program, who have received information that contradicts the initial reports. Finally, however, there seems to be some clarity—Kolosov is likely returning to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for 2024-25.

Although not officially confirmed, the expectation is that Alexei Kolosov will not report to PHI's training camp.

If this happens it is assumed that the contract will be paid, similar to that of Ivan Fedotov two years ago.

— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) September 9, 2024

Kolosov was supposed to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, but there was a change of plans. You may have the team's best goalkeeper in a room full of promising young players, it's disappointing to lose such an important player. Although he hasn't asked for a trade as far as we know, it would be nice to see him play in North America.

It's not the end of the world for Kolosov to return home, but it's not a great look for an organization that was forced to trade a different top prospect in the 2024 calendar year. I placed Kolosov in the second tier of my prospect pyramid earlier this summer, projecting him as an elite NHL starter one day if he hits his stride.

Related: Philadelphia Flyers 2024-25 Prospect Pyramid

It's not good to speculate on a situation we don't know much about, but this looks sour between this player and the team. Let's hope they can resolve their differences, otherwise the Orange and Black will be in hot water. Kolosov is a goalkeeper who must go to great lengths to stay grounded in his power.

Early Entry to the 2024 Flyers Draft

Although it's still only September, some Flyers are already showing up. Most of them are in the preseason or haven't started playing at all, but there are a few notable ones to keep an eye on. Who are they?

Ilya Pautov

Ilya Pautov, the Flyers' sixth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is off to a good start in the Junior Hockey League (MHL) with five points in three contests. He had 45 points in 46 MHL contests last season, which put him in the 93rd percentile in points per game (P/G) among forwards with at least 10 games played—some progress in the production department was to be expected and he did. in this short time.

Pautov could be ready for the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) this season and possibly the KHL in 2025-26 if he continues to produce. With a 1.67 P/G thus far, it's reasonable to assume that Pautov can keep up with that pace if he projects to become an NHL player in the future. For context, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning finished his first MHL campaign after posting a 1.87 P/G. There's a lot of talent here, so this isn't your typical late pick—the Flyers may have found a diamond in the rough. I wouldn't say Pautov has star potential right now, but that could be the result if he plays well this season and continues that in professional leagues like the VHL and KHL.

Jack Berglund

Jack Berglund, one of two players selected in the second round of the Flyers in 2024, has a goal in his J20 Nationell's only story this season. The 18-year-old Swedish center is a strong defensive player, so I wouldn't expect him to show up offensively in the same way as Pautov. After scoring 34 points in 41 games for the J20 National last season, there is definite room for growth offensively but he may not play in the minors for the rest of his 2024-25 campaign. Last season he scored a goal in eight games in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), one of the top leagues in Europe.

The star power here seems questionable, but that doesn't mean Berglund can't be useful in the NHL. To me, the ceiling here is an excellent third-line center—think of someone like Jordan Staal but in his later years. Berglund is 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, and uses his body well. A return to the SHL in 2024-25 would be good to gauge how he stacks up against professional competition now that he has previous experience and an offseason to develop—can he create much of an offense?

Jett Luchanko

He's only appeared in the preseason, but I really like what I've seen from 13th-overall pick Jett Luchanko so far. He turns his dynamic speed into a weapon, combining that with great hockey sense. He creates scoring opportunities at a high rate, which is something the Flyers desperately need.

Set to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2024-25, there are many opportunities for him to grow in his numbers. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound center had 74 points in 68 contests last season, which ranked him in the 86th percentile of OHL P/G among forwards through 10 games played. A comparison I find interesting is that of Robert Thomas, who finished his 2016-17 campaign in the 87th percentile of OHL P/G before being selected by the St. Louis Blues at 20th overall. The latter is one of the NHL's best players, registering the ninth most assists in the league since 2021-22 (114).

Thomas and Luchanko had similar OHL numbers the year before either was eligible to be drafted, finishing with 15 points in 40 games and 14 points in 46 contests respectively. If Thomas is indeed the model, we should expect a spike in points from Luchanko in 2024-25—anywhere from 100 to 110 points in a healthy season (68 games) is more objective and reasonable than it sounds. If you look at Luchanko's heavy involvement offensively, his scoring can go through the roof. He was one of the youngest players in his draft class, too (as was Thomas), which is another factor to consider.

Flyers' Preseason Schedule

Finally, the preseason is winding down. The Flyers begin on-ice festivities as both rookies and training camp over the next two weeks, including the team's annual Rookie Series against the New York Rangers at the PPL Center in Allentown. But I'll focus on the preseason schedule below (times listed in Eastern Standard Time):

• September 22: Flyers at Washington Capitals, 3:00 pm at Capital One Arena
• September 23: Flyers at Montreal Canadiens, 7:00 pm at Bell Center
• September 26: Flyers vs. New York Islanders, 7:00 pm at Wells Fargo Center
• September 28: Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 7:00 pm at Wells Fargo Center
• September 30: Flyers at Islanders, 7:00 pm at UBS Arena
• Oct. 1: Flyers at Bruins, 7:00 pm at TD Garden
• October 3: Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils, 7:00 pm at Wells Fargo Center

All eyes will be on Matvei Michkov in the Rookie Series, but the preseason will be our true taste of what he can do against NHL athletes. In 2023-24, Sean Couturier led all forwards in preseason ice time with 74:28 total. With that in mind, we should get a good chunk of the game from the 19-year-old rookie, as he will be a roster player. It will be interesting to see how he does, along with any other young prospects who get a chance to play.

The Flyers begin their regular season on Oct. 11 visiting the Vancouver Canucks. We'll be providing plenty of insight and analysis throughout what should be an exciting 2024-25 campaign!