NHL Update: Philadelphia Flyers Sign Aleksei Kolosov To One-Year $850K Contract Extension

The Philadelphia Flyers officially signed goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to a one-year contract extension worth $850,000 on Friday, keeping that young netminder in the organization for at least one more season. The 24-year-old spent a big chunk of the past campaign with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL, while also working on sharpening his game in North America. 

Even if Kolosov has run into challenges, both on and off the ice, since he arrived from Belarus, the Flyers still seem pretty set on his long-term promise inside the franchise.

What Challenges Did Aleksei Kolosov Face After Joining the Philadelphia Flyers

Aleksei Kolosov's run with the Flyers organization, honestly, has been far from smooth since he was selected in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He spent some time developing with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL and, naturally, everyone assumed expectations would be like, pretty high that he could get comfortable with North American hockey fast, then eventually fight for NHL minutes. But it didn't really go that clean.

Instead, the switch ended up feeling difficult. During the 2024-25 season, reports suggested Kolosov struggled with being away from home, including language barriers and just coping with a brand new setting. At one point it was said that tensions, kind of, grew between the player and management after he asked to go back to the KHL, and later on, he stayed with the Flyers instead. 

Even with those rough start moments, both sides seemed to straighten things out. Kolosov ended up staying in North America, and over time he settled into a bigger role with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Last season, he put up a 2.98 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage across 38 AHL appearances, while also continuing to collect useful, on-ice experience.

Aleksei Kolosov Still Fighting For NHL Opportunity In Philadelphia

While Kolosov's NHL numbers haven't been wow-ing quite yet, the Flyers still think there is a little space for development. In 21 NHL outings over the last two seasons, he has a 5-11-1 mark with a 3.64 goals-against average, plus an .863 save percentage.

Right now, the organization kinda sees Kolosov as part of its long-term goalie depth chart, sitting behind what they expect to be starter Dan Vladar. But there are still questions around the future of Samuel Ersson, which could end up making a more realistic path toward a backup role, if Kolosov keeps leveling up.

For now, this one-year extension basically gives both sides more time to take a close look at whether he can grow into a steady NHL goaltender. After a patchy start to his North American run, the coming season might end up being the most important stop in Kolosov's development road.