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Ivan Fedotov To Finish Season With Flyers

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Editor’s Note: This article has been amended to properly reflect Carter Hart’s status.

March 29: Fedotov is in Philadelphia and will meet with media alongside Briere in a press conference at the team’s practice facility Friday morning, Chris Johnston of The Athletic and TSN reports.

March 28: In a surprising development coming out of the Kontinental Hockey League, CSKA Moscow has terminated the contract of Philadelphia Flyers’ goalie prospect Ivan Fedotov. The reasoning became clear shortly thereafter, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Fedotov will finish his season with the Flyers.

The news comes as a bit of a shock, as it was only seven months ago that the KHL, NHL, and IIHF held a lengthy battle over the contractual rights to Fedotov for the 2023-24 season. As it would turn out, under pressure from his native country, Fedotov would spend the majority of his year in the KHL.

After the announcement became public from CSKA Moscow, it was unclear if Fedotov would be coming over to Philadelphia, as the General Manager of the team, Daniel Briere, declined to comment at today’s media availability regarding Fedotov’s status. Nevertheless, as a precursor to Friedman’s confirmation, Sports Express in Russia did initially report that Fedotov would be leaving for the NHL.

With only one year remaining on his current contract, Fedotov will become an unrestricted free agent this summer if Philadelphia does not sign him to an extension before July 1st. In the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHLPA, a player is eligible to hit the unrestricted free agent market once they hit 27 years of age, or have accrued seven years of experience at the NHL level.

Although there will be a bit of an adjustment coming over to North American hockey, Fedotov should be able to play himself into the starting role with the Flyers relatively quickly. In 44 games for CSKA Moscow this season, Fedotov produced a 21-22-1 record in 44 games but did carry an impressive .914 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average.

Since Carter Hart left the team in late January after being charged in connection to an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving multiple members of that year’s Canadian Men’s National Junior Team, Philadelphia has been operating with Samuel Ersson as their starting option, with Calvin Petersen and Felix Sandstrom seeing time in the backup role. Proving to be a volatile option, Ersson has produced a 9-8-4 record in 21 games with a .880 SV% after taking over the top job.

Still trying to lock down a playoff spot with nine games remaining, the Flyers could get quite the jolt with Fedotov between the pipes. However, even if the team is unable to secure a playoff spot, they could view it as an important trial run to see if they would like to continue their relationship with the netminder.

Evening Notes: Foligno, Kane, Czarnik

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Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno is dealing with a nagging lower-body injury and won’t dress tonight when the Wild take on the San Jose Sharks. Foligno missed Tuesday’s practice with the injury and has missed several games throughout this season with what was also described as lower-body injuries.

Despite the lingering issue, the 32-year-old has dressed in 55 games this season with Minnesota, posting 10 goals and 12 assists while playing 14:29 a game. It’s been a tough season filled with starts and stops for the Buffalo, New York native, which has led to speculation from Russo that perhaps the Wild will shut Foligno down for the rest of the season to allow him a chance to heal.

In other evening notes:

  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without the services of forward Patrick Kane this evening as they take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Red Wings have been dealing with an illness travelling around their dressing room and it appears that Kane is the latest victim of it. Kane’s absence could loom large as the Red Wings sit two points back of Washington for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and Kane has been hot as of late with nine points in his last eight games.
  • The Red Wings will also be without center Austin Czarnik who is also dealing with an illness. No word on whether Czarnik and Kane are dealing with the same ailment or not but given the issues with sickness this week its likely a safe bet. The 31-year-old was recalled from the AHL two weeks ago and has struggled at the NHL level this season with just a single assist in 25 games. With Kane and Czarnik out of the lineup, Daniel Sprong will draw back in after sitting the last three games as a healthy scratch.

Snapshots: Cates, Fast, Liljegren

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The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that forward Noah Cates will be out on Thursday due to personal reasons (Twitter link). Cam Atkinson will step back into the lineup in his place, marking the first game Atkinson has played since March 16th. The veteran Atkinson will step back into the lineup looking to snap a 16-game scoring drought. He’s managed 25 shots in that stretch, though his only other stat changes have come via a -9 and, interestingly, the first fight of Atkinson’s 10-year career. He squared off against Tampa Bay forward Michael Eyssimont, who used his two-inch size advantage to pummel Atkinson.

Atkinson is taking on more grit and responsibility as he finds himself fighting for a consistent spot in the lineup. The Flyers will hope he can find his groove soon, as he fills in for Cates’ role on the fourth-line. Cates has just 13 points through 51 games this season – a far step down from his 38 points as a rookie last year. He’s sacrificed scoring for a much more poised, all-around role, improving his faceoff percentage by five percent this season and yet to record a penalty this season. Atkinson will face pressure from healthy scratches Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers if he can’t make an impact quickly.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Jesper Fast will miss his fifth straight game on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Fast has been recovering from an upper-body injury and returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey. He’s served in a quaint role when healthy, managing six goals and 18 points in 66 games while averaging 12:48 in ice time. Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen have gained a boost in ice time with Fast out, though Carolina could also lean on healthy scratch Brendan Lemieux if needed.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been removed from the team’s lineup on Thursday, per NHL Network’s David Alter (Twitter link). He was a late call for head coach Sheldon Keefe and will now miss the game with an upper-body injury. Liljegren’s absence opens the door for Mark Giordano to return to the lineup, marking his first game since February 29th. Giordano, the NHL’s oldest player, has one goal and seven points in 38 games this season.

Minor League Notes: Carriere, Bucheler, Hanzel, Hanelt

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The San Jose Barracuda have joined in on the NCAA free agent market, signing University of Vermont defenseman Jérémie Bucheler and goaltender Gabriel Carriere (Web link). Carriere is signing after his senior year, having spent all four college seasons with Vermont. He’s become a pivotal piece of their lineup since joining in 2020-21, totaling 89 games with the club, while no other goalie topped 25. And he’s performed well in the role, with 28 wins ranking him as the fourth-winningest goalie in Vermont’s history. His career .908 save percentage ranks 10th in club history.

Meanwhile, Bucheler just completed his first season with the Cougars, joining via the transfer portal after four years at Northeastern University. Bucheler had the best season of his collegiate career in Vermont, setting career-highs in all scoring categories on his way to six goals and 18 points in 33 games. He also served as an assistant captain for the club. Bucheler played in five collegiate seasons, totaling 143 games and 46 points. He’s already made his professional debut, stepping into the Barracuda’s lineup on Wednesday night. He went without a point, but did record his first shot on goal.

Other notes from the minor-leagues:

  • The Milwaukee Admirals have signed WHL defenseman Jeremy Hanzel to an amateur try-out (Twitter link). Hanzel was the main return in the Trade Deadline move that sent Yakov Trenin to the Colorado Avalanche, moving to the Predators organization alongside a 2025 third-round pick. Colorado originally drafted Hanzel in the sixth-round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s now signing his first pro deal after four seasons with the AHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds, where he totaled 149 points in 218 career games. He also showed plenty of clutch, with 35 points in 44 playoff games. Hanzel is a great on-puck defender that knows how to find teammates and draw opponents out of position. He’ll look to maintain that poise into the pros, moving to the AHL for the remainder of the season.
  • Washington Capitals draft prospect Haakon Hänelt has signed a professional try-out with the AHL’s Hershey Bears (Twitter link). The 20-year-old forward – who can also play defense – has spent all season in the DEL, Germany’s top league. He’s scored two points, split evenly, in 38 games this season – his second stint in the league after spending the last two years in the QMJHL. The Capitals drafted Hanelt in the fifth-round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Kraken Sign Lukas Dragicevic To Entry-Level Contract

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The Seattle Kraken have signed top defense prospect Lukas Dragicevic to his entry-level contract (Twitter link). The deal will carry a $950K annual-average-value (AAV). Seattle drafted Dragicevic in the second-round of the 2023 NHL Draft, using a pick acquired in the trade that sent Mark Giordano to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s the 12th player from the second-round to sign a pro deal.

Dragicevic has spent the last three seasons carving out a prominent role with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans – becoming just the 58th Tri-City player to play in over-200 league-games this season, scoring a career 157 points across 202 career games. That equates to a 0.78 point-per-game pace, the most a Tri-City defenseman has managed since Juuso Välimäki in 2018.

And it’s clear to see how Dragicevic earned that title when watching him play. He’s an offensive defenseman who excels at driving the puck down the ice and quickly finding plays. He has slick skating and strong puck-handling – made better by a powerful frame. And while there have been concerns about Dragicevic’s play outside of the offensive zone, playing off the puck has clearly been a focus this season – with Dragicevic taking on a more prominent role in all three zones and even serving as an alternate captain. The shift towards defense and leadership held him to just 50 points this year – a far step down from his 75 points last year – but he hasn’t sacrificed his goal-scoring, still lighting the lamp 14 times. Dragicevic will now take his skillful play to the pros, where his high tempo and defensive capabilities will be put to the test.

Snapshots: Eriksson Ek, Brodin, Matthews, Joshua

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Now in do-or-die territory to qualify for the 2023-24 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Minnesota Wild will receive some reinforcements to their lineup tonight. Sarah McLellan of Star Tribune Sports reports that forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will return to the active roster tonight.

Eriksson Ek has missed the last five games for the Wild, who lost two big games to the St. Louis Blues in his absence. As the team’s top center, Eriksson Ek has scored 29 goals and 60 points for Minnesota this year over 66 games played.

Brodin on the other hand, has only missed the last two games for the Wild but has had significant injury concerns throughout this season. Even though he’s only managed to suit up in 51 contests, Brodin still sits second on Minnesota’s blue line with 23:37 ATOI and has scored seven goals and 23 points overall.

Other snapshots:

  • One player who may not be in the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight is forward Auston Matthews, who is now designated as a game-time decision due to an illness (X Link). Even though Toronto is destined for a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division, it would be a tough blow not to have Matthews in the lineup, as he is still attempting to score 60 goals on the season for the second time in his career.
  • In tonight’s potential Western Conference Final preview, the Vancouver Canucks will see the return of a key player, as Dakota Joshua will return to the lineup (X Link). It will be Joshua’s first game back since February 13th, as the Michigan native suffered an upper-body injury in the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Jean-Luc Foudy

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The possibility of the Colorado Avalanche being without forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Joel Kiviranta tonight has come to pass, as Megan Angley of DNVR Avalanche reports that Nichushkin is out with a lower-body injury and Kiviranta is out with an illness. Carrying an open roster spot left to fill, the team recalled Jean-Luc Foudy on an emergency loan.

It will mark Foudy’s second emergency loan recall of the season, with the first coming on March 6th after Colorado’s flurry of trade deadline activity. Over that recall, Foudy played in one game for the Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings, scoring one goal in almost 11 minutes of ice time.

Unfortunately, Foudy has not been able to accrue much playing time at the AHL level this season, as a lower-body injury suffered in training camp kept him off the ice until mid-January. Due to the injury, Foudy has registered only 18 games with Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, scoring three goals and nine points overall.

Nevertheless, with the Avalanche having the ability to clinch a playoff spot this evening, it will be a valuable matchup for Foudy to be a part of. As Foudy will undoubtedly return north to Loveland by the end of the regular season, he will be a factor in the Eagles’ pursuit of a playoff position, as well.

Metro Notes: Drysdale, Ristolainen, Seeler, Nylander, Nieto

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Coming from today’s media availability with the General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, Daniel Briere, there were several updates on injured members of the organization’s defensive core. Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reports that defenseman Jamie Drysdale is expected back before the end of the regular season, but the same expectation is not held for Rasmus Ristolainen.

Furthermore, in the most positive development, O’Connor mentions that defenseman Nick Seeler is very close to a return, and may even be available for the team this weekend. With only a one-point lead on the Washington Capitals for third place in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers could use all the help they can get to capture their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season.

Even with Ristolainen unlikely to return, and assuming Philadelphia qualifies for the 2023-24 Stanley Cup playoffs, they should still be able to muster solid depth with their defensive core. Cam York, Yegor Zamula, and Seeler have all taken notable steps forward this season, and the team did bring in Erik Johnson from the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline.

Other Metro notes:

  •  Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Alexander Nylander will miss his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. Although it does not sound like the injury is serious, it will blunt the momentum that Nylander has accrued in his first handful of games with the Blue Jackets. Since coming to Columbus, Nylander has played in a total of 15 games, scoring eight goals and 11 points in total.
  • In a separate update from Rorabaugh, it does not appear that Pittsburgh Penguins’ forward Matt Nieto will be back with the team this season, as he’s experienced several hurdles in his recovery process. Initially, it was believed that Nieto would be out between six and eight weeks recovering from knee surgery, but has surpassed that measure.

Bowen Byram Fined By Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety issued their punishment to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, issuing him a $5,000 fine for interference, the maximum allowable financial penalty under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. This will mark the first time in his young career that Byram has received disciplinary action from the Department of Player Safety.

The play in question took place in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators, as Byram delivered a blindside hit to Senators’ forward Angus Crookshank (Video Link). Byram was assessed a two-minute minor penalty on the play for interference, and Crookshank was able to return to the contest.

Luckily for the organization, the Department of Player Safety did not choose to suspend Byram, allowing the team to keep him in the lineup for the rest of the regular season. Since acquiring Byram from the Colorado Avalanche at this year’s trade deadline, Byram has scored three goals and six points in 10 games, averaging just over 23 minutes of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, although the team got off to a 4-2-0 start with Byram in the lineup, the team has only managed a 1-3-0 record in their last four, dropping them further down in the Eastern Conference wild-card standings. Nevertheless, with a positive showing in his first few games with the organization, Buffalo will be eager for a full year of Byram next season.

Injury Notes: Ekblad, Rielly, Harkins

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With Uvis Balinskis being reassigned to the Charlotte Checkers yesterday afternoon, the Florida Panthers had an open spot to fill in their defensive core. In doing so, it appears that defenseman Aaron Ekblad will make his return to the lineup tonight, as he was a full participant in practice this morning (X Link).

Ekblad, who has not played since the Panthers’ game on March 9th, has missed the last seven games for the organization. In the time that he has missed, Florida has not played particularly well, producing a 2-4-1 record in his absence, averaging 3.43 goals against per game over that stretch.

With now 10 games left in the regular season for the team, the Panthers will battle it out with the Boston Bruins over playoff positioning in the first two rounds of the playoffs. As the New York Rangers look to clinch both the Eastern Conference and the President’s Trophy, the Panthers will match up against the Tampa Bay Lightning or Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

Other injury notes:

  • Moving north to Toronto, it does not appear that defenseman Morgan Rielly will make his return to the lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight, as he is still dealing with an upper-body injury. Fortunately, this will only be the second game in a row that Rielly has missed with this injury, as he has otherwise maintained quality health over the 2023-24 NHL season.
  • In Pittsburgh, Dan Potash of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports that forward Jansen Harkins has returned to practice for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A bottom-six forward for the Penguins this year, Harkins has not played since just before the March 8th trade deadline due to an upper-body injury. Suiting up 43 games this year, Harkins has tallied four assists while averaging just over eight minutes of ice time per night.

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