Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov arrives in Philly

The Flyers made it official on Friday morning: The team held a press conference at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees to announce the long-awaited arrival of goaltender Ivan Fedotov to the National Hockey League. Fedotov is eligible both for regular season and playoff duty.

According to Flyers General Manager Danny Briere, the organization received clarification on Fedotov's eligibility status both for the remainder of the regular season and for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The answer: Fedotov is immediately available for game action, which would also apply to the playoffs should the Flyers make the postseason.

The 6-foot-7 netminder was originally selected by the Flyers in the 7th round (188th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. As a 19-year-old, he attended the Flyers' Development Camp. There, he met Felix Sandström, whom the Flyers selected in the third round of the 2015 Draft.

As is often the case in ultra-tall goaltenders, Fedotov had a protracted development process in Russia. He started to blossom at age 23, becoming a KHL starter in 2019-20. He later represented Russia in the 2022 Olympics.

The Flyers signed Fedotov to an NHL contract on May 7, 2022 but did not play the 2022-23 season, in either the KHL or NHL. The Flyers tolled the player's NHL contract, meaning that it carried over into the 2023-24 season.

Fedotov spent the 2023-24 season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. In 44 regular season games played, he posted a 21-22-1 record, 2.37 goals against average, .914 save percentage and four shutouts. In the playoffs, CSKA lost in five games in the first round. Fedotov allowed just 13 goals in the series but lacked sufficient goal support. His lone win in the series was via shutout.

Fedotov's game has come a very long way since he was last in Philadelphia among a group of goaltending prospects. He has become very good at staying square to the shooters. He has also built his puckhandling skills. In four straight seasons, he was credited with at least one assist.