Flyers progressing towards extension with pending UFA Fedotov
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After a long wait to get Ivan Fedotov to Philadelphia, the Flyers are quickly working to get the goaltender signed to a long-term deal, according to TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston.
Fedotov, who joined the Flyers last week after the KHL season came to an end, is a pending unrestricted free agent.
"He hasn't even played a full NHL game yet, came in relief on Monday night and already the work is underway on what would be his second NHL contract," Johnston said on Insider Trading. "And that's because of the unique circumstances at play here. With him being 27 years old, Fedotov would be eligible to be an unrestricted free agent as of July 1, but I don't expect that to happen.
"It sounds like considerable progress has been made towards an extension and it might not be something we see announced in-season here, might come a little bit after the year. But, certainly, from both sides of the equation for Fedotov and the Flyers, I think that they want this to be a longer-term stint together and I do expect him to be signed long before free agency."
Fedotov turned aside 19 of 21 shots in relief of Sam Ersson as the Flyers lost 4-3 in overtime against the New York Islanders on Monday. He drew praise from head coach John Tortorella, who ripped into the overall effort of his team as "soft."
"I’m totally impressed," Tortorella said. "I put him in a hell of a spot, and he’s the only damn player that played the second period.”
The 27-year-old joined the Flyers shortly after his contract was terminated by the KHL's CSKA Moscow, having previously spent the season defying an International Ice Hockey Federation ruling.
Fedotov spent this season with the Russian club, despite the IIHF ruling in favour of the NHL and Flyers in August that Fedotov's contract would be tolled after he missed all of last season having been called into military service in Russia. The ruling, which was upheld upon appeal in December, was supposed to void Fedotov's contract with CSKA, with the KHL club also receiving a one-year international transfer ban.
Fedotov went 21-22-1 with CSKA this season, posting a .914 save percentage and a 2.37 goals-against average. The Moscow club was eliminated from the KHL playoffs earlier this month, with Fedotov going 1-4 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.57 GAA.
Selected by the Flyers in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, Fedotov made his North American debut in Monday's loss.
Prior to missing the entire 2022-23 as part of his military service, Fedotov had spent previous three seasons as a starter in the KHL with Chelyabinsk Traktor and CSKA.