Philadelphia is ready for trial in the Fedotov case. But does the American club need a goalkeeper?
Rodion Vlasov July 31, 2023, 16:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The “pilots” already have a goalkeeping duo ready to go; it seems they want to get a Russian player purely as a matter of principle.
When the hockey world across the ocean finally plunged into the bliss of doing nothing, counting only the remaining free agents, Philadelphia suddenly went into gear. The club, which did not react at all to last year’s Ivan Fedotov scandal, did not write any complaints to the international sports lottery, suddenly decided to turn to higher authorities at a time when it seemed that the situation was exaggerated.
The NHL and Philadelphia have insisted that the league’s collective bargaining agreement provides for an automatic contract extension if a player fails to comply. The situation is very unprecedented, especially in terms of conscription into the army; most likely, this case is the first in history. In principle, such a development of events could have been predicted back in the spring, when the goalkeeper was waiting for his demobilization, while he remained a hockey player for the Flyers on paper: no one terminated his contract. Now this case will be resolved by the IIHF and its legal department.
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In September 2022, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that Philadelphia did not request a “freeze” on the contract. Fedotov’s agent, JP Barry, who was barely public when his client donned the striped vest, said Ivan just wants to play and is willing to accept either decision the international federation will make. Most likely, the decision will be made in favor of the NHL, not due to the fact that incredibly evil Russophobes are sitting in Bern, it’s just that in the contractual jurisdiction of the league it is difficult to simply leave your club.
Ivan Fedotov
Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS
However, the main question of all this action is another: do the “pilots” need a goalkeeper of two meters? Recall: Fedotov moved to the NHL at the peak of his form after the brilliant Olympics and the championship in 2022, where he played a key role. He was signed by a team that at that time was declaring (although no one believed it) the fight for the playoffs, spending draft picks to get stronger “right now.” In this paradigm, an experienced and at the same time not old backup for 25-30 games, also playing on a rookie contract, was an ideal reinforcement.
Now the Flyers are finally putting an end to the recent past, embarking on a full-scale shakeup (it appears to be the first in their history). The general manager who wrote Ivan’s contract is no longer with the team, as are most of the leaders of the team the goalie was supposed to join last fall. Even the news about Fedotov two months ago went quietly: the club briefly announced new qualified offers and in one line announced that the player’s contract with the club had been extended in accordance with the collective agreement.
The same reaction to the whole situation a year ago sparked discussions about whether Fedotov was needed in Pennsylvania. At the same time, right now the “pilots” have:
Calvin Pietersen, at $5 million, had a great start to his career with Los Angeles. Just two years ago, he became the best goalkeeper in the World Cup, but after that, he took a sharp and inexplicable dive. Of course, the trade for him became partly a way to get back at the ‘kings’ payments, but it’s hard to imagine the goalkeeper at his juiciest age isn’t going to try to get a restart. Carter Hart, who also seems ready to change. If such a trade takes place, then it will certainly be possible to wait for one of the younger goalkeepers in return. However, the fate of the young talent, as well as that of a dozen other players, is in jeopardy due to the investigation into the 2018 Canadian youth: a decision is expected to be made in the fall by Felix Sandström and Samuel Ersson, Swedes who in a They were once the main goalkeepers of the Swedish youth teams. Like many Swedish goalkeepers of late, his transition to adult level was difficult: Sandström was perceived as more talented, he was a reluctant substitute last year. Right now, this is an AHL-ready duo Alexey Kolosov, who was recently signed but will spend this season on loan from Kakhael.
carter hart
Photo: Abbie Parr/AP/TASS
So, most likely, Philadelphia will start the season with the Petersen-Hart duo, both players have one-sided contracts and earn more than $ 8 million for two, however, at the same time, there will be almost no goals for them. as for the club, there will be, well, except personal progress. Does the US team need Fedotov right now? There are already four goalkeepers. Are there many other openings in the NHL? After a year of inactivity, Fedotov’s value as a tradeable asset has dwindled to near zero, plus most teams closed on their goaltending needs on July 1.
The Falklands War, as you know, was called “the war of two bald men for a comb”, but now CSKA needs a “comb” in the same way, unlike Philadelphia. This does not mean that CSKA and its management are automatically right, it is simply not clear what lofty goals guide Philadelphia, actually scoring their player. The only option is for the club to work purely on principle, so as not to create precedents and opportunities for new “leaks” to Europe, even if now their probability is much lower than 15 years ago.
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The best and least likely scenario for the development of the situation would be to recognize that Fedotov’s contract is valid with its subsequent termination by mutual agreement of the parties. But it’s hard to imagine such an amicable decision, and we are probably waiting for a decision that someone is very unhappy with.
