Flyers re-sign Aleksei Kolosov, add Keith Petruzzelli for depth

Lehigh Valley’s summer picture in goal got clearer fast, and that is what makes this move matter. By bringing back Aleksei Kolosov on a one-year extension and adding Keith Petruzzelli on a one-year AHL deal, the Flyers and Phantoms protected both their immediate crease stability and their NHL call-up insurance for 2026-27.

Kolosov’s new deal, announced by general manager Daniel Briere, carries an average annual value and cap hit of $850,000. The 24-year-old from Minsk spent most of 2025-26 with the Phantoms, where he went 15-21-2 in 38 games with two shutouts, a 2.98 goals-against average and a career-best .895 save percentage. He also allowed the eighth-fewest goals against in the league, a sign that Philadelphia still sees value in the 2021 third-round pick as more than a stopgap. Even with four NHL appearances for the Flyers this season, Kolosov remains the kind of asset that can move up when needed and reset the depth chart in Lehigh Valley when he is not.

His NHL numbers show why the Flyers still have to manage him carefully. In four games in 2025-26, Kolosov went 0-2-0 with a 4.00 goals-against average and an .830 save percentage. Over his NHL career, NHL.com lists him at 21 games, a 5-11-1 record, a 3.64 goals-against average and an .863 save percentage. That split, between promising AHL production and rougher NHL results, is exactly why the extension carries weight: it keeps a developing goalie in the pipeline while preserving a familiar option for Philadelphia if injuries or performance force a recall.

Petruzzelli’s new contract matters for a different reason. The Phantoms re-signed him to a one-year AHL deal for 2026-27, giving Lehigh Valley a second goalie with organizational history and enough mileage to settle the net when the calendar turns. He split time between Lehigh Valley and Reading and has done that inside the organization before, building a profile that includes 53 career AHL games between Lehigh Valley and Toronto and more than 100 ECHL appearances. A Quinnipiac product from Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Petruzzelli gives the Phantoms a different style of depth piece, one with enough experience to handle a heavier workload if the AHL season turns chaotic.

The timing matters because goaltending is the one position AHL clubs often have to rebuild from scratch each summer. Lehigh Valley did not have to do that. With head coach John Snowden, assistants Nick Schultz and Terrence Wallin, and goaltending development coach Brady Robinson all back in the hockey operations structure, the Phantoms enter the offseason with continuity in the crease and a clearer ladder from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia.