Mark Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nikita Grebenkin down as another player who's publicly shared his support for polarizing goalie Aleksei Kolosov.
Kolosov, 23, had a rough first full season with the Flyers organization last year, going 5-6-1 with a 3.11 GAA and .884 save percentage at the AHL level and 5-9-1 with a 3.59 GAA and .867 save percentage at the NHL level.
During his time in the AHL, though, the embattled goalie prospect briefly crossed paths with Flyers trade addition Nikita Grebenkin before getting re-called to the NHL on March 25.
In the duo's brief time together, Kolosov apparently left quite the positive impression on Grebenkin, as he shared in a recent interview.
"Aleksei, a good, positive guy. A professional who knows his stuff," Grebenkin told Legalbet.by of Kolosov. "I'm very glad that I met him."
It should be noted that, in a stretch of five AHL starts in March, Kolosov earned three of his five total wins for the season.
Is it a coincidence that some of Kolosov's best hockey in the AHL came when a fellow Russian speaker joined the fold? Potentially, as those results were rarely repeated in the NHL when playing alongside Matvei Michkov, Ivan Fedotov, and Egor Zamula.
It's been implied that Kolosov only wants to play in the NHL for the Flyers, but it's become clear that the NHL is too great a step up at this time despite the Belarusian's obvious flashes of talent.
Perhaps a full year in the AHL with his new friend, Grebenkin, and/or fellow goalie Fedotov will do Kolosov some good.
The 23-year-old has the talent and apparently takes his craft seriously, but can he muster the motivation to make a career for himself in North America? The Flyers are waiting to see if Kolosov can make it happen.
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