Ivan Fedotov is finally, officially, a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Russian goaltender has arrived in North America, the NHL club announced Friday. Shortly thereafter, Fedotov met with reporters alongside Flyers general manager Daniel Briere.

“I’m so excited to be here. It has been a difficult two years.”

- Ivan Fedotov, who said he wants to help Flyers push for playoffs pic.twitter.com/UPaLhBTFRb

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) March 29, 2024

Briere said head coach John Tortorella will decide whether Fedotov plays over the rest of this season, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jackie Spiegel. The GM added that the netminder is on the roster while Felix Sandstrom has been returned to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The NHL informed the Flyers that Fedotov is eligible to play in the postseason, Briere said, per PHLY Sports' Charlie O'Connor. The GM also noted Samuel Ersson is still the team's No. 1 goaltender.

On Thursday, KHL squad CSKA Moscow terminated Fedotov's contract. CSKA signed him to a two-year agreement last July, so it ended the deal with one year remaining. He also has an active contract with the Flyers that expires July 1, making him a pending unrestricted free agent.

Briere doesn't anticipate much difficulty in signing Fedotov to a contract extension.

"It's something that we're working on," the GM said Friday. "I don't expect it to be an issue."

The puck-stopper played this season in Europe in defiance of an IIHF ruling in favor of the NHL and the Flyers in August.

The IIHF determined Fedotov had a valid NHL contract for the 2023-24 season when he signed with CSKA. The ruling was expected to open the door for the 27-year-old to play with the Flyers, but he opted to remain in Russia.

He signed the contract with the Flyers in May 2022 but was taken to a Russian military base two months later to serve. Philadelphia then tolled the pact over to this season.

Fedotov has spent parts of seven campaigns in the KHL and his last two with CSKA. He went 21-22-1 with a .914 save percentage across 44 games during this regular season and then 1-4 with a .916 mark in the playoffs. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl eliminated CSKA in five games in the first round.

The Flyers drafted Fedotov 188th overall in 2015.

Ersson has shouldered the bulk of the workload in Philadelphia's crease this season. He's struggled to a degree with an .895 save percentage, along with a 21-15-7 record. Sandstrom and Cal Petersen have played five games apiece. Carter Hart is on leave from the team after being charged in the 2018 world junior sexual assault case.

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It was another winning night on the ice. Jakob Chychrun soared over his shot total in the first period, while the Senators held Jeff Skinner off the scoresheet. Anthony Duclair didn't get a point on any of the Lightning's three goals, but it was still a profitable 2-1 evening.

We'll look to build on it with three more plays for a busy Thursday card.

Auston Matthews: Over 4.5 shots

Matthews has a bug and is considered a game-time decision, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. However, I expect Matthews to play, as Mitch Marner, who's out tonight, practiced in Matthews' spot on the top line alongside Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. You can wait closer to puck drop, but assuming Matthews is cleared, I quite like his chances of piling up the shots.

Matthews generally has an elite winger riding shotgun, with either Marner or William Nylander playing the right side the majority of the time. Surprisingly, however, it's Domi who brings out the best in Matthews and his ability to generate shots at the highest volume.

Matthews averages 17.90 shots and 28.13 attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five play alongside Domi. Meanwhile, he generates 10.89 shots and 23.17 attempts with Nylander and produces 11.33 shots and 20.39 attempts with Marner.

That's not to say Matthews playing with Domi is better for him or the Maple Leafs. It is, however, better for prop bettors eyeing high-end shot rates. Matthews takes on a bigger piece of the pie when playing with Domi, who quietly ranks in the top five in five-on-five assists this season.

Playing with Domi is a big plus for Matthews and his shot rates, and so is a date with the Capitals, who have conceded more shots per game to centers than any other team over the last 10.

Odds: -115 (playable to -130)

Owen Tippett: Over 3.5 shots

Tippett's shot output recently dropped off, but that coincided with a difficult stretch of opponents. His last seven games came against the Maple Leafs (twice), Bruins (twice), Hurricanes, Rangers, and Panthers. It's no coincidence he only managed to go over his total in two of them.

However, Tippett feasts on the weak, getting the job done nearly every time he faces a team outside of the playoffs.

Take the last couple of months, for example. Tippett piled up eight shots against the Sharks, five against the Blues, five against the Blackhawks, 10 against the Devils, and four against the Coyotes.

It's also worth noting he piled up five shots on nine attempts the last time he faced the Canadiens.

They are not a good defensive team at five-on-five and take plenty of penalties. Although Tippett is not on the top power play right now, the Flyers tend to distribute ice time between their two units more evenly than most teams.

He's a prime candidate to exploit the Canadiens' defensive shortcomings en route to a very active shooting performance.

Odds: -122 (playable to -135)

Evander Kane: Over 2.5 shots

Kane is in the midst of a pretty ugly slump. Luckily for him, a date with the Kings is just what the doctor ordered.

He has torched the Kings over the years, averaging 3.9 shots on goal while going over the number in 17 of the past 20 head-to-head matchups. That's a ridiculous 85% hit rate.

Also working in Kane's favor are home ice and ideal linemates for shot generation.

Kane has registered at least three shots in 65% of his games in Edmonton this season.

He is projected to skate on the third line with Corey Perry and Ryan McLeod. Kane averages more shot attempts per 60 with Perry than anybody else on the Oilers' roster. He also generates shots on target at a higher clip with McLeod than he does when centered by some guy named Connor McDavid.

With home ice, pass-first linemates, and a matchup in which Kane has excelled countless times, he is worth backing on Thursday night.

Odds: -115 (playable to -140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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Hockey Canada has announced the roster for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team for its three-game series against the United States from April 1-6 at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear will be away from the team indefinitely after entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, the league announced Wednesday.

Bear will return to the Capitals when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.

The 26-year-old has one goal and four points in 24 games this season. He signed a two-year, $4.125-million contract with Washington on Dec. 28 after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained at the IIHF World Championship.

Bear has been a healthy scratch as of late. He hasn't played since March 13 against the Edmonton Oilers.

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Matt and guest co-host Jeff Paterson from Rink Wide: Vancouver talk about the Canucks' calling card: is it offence or defence? They discuss the return of Dakota Joshua to practice and his placement on the Miller-Boeser line, Thatcher Demko being placed on LTIR and his earliest return date, the recall of Arshdeep Bains and the need for a young forward to step up, the Elias Lindholm injury and whether it will end badly for him in Vancouver, the struggling power play and potential fixed, individual milestones being hunted, Filip Hronek no longer anchoring his own pair, former Canucks head coach Travis Green's chances of getting the permanent job in New Jersey and former Kamloops Blazer Logan Stankoven making his Rogers Arena debut Thursday.

Frank Corrado stops by and tells us about the Kings' 1-3-1 how it works, how to combat it and why it's caused the Canucks so much trouble. Frank talks Lindholm, Hronek, the power play and the derby at the top of the Western Conference.

Rob Williams has a Fry Gate update for us, tells us about his story on Crazy P, discusses the power play, the Canucks' identity and looks forward to the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.

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