According to WD Sports and Entertainment, their client and goaltender Eetu Mäkiniemi has signed a Professional Tryout contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Mäkiniemi, a former fourth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2017, has spent the last two seasons in the San Jose Sharks organization after being dealt in the trade that saw Brent Burns head to Carolina. The Vantaa, Finland native appeared in two games with the Sharks in 2022-23, his only NHL appearances to date. He stopped 6 of 8 shots in relief of Kaapo Kähkönen in an overtime loss to Vancouver on December 7th, 2022 before recording his first NHL on December 9th, 2022 against Anaheim, stopping 23 of 24 shots faced in a lopsided 6-1 victory.
Last season, the 25-year-old split time with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, with the majority of his games being played in San Jose. He went 8-8-0 with a .900 SV%, 3.14 GAA, and 3 shutouts in 18 games with the Barracuda, and 1-2-0 with a .907 SV% and 3.39 GAA in 3 games with the Thunder.
Interestingly, Philadelphia Flyers official website contributor Bill Meltzer mentioned Mäkiniemi as someone the Flyers could be looking to add just over a week ago.
Mäkiniemi is likely with the Flyers in training camp as insurance if top prospect Alexei Kolosov does not show up, but the Finn may not stick around into the season anyway unless there are injuries. Philadelphia has Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, Cal Petersen, and prospect Carson Bjarnason under contract, but the former two have the NHL jobs locked up and Bjarnason won’t play in the AHL this year, leaving a roster spot potentially open with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Phantoms also have Parker Gahagen and Keith Petruzzelli signed on AHL contracts, but one or both could potentially be forced to ECHL Reading if another goalie cuts them in line.
Kolosov’s saga has been ongoing for some time now, with the goalie reportedly upset that he wasn’t given ample playing time during the Phantoms’ playoff push and subsequent run to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Kolosov has been skating in his native Belarus in the meantime and for what it’s worth, he is included on the Flyers’ roster ahead of training camp, but it will remain to be seen if he reports.
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MEET MATVEI MICHKOV AT DYNASTY SPORTS – OXFORD VALLEY MALL
Welcome Matvei Michkov to Philadelphia the only way that Philly can with our friends at Dynasty Sports! The Flyers rookie will be making his veryfirst appearance since joining the Flyers on Saturday, September 7th at Dynasty Sports’Oxford Valley Mall location. The event will begin at 12:00 PM with Matvei signing autographs and taking photos with his fans.
