The Philadelphia Flyers went through the wringer when it came to goaltending last season, dealing with a rotating cast of characters that left newly-minted starting goalie Sam Ersson overworked and exhausted.
Related: John Tortorella Credits Sam Ersson With Keeping Flyers’ Playoff Hopes Alive
Fans got a glimpse of how this tandem will work at the tail end of the season, but the upcoming campaign will be the real test to see if the Flyers have finally found the answer to their goaltending issues.
Ersson stepped up in a way that is admirable beyond words after former Flyers goalie Carter Hart was charged with sexual assault in connection with the 2018 Hockey Canada scandal. (He was placed on indefinite leave from the team before the decision was made to not renew his contract this summer.)
The Swedish rookie was repeatedly credited with keeping the Flyers alive in their playoff push, which carried on until the very last game of the season where they just missed out on a postseason spot.
Despite the numbers not fully reflecting it, Ersson didn’t play badly last season. In the first half of the year, he looked solid and comfortable in an NHL crease, so much so that there was some chatter about him being in Calder Trophy contention.
Even after he was suddenly thrown into the No. 1 spot, the 24-year-old welcomed the challenge, insisting at every opportunity that he would play as much as the Flyers needed him to.
It was a big ask—Ersson ended up playing more than double the games he was originally slated to, with head coach John Tortorella even admitting that his new starting netminder was put in an impossible situation.
“He’s played a ton of hockey as of late; that was the decision we made,” Tortorella said back in April. “He’s probably played too much…The numbers with Sam—it’s unfair, because I’ve put him in a really tough spot in playing him as much as he has.”
Flyers HC John Tortorella just walked in locker room, went right to Sam Ersson and said…
“F*cking right Erss… F*cking right. Good job. Enjoy day off tomorrow”
There is just something about this locker room right now. This is starting to become something. #LetsGoFlyers
— Brandon J. Sommermann (@B_Sommermann) December 17, 2023
Through 51 games played last season, Ersson recorded 23 wins (including four shutouts), with 2.82 GAA and .890 SV%. ‘
But now that he has a better idea of what will be expected of him as a starting goalie, and has ample time to prepare for the role this offseason, there’s no doubt fans will see an even stronger, more composed, and more prepared Sam Ersson this upcoming season.
This is due, in part, to having a more reliable backup goalie—a luxury he didn’t enjoy in the second half of last season. Rather than cycling through the likes of Felix Sandstrom and Cal Petersen (neither of whom fully stepped up to the plate when called upon), the Flyers managed to bring the mountain of a man Ivan Fedotov over from Russia in March of this year.
Fedotov only played three games, so there isn’t much to go off of when predicting how he’ll look in a full NHL season, but there’s no reason to believe that he won’t be a solid backup for Ersson.
The most obvious attribute is his physical presence, standing at 6’7″ and having no trouble filling an entire net when he’s in front of it. But Fedotov also has good awareness and reaction times—just look at his first ever NHL save on a Mat Barzal breakway that elated the Flyers fans in attendance.
The 27-year-old will still need time to adjust to the NHL, but he’s completely locked in on improving every day and becoming the best goalie he can be for the Flyers.
“I’m not a young guy, I have some experience and know how it works,” he said after his debut. “I don’t care if I’m playing from the first minute or [get subbed in] during the game. I just want to help the team and give energy and that’s it.”
Flyers fans have become jaded when it comes to their goaltending, and for good reason. The rotten luck that has befallen their last lines of defense is almost comical, but cautious optimism could be in order as Ersson and Fedotov grow their partnership. The organization—from the front office to the coaches to the players themselves—have expressed 100% belief in this tandem, and with proper preparation leading up to Opening Night, there might yet be hope for a good, consistent Flyers goalie pairing.
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