(Kate Frese/Sports Talk Philly)
By Jesse Larch, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
The Flyers opted to extend the contract of goaltender Michal Neuvirth prior to last season's trade deadline, and now the Czech Republic native could be reuniting with the man that drafted him as a part of the Vegas Golden Knights.
At the NHL's Scouting Combine on Saturday, Vegan GM George McPhee spoke highly of Neuvirth. McPhee is familiar with Neuvirth after selecting him in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft when McPhee was the general manager of the Washington Capitals.
Neuvirth was viewed as the Capitals goalie of the future until Braden Holtby took over the starting job in Washington and developed into the Vezina candidate that he is today.
While it is likely that the Flyers extended Neuvirth so that they would have a goaltender under contract to expose in the expansion draft and protect prospect Anthony Stolarz, Neuvirth's departure would leave a huge hole between the pipes. Stolarz, who is recovering from an end-of-season injury, is the only viable option to play NHL minutes on the roster and his health and lack of playing time in the NHL make him a question mark to jump straight to a starting role.
It is possible that the Flyers add a goaltender regardless, but it will be a necessity if Michal Neuvirth is not on the roster.
Neuvirth signed an extremely cap-friendly contract, with an average annual value under $2 million. For a team building their roster from scratch, a short-term cap conscious contract will be very appealing to allow more flexibility in building the other areas of the roster.
The familiarity between McPhee and Neuvirth, and the nature of Neuvirth's contract makes a reunion quite likely. So, what options do the Flyers have to fill the hole that Neuvirth would leave? Here are a few.
Steve Mason
2016-17 stats: 58 GP, 26-21-8, 2.66 GAA, .908 SV%, 3 SO
Flyers fans are familiar with Steve Mason. He has spent the last five seasons as member of the Flyers roster, and in that time he has become the third-winningest goaltender in Flyers' history with 104.
Mason is coming off of his worst season as a Flyer statistically, but he did lead the team to a 10-game winning streak and kept the Flyers alive in the playoff hunt with his play at the end of the season.
Mason grew frustrated sharing the crease with Neuvirth, wanting the team he plays for to commit to him as their starting goaltender.
Mason has said that he is open to a return to Philadelphia, and if Neuvirth is selected by Vegas, Mason would not have to worry about a platoon situation. Mason is an unrestricted free agent that would give the Flyers a player who is familiar with the personnel and system to replace Neuvirth.
Ryan Miller
2016-17 stats: 54 GP, 18-29-6, 2.80 GAA, .914 SV%, 3 SO
Ryan Miller's status as an elite goaltender in the NHL has faded with his age, but the 2010 Vezina Trophy winner is still a starting-caliber goaltender in this league.
The now 36-year-old has an inflated goals against average, but his save percentage from last season shows that he faced a ton of shots and did an admirable job of turning them away.
Miller played for a below average team in the 2016 and that did more to affect his stats than his own play did. Miller is entering unrestricted free agency and he would make sense as a short-term filler in net while the Flyers transition to prospects like Stolarz and Carter Hart.
Related: Why Ryan Miller Should Be a Target for the Flyers
Jonathan Bernier
2016-17 stats: 38 GP, 21-7-4, 2.51 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO
Jonathan Bernier has settled into a role as one of the top backup goaltenders in the NHL, but he was once considered an elite prospect.
Bernier has never been given a chance to be the No. 1 goaltender for a team, competing with Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles, platooning with James Reimer in Toronto, and now backing up John Gibson in Anaheim.
The 28-year-old posted a great win-loss record last season, and at times reminded fans of why he was such a valued prospect. Bernier would provide a veteran presence to the team, but he is still young enough to develop as a starter as he enters his prime years. The unrestricted free agent would give the Flyers a trustworthy option in net for this season, and another option in net as the team goes forward with its development.
Brian Elliott
2016-17 stats: 49 GP, 26-18-3, 2.55 GAA, .910 SV%, 2 SO
Journeyman goaltender Brian Elliott has proven to be a reliable goaltender throughout his career.
At this point in his career, he would be a modestly priced option to start in goal for the Flyers. Elliott has been a brick wall at times in his career, winning the William M. Jennings Trophy as a member of the St. Louis Blues in 2011-12.
After a one-year stint in Calgary, he is slated to find himself back on the open market, and he would fit in the same way that Miller would, providing a short-term solution while the goaltending prospects develop further. Elliott would likely be a cheaper option than Miller.
Anders Nilsson
2016-17 stats: 26 GP, 10-10-4, 2.67 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 SO
Anders Nilsson is one of the youngest goaltenders on this list at 27-years-old. Nilsson could provide a short-term solution, and like Bernier he is entering his prime years. Nilsson posted a fantastic save percentage, the highest of all goaltenders we've mentioned, but also played in the fewest number of games.
Nilsson is not proven as a starting goaltender, so there would be risk there but if he can play at the same level while playing with a better team in front of him, Nilsson could emerge as a true No. 1 goaltender.
Mike Condon
2016-17 stats: 40 GP, 19-14-6, 2.50 GAA, .914 SV%, 5 SO
Mike Condon was presented with an opportunity to play a high volume of games when Craig Anderson had take time away from the game to support his wife who was diagnosed with cancer during the season. Condon had a similar opportunity in Montreal when Carey Price suffered a major injury, but fortunately for Condon he fared much better in Ottawa this season.
Condon may have been aided by his teammates, who made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but he showed that he can start in this league, unlike his run in Montreal.
The 27-year-old would provide the same opportunities as Nilsson and Bernier, and he should be reasonably priced.
Mike Smith
2016-17 stats: 55 GP, 19-26-9, 2.92 GAA, .914 SV%, 3 SO
Mike Smith represented the Arizona Coyotes in the All-Star Game last season, partially because of the low quality of his teammates.
Smith did play well for the Coyotes, shown by his disparity in goals against average and save percentage. Smith's goals against average is too high for him to be considered a quality goaltender, but his save percentage shows that he was battered by shots in Arizona, and a change of scenery could yield better results for Smith.
Smith has been the subject of trade rumors already this offseason, with multiple teams inquiring about the 35-year-old goaltender. Smith carries a $5.66 million cap hit with him for the next two seasons, so any deal the Flyers attempt to make for the All-Star would have to involve the Coyotes eating some of Smith's contract.
