The Flyers and goaltending. It’s seemingly an annual conversation starter. Last season, goaltending actually proved to be a strength for the Flyers until their goalie situation was turned upside down in January.
When Carter Hart was charged with sexual assault in the Hockey Canada scandal and subsequently took a leave of absence from the Flyers, rookie Sam Ersson was suddenly the guy. For nearly three months, he made it hold up and helped keep the Flyers in a playoff spot. As Ersson tired at the end of the season, the Flyers tried multiple backup options to no avail, even turning to Ivan Fedotov almost immediately after his arrival.
This season is a fresh start for Ersson in a new position. The No. 1 starting spot is his. He backed it up with two outstanding preseason starts. But is that enough to calm John Tortorella’s nerves?
“We have a whole new goaltending situation this year. It scares the crap out of me,” Tortorella said, “because we don’t start with Carter, it’s Ers’ first time really being the guy. As much as I love him mentally, I don’t know how that all works out, so we can’t get ahead of ourselves here.”
Behind Ersson, Fedotov gets his chance to be the backup. After that, three other goalies within the system are at three different stages of their careers. It potentially makes goaltending the most fascinating position for the Flyers this season.
For Sam Ersson, it’s another year to find out if he’s capable of being the No. 1 guy in goal. Ersson’s numbers by the end of last season were among the middle of the pack, a 23-19-7 record with a 2.82 GAA and .890 save percentage. But those were largely inflated by his late season struggles.
From November to February, in 31 games, Ersson had a 17-10-3 record with a 2.31 GAA and .910 save percentage. From March 1 through April 9, Ersson played in 15 games and had a 4.02 GAA and an .852 save percentage.
That stretch from November to February certainly earned him another look as a potential starter.
“I’ve never questioned Sam’s mental makeup,” Tortorella said. “That’s a key for him here. I think he can handle it. I know he prepares. He’s licking his chops here. He’s got an opportunity.”
After the late-season struggles, Ersson played in the final three games of the season and stopped 60 of 62 shots. A shutout win over New Jersey on April 13 allowed the Flyers to still be alive for a playoff spot going into their final game of the season.
“I’m not a goalie. I don’t know how they think,” Tortorella said. “But I have to think where there were some major struggles toward the end, to finish the way he did to give us a chance to play that final game that meant something. I think he has to hang his hat on it as he starts camp.”
Beyond Ersson, Fedotov gets another chance to solidify an NHL spot as the backup. He joined the Flyers late in the season, completing the one-year contract he had signed in May 2022. He re-signed on a two-year, $6.5 million deal in the offseason.
Fedotov appeared in just three games last April, including two in relief of Ersson. What’s intriguing about Fedotov is the elite numbers he showcased in the KHL.
From 2019 to 2022, he consistently posted a GAA of roughly 2.00 and a save percentage above .920. Even upon his return to action for CSKA Moscow in 2023-24, he had a 2.37 GAA and .914 save percentage after a year away from action to complete military service.
Beyond the two goalies on the Flyers final roster to start the 2024-25 season, there are three others in the system that all have intrigue in their own right.
Alexei Kolosov may have been the goalie to receive the most discussion in the offseason. After reporting to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a pair of games late last season, rumors started swirling that Kolosov would not be reporting.
He was first a no-show for development camp in July. Then as rookie camp and main training camp started, he was still not on the roster.
The saga came to an end, at least temporarily, when Kolosov did report on Sept. 27.
Kolosov was among the final roster cuts, and figures to be the starting goalie with the Phantoms this season. As the No. 3 in the system, there is always a chance that he is the next call-up should Ersson or Fedotov go down with an injury. GM Danny Briere was also non-committal in his response to what exactly happens with Kolosov this season.
He could get a call-up, he could spend the entire season in Lehigh Valley, or he could even return to the KHL on a loan. All options seem to be on the table, but don’t rule out the 22-year-old Belarusian goalie getting a look at the NHL.
Carson Bjarnason, one of two goalies drafted in the 2023 NHL Draft, had a noticeable camp. While the expected outcome was always a return to juniors, Bjarnason showed significant improvement during rookie camp and the preseason.
This figures to be an important season for the 19-year-old. He remains the primary starter for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL. He’s also expected to get some consideration for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
And then there is the second of the two goalie prospects selected in the 2023 NHL Draft. Yegor Zavragin, a 19-year-old Russian, who is off to an outstanding start in the KHL this season.
On loan with HK Sochi from SKA St. Petersburg, the same two teams that Matvei Michkov played for last season, Zavragin has played in six games and posted a 3-3-0 record with a 2.21 GAA and .941 save percentage. HK Sochi confirmed on Wednesday morning that Zavragin was returned from loan to SKA St. Petersburg and is expected to begin playing there.
It’s quite possible the best goalie of the bunch is the furthest away from the NHL at the moment, but is in the Flyers pipeline and among the names to watch in the future.
For now, the focus is on Ersson, and Fedotov, and Kolosov, but two other prospects appear to have the franchise’s future in goal in good hands. Following along with the current situation, with an eye on the development of Bjarnason and Zavragin, may make this the most fascinating position for the Flyers.
