Sam Ersson has had a bad year.
When the Philadelphia Flyers brought in Dan Vladar as a free agent last summer, the plan was to have them split the net and ride the hot hand. That hasn’t worked out, as the newcomer has played beyond even the most optimistic of expectations and taken the lion’s share of the crease.
It was up for debate if the below average save percentages over the years were a product of the team’s defensive structure, but Sam Ersson’s numbers have remained among the worst in hockey as the defense has improved. Juxtaposed with Vladar’s .905 save percentage, Ersson is a bit of a sore thumb.
With Vladar potentially missing time due to an injury he suffered Wednesday night in Buffalo, we might be seeing Ersson’s final audition.
He’s in a contract year
The organization has gone to bat for him repeatedly. We know they like him. At a certain point, however, the Flyers are going to need to win hockey games, and a save percentage in the .850’s just isn’t acceptable.
Ersson, 26, has one more year of restricted free agency after the season. It’s difficult to imagine he’ll get much of a raise after being statistically one of the worst goaltenders in the National Hockey League over a significant sample size. With results this poor, they may even choose to go another direction entirely.
Strictly from a numbers perspective, it wouldn’t make much sense to pivot out of your rebuild and keep a historically poor goaltender. There are two goalies on the outside looking in — Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason — who are waiting for their opportunities. Yegor Zavragin, who may be the best of the four, is still cooking in Russia but could be coming over as soon as 2027.
It may be cheaper, although riskier, to evaluate one of your young goalie prospects than to roll Ersson out there again next season.
The Flyers are trying to turn a corner
The organization drew their line in the sand when they extended Christian Dvorak, giving him five more years. Deciding not to sell a suddenly premium asset at a position of need was a choice. They’re sitting firmly in the playoff mix, as is the rest of the conference, and every point matters.
Continuing to bleed points via goaltending does not sound like it coincides with the vision of the front office. They haven’t seen playoff hockey in years and they feel the importance of playing meaningful games deep into the season.
If Ersson can tap into his old self and keep the Flyers afloat with Vladar sidelined, he might see a longer leash — or even a new contract.
They just don’t have any other options
When Carter Hart left the roster a few years ago, Ersson took the brunt of the damage. They simply didn’t have another NHL caliber goaltender to allow him to rest and recover properly.
This earned Ersson a lot of respect in the locker room and it carried over to the front office as well. It was easy to see why the results tanked.
If this were to happen a second time, in a season where the expectations have elevated to making a playoff push, Danny Briere would be under some scrutiny for sitting on his hands and watching it burn. It’s been too large of a stretch of poor play to do anything but move on and find another goalie.
It’s up to Ersson to keep the Flyers involved in the playoff mix for as long as it takes. This feels like his last chance at redemption. The season, and his future here, may depend on it.
