For much of their existence, the Philadelphia Flyers were a powerhouse team that could never find a goaltender to match their caliber of play. Now that the team is among the worst clubs in the NHL, they are overflowing with riches in net. There’s talent sprinkled in at every level and, while it’s a good problem to have, the Flyers need a development plan for the continued growth of their prospects so the pipeline can remain plentiful and smooth operating for years to come.
Carter Hart
The 2023-24 season will be Hart’s sixth in the NHL already. Despite relatively pedestrian numbers over the last few seasons (.907 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average in 2022-23), it primarily reflects the atrocious state of the team rather than Hart’s play itself. He’s still the guy that’s going to see the lion’s share of starts in the NHL.
Now the elephant in the room is the ongoing 2018 Team Canada investigation, whom Hart may or may not be a part of. The investigation is expected to conclude sooner rather than later and names of the players are expected to be released. While the consequences of their actions and the punishments remain a bit unclear, if Hart is named, the Flyers are going to be without their starter for an undetermined amount of time, maybe forever.
On the flip side, if he’s not named and cleared to continue his career, the Flyers still have a massive decision in front of them. His three-year, $11.9 million contract expires next summer and he’ll be a restricted free agent. With Sam Ersson knocking on the door and more depth beyond him, do the Flyers sign him or trade his rights and go in a new direction?
In an ideal world, the Flyers don’t get rid of Hart. Even with some promise in the pipeline behind him, ejecting Hart and rolling with someone like Ersson is a MAJOR gamble that just isn’t worth it unless they’re 100% sure whoever fills Hart’s shoes can maintain a high level of play. This organization doesn’t need a Sergei Bobrovsky 2.0 deal on their hands.
Felix Sandstrom
26-year-old Felix Sandstrom has been in the Flyers’ system since 2019 and grabbed the NHL backup job in 2022-23. His results were rather underwhelming, posting a .880 save percentage, 3.72 goals against average and just three wins in 20 games played.
He’s probably a fine NHL backup-caliber goaltender who got fed to the wolves on an atrocious Flyers squad, but it doesn’t quite seem like he has the ceiling of a regular starting goaltender either. With Hart in place as the starter, it’s better that Sandstrom remain as the backup in the NHL to take a spot start every few weeks and let Sam Ersson develop with heavy playing time in the AHL for next season. Sandstrom will likely hit free agency next summer and, if he finds the right situation, could carve out a nice little niche for himself as a higher end backup for a competitive team.
Sam Ersson
The 23-year-old Swede who played his first full season in North America in 2022-23. He missed almost the entire 2021-22 season after injury and subsequent surgery, but hopped right back into the limelight playing a total of 57 games between the Phantoms, AHL playoffs and the Flyers. His play ranged from spectacular to sub-par and finished with a .900 save percentage through 42 AHL contests and a .899 save percentage in 12 NHL appearances.
He is perceived to be the long-term challenger to Carter Hart’s starting gig, but his results from 2022-23 left a bit to be desired before being coronated the next starting goaltender. Chances are, he ends up in the AHL for the 2023-24 season. He’ll be tasked with evening out his game and especially the longevity factor, as the wheels completely came off towards the end of last season. He was probably tired and banged up after only playing five games in 2021-22, but if he wants to be the guy in the NHL, he can’t run out of gas at a time of year when it matters most.
Cal Petersen
Petersen, who will turn 29 shorty after the 2023-24 season kicks off in October, is best known as the backup to Jonathan Quick who put up some impressive numbers from 2018 to 2021 in relatively limited minutes, which led to a three-year, $50 million extension signed in the 2021 offseason with plans to eventually be the successor to Quick in the LA net. He then posted an .881 save percentage through 47 NHL games over the last two seasons and spent a bulk of the 2022-23 season in the AHL.
The Flyers acquired him as a cap dump, and despite the fact the Briere said he’d get a fair shake to prove himself in camp, with Hart patrolling the NHL crease and the AHL minutes needing to go to Sam Ersson for development reasons, there doesn’t appear to be much a chance Petersen gets many minutes at any level this season unless injuries strike. He’s just here to burn through the rest of that contract while the Flyers rebuild. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they considered a buyout next summer if his play isn’t worthwhile in the minors.
Alexei Kolosov
The Belarusian-born 21-year-old KHL goaltender recently signed his entry-level deal with the Flyers. He’s spending one more season in Russia, a decision he made before signing his new contract, but is slated to make the jump to North America in 2024-25. By all accounts, the Flyers are high on their newly-signed player, and it’s easy to understand why. He posted a .912 save percentage in the KHL last season and dazzled at the 2022 World Juniors with a .932 save percentage and 1.60 goals against average along with a perfect 5-0-0 record. Belarus was later suspended from IIHF competition.
Obviously the question for him is whether or not he can transition to North American ice talent wise, which only time will tell, but if settles in nicely in the AHL next season and continues to look like a blue-chip prospect, it’d be a mega boost for an already full system.
Ivan Fedotov
At this point, there’s probably a 10,000 word biography to recap the last 12 months alone of Ivan Fedotov’s life, but the 26-year-old goaltender still isn’t a Philadelphia Flyer. He signed a two-year deal in the KHL even though he’s technically under NHL contract after having last year tolled to this year. There’s currently no MOU in place between the KHL and NHL stopping such an act, but this is the first time that it’s being tested since the disillusion of the handshake agreement last year. At this point, it’s best to not pencil him into any lineups, unless he actually steps foot in North America, which at this point seems like it’s never going to happen for one reason or another.
Carson Bjarnason
Bjarnason was the highest ranked North American goalie in the 2023 draft, and the Flyers traded up with the Chicago Blackhawks to take him 51st overall. Bjarnason has two years before he even makes it to the professional level, let alone the NHL, but restocking the pipeline with one of the best options available is a smart play by the team. “ABDG” Always Be Drafting Goalies is an old adage, and Bjarnason’s arrival a few years from now, when then landscape of the Flyers’ crease is significantly different than it is right now, is a smart play.
Conclusion
The Flyers didn’t make any immediate decisions when it came to the goaltending this summer, instead opting to run it back with Hart and Sandstrom in the NHL with Ersson and Peterson more than likely playing in the AHL.
But their hands-off approach is going to come to a head in 2024. Hart, Sandstrom and Ersson all need new contracts and Kolosov is expected to make the jump to North America. Decisions about the future of the crease will have to be made. It could be as simple as letting Sandstrom walk in free agency and bringing back Hart and Ersson as the main roster tandem for a few years and punt that ball down the road a little while longer, but it could be as intense as trading Hart’s rights, calling up Ersson to be the starter and see what Kolosov brings.
The Team Canada investigation throws a sizable wrench in an already complicated situation. The Flyers may not have the fate of Carter Hart in their hands to begin with. If he goes away not by choice, they’ll have no choice but to throw Sam Ersson directly into the deep end. Whether he sinks or swims will be the interesting story, but by then Alexei Kolosov should be around as the metaphorical floaties to buoy just in case.
All in all, the Flyers are in a comfortable situation in net. Considering they’re rebuilding and won’t be ready to compete in the immediate future, they can take their time and develop Ersson and eventually Kolosov, not having to throw them directly to the wolves on a terrible team, or expect them to be flawless on a competitive roster. Now the organization has to start building around their newfound goalie depth to capitalize on their drafting and developing they’ve been chipping away at for years.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: NHL.com / nbcsports.com / Getty Images
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