When the Flyers kept three goalies on the roster to start the 2023-24 campaign, it seemed like an indication that the passing of the torch from Carter Hart to Sam Ersson was underway. The logical thought process was more of a 50-50 split for Ersson and Hart, with Sandstrom coming in once every few weeks against a lesser opponent to shake some of the rust off. But that hasn’t really happened. Hart has played seven of the first nine games, with Ersson starting two, and Sandstrom playing in zero, just dressing as the backup for a single game against Dallas.
Carter Hart has been off to a rockin’ start, posting four wins in seven games with a 2.30 goals against average and a .921 save percentage with one shutout. The team has played very well in front of Hart thus far, and he’s more than talented enough to turn in strong performances when he’s getting even a shred of help.
In any other year, Hart returning to his high-end form and unquestioned starter would be a good thing. But due to Ersson behind him, the pending Team Canada investigation and the fact his contract expires at the end of the season, playing him every night at the expense of the other two goalies on the roster is a bit of a head scratcher.
Rumors emerged during the 2023 offseason that the Flyers attempted to shop Hart around the league, but never pulled the trigger due to both the price tag and team’s unwillingness to add someone who could be involved in a criminal investigation. Even though it keeps getting teased that the names of the guilty will eventually be released to the public, it keeps getting delayed and, at this point, may never happen at all.
Even taking that possibility off the table and just focusing on the positives- Hart is in the zone right now and, with his contract coming due and he’s a restricted free agent next summer, if they intend on keeping him around, the Flyers need to know what they’re dealing with. Which version of Hart are they getting? If he’s back to a high level, he needs to prove it over a larger sample size during the season. It’ll make things far more clear when it comes time to negotiate a new deal.
It has long been thought that Ersson was earmarked as the long-term starter for the Flyers, a move that became obvious when he was named the backup by John Tortorella to start the season. The idea being to groom Ersson at the NHL level to be ready for whatever decision gets made regarding Hart’s future.
Sam Ersson got the start for one game against Dallas where he allowed five goals on 25 shots in an overtime loss. It was the first time he played a game in three weeks dating back to a preseason start in early October. Then he got taken for seven goals on 25 shots against a week later against Anaheim. Ersson is now sitting with a miserable .760 save percentage and 5.90 GAA.
It’s good to see the organization trusts Sam Ersson with their future. But it’s not doing him any good to be plastered to the bench in the NHL. He is waiver exempt and could use minutes in the AHL to keep his play at a high, action-ready level. If Hart’s going to see the lion’s share of time anyway, keeping Sandstrom as the backup to get lit up once or twice a month makes far more sense than letting Ersson take that bullet. It’s not helping him develop and it’s can’t be helping the confidence either.
Speaking of Felix Sandstrom, they’re apparently keeping him around for two reasons- the front office apparently likes the guy (but it’s insanely difficult to tell that at face value given how they’ve treated him for the last few years) and there’s still the threat of having to clear waivers to send him to the AHL. So yes, they like and respect him enough to keep him on the NHL roster, but not enough to actually play him in game action. Also worth noting Sandstrom will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 and after this treatment, it’s impossible to believe he’ll re-sign. So they’re hoarding a player on the roster that they supposedly like, but refuse to play and he’s just going to walk in free agency anyway.
That’s Philadelphia Flyers logic if ever there was.
He was sent to the Phantoms on a conditioning stint, basically acknowledging that sitting for a few days shy of a full month is not good for the player, but also refusing to outright send him down. The stint can last 14 days, which should get him a handful of games with the Phantoms, then he’ll get called back up to… return to the press box.
It doesn’t help the situation that Cal Petersen has been a nightmare in Lehigh Valley. He’s allowed 15 goals in four games and looking real bad in the process. ECHLer Parker Gahagen has served valiantly in relief, but the tandem is struggling big time. It’s hard to breed a winning environment for the prospects in the AHL if there’s no goaltending base to build off. Either one of Sandstrom or Ersson would be a massive upgrade and help their season get off on the right foot.
On one hand, it’s great Carter Hart is re-finding his form. On the other, their handling of the other two goalies on the roster is less than ideal. If an injury does strike Hart, meaning Ersson and Sandstrom need to step up in his absence, it’s going to be nearly impossible for them to do that effectively if they’ve rode the bench all season long. With the injuries popping up to Ristolainen and Staal on the blueline, it doesn’t look like the Flyers will be in a hurry to crunch their 23-man roster, so the three way in the crease can continue for awhile longer, but it it the smartest move to carry three goalies?
Let Hart continue to hold the starting role with is strong play and make whatever decision with him later. Send Ersson down to get some playing time in the AHL so he can be ready for NHL action if an injury strikes, and let Sandstrom serve as the backup playing once every three weeks if Hart’s seeing a majority of the time anyway. This shouldn’t be rocket science and is far more effective deployment for the long-term success of the goaltending.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: photo credit: nhl.com / nbcsports.com
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