It’s no secret that the Philadelphia Flyers goalie performance in 2024-25 was less than optimal. Their trio of Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov combined for the league’s worst team save percentage at an abysmal .879 to finish the year. This is the lowest number the NHL has seen since the 1995-96 Sharks’ .869, almost 30 years ago. As the Flyers aim to place higher in the standings, finding competent goaltending will be of high importance as they enter 2025’s free agency period.
Samuel Ersson Likely to Remain No.1
Philadelphia’s starting goalie during the 2024-25 season was undisputedly Samuel Ersson, finishing the year with 47 games played and the only Flyers goalie with a winning record. Evaluating his season is a tough task because there are a lot of factors to consider. Focusing on his positives, he recorded 22 wins behind a team with questionable defence and low scoring offence while posting two shutouts. Unfortunately, his campaign also included an .883 save percentage and long periods of inconsistency.
Ersson’s best stretch of play came at the end of 2024, lasting until mid January. From December 28th until January 21st, he recorded a 7-1 record with a .935 save percentage, notching a shutout in the process. Such high calibre performances resulted in Flyers’ management giving him more starts as January progressed. Unfortunately, as team play struggled to find consistency, even Ersson’s most elite showings weren’t enough to win some games. Still, the ability to manage such a difficult situation as a young goalie while finding relative success bodes well for his future.
A realistic tandem for next year could see a 1A/1B dynamic to split the load between two goalies on cheaper contracts. Their prospect pool includes a variety of goalies with high potential, so long term goalie signings would be unnecessary. Therefore, Ersson’s spot in the Flyers lineup should be safe as long as he continues to improve.
Free Agency Options
If the Flyers sign a goalie to pair with Ersson, they’re likely going to opt for a veteran who can act as a mentor. An ideal candidate would be someone who’s handled both starter and backup roles that they can sign to a short term deal. Jake Allen in particular could be a good option to operate in a 1A/1B goalie tandem, bringing lots of experience at 34 years old. Allen was St. Louis’ starter for roughly 4 seasons, taking on 61 games in 2016-17.
Recently, he’s found himself predominately in backup roles with Montreal and New Jersey, earning a .908 save percentage last season. Allen might be of interest to Flyers’ management as he’s proven he’s willing to work in scenarios with limited ice time while also being capable of taking on heavy workloads if required.
Ironically, there’s a possibility that former Flyer, Alex Lyon may work as another option to play alongside Ersson. Since his departure from Philadelphia, Lyon has found success in both the AHL and NHL. He won the Calder Cup in 2022 with the Chicago Wolves, playing 12 playoff games. Then, he went on to become a key piece in the Panthers’ memorable push for playoff contention, temporarily taking over starting duties from Sergei Bobrovsky. Since then, he’s been a consistent part of Detroit’s goalie tandem, playing 74 games in two seasons.
Unfortunately, his time with the Red Wings hasn’t seen much success and he’s likely seeing the end of his tenure with them. During Detroit’s season-end interviews, Lyon described his career’s future outlook:
I think that I have it in me for sure and I think that I’m going to get better. I don’t feel satisfied at all, I feel still very hungry and honestly I feel like a 24 year old again. I still just want to keep improving and accomplish more, honestly. That’s what a big motivation for me is.
While he hasn’t seen nearly as much time in the NHL as Allen, Lyon is very familiar with 1A/1B goalie tandems could show interest in a Flyers team on the rise.
Aiming For Consistency
The Flyers learned during the 2023-24 season how goaltending can make or break playoff contention. As the Flyers gave Ersson an exhausting amount of ice time and failed to provide a consistent backup to help him out, his performance began to falter. The players themselves also saw a decline in their play, however the Flyers’ downfall that season came around the same time that their goalies began to struggle, ultimately falling out of a playoff spot during game 82.
If they have their sights set on a potential postseason, they’re going to need to begin solidifying all positions, specifically goaltending, to find themselves among the top 16 this year.
Main Photo: Eric Hartline- Imagn Images
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