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We mentioned the Philadelphia Flyers’ No. 2 goalie position earlier in the week, bringing up Rochester Americans’ goalie Devon Levi as a young, high-ceiling option for the position. Levi is seemingly trapped in the AHL due to Buffalo’s surplus at the position, and a change of scenery could do him wonders.
However, it’s not a foregone conclusion that Sam Ersson is on his way out. Ersson, who will be 27 early next season, has been with the team since 2022. Only Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Owen Tippett, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, and Noah Cates have been around longer than Ersson. Tyson Foerster joined the team in the 2022-23 season, the same season as Ersson.
Beyond his senority, Ersson has given the Flyers reason to want to keep him around. Year 1 of his career was a great year for the backup netminder. 12 games played, a 3.01 GAA, and a .899 SV%. Really solid numbers for a backup.
In 2023-24, Ersson was unexpectedly pushed into a starting role, where he started off strong but faded quickly with the heavy workload. His 51 games played that year are a career high, and he posted a 2.82 GAA and a .890 SV%. Still, Ersson showed great potential as a starter.
Then in 2024-25, Ersson was the leader of a goalie trio of himself, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov. Despite the 3-man rotation, Ersson still played over 50% of the team’s games, 47. He battled a minor injury that season and a slow start. He found his confidence at the 4 Nations Faceoff and came back playing excellent hockey that lasted most of the remainder of the year. At the end of the season, he had a 3.14 GAA and an .883 SV%.
In 2025-26, it became evident that Dan Vladar had taken over as the team’s No. 1 goalie, getting the nod for the Flyers’ first game of the year. Still, the two goaltenders had an early rotation before Ersson’s struggles persisted, and Vladar kept going strong. Eventually, Ersson had become the Flyers’ true backup with Vladar grabbing a firm hold on the No. 1 job.
Not being selected to the Swedish Olympic roster, Ersson had an extended break. At the end of the season, Ersson had said he saw that second stint of the season as a “new chapter” and that he was unhappy with how the earlier games went. But the long break let him put it all behind him and start fresh. That’s when the Flyers’ backup goalie started playing some of his best hockey ever.
Ersson’s .912 SV% and 2.00 GAA in his final 9 appearances of the season helped the Flyers win some pretty big games. It helped change the narrative around his season, too. Ersson ended his fourth year with the Flyers with a career-low .870 SV% and a 3.12 GAA.
The Flyers’ backup is a restricted free agent on July 1st of this year. He’s due for a new deal. The Flyers can offer him a qualifying offer, or even an extension, before then. Or, they could let him walk, not tender him a QO, and let Ersson become an unrestricted free agent.
What we know: Ersson wants to stay in Philadelphia. “Obviously, I love it here. I’ve been here for my entire North American career. It’s the only place I know. It’s where I want to be,“ said Ersson.
The Flyers have plenty of time to determine what they want to do. But for now, let’s look at some reasons why the Flyers should either keep Sam Ersson or let him go.
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Why it could be time to move on from Sam Ersson
Let’s start with the go: one of the next steps for the Flyers to truly compete is to upgrade at a handful of positions. No. 2 goalie is most definitely one of them.
Having a career-low year during a contract season was the worst-case scenario for Ersson. Before the season started, sure, you could see a clearer path to signing an extension than not. But, after this past season, it became clear that the Flyers need to upgrade at the backup goalie position before they can truly be a cup contender.
It also seems like there could be upgrades available as the summer gets near. Buffalo has 4 goalies that could each interest other NHL teams. Realistically, they could move 2 of them. Then, you have Joseph Woll, who has been linked to the Flyers this season. Of course, there is Detroit, which could look to move young goalie Sebastian Cossa, or even Trey Augustine.
So, with names available, the Flyers could find an upgrade, and even possibly get younger at the same time.
At the end of the day, the Flyers did make the playoffs, but it’s not unfair to say that Ersson’s slow start could have been costly, especially if the Flyers had missed the playoffs by just a few points.
A big part of goaltending is the play in front of them, which, for Ersson, was not always the best. You cannot fault him for all of his struggles when the defense was breaking in front of him. At the same time, he tends to always let one goal in a game that you know he wants back.
Ersson was not bad for the Flyers this year, but if the Flyers can find an upgrade, it may be time to move on.
Why the Flyers should keep Sam Ersson
If there is one thing that I have always admired about Sam Ersson’s game, it’s his mental strength. He has always been even keel, even before that became a team message late in the season.
Ersson never seemed to get too high after good performances, but even in the lows of his struggles, he always saw the light and knew he just had to put his head down and work his way through them. In a goaltender, that’s a critical trait.
He showed that this year with the way he ended the season. But that’s also not the first time that has happened. Ersson finished strongly two seasons ago as well, helping put a bad start behind him.
Ersson has shown on many occasions that the potential is still there; it’s just got to be unlocked.
Any time that you go into the Flyers’ locker room, it’s evident that he is a loved member of the team. He is always talking with teammates, he’s been noted as a leader, and no player will talk about JUST Dan Vladar. They always manage to get Ersson into the conversation as well.
Flyers GM Danny Briere said, “[Ersson] is a great teammate. The guys love him. He’s been here for a while. We’ve invested a lot of years in him.”
Not to mention, to go from being the starter for the better part of two straight seasons, just to accept and embrace the role of backup shows that he truly loves the city and organization; Ersson wants to be here.
Especially with the possibility of prospects Carson Bjarnason or Yegor Zavragin making an impact in a few years, a short-term deal for Ersson could bridge the gap.
What should the Flyers do?
Briere knows it was an up-and-down season for Ersson. “It was a tough start for Sam, but we also have to give him credit for the way he stuck with it, the way he found a way to bounce back, to win some really big games down the road, you know, to get into the playoffs. That was impressive. It wasn’t easy.”
While giving Ersson his flowers for his resilience, Briere also acknowledged that they have a tough decision to make. “We want to sit down and discuss. But you know, he was a big part of this team this year, and we’ll see where it leads on.“
Now, it’s decision time.
Should the Flyers find a clear-cut upgrade, it feels like the time to move on. However, if none become reasonably available, I would be confident that Ersson can only improve from last season.
What do you think the Flyers should do with Sam Ersson this summer?
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The post Stay or Go: What Should the Flyers Do With Sam Ersson appeared first on Philly Hockey Now.
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