Samuel Ersson is struggling, but Flyers aren’t giving up on him
Goaltending for the Philadelphia Flyers hasn’t been smooth sailing for decades, it seems, and nothing has changed this season. Despite a solid start to the season for the Orange and Black, it has not left goaltender Samuel Ersson out of the limelight. Though Ersson sports a record of 3-1-2, his subpar play has left a lot to be desired and caught him in the crosshairs of many pundits.
Ersson, 26, has seemingly lost his role as the Flyers’ starting goaltender to free agent signing Dan Vladar. Sporting a save percentage of .846 and a goals against average of 3.30, Ersson has not done enough to push Vladar as far as being the Flyers’ starting netminder.
Ersson’s struggles (which go back to last season) have left many questioning his positioning with the Flyers as we approach the quarter-mark of the season. Speaking with a team source, Ersson’s play to this point has not yet damaged faith among the Flyers’ brass. According to the source, Ersson’s resiliency and ability to perform in big moments has still given the Flyers confidence in him to this point.
Focusing on recent play, it was indicated to me two big saves Ersson made last Friday night versus the St. Louis Blues. After giving up two goals that could be described as “questionable,” Ersson was able to battle through the end of the game and make big saves and stop all shootout attempts for the Blues to secure the victory.
Ersson’s consistency is a point of concern, I’m told, but it is not at a critical point enough to start speculating about a succession plan. As far as I’ve heard, the Flyers are not prepared to move off of Ersson in favor of someone else.
Aleksei Kolosov has had a good start to the season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but the Flyers are not in a position to call him up to be the full time back up, I’m told. Ersson would also require waivers – something the Flyers are not prepared to risk at this point.
Ersson has had his struggles to be sure, but it is important to note that he has accumulated eight of a possible 12 points in games he’s played. His play has not always been completely up to par, but Ersson has found ways to help his team gain ground in the standings.
Ersson has not been at his best level to this point in the season, but the Flyers are not prepared to give up on him. The Flyers have not looked elsewhere across the league for another backup goaltender to replace Ersson, as they still believe in the 2018 fifth-round pick. It is now time for Ersson to silence the critics and retain the spot the Flyers still believe he is capable of holding.
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