Which goalie(s) should top Flyers’ wish list?
Coming off a 4-0 home loss to the New York Islanders, the Philadelphia Flyers failed to gain ground in an airtight playoff race in the Eastern Conference. Starting his fourth straight game due to the injury to Dan Vladar (who is expected back this week), goaltender Sam Ersson allowed four goals on 23 shots, dropping his season save percentage to .860.
Going back to the beginning of the 2024-25 season, there is a strong case to be made that Sam Ersson has been the league’s worst goaltender. Advanced numbers tell an ugly tale and the sample size continues to grow with Ersson’s poor stretch of play. He’s an RFA at season’s end, and his future with the club is something that can justifiably be questioned.
Speaking with a team source Tuesday morning, there doesn’t appear to be an imminent plan to replace Ersson in-season. After the season is a different story, as I’ve heard going back 24 months now that the 2026 off-season would give the Flyers clarity on their goaltending picture heading into the future.
The Flyers don’t feel like there are formidable trade options right now given the goaltending landscape across the league. I had speculated about Alex Lyon of the Buffalo Sabres a few weeks back, but there doesn’t appear to be a sense that he is available. Colton Ellis has not played for the Sabres in nearly two weeks and appears to be their third-string goaltender; according to a Flyers source, they aren’t interested in his services. With the Sabres soaring up the standings I can’t imagine they’re in a rush to move off of Lyon.
From a long-term perspective, I had wondered about Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Dennis Hildeby. The 24-year-old arguably saved the Leafs’ season from going belly-up while the club was dealing with the injuries to Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz at various points earlier this season but has since been returned to the AHL upon the latter’s return from injury. Woll and Stolarz are signed for two and four seasons beyond this year, respectively, and Hildeby is set to be waiver eligible starting next season with two years left on his current contract. The Leafs have some of their best goaltending depth in a long time considering Artur Akhtyamov has also established himself as a viable prospect in the AHL.
Hildeby is someone I know the Flyers like, according to sources. Is he available? That much is uncertain, but he may be the Leafs’ best trade chip if they want to make an addition ahead of the trade deadline. With no first-round picks in each of the next two drafts and their top prospect, Easton Cowan, already on the roster, they don’t have much in the way of trade currency. Hildeby, if made available, could be just that. At the same time, the very thing that makes him valuable is a reason to keep him: he’s signed through 2027-28 at an $841,667 cap hit. According to a recent report form Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos, Stolarz might be the more logical trade candidate despite the fact he’s in year 1 of a four-year deal. He’s quietly already 32, he has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, and he’s not playing well this season. The problem there, of course, is he wouldn’t make as much sense for the Flyers.
The Leafs have a few glaring holes to address. Their No. 1 need is arguably a puck-moving defenseman. I suppose right-shot defenseman Jamie Drysdale would be atop their wish list in a prospective deal for Hildeby, but I can’t see the Flyers going for that. The Leafs also need a top-six winger. Owen Tippett’s name has been loosely on the trade block this season, but my most recent conversation with sources indicated that the Flyers aren’t in a rush to move him. Theoretically, Tippett’s 25-goal pedigree and cost certainty at $6.2 million for six more years would likely be appealing to the Leafs. But things could be interesting if the Flyers were open to engaging in that type of discussion.
The other name I thought of is Bobby Brink, who is set to become an RFA at season’s end. I have gotten the sense that Brink may be (one of) the wingers to walk the plank to clear space for the incoming influx of prospect wingers over the coming years, even though he is on pace for his second straight 40-point season. I doubt the Leafs would entertain a 1-for-1 deal between Hildeby and Brink, but it is something that could be a starting point.
Hildeby’s age would help bridge the Flyers (alongside Vladar) to a point where they have a better understanding with their prospects goaltenders Carson Bjarnason, Aleksei Kolosov and Egor Zavragin. And at the age of 24 (and on a sub-$1 million AAV for two more seasons) he could be a goaltender of the future. The question is are the Leafs willing to move him – and would the Flyers pay the price?