Flyers Face Tough Decision on Sam Ersson’s Future as Backup Goalie

The Philadelphia Flyers are at a crossroads regarding their backup goalie position as they head into the offseason, and the decision surrounding Sam Ersson looms large. At 26 years old, Ersson is a pending restricted free agent, but his performance this past season has raised significant questions about his future with the team.

Ersson’s statistics paint a troubling picture. He finished the season with a 3.12 goals-against average (GAA) and an .870 save percentage, marking the lowest performance of his NHL career. His struggles continued from the previous season, where he also failed to impress with a 3.14 GAA and .883 save percentage. Over his three seasons in the NHL, Ersson has yet to achieve a save percentage above .890, and his decline in performance has been alarming.

Drafted in the fifth round in 2018, Ersson has spent eight years within the Flyers organization. General manager Danny Briere acknowledged Ersson’s contributions at his end-of-season press conference, noting, “First of all, he’s a great teammate. The guys love him. We’ve invested a lot of years into him. It was a tough start for Sam, but we also have to give him credit, the way he stuck with it, found a way to bounce back to win some really big games down the road to get into the playoffs. That was impressive. . . We want to sit down and discuss.” While Briere highlighted Ersson’s intangibles, the reality is that performance metrics ultimately dictate roster decisions.

Ersson’s win totals have steadily declined from 23 to 22 to a mere 14 victories over the last three years, with his save percentage following suit, dropping from .890 to .883 and then to .870. According to MoneyPuck, he allowed 4.8 goals more than expected in 2023-24, and his performance further deteriorated in 2024-25, where he was league-worst with 19.9 goals above expected. This past season, he was still 16.5 goals above expected, raising concerns about his ability to perform consistently at the NHL level.

The Flyers have already made moves to solidify their goaltending depth, re-signing Aleksei Kolosov to join Carson Bjarnason with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. As they prepare for the 2026-27 season, the backup role will either be filled by Ersson or another candidate, with potential free-agent options like Stuart Skinner, Daniil Tarasov, and Sergei Bobrovsky presenting more appealing alternatives.

Ersson’s best chance of remaining in Philadelphia may hinge on the Flyers failing to secure one of those free-agent options. The organization appears committed to a patient approach to prospect development, opting to allow young goalies like Bjarnason and Egor Zavragin to mature rather than rushing them into the NHL.

For Ersson, this summer represents a pivotal moment in his career. The Flyers must evaluate his capabilities based on objective performance metrics rather than emotional ties built over years of investment. With the team having recently made the playoffs, the stakes are high, and the decision must reflect a careful analysis of his play and potential rather than sentimentality.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.