The Philadelphia Flyers are in a bit of a bad spot with their goaltending as starter Carter Hart's future is in danger after allegations came out that could cause the Flyers to release or trade him.
With his future in doubt in both Philadelphia and the NHL, have the Flyers already found his replacement in Samuel Ersson?
Ersson was Philadelphia's 5th-round pick (143rd overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was a relatively unknown prospect to the hockey world but would prove later that he was worth the pick and is being appointed as the organization's goaltender of the future.
Since game one in between the Flyers pipes, he has shown he has the ingredients to become a top-notch goaltender in this league.
The Philadelphia Flyers may see Samuel Ersson in the net going forward
The 24-year-old from Falun, Sweden, has a goaltender body at 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, combining quickness with athleticism between the pipes.
He can win games by himself or with the help of his defense, often making timely saves and keeping the games close. Head Coach John Tortorella can be seen on the bench enjoying the play of the young star.
This season, Ersson has a record of 12-9-3 with a 2.60 goals-against-average, and three shutouts, which ranks fourth in the league among rookie netminders. In his short NHL career, he has a record of 18-12-3, a 2.75 GAA, and an .898 save percentage.
That is not bad for a goaltender drafted in the 5th round of the NHL draft. If he continues to play well, he could be the number-one goaltender if things continue to go south for Hart.
While Ersson is proving his worth in the Flyers net, the organization has work to do to offer him a new contract if they see fit. Philadelphia has a projected cap space of $199, 004 and only has four players, all defensemen, who are free agents after this season, with one other free agent being Hart.
Ersson had previously signed a 3-yr/ $2.775 million deal (1.05% of the cap) on June 3, 2021, making him a restricted free agent at that same time later this season.
The other goaltender on the current roster is Cal Petersen, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He had signed a 3-yr/ $15 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings on September 22, 2021, making him a UFA in September of 2024-25.
This season, he has split time with Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
All signs should point to Ersson getting re-signed with a decent raise based on his performance this season and the situation with Petersen and Hart after this season.
With no guarantees that either one return, Ersson is giving Philadelphia promise in the net due to a lack of prospects at that position and comes with two good reasons for him to sign a longer deal.
Those being he is still young and looks comfortable between the pipes and he would be re-signed at a team-friendly deal that would not break the bank.
Another reason he deserves to be brought back is that he can solidify the number one spot because the other goaltender would be Felix Sandstrom, who may also be on his way out as he is due to become an UFA too.
Although he has struggled a bit recently, Ersson has all of the makings of a solid goaltender for the Flyers for years to come. He is one of the reasons Philadelphia is third in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points on a 25-19-6 record.
Among rookie goaltenders, he is first in wins (12), second in saves (597), third in goals-against-average (2.60), seventh in save percentage (.898), first in shutouts (3), and first in minutes played (1,409).
He has earned the right to be a starting goaltender for Philadelphia as he has a lot of good qualities and could make the Flyers playoff-bound for years to come.