The Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in a perplexing situation regarding their starting goalie position as the new NHL season unfolds. With Samuel Ersson as the returning incumbent and new signing Daniel Vladar vying for the role, the team has opted for a rotation strategy rather than committing to a single starter at this time.
Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated to the Philadelphia Inquirer that the plan is to alternate between Ersson and Vladar for the foreseeable future, allowing both players an opportunity to showcase their abilities and ultimately determine who can seize the starting position.
Samuel Ersson, a 25-year-old lefty from Sweden, was drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round in 2018. Last season, he had a considerable workload, starting 45 games and achieving 22 victories with an .883 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average. In his first outing of this season, Ersson played in a tightly contested game that went to overtime, where he made 35 saves out of 39 shots.
On the other hand, Daniel Vladar, 28, hails from the Czech Republic and entered the NHL as a third-round pick by the Boston Bruins in 2015. He comes to the Flyers after spending the last four seasons with the Calgary Flames, where last year he started 29 games, securing 12 wins with an .898 save percentage and a 2.80 goals-against average. Despite a tough loss in his initial start for the Flyers this season, in which he stopped 32 of 34 shots, Vladar is expected to be a competitive option.
As the Flyers navigate this unfolding challenge in goal, it’s clear that the priority will be to eventually settle on a starter, allowing that goalie to establish a rhythm for the team. Until a decision is made, both Ersson and Vladar will need to adapt to sharing playing time while demonstrating their skills in games. The situation presents an interesting dynamic as the Flyers look to find the best fit in goal to support their overall performance this season.