Daniel Brière and the Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have come to terms with RFA goaltender, Samuel Ersson. The young Swede has agreed to a 2-year deal worth 2.9 million dollars – an AAV of $1.45 million.
Ersson joins the lengthy list of RFAs that have signed new deals this summer that includes Egor Zamula, Ronnie Attard, Noah Cates, Cam York, and Olle Lycksell. Morgan Frost is the only one left out of the bunch. However, Ersson’s contract kicks in at the start of the 2024-25 season as he still has 1 year remaining on his 3-year ELC.
Ersson had a fantastic first run with the Flyers despite being thrown to the wolves in his first NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He was pulled after allowing 5 goals but had to return to the crease after Carter Hart left the game due to a head injury. After that he ended up winning his next 4 games – but 6 consecutive starts – and did something that no one else managed to do in franchise history, he backstopped the Flyers to a sweep of the California road trip. He defeated the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks before taking down the Buffalo Sabres for his first career shutout. He went 4-0 with a .947 SV% and only allowed 8 goals.
Ersson would start 3 more games and come in relief of Hart twice more before finally being sent back down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms with Felix Sandström’s rehab assignment coming to a close. In 2 of the 3 starts, he defeated the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames, making 57 saves on 62 shots but then got walloped by the New Jersey Devils for 7 goals on 36 shots. In his two relief appearances, he allowed 4 goals on 24 shots in 2 lopsided defeats at the hands of the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken.
His numbers went being 6-0 with a .913 SV% and 20 goals allowed in 9 games to 6-1-0 with a .898 SV% and a GAA very close to 3.00 – all relative to one start against the Devils that could’ve been the worst game the Flyers played all season.
His strong performance between the pipes got to a point where head coach, John Tortorella, didn’t want him sent down, but the Flyers had no choice due to waiver exemptions. Ersson could freely go between the NHL and the AHL but Felix Sandström required a trip through waivers first, which was not worth the possible loss of a young goalie for no return. Tortorella was frank all season about his players and that didn’t stop with his young goaltenders either, as evidenced by his quotes via The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor:
On Ersson:
“Erss certainly isn’t going down because of his play, obviously. He’s 5-0, he has a .918 save percentage. But there’s always different things that happen with rosters.
“It’s part of the business. And it’s not just waivers, (Ersson) needs to get some minutes. He missed a lot last year with his injury. (The AHL is) a great league — goaltender right on through — as far as getting minutes. It’s part of the process for him.
“The thing I’ve always said about him is — in the short time I’ve known him — I think he carries himself the right way, too. I think he has the right type of swagger. And when he’s on the ice, I think he brings a calm presence to our team, too.”
On Sandström:
“I don’t know anything about the position. I want him to make a save. He needs to make more saves
”I think Felix has put in some really good minutes. We need another save. That’s the next step for him. Now, I’m not sure if that happens. He’s gonna get the opportunity, but he needs to make the next save. I think you’ll see him in the win column more (if he does).
“You have the answer. You’re asking me questions you have the answers to.”
For the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Ersson sported a 24-17-1 record with a 2.84 GAA and .900 SV%. He was an instrumental piece to their playoff push and was kept in the minors most of the second half before the Flyers required his services. He made 2 starts in April and fell to the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins but still managed a save percentage above .900 in both games, allowing 6 goals on 61 shots. He ended his first season with the Flyers going 6-3-0 with a 3.07 GAA and a .899 SV% with 1 shutout.
Ersson looked every bit the part this season and should be in line to start the year as Carter Hart’s backup goaltender with a strong training camp. He has to fend off Sandström and Cal Petersen but he has the skillset and the intangibles to make it on the big stage and be one of the better backups the Flyers have employed in years – and young as Hart will be 25 and Ersson turning 24 in October.
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