Flyers Can Address Backup Goalie Woes in Offseason (+)

As it stands right now, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to need to do something with their backup goalie situation in the offseason.

Sam Ersson hasn’t shown that he can play on an island for the Flyers, which goes hand-in-hand with neither Felix Sandstrom nor Cal Petersen offering him any kind of help.

It’s unclear whether Carter Hart will be allowed to play before the trial for his sexual assault charge, which has not been proven in court, takes place. That leaves the Flyers with only Alexei Kolosov to lean on, and he has not arrived in North America yet.

He also has no experience playing against NHL-caliber shooters.

Sandstrom is a pending free agent, while Petersen is a likely buyout candidate because of his massive contract.

Effectively, the Flyers will have to test the waters in a free agent market that will be red-hot for goalies this summer. The good news for the Flyers is that there are options, and they are legion.

This year’s free agent class will boast a mix of older veterans playing well, young goalies that hit a wall, cheap goalies with experience who are who they are, as well as potentially elite options for the future, such as Jeremy Swayman.

The Flyers will have both cap space and draft capital to go after whoever they choose, so it comes down to Danny Briere and Co. going down their preferred path. Much of that depends on their evaluation of Ersson and Kolosov, which will be the difference between going for a long-term solution in net versus getting a rotational piece for the short-term.

Which direction will Briere and the Flyers actually go? I have a hunch, so let’s explore.