James: Sam Ersson Keeping Flyers’ Goalie Competition Alive

The Philadelphia Flyers started the 2025-26 season with a 1A-1B tandem in goal with Sam Ersson and Dan Vladar. Before preseason, and even just before the regular season began, the expectation was that Ersson would be the “1A” while Vladar would be the “1B”.

Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet made a decision that shocked many, including me, and gave Vladar the opening-night nod. Since opening night, Tocchet has made it clear that it is still an open competition, and the goalies would each get a chance to take hold of the No. 1 spot.

Both Vladar and Ersson got two games, alternating, to start the season. Vladar played both games against Florida, winning one and losing one, but only allowing the defending champs to score twice in each game. Ersson got the nod for the Carolina game, where the Flyers faced a season-high 39 shots, and lost 4-3 in overtime. His second start came against Winnipeg, where the Jets snuck four past Ersson on just 14 shots.

Vladar started the next game, holding the Minnesota Wild to just one goal. Tocchet decided to ride the hot hand for the second straight game, giving Vladar the first chance for back-to-back games when he got the start against Seattle as well.

When the Flyers went to Ottawa, it was Vladar again, making it three-straight starts for the Flyers’ netminder, allowing two goals in each of his last two starts.

It looked like Vladar had taken hold of the job. Saturday’s game felt like a do-or-die start for Ersson and the Flyers’ goalie competition.

While it was not always pretty, Ersson picked up a big win, making big saves when the Flyers needed him the most.

Vladar still has the advantage, but Ersson is keeping the competition alive.

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Saturday Kept Flyers’ Goalie Competition Alive

At times on Saturday, it seemed like the Flyers’ goaltender competition was dead, and Dan Vladar had earned the tag of the team’s No. 1 goaltender.

If that’s the case, Vladar has earned it. He has been nothing short of spectacular to start the season. His sudden emergence has been significant for the Flyers, who desperately needed improvement in goal from last season.

Sam Ersson found himself in a 2-0 hole on Saturday, after a shorthanded goal by Simon Holmstrom, and Anthony Duclair cashing in on a fortunate bounce – two goals that I am not sure you can even blame the goalie for. A goaltender’s job is to keep pucks from going in the net, but that job becomes difficult when you’re facing breakaways or your defense is quite literally crashing into one another in front of the goal.

That he seemed to be the way the season has gone for Ersson. October has been full of unfortunate bounces for Ersson. I have really seen two goals allowed by Ersson that I’d describe as a “bad goal”. The first was Mark Scheifele’s power-play goal on 10/16, and Maxim Tysplakov’s deflection goal on Saturday.

The Tsyplakov goal felt like the time of death was called on the goalie competition.

However, Ersson stepped up in the final 15 minutes of that game, as well as in overtime. Ersson’s final 20 minutes and shootout kept the goalie competition alive.

Ersson Makes the Plays When the Flyers Needed Him the Most

The Islanders had plenty of chances to regain the lead after the Flyers scored the equalizer. Whether it was off a turnover, a bad backcheck by the Flyers, or a good forecheck by the Islanders, New York had plenty of golden opportunities late on Saturday.

Sam Ersson stepped up for the Flyers and made the plays needed to keep the game even.

Here is an example from the third period:

Bo Horvat made a play to beat the Flyers on the backcheck and found himself with a wide-open lane to the goal. He dished the puck cross-crease, setting up the easy goal, but Ersson made a flashy stop to stun the chance, keeping the Flyers’ hopes alive.

He did it again in overtime, too.

It was Horvat and Jonathan Drouin connecting again, but this time it was Drouin with the cross-crease feed to Horvat. It was the same result for the Islander attack: robbed by Ersson.

The game wasn’t always pretty for the Flyers’ netminder, but he made the plays when his teammates needed him most. He could have let the early goals get to him. Instead, Ersson remained focused and unbothered and was crucial in the Flyers’ shootout win against the Islanders.

His late-game heroics should undoubtedly keep the goaltending competition alive.

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