Ersson focused on a ‘key word’ as he prepares for Flyers’ No. 1 goalie job originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
After playing his 51st game of the season and 32nd of the Flyers’ final 38, Samuel Ersson wanted to keep playing.
He wanted the playoffs, an admirable wish from a 24-year-old rookie goaltender who had played far more than anyone imagined he would at the start of the season.
“Obviously played a lot, especially the second half of the year,” he said following the team’s finale last month. “But that’s the type of player I want to be.”
Ersson, currently playing for Sweden at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, is slated to be the Flyers’ No. 1 in net next season. He was suddenly thrown into that role this season on Jan. 23 when Carter Hart requested and was granted an indefinite leave of absence because of the Hockey Canada sexual assault case.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere did not have an update on Hart’s status last month and it appears the trial will not start until after the 2024-25 season is underway. The Flyers are planning to have Ersson and 27-year-old rookie Ivan Fedotov make up their goalie tandem to open next season.
Heading into last training camp, Ersson was trying to win the Flyers’ backup job. Does his mindset change this time around as the favorite to be the Flyers’ No. 1?
“I would say it stays pretty much the same,” Ersson said at his end-of-the-season press conference last month. “You always try to take steps, right? You just try to get better and put myself in a good spot to compete for as many games as I can for next year.”
Ersson will be trying to prove he can be a regular starter at the NHL level. He showed early signs of great potential this season and had struggles down the stretch as the year wore on and the outings piled up.
“It was a really tough situation for him, to lose his partner and to have to play almost every other night,” Briere said last month. “I know down the stretch it got a little difficult and maybe he got overplayed, but overall it was an impressive season for a young goaltender.”
John Tortorella noted that Ersson was originally penciled in to play 18 to 22 games.
“I’ve played the hell out of him,” the Flyers’ head coach said last month. “And he’s tired.”
From Jan. 18 to the end of the regular season, Ersson’s 32 appearances were tied with the Sabres‘ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for the second most among all NHL goalies. Only the Capitals’ Charlie Lindgren played in more games over that span with…