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Felix Sandstrom

Felix Sandstrom Recalled From Conditioning Loan

January 20, 2023 at 9:11 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Now that his two-week maximum is over, Felix Sandstrom’s conditioning loan has come to an end. The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender has been recalled, with Samuel Ersson reassigned back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in his place.

It’s kind of an odd situation, given how well Ersson has played. The 23-year-old netminder has a .918 save percentage in seven appearances and is 5-0 on the year. But the Flyers, despite their recent play, are still seventh in the Metropolitan Division. The front office knows that securing a higher draft position is important, if they aren’t going to compete for the playoffs.

So up comes Sandstrom, and down goes Ersson. The former has posted an .888 in nine appearances, losing all but one of them this year. There’s little doubt that right now, Ersson is playing better. There’s also a decent chance that Sandstrom would clear waivers if assigned, given his performance so far this year. But it isn’t worth the risk at this point, given where the Flyers sit.

Instead, they’ll go back to Carter Hart handling the lion’s share of the work. His play, like the rest of Philadelphia, has been inconsistent this year. One night he will be dragging the team to a victory, while the next he’s getting pulled early on. A .907 save percentage has resulted in 20 losses across his 33 appearances so far.

Ersson, who missed almost all of 2021-22 with injury, needs to play as much as possible. The fifth-round pick appeared in just five games last season but has shown enough this year for the Flyers to really value his future. He’ll get a lot more playing time in Lehigh Valley than he would as Hart’s backup down the stretch.

Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers| Samuel Ersson

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Philadelphia Flyers Send Felix Sandstrom On Conditioning Stint

January 5, 2023 at 9:22 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

After activating Carter Hart from injured reserve yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers did not immediately send a goaltender to the minor leagues. It was a curious decision, given Samuel Ersson could be loaned without exposing him to waivers. Today, they’ve explained why, by sending Felix Sandstrom on a conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. That does not require him to pass through waivers. The team has also recalled Kieffer Bellows from the AHL with the extra roster spot they had.

Sandstrom, 25, has essentially been overtaken by Ersson on the depth chart and has appeared just once in the last month despite Hart’s brief absence. The former top prospect has an .888 save percentage in nine appearances this season and has lost seven of them, looking shaky almost every time he entered the net. The only thing saving him from being assigned to the minor leagues more permanently is his waiver status, which would require the Flyers to expose him before sending him down.

Given that goaltenders are the most frequent waiver claims, that could be risky, though it is rather obvious who the team would prefer as the backup right now. Ersson has played well in Hart’s place, getting the last three starts and allowing just six goals on 86 shots. All three were wins, something the Flyers haven’t been able to say very often this year.

Some fans will suggest that it isn’t even a good thing. The Flyers sit 14-17-7 on the year and don’t look to have any chance of competing for the playoffs, but runs like their current win streak also push them further away from lottery contention. The club now sits 26th in the league, and 15 points ahead of the last-place Chicago Blackhawks. Eventually, they will have to make a decision on whether or not to expose Sandstrom to waivers or send Ersson back down.

Bellows, meanwhile, is coming back up after once again showing that he can score regularly at the minor league level. The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders earlier this season and struggled with his new club, failing to register a point in 12 Flyers games. But in 11 matches with the Phantoms, he has nine points and was back to playing his physical, gritty game. If the 2016 first-round pick has any NHL potential left in him, there’s no better time to show it.

AHL| Carter Hart| Felix Sandstrom| Kieffer Bellows| Loan| Philadelphia Flyers| Samuel Ersson| Waivers

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Philadelphia Flyers Recall Samuel Ersson

December 21, 2022 at 1:31 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have brought up an extra goaltender, recalling Samuel Ersson from the AHL. Felix Sandstrom is dealing with an illness and will not travel with the team for tomorrow’s afternoon game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ersson, 23, has never appeared in an NHL game, but has been playing well for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms so far this season. A fifth-round pick in 2018, the Swedish netminder has a .910 save percentage in 18 games.

The team hasn’t indicated whether Sandstrom will meet them in Carolina for Friday, but if not, it would mean that either Carter Hart will start back-to-back games or Ersson will get to make his debut. With the club off after Friday until December 29, one can assume Sandstrom will be back to full health by the time they resume the season.

AHL| Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers| Samuel Ersson

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Philadelphia Flyers Activate Felix Sandstrom, Loan Samuel Ersson To AHL

October 16, 2022 at 11:00 am CDT | by Ethan Hetu Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have announced a change to their current goaltending picture, as they have activated Felix Sandstrom off of season-opening injured reserve. In a corresponding move, Samuel Ersson was sent down to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Sandstrom, 25, has been a member of the Flyers organization since the 2015 draft, where he was made a third-round pick of the team, getting selected 70th overall. Sandstrom spent the bulk of last season as AHL Lehigh Valley’s primary netminder, posting a .902 save percentage in 44 games. Sandstrom also got five games of NHL action, going 4-1 with a .910 save percentage.

The Flyers clearly believe that he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL and become Carter Hart’s backup, hence the move here he install Sandstrom in that role and send Ersson down.

As for Ersson, the 22-year-old goalie made his North American professional debut last season, playing five games for the Phantoms and posting a .893 save percentage. Before that, Ersson was a starting netminder in his native Sweden’s top league, the SHL. The 22-year-old goalie will now head to Lehigh Valley to compete with veteran Troy Grosenick for time in crease at the Flyers’ AHL affiliate.

Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers

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Injury Notes: Couturier, Oshie/Orlov, Blueger

October 9, 2022 at 11:59 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Good news for Philadelphia Flyers fans will be shining beacons of bright light this season, given the team’s expected poor performance on the ice. Good news is exactly what they got today, though, at least on the health front. Sean Couturier, when it was originally speculated he could miss the entire season with a back injury, returned to the ice today, albeit skating on his own.

Couturier’s status remains week-to-week. However, he said today that he’s “feeling a lot better,” and he could be on track for the six-to-eight-week timeline Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported last month when the news broke. If that’s the case, Couturier could make his season debut sometime in November and hopefully stay healthy for the rest of the year. Nothing is confirmed, though, especially with an injury of a delicate nature such as a back ailment. Goaltender Felix Sandstrom, who is projected to serve as Carter Hart’s backup this season, also skated today after a week-long absence due to injury.

  • Per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie is feeling “ready to go” after suffering an upper-body injury during the preseason, but he’s yet to be cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play. His status for the team’s season opener on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is in a similar situation with a lower-body injury, meaning Washington could be without a top-nine forward and top-four defenseman, at least for opening night. Those injuries are in addition to the absences of Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who the team confirmed are headed for long-term injured reserve this morning.
  • According to Pittsburgh Penguins beat reporter Shelly Anderson, forward Teddy Blueger stayed in a no-contact jersey in today’s practice, lowering the likelihood of his availability for the team’s first game on Thursday. Blueger has been day-to-day with an upper-body injury since September 28. The capable Latvian bottom-six center had 28 points in 65 games last year.

Dmitry Orlov| Felix Sandstrom| Injury| NHL| Philadelphia Flyers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Sean Couturier| T.J. Oshie| Teddy Blueger| Washington Capitals

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Philadelphia Flyers Extend Felix Sandstrom

June 23, 2022 at 11:03 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have finished a bit of offseason work, signing Felix Sandstrom to a new two-year contract. The deal is two-way in 2022-23 and one-way in 2023-24, and includes an average annual value of $775K at the NHL level. The minor league netminder was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer, had he not signed a new deal by July 13.

Perhaps it is unfair to call Sandstrom a minor league goalie now that he has made his NHL debut, entering five games for the Flyers this season. He, unfortunately, lost all five of those behind the struggling Flyers, but posted a reasonable .910 save percentage in the process and showed that he could be in contention for a backup role at some point in the near future.

That future could even come as soon as next season, depending on how things shake out this summer. Ivan Fedotov was recently signed out of the KHL but has no North American experience, and the team may want to go with a more veteran option given Carter Hart’s inconsistencies to this point. At very worst, Sandstrom is now an inexpensive depth option that has shown he can handle spot starts if necessary.

Notably, he is no longer waiver-exempt and will need to pass through them in order to be assigned to the minor leagues. That’s not something the team has dealt with previously, meaning if another club has their eyes on Sandstrom, he could be at risk if they want him in the AHL.

Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers

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Philadelphia Flyers Add Three To COVID Protocol

December 27, 2021 at 11:59 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers have added Derick Brassard, Carter Hart, and Scott Laughton to the COVID protocol, making them unavailable for the time being. Max Willman, who had previously been in the protocol, was activated today and rejoined the team at practice. Jackson Cates, Gerald Mayhew, and Felix Sandstrom have been recalled to join the team’s taxi squad.

Losing Brassard and Laughton certainly isn’t ideal, but Hart is the biggest blow for the Flyers today. The young netminder has rebounded this season and carries a .918 save percentage through 19 appearances, carrying the majority of the load for the team. Martin Jones will now become the de facto starter for the time being, though the group in front of him is certainly not at full strength.

The Flyers are now at seven players in the COVID protocol, as Brassard, Hart, and Laughton join Kevin Hayes, Ryan Ellis, Sean Couturier, and Morgan Frost. Those are some pretty important names that could be unavailable when the team is scheduled to return to action Wednesday night.

Carter Hart| Derick Brassard| Felix Sandstrom| Jackson Cates| Philadelphia Flyers| Scott Laughton| Taxi Squad

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Metropolitan Notes: Flyers, Shesterkin, Nemeth, Hurricanes

December 18, 2021 at 2:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The Flyers announced that they’ve placed Max Willman and a staff member in COVID protocol.  The 26-year-old has been a feel-good story for Philadelphia this season as he made his NHL debut this season and has chipped in with two goals and an assist in a dozen games.  Willman was originally drafted by Buffalo back in 2014 but didn’t sign.  He becomes the second Flyer currently in COVID protocol joining center Morgan Frost.

Meanwhile, goaltender Carter Hart will be unavailable for tonight’s game against Ottawa due to an undetermined illness.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Felix Sandstrom has been recalled from AHL Lehigh Valley to serve as Martin Jones’ backup.  They will get some help on the injury front, however, as winger Joel Farabee will return to the lineup after missing the last seven games due to a shoulder injury.  The 21-year-old has seven goals in 21 games so far this season.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin is ready to return from his lower-body injury as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been activated off injured reserve with Keith Kinkaid being returned to AHL Hartford in a corresponding move.  The 25-year-old missed just over two weeks with the injury and had been off to a strong start to his season with a 2.05 GAA and a .937 SV% in 18 games.  Kinkaid, meanwhile, picked up the victory on Wednesday against Arizona.
  • From that same announcement, Rangers blueliner Patrik Nemeth has been placed in COVID protocol.  The 30-year-old had played in all 30 of New York’s games to this point, recording two assists along with 57 blocked shots while logging just over 17 minutes per game.  He’ll miss the next ten days.
  • Carolina won’t be getting any help on the injury front for a little while as Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes’ team site relays (Twitter link) that winger Jordan Martinook and defenseman Jalen Chatfield aren’t close to returning from their respective lower-body injuries. Martinook has been out for a little more than two weeks and head coach Rod Brind’Amour acknowledged that the 29-year-old could start skating soon but still will need a fair bit of time before he’s able to come back.  Meanwhile, Chatfield’s injury was more recent, sustained back on Sunday against his former team in Vancouver.

Carolina Hurricanes| Carter Hart| COVID Protocol Related Absence| Felix Sandstrom| Igor Shesterkin| Jalen Chatfield| Joel Farabee| Jordan Martinook| Keith Kinkaid| New York Rangers| Patrik Nemeth| Philadelphia Flyers

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Felix Sandstrom Signs In Finland, NHL

June 8, 2021 at 3:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

June 8: Not only will the Flyers retain Sandstrom’s rights, the team has actually re-signed him to a one-year, two-way contract. Interestingly enough, Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic tweets that the goaltender will be staying with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season, not heading overseas. Either way, this $750K deal keeps him linked to the Philadelphia organization and, importantly, continues to fill the Flyers exposure requirements for the upcoming expansion draft.

June 7: The Philadelphia Flyers will have to add a few more names to the goaltending depth chart this summer with Brian Elliott and Alex Lyon both scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Felix Sandstrom, who could have potentially been a candidate to move up in some capacity, won’t be an option after signing a one-year contract with TPS in Finland. Sandstrom is a pending RFA, meaning the Flyers can retain his rights by extending a qualifying offer.

The 24-year-old netminder was selected 70th overall by the Flyers in 2015 and despite strong numbers overseas, has never really found his game on North American ice. In 11 appearances for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season he posted a 5-3-4 record, .903 save percentage, and 3.19 goals-against average. In 2019-20 he spent almost the entire season in the ECHL, registering even more pedestrian numbers.

Philadelphia did recently sign 21-year-old Samuel Ersson to his entry-level contract, but otherwise have only Kirill Ustimenko—who spent the entire season on the shelf following hip surgery—signed for next season. Carter Hart, the team’s presumed 2021-22 starter, is also set to become a restricted free agent and will need a new deal.

Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers| RFA

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Philadelphia Flyers Recall Cam York, Felix Sandstrom

May 7, 2021 at 1:30 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

May 7: York has been elevated from the taxi squad to the active roster as expected. He will wear No. 45 and make his NHL debut this evening.

May 6: The Philadelphia Flyers may not have much to play for over the last few days, but don’t tell Cam York that. The 20-year-old defenseman has been recalled to the taxi squad and is expected to make his NHL debut on Friday against the Washington Capitals. The team recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom to the taxi squad as well, meaning another NHL debut could be in the works.

York was the 14th overall pick in 2019 and is coming off an outstanding season with the University of Michigan, where he tallied 20 points in 24 games. There was no slowing him down in the AHL, where he immediately found success with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring five points in six games and earning the call-up. There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to York, who will quarterback the second powerplay unit on Friday as well.

An offensive threat every time he touches the puck, York will still need some time before he becomes a top option for the Flyers. Still, he’ll get a chance to dip his toe into the NHL waters here with an eye on cracking the roster out of 2021-22 training camp. With Shayne Gostisbehere suspended for his hit the other night, there is lots of opportunity for York to show what he can do over the last few games.

Sandstrom meanwhile is an interesting prospect in his own right, selected 70th overall in 2015. The Swedish goaltender played in the SHL through the 2018-19 season and spent last year in the ECHL acclimating to the North American game. This year, in nine appearances for Lehigh Valley, he has an .897 save percentage and 3.45 goals-against average. Now 24, Sandstrom is a restricted free agent this summer.

AHL| Felix Sandstrom| Philadelphia Flyers| Taxi Squad

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