Philadelphia Flyers Recall Samuel Ersson
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.
Philadelphia Flyers Re-Assign Samuel Ersson
Nov 9: Ersson has been returned to the AHL, with Zamua recalled once again.
Nov 8: Philadelphia Flyers starting netminder Carter Hart will miss tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues with an illness, reports The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor. Backup Felix Sandstrom will get the start, with Samuel Ersson recalled from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms to be the backup.
In order to make room on the roster, the Flyers assigned defenseman Yegor Zamula to the Phantoms, but The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner notes it’s a temporary stay. Head coach John Tortorella likes what he’s seen from Zamula so far, and he’ll be up on the active roster as soon as they have the space.
For the Flyers, it’s an immeasurable loss to their lineup, even if it’s just for a game. Hart has arguably been the league’s best goaltender to start the year, putting up All-Star numbers behind a Flyers team that’s in the bottom sect of the league analytically. He boasts a 6-0-2 record, a .946 save percentage, and a 1.97 goals-against average through eight starts.
Ersson impressed in training camp for Philadelphia, and he’s tracking a .908 save percentage through six games in Lehigh Valley. He remains the team’s third option in net ahead of veteran Troy Grosenick, who’s off to a rough start in the minors despite a longstanding track record of AHL success.