Will the Flyers Have Enough Goaltending in 2019-20?

Will the Philadelphia Flyers goaltending duo be enough to get them back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

After last year’s goaltending carousel, the Philadelphia Flyers will be looking to establish some solidity in the net for the upcoming season. Philadelphia entered the offseason needing to improve their defense and goaltending following a year in which they let up the third-most goals in the NHL, per the league’s official website.

Flyers’ GM Chuck Fletcher has already made trades to improve the defense, acquiring Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun from the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks, respectively. The remaining question for the Flyers’ defense going into the season is whether the duo of Carter Hart and Brian Elliott will be enough in net for the Flyers to make the playoffs.

Hart, for all of his promise and skill, is still yet to turn 21 years old. He was the youngest goalie to play more than one game in the NHL last season. There were moments of sheer brilliance from Hart, including being named NHL Rookie of the Month for January. There were also moments where the Flyers’ rookie reminded fans that he is still learning and adjusting to the NHL, such as being pulled in back to back games after allowing six goals on just 18 shots against Tampa Bay and Montreal.

The Flyers have a goalie for the present and the future with Hart, but his first season in the NHL has to be one of growth and learning. The 2016 Second Round Pick will continue to have good and bad moments as he takes over the starting position. There will be times where he can play back to back and have a save percentage of .950%; there will be times where Hart has to be pulled and watch the rest of the game from the bench.

It is realistic to expect Hart to give the Flyers between 50 and 55 games next season. With the experience he gained from his first NHL campaign, Flyers fans will be eager to watch the young goalie improve upon his impressive first year and become one of the Metro division’s premier shot-stoppers. The most important thing for Hart and the Flyers is that he has a sound support system to cover for him when struggles or needs a rest.

This is where Elliott enters the picture. The 34-year-old veteran’s Flyers’ career can only be described as inconsistent. He has had stretches of games in the past where he kept the Flyers competitive, but he’s also struggled at times while wearing orange and black. However, with Elliott now serving a backup role to Hart, the narrative starts to change. Elliott will go from an average starting goalie to a reliable backup who can help mentor Hart and keep the Flyers grounded in his starts.

It is safe to expect that Elliott will be able to at least hold his own in 2019-20, as he posted middle of the pack numbers for goalies last season with a .907 save % and 2.96 GAA. The more significant concern for the Flyers is whether or not Elliott will be healthy the entire season. This past year, Elliott was out for over three months while nursing a lower-body injury. The Flyers cannot afford him to miss this much time in the coming season. There is very little coverage for the Flyers should Elliott get sidelined again. A similar injury could see Philadelphia’s playoff hopes derailed.

Should Hart continue the high level of play he showed during his rookie season and improve his consistency, the Flyers will have a legitimate all-star candidate in-net while Elliott will move into a backup spot to solidify the role. Should either of the goalies struggle or get injured, there is always Alex Lyon waiting in the wings. With the position of goalie finally looking stable for Philadelphia, there is a lot of optimism going into the season. Barring a collapse from either goalie or an extended injury, expect the Flyers to be firmly in contention for the playoffs.