Every rumor that has included the Flyers has involved their search for a goaltender. They are searching far and wide to find a way to upgrade the position. With Ivan Fedotov likely heading to the AHL and question marks about Aleksei Kolosov, Philadelphia needs to get things right in net.
Jake Allen is the big name, but could be looking for more than the Flyers are willing to give. With a thin free agent market, Allen’s price is certain to increase. There’s also the possibility he remains in New Jersey as well. The Flyers have also reached out to the Blues about Joel Hofer, but St. Louis isn’t expected to part ways with him. And if they were, it appears they’re looking to a first round pick.
Thatcher Demko has been floated around as a possibility, but he comes with injury concerns. And it’s become more and more likely that the Canucks are going to re-sign him. That would give Vancouver a tandem of Demko and Kevin Lankinen, as his five year extension kicks in next year. That could leave someone on the outside looking in, though.
Arturs Silovs may become available as a cheap option
Silovs recently backstopped the Abbotsford Canucks to the organization’s first Calder Cup championship. He was also given the MVP trophy after posting a 16-7-0 record, 2.01 goals against average and a blistering .931 save percentage in 16 games. Silovs also had five shutouts along the way, most coming in series-clinching victories.
His NHL numbers are limited, but don’t given off much confidence. He appeared in 10 games this past season, posting a 2-6-1 record, a 3.65 goals against average, and a .861 save percentage. Silovs has had an issue with long-distance shots, particularly on the glove side.
Silovs stepped up admirably during the 2024 postseason after Demko went down. He had a 2.91 goals against average, an .898 save percentage, and one shutout in 10 games. But with the logjam in net and other prospects in the mix, Silovs time could be running out.
Career wise, Silovs has 19 career games under his belt. He is 8-8-2, has a 3.13 goals against average, and a .880 save percentage.
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin, when talking about a possibility for a Demko extension and Silovs’ playoff performance, mentioned some of the team’s other young goaltenders as being ready for more as well. It wasn’t the most ringing endorsement for Silovs to remain in Vancouver.
“It was a hell of a performance and I’m happy for Artie. We know that he’s a really good goalie, and this is just [reaffirming] that. That being said, we still got a couple of good goalies in the system there, with Tolopilo and Ty Young that are more than ready to play as well. So we’ll see here over the next couple of days where things go here with Thatcher and we’ll make decisions after that.”
Silovs has one more year on his contract and is only making $850K. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights when the contract expires. Silovs wouldn’t cost the Flyers much and won’t block any of the prospects the organization currently has.
They could see if he is able to challenge Ersson for starts and make a decision after the season. Carson Bjarnason will probably need more than one year of AHL seasoning and Fedotov may not be long for the organization if they do bury him in the minors. It’s possible the time with the Phantoms helps as Fedotov jumped right into the NHL when he came over.
Briere may want a more proven option to pair with Ersson. Silovs career numbers aren’t great, though it’s a very small sample size. But it’s worth calling Vancouver and finding out where they stand with Silovs. You won’t know until you ask.