While it is expected to be a competition for starts in net, it is still a bit of a surprise to see Dan Vladar be tabbed the starting goaltender in the Flyers' opening game.
It's only one game in a long season, but the decision is sure to raise some eyebrows. Sam Ersson, no doubt, needs to have a much better season, and that's exactly why Vladar was brought in. Ersson posted the worst numbers of his career last year, but it's not like there was much help behind him. With Ivan Fedotov traded and Aleksei Kolosov developing in the minors, the Flyers have attempted to address their goaltending woes.
And if we're going off preseason play alone, Vladar did post the better numbers. The two played nearly the same amount, with Vladar sitting just under 50 minutes and Ersson finishing just over 45 minutes. Vladar finished with a 2.42 goals against average and a .878 save percentage. Ersson had a 4.44 goals against average and a .841 save percentage.
Breaking that down further, Vladar faced a total of 49 shots and allowed six goals. He earned the only two victories the Flyers posted in the preseason. Meanwhile, Ersson faced 63 shots and allowed 10 goals. So Ersson faced a higher volume of shots, but allowed more goals. So, there are justifiable reasons Vladar is getting the first start of the season.
This is going to be an important year for Ersson, though. Set to become a restricted free agent next summer, he needs to prove to the organization that he is worth holding on to. With Carson Bjarnason getting his feet wet in the AHL and Yegor Zavragin starring in the KHL, Ersson's time could be running out if he doesn't step up.
The organization has shown faith in Ersson and continue to hold belief that he can be their guy.
"I'm a big believer in Sam Ersson," Flyers President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones said before the season. "I think that Sam is in a position now, age-wise, and being pushed by the depth at that position that's there now, it's going to benefit him as well. I think that Sam is going to stand up to the test here this year."
Ersson needs to take charge and show that he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL. The talent is there, and he has shown flashes of potential. He has the team behind him and will have every opportunity to prove them right.
Vladar may be getting the first start of the season, but there are 81 more games to follow.