Maybe in a parallel universe, things work out differently for the Flyers and Sam Ersson. Perhaps he was able to play well, be a solid number 1/1A goalie with Dan Vladar, and become half of a great tandem in net. He could've been someone that the Flyers could groom and be patient with and become the team's goaltender for years to come. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out that way.
A lot of it hasn't been his fault. He's played here under some unusual circumstances for a Flyers' goalie. The defense has usually been ripped to shreds by injuries and/or been staffed by blueliners who just couldn't cut it. At the same time, the Flyers have been craptacular on the power play and have had issues between the team and their former head coach.
When your team is not scoring, it's hard to expect your goalie to carry the load of the team. Ersson was never expected to become the starter. He was supposed to be Carter Hart's backup. But when Hart had to take time away from hockey because of his legal issues, Ersson was suddenly thrust into the role.
At one point, it looked like he could be the answer. In 2023-24, the Flyers just narrowly missed out on the playoffs. However, the other goalies on the roster, Cal Petersen, Ivan Fedotov, and Felix Sandstrom, were virtually guaranteed losses when they were in between the pipes. John Tortorella thought that by riding Ersson hard down the stretch, the Flyers would have the best chance to make the postseason.
Instead, the Flyers lost 10 of their 15 games and missed the playoffs. Ersson was in the net for most of those games. In effect, the team burned him out. More importantly, they wore down his confidence.
Here's the thing. Goalies are weirdos. It takes someone who is a bit off kilter to want to have frozen pieces of rubber shot at you at 80+ mph upwards of 30 times a game, night after night. Goalies, much like relief pitchers in baseball, are used to being in high pressure siuations. However, someone can be rock solid dependable one season, and then the next, they look completely lost.
Ever since Ersson was run into the ground in an attempt to make the postseason, he hasn't been the same. He's letting more goals in. He seems less confident in himself and his abilities. He doesn't seem like the same guy he was as a rookie call-up.
Ersson still probably has a career ahead of him. Ironically, some of the guys that the Flyers could acquire at the upcoming trade deadline are former Flyers goalies that the team gave up on earlier (Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz). It's also interesting that both choices actually seem to be reasonably good acquisitions.
Ersson is only 26 years old. He still has plenty of time to turn it around for another team. He could easily become a great asset to another team, especially one with a more consistent defense in front of him. If he got his confidence back up and his mojo returned, he could become a legit starter again.
It's a shame he couldn't put it together here. If the Flyers do make a move for a backup goalie, it might be best that Ersson is included in the deal. Sometimes, players need a change of scenery to start over and get a second chance to shine. For Ersson, it's looking more and more like that is the case.