Flyers Should Not Have Interest in Ivan Prosvetov

Plenty of questions surround the Flyers as we head into the tail end of the season. Most surround what the team will do as the deadline approaches next month. Sean Walker is expected to be traded, while Scott Laughton could be on the move. Morgan Frost has had his name thrown around, as well as Nick Seeler.

One of the biggest questions currently surrounding the Flyers has to do with their goaltending. Sam Ersson is the number one option for the Flyers. Cal Petersen was recalled before the break and is the current backup. Felix Sandstrom is waiting down in Lehigh Valley for another chance. Neither Petersen nor Sandstrom is likely a viable option based on their previous work. Things can change, and Philadelphia should exhaust its in-house options before looking around the league.

One name that has been thrown around as a potential option is Ivan Prosvetov. He was placed on waivers by the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday afternoon. There has not been much to like about what he has done this season. Looking at the numbers, Prosvetov has appeared in 11 games for the Avalanche this season. He has four wins, his most recent coming back on Dec. 13. He has a 3.16 GAA and a .895 SV%. He has given up four or more goals in four of those games, giving up five goals in two of his last five games.

His underlying numbers paint a slightly better picture. In all situations, he has a GSAA of -0.69. So, he isn't giving up a massive amount of goals in regards to what he is expected to be. It's slightly worse when you look at just even strength. The number moves to -1.09. Again, not a horrible look. However, it is not a good trend for a young goaltender either.

It is easy to argue that Prosvetov hasn't been given a fair chance. Before this season, he played 13 games for the Arizona Coyotes between 2020-23. He has equaled his win total from last season, though doing so in four more games. It would make sense to say that Prosvetov's sample size isn't enough to conclude what his career could be. That is a fair point.

However, that is why the Flyers should not have interest in bringing him in. Sam Ersson is still a relatively inexperienced netminder. He just hit the 25-game mark this season and has a career of 37 games under his belt. He's stepped up when the team needed him after a tough start to the season. The net is his for now and the future after signing an extension this past offseason. With a team that could make a postseason run in their first year of a rebuild, bringing in another inexperienced and struggling goaltender is not the answer.

The Flyers have been willing to take on players who could use a change of scenery. They have made it work with Walker and Ryan Poehling. Early signs point to Jamie Drysdale thriving in Philadelphia as well. The Flyers can afford to take a look at those positions. Teams can not hide a struggling goaltender. Prosvetov could turn out to be a great goaltender in the future. He needs to be in a situation where the expectations are not high, though.

The Flyers do have time before a final decision needs to be made. They have 14 games before the trade deadline on Mar. 8. Give Sam Ersson a longer run and see how he fares. There is not much on the goaltending market to be excited about. The first edition of the TSN Trade Bait list named Jake Allen, Kaapo Kahkonen, Jakob Markstrom, Marc-Andre Fleury, and John Gibson as potential options. Four of those options are over 30, and Fleury is the only one of those four who will be a free agent after this season. Kahkonen's numbers over the last few years leave plenty to be desired.

Good teams often do not have their best goaltenders available unless other circumstances force them to. In Prosvetov's case, his body of work is not something the Flyers should have interest in.