Sam Ersson was the lone Philadelphia Flyers player remaining at the World Championship after Denmark upset Canada to head to the medal round. Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, and Travis Sanheim would leave, though all three had successful tournaments and put themselves on the map for Canada's Olympic squad next year.
There are questions regarding whether Ersson is capable of being a starting goaltender at the NHL level, but he demonstrated remarkable calmness and poise during the tournament. He was clearly the best goaltender in the preliminary round and can be considered one of the top performers throughout the entire tournament as well.
Splitting the crease with Jacob Markstrom, Ersson was the better of the two. However, Sweden went with the former in their semi-final match against the United States. Markstrom allowed four goals on 20 shots before Ersson was called in to replace him after the second period. Ersson would only face seven shots, allowing one goal.
However, the damage was done long before Ersson entered the game. The United States would earn a 6-2 victory and head to the gold medal game. That would leave Sweden fighting for a bronze medal for the second straight season. They would turn to Ersson, and he would put up another strong performance. He faced just 18 shots, allowing two goals in the 6-2 victory over Denmark.
Ersson finished the tournament with a perfect record, winning all four games he started. He recorded an impressive goals-against average of 1.16 and a save percentage of .934, achieving two shutouts during the tournament. To give more detail, he faced a total of 76 shots and conceded only five goals.
He consistently gave Sweden a chance to win and should've been allowed to help them achieve more than a bronze medal based on his previous track record. We can't go back and change the team's decision, however.
Still young, Ersson recently completed his second full season with the Flyers. While questions about his future remain, performances like this showcase his potential.