Flyers’ Goaltending Shocker: What’s Behind the Sudden Plunge in Rankings?

The Philadelphia Flyers made a quiet but significant addition this summer, locking in Dan Vladar with a two-year, $6.7 million deal to bolster their goalie ranks. Yet, despite this move, skepticism lingers—many still question the strength and reliability of the Flyers’ netminders. Recently, in a Bleacher Report piece, analyst Joe Yerdon placed the Flyers’ goalie trio—Vladar, Samuel Ersson, and Ivan Fedotov—dead last in the NHL, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks’ duo. Teams like the Penguins, Blackhawks, and Kraken barely nudged them out of the cellar. It’s a tough spot, but each goalie brings a story: Vladar’s steady, if unspectacular, track record with Calgary… Ersson’s flashes of promise shadowed by iffy numbers… and Fedotov, whose KHL success hasn’t quite followed him into the NHL spotlight. The big question: can this group surprise skeptics and shine in a crucial position as the Flyers chase relevance in the hyper-competitive Eastern Conference? The stakes are high—and so is the potential upside if they pull it off. LEARN MORE

The Philadelphia Flyers added to their goalie depth this summer, signing Dan Vladar to a two-year, $6.7 million contract. However, even with this being the case, the Flyers still have their doubters when it comes to the goaltending position. 

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked the Flyers’ goalie tandem of Vladar, Samuel Ersson, and Ivan Fedotov 31st in the NHL. With this, the San Jose Sharks’ goalie tandem (Yaroslav Askarov and Alex Nedeljkovic) was the only one rated worse than the Flyers on Yerdon’s list. 

Teams ranked just ahead of the Flyers on Yerdon’s list were the Pittsburgh Penguins (Tristan Jarry & Arturs Silovs), Chicago Blackhawks (Spencer Knight & Arvid Soderblom), and Seattle Kraken (Joey Daccord & Philipp Grubauer). 

Vladar, 28, spent this past season with the Calgary Flames, where he posted a 12-11-6 record, a 2.80 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and two shutouts. Overall, he has been a serviceable backup throughout his career and will be looking to provide the Flyers with more stability between the pipes. In 105 career NHL games over five seasons, he has posted a 49-34-16 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and a .895 save percentage.

Ersson, 25, posted a 22-17-5 record in 47 games with the Flyers last season but also had a .883 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average. The 2018 fifth-round pick is entering his fourth season and will be looking to have that big breakout season for the Metropolitan Division club. In 110 games over three seasons, he has recorded a 51-39-12 record, a .888 save percentage, and a 2.98 goals-against average. 

As for Fedotov, he is still looking to prove that he can be a solid NHL goaltender. He had a tough first full season with the Flyers in 2024-25, recording a 6-13-4 record, a .880 save percentage, and a 3.15 goals-against average. However, he had success during his days in the KHL, and the Flyers will be hoping that he can translate some of it over to the NHL this season. 

It will be interesting to see if the Flyers’ goaltending can be better than expected this upcoming season. If they are, it would help the Flyers’ chances of being a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference. 

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