Flyers standout could be up for a big award
PUBLICATION
Travis PolitakisFebruary 29, 2024 (9:33)
Photo credit: Daily Independent
Going into the 2023-24 season, many if not all expected the Flyers to have a similar season to 2022 and continue their rebuild through acquiring draft picks and the development of young prospects. As the month of March approaches, the Flyers currently sit at third place in the Metro Division with 69 points on 31 wins, with an 81% chance to make the playoffs. From the coaching of head coach John Tortorella to the emergence of Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster, many have contributed to the Flyers success.
Perhaps the biggest reason and best story of the Flyers season has been the play of rookie netminder Samuel Ersson. Going into the season, Ersson was just expected to be the backup to Carter Hart and was fighting just to make the team. After news broke in January on the ongoing investigation of Hart as he took an indefinite leave of absence from the team, Ersson has stepped into the number one role and shined, not only since January, but for the entire season.
In eight games since the All-Star break, Ersson has put up a record of 5-2-1 with a .909 save percentage and a 2.39 GAA. Ersson's best performance as of late came on the road last week in Chicago when Ersson stopped 21 of 22 shots as the Flyers cruised to a victory against the Blackhawks.
Ersson has shown consistent play all season long and has made it clear that when he is performing well, it reflects on the entire team. The Flyers rookie also turned in an impressive performance against one of the NHL's top teams on Saturday in the New York Rangers when Ersson stopped 22 of 24 shots as the Flyers went toe-to-toe against a team who many are predicting to win the Eastern Conference.
With Ersson stepping into the number one role and putting up stellar numbers, is it time to include him in the discussion for the Calder Cup?
| POLL | ||
29 FEVRIER | 366 ANSWERS Flyers standout could be up for a big award Does Samuel Ersson deserve to be in the conversation for the Calder Cup? | ||
| Yes | 277 | 75.7 % |
| No | 50 | 13.7 % |
| Need to see more | 39 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
Latest 10 stories
