In Philadelphia, finding a quality starting goaltender has been a tall task across several iterations of the front office. The Flyers think they have their answer in Dan Vladar. After making 61 starts between the regular season and playoffs, Vladar appears to be on the verge of extending his contract to spend seven total seasons between the pipes in Philadelphia. With injuries, wear and tear, and other variables, it’s fair to question how sustainable that level of play will be for Vladar. To win a Stanley Cup, your team will have to play roughly 100 games– who starts the other 40?
In 2026, is one good goaltender even enough anymore?
Sam Ersson played the role of backup goaltender this season to Vladar. In Ersson’s 33 appearances, he posted an .870 save percentage– worst among all NHL goaltenders to appear in 21 or more games– and a fourth-worst 16.5 Goals Saved Below Expected. There are points being left on the table, and perhaps with better goaltending, the Flyers aren’t moving mountains to make the playoffs.
The process in front of Ersson hasn’t always been perfect. Unlucky bounces, random deflections, and general hockey nonsense followed Ersson like a black cloud. At a certain point, however, the sample size grew too large to ignore, and the Flyers have moved on from the Swedish goaltender after 133 starts in the orange and black. Watching Vladar receive Vezina trophy votes behind the same defense made Ersson’s struggles that much more glaring, and so the decision to acquire goaltender Joseph Woll addresses the issue pretty directly.
WE'VE GOT A TRADE 🔁
— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2026
The @NHLFlyers and @MapleLeafs have swapped goalies in a four-player deal!
Powered by @SAP pic.twitter.com/TmQw91u3rv
When you don’t have an Igor Shesterkin, an Ilya Sorokin, or even a Logan Thompson to soak up all of your starts at a high level, teams need to be a little creative about their goaltending room. There are too many games to punt away just because there isn’t a better option in net. Three assets for a backup goaltender might seem like a lot until you need him to bail out your playoff run.
Enter the Carolina Hurricanes, who just won the Stanley Cup on the back of rookie waiver claim Brandon Bussi, providing Freddie Andersen with relief to the tune of .931 goaltending and his first three postseason starts in a Stanley Cup Final. Andersen was fantastic through the first three rounds, and was a huge reason Carolina was able to advance as easily as they did. His .910 playoff save percentage was damaged in the Final against Vegas, though, and Carolina — unlike Las Vegas — was well positioned to make the switch when the time came.
Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella scoffed at the idea of a goalie change despite Carter Hart struggling to a historic level in the Final. His backup, Adin Hill, was who Vegas won the Cup with just a few seasons ago. While Hill had struggled this year, Hart was crumbling, and a reliable option behind him (or simply a willingness to shake things up) could have salvaged their season. There are lessons to be learned on both sides.
Good teams split their starts in net
Despite apparently being locked into using Hart, the Knights had used three goalies for 18 or more starts this season. Carolina obviously is one, with neither Bussi nor Andersen reaching 40 starts. This year’s Colorado Avalanche won the William Jennings award for fewest goals against in the NHL with a pretty even split between two goaltenders. You don’t necessarily need one superstar goaltender to win in the NHL, but you do need a base level of competence for the team to have a chance.
This plagued the Flyers a little this season. Thinking back to the Aleksei Kolosov start against the New York Rangers where Kolosov was unable to stop a puck before getting pulled after the third straight goal, a game can very easily be lost despite what your skaters are doing out there. For a team that plays close games as a stylistic choice, Ersson’s league-worst numbers in 30 of those games isn’t enough to take the next step.
JOSEPH WOLL THE MAN THAT YOU ARE 🧱 pic.twitter.com/D65royAyQe
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 19, 2025
Joseph Woll, the newest Flyer netminder, made 6.6 Saves Below Expected in 39 games. While not perfect, it’s still about ten more saves above Ersson this year, and considering the number of overtime games and shootouts that the Flyers find themselves in, that would be a massive boost over the course of a long season. The average save percentage in the NHL was just .896, below Woll’s .898 from the past year, meaning the Flyers tandem of goaltenders are both above-average for the first time in years.
With the volatility of goaltending as a whole, it can never hurt to have more than one guy that you trust. Vladar is going to have times where he struggles– he is human, after all– and the Flyers really aren’t going to be happy having to use unproven young players like Kolosov or Carson Bjarnasson yet. Woll may not raise the ceiling of what Philadelphia is capable of for the next two years, but he most certainly gives them a higher floor– and an excellent name for a goaltender at that.
