Lehigh Valley Phantoms goaltender Carson Bjarnason’s goals for 2025-26 were probably far different than what transpired. It was a trying, arduous season for the netminder, one that he hopes not to duplicate heading into 2026-27. Regardless, the young netminder comes in at No. 18 of our Top 25 Under 25 ranking.
No. 18: Carson Bjarnason
2025-26 Primary League/Team: Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL)
2025-26 Statistics: 36 G, .877 Save %, 3.43 GAA
Age as of 9/15/2026: 21
Acquired Via: 2023 NHL Draft — Round 2, Pick 51
How did Bjarnason’s 2025-26 season go?
The native of Carberry, Manitoba (population 1,810) had a fantastic 2024-25 playing his final year of junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Unfortunately, Bjarnason hit some bumps and sizeable potholes in his year. In 32 starts, Bjarnason didn’t register a shutout, and allowed two or fewer goals just nine times with the Phantoms. Although his second game of the season against Cleveland was one of his better outings (.943 save percentage in the victory), he was a bit up and down in the early months with Lehigh Valley.
Whether it was adjusting to his first year of professional hockey, or the logistics of travel and other demands on him off the ice, Bjarnason had a seven-game span from early December through Jan. 10 where he appeared to be turning a corner. In two games against Utica and Rochester, he allowed only three goals on 61 shots. And despite playing consecutive games just before the Christmas break, he was able to put a poor performance against Bridgeport behind him on Dec. 19, looking stellar against Hartford the following day by stopping 34 of 35 shots in the victory that needed extra time.
The confidence he might have had by mid-January was essentially shot. A Jan. 19 game saw him give up six goals on 20 shots. The contest might have been one Bjarnason forgot as in his next game on Jan. 23 he was pulled after giving up three on the first four shots for an ugly goals-against average for the game of 15.21. He went 3-3-1 the next seven games but saw another horrible outing on March 7 against Charlotte, giving up four on 14 shots. That seemed to be the proverbial straw that broke Bjarnason’s back, as he conceded 18 goals in his next four games.
A huge part of that valley was because of what was transpiring in Philadelphia. Dan Vladar’s injury put him out of the lineup for two weeks. However, Vladar’s injury resulted in Kolosov moving into the backup’s role with the Flyers. And that meant that Bjarnason’s workload went up substantially. He might have been given the short end of the stick with the arrangement, but he never rose to the occasion either. The stretch where he was called on to keep the Phantoms afloat was generally below average at best. Obviously, the Phantoms weren’t mistaken for the ’90s era New Jersey Devils defensively, and they missed the playoffs also. But when Bjarnason was the number one for a few weeks he didn’t deliver.
Hoping to get Bjarnason in the right mindset before the season hit its closing weeks, he was reassigned for a two-game stint with Reading in the East Coast Hockey League, but even against weaker competition, he was looking a bit more lost than anyone might have anticipated at the season’s start. He was recalled back to Lehigh Valley, and playing just over 14 minutes in his last game of the year against Springfield on April 15. In short, it’s a season that Bjarnason would like to forget for the most part. But if he hasn’t forgotten the lows, hopefully he’s learned from it.
What are we expecting from Bjarnason this season?
Perhaps the best thing for the 21-year-old Bjarnason is the Flyers aren’t in any hurry to rush him into the National Hockey League. They know he has to get a lot more time in the minors in order to be seasoned enough for Philadelphia. And with a tandem of Aleksei Kolosov and Bjarnason once again set to play most of this coming season, Bjarnason might be able to get as many or more starts as he did in his rookie year with Lehigh Valley. What’s crucial is that Bjarnason keeps his game simple, continues to improve, and perhaps most importantly keeps his mind focused on the next game, not replaying or second-guessing himself after a possible bad start.
If Bjarnason’s second year in junior hockey is any kind of measuring stick, he should bounce back. In his second year with Brandon, he doubled his games played (47) while nearly dropping a full goal in his goals-against average (4.00 to 3.08). If history is any indication, the youngster should be able to mount a better second season than the rather messy first in the American Hockey League.
How does Bjarnason fit in the Flyers’ organization?
With the Flyers having locked up Joseph Woll for two seasons as a backup or tandem goaltender, and Dan Vladar here for the foreseeable future thanks to his contract extension, the organization knows Bjarnason has a lot of time to mature and hone his game. They’re not going to throw him to the wolves and hope for the best. So for the time being, Bjarnason is going to have a lot of time in the minors to become a more consistent goaltender. And one which can match or surpass the talent that Aleksei Kolosov brings to the table.
This year isn’t exactly a make or break season for Bjarnason, nor should it be for any 21-year-old goaltender just getting his feet wet. However, he’s probably going to have to show something more than what he often exhibited in a rather rough 2025-26. He’s also probably catching another break in terms of the organization which we’ll get to in the next section.
What do we think Bjarnason’s ultimate NHL upside is?
Carson Bjarnason was looked to be a stud goaltender a few seasons ago when the Flyers drafted him. But like most young goaltenders, the rise to excellence isn’t always a straight line. There are highs and lows. Should Bjarnason outplay Kolosov this season, and by a wider margin, chances are he’s moving up the depth chart, at least ahead of Kolosov. What makes Bjarnason’s situation a bit more perilous is that Yegor Zavragin is a goaltender the Flyers are probably hoping travels across the big pond and begins his North American career sooner than later. Zavragin has a KHL contract that runs for another two seasons. So he might be over there until 2028. If he is, that’s more time and opportunity for Bjarnason to make a good impression. If not, then he has to make the absolute most of this coming year.
Regardless of Zavragin’s situation, if Bjarnason plays well or up to his capability, he should be in good standing to become a quality tandem goaltender. Of course, there’s no one path a goaltender has to the NHL. And there’s no crystal ball telling teams the magic age a goaltender goes from good to great. Bjarnason might provide Philadelphia with quality performances down the road. But that has to start with making 2026-27 a turnaround season in Lehigh Valley.
How we voted
…At No. 18:
| Brad | Cole | Evan | Jason M | Kelly | Kurt | Maddie | Readers | Ryan G | Thomas |
| Nathan Quinn | Max Westergard | Maksim Sokolovskii | Carson Bjarnason | Nikita Grebenkin | Shane Vansaghi | Carson Bjarnason | Shane Vansaghi | Jack Murtagh | Matthew Gard |
For Carson Bjarnason:
| Brad | Cole | Evan | Jason M | Kelly | Kurt | Maddie | Readers | Ryan G | Thomas |
| 22 | N/A | 11 | 18 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 16 | N/A |
