Sam Ersson Outlines Offseason Plans, Assesses 'Grind' Of Flyers Season
One of the most talked-about Philadelphia Flyers during the 2023-24 season was goaltender Sam Ersson, who unexpectedly took over the No. 1 goalie duties mid-season and ended up playing more than double the games he was initially scheduled to.
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports - Sam Ersson Outlines Offseason Plans, Assesses 'Grind' Of Flyers SeasonOne of the most talked-about Philadelphia Flyers during the 2023-24 season was goaltender Sam Ersson, who unexpectedly took over the No. 1 goalie duties mid-season and ended up playing more than double the games he was initially scheduled to.
Head coach John Tortorella admitted that he "put [Ersson] in a hell of a spot" and that the rookie did get "overplayed," causing plenty of people to call for Ersson to get plenty of rest once the season was over. No need to worry—he plans to.
"I haven't really had that much time to kind of structure up to summer," Ersson said. "I'll probably head home in a little bit and probably get back [to Philadelphia] at maybe the end of August, something like that. Do what I normally do to prepare for the season."
As for the season as a whole, Ersson has been of the mindset that while he was thrown into a pretty unthinkable situation, it's not an excuse to not play to the best of his abilities now that he's at the NHL level.
"You have to be ready to play a lot of games," he said. "I've tried to, like I said throughout the season, maintain kind of the same mentality throughout it all. I think that's something that has been important for me, it helps me push my day-to-day, competing in practices and after everything. As much as I can, I try to stay in the moment and not look too far ahead, for preparing, thinking, I am gonna play this or that many games. I'm just trying to take it one game at a time.
"The grind of the season, the stretches where you're playing every other day for a month basically, it's something that I haven't done, and you have to kind of learn how to deal with that. How do you keep your body and your mind at the best level you can so you're ready for those games. I think we got to play some meaningful games here at the end of the season and chasing the playoff spot is something that we can definitely take some to learn from and take experience from."
The 24-year-old also emphasized that he's keeping his focus on being a consistent player as he continues to get acclimated to the workload of a No. 1 goaltender.
"I think, this year it felt like it was some up and downs. I think I had some tough stretches and I also felt like I had a long stretch where I think it played well consistently over a period of time," he said. "I think that this is the key word I'm trying to push is consistency. I feel like that is the key for me. To be [an] impactful player in this league is to have your low as high as possible and try to stay consistent throughout the year and throughout all the challenges that the season provides."
There's certainly shortage of appreciation for the way Ersson has stepped up this season, with Tortorella being a particularly vocal supporter of his goalie's playing abilities and character.
To have the ardent support of his head coach, front office, and, of course, teammates was a key part of helping Ersson recuperate from any tough stretches he experienced.
"Yes, obviously, it means a lot for me in a lot of ways," he said. "He's given me a lot of chances from through the early parts of my NHL career, and I'm very grateful for that. I think it's given me the opportunity to kind of bounce back, is what I've been provided. I think that is something I want. It's also a key trait to have, is the ability because you're gonna have tough moments and tough games and stretches. It's always about the way you respond. That's something that's big for me."
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