Ersson vs. Hart: Who Stays and Who Goes?
Alternating the two bright young goalies on their roster worked for a time, but it's likely one of them will have bid the Flyers goodbye this season.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports - Ersson vs. Hart: Who Stays and Who Goes?"Healthy competition."
It's the phrase that keeps getting brought up when discussing Flyers goalies Carter Hart and Sam Ersson, one that teams across all sports use when there are multiple capable players vying for the same spot in the roster. Time after time, coaches and players alike have insisted that it's a good thing—done correctly, it inspires athletes to work harder, push their limits more, and reveals who's really willing to do whatever it takes to earn the No. 1 spot.
For a while, Hart comfortably enjoyed being the Flyers' first choice in net. Even when he wasn't at the top of his game, he could rest assured that Brian Elliott or whoever had to be called up from the Phantoms last minute wasn't going to take his place. Hart was a young goalie—still developing, still growing, still having a lot to learn—but he wasn't exactly scrapping Bernie Parent for starts.
Then Sam Ersson burst onto the scene. Another young goaltender, Ersson struggled a bit to start the season. His first three appearances left much to be desired, and Flyers fans thought they were in for another imbalanced goalie pairing—Hart would still be the franchise goalie that the fans were promised when he first signed in 2018, and Ersson would be a passable backup.
However, Ersson's quality skyrocketed after those first three games. Since the Flyers started to really get hot in early November, Ersson couldn't be left out of the conversation about who helped change the direction of the ship. Boasting an 11-3-2 record and a .926 save percentage as of Jan. 21, the Swedish goalie has even entered Calder Trophy contention. Ersson has effectively captured the attention and, ahem, hearts of not just Flyers fans, but anyone who enjoys watching a good game of hockey.
It was a dream come true to finally be able to trust both goalies. No matter who started between the pipes, Flyers fans felt safe knowing that their goalies would put in a great performance. Head coach John Tortorella took to alternating them every two games or so, and it seemed to be working perfectly. The Flyers were gaining momentum, beating some of the best teams in the league and shining in all aspects of their game (except the power play, of course).
In recent games, though, Hart's quality has started to slip a bit. No reasonable viewer would say he was a bad goalie, but his numbers didn't quite live up to Ersson's. Since that November turnaround, Hart has gone 8-6-3 with a .904 save percentage. Not only that, but fans noticed he was letting in some easy goals and was quick to get inside his own head after allowing pucks to get past him. Of course, not every goal scored on the Flyers is solely Hart's fault, but there were plenty of occasions where he simply could've done more.
So where does that leave the Flyers front office when it comes to deciding who to trade?
From a financial standpoint, it would most likely be the smart decision to trade Hart. He's in the last year of a three-year contract with a $3.979 million cap hit. Once this contract is up, he'll become a restricted free agent. As previously reported by Caleb Kerney on The Hockey News, "His base salary this is season is actually $4.479-million, which will be his qualifying offer in the summer." In contrast, Ersson is on a much lighter two-year contract extension worth $2.9 million, which actually takes effect next season. If Ersson can prove himself to be consistent with how he's performed since November, it's a bit of a no-brainer.
But what about the locker room? The Flyers have become famous for their goofy, lovable, almost cartoonish cast of characters (Travis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, to name a few). The team chemistry is palpable—these guys go to war for each other in every game, no matter what the result is. Both Hart and Ersson are well-liked personalities in the locker room and, despite what some "rivalry" narratives would suggest, are friends and try to help each other become better every day.
Speaking after the Flyers lost 5-3 to the Ottawa Senators, Ersson said, "Obviously, it's better getting more into a flow and I feel like the weight of every game maybe isn't as big for me right now. I've said it all the time this season—I don't decide how many games I'm going to play, which games I play. I just have to be ready and step up whenever they call on me."
"...We've got to push each other, get better every day. But also for the team's sake, I think we need both me and Carter to play well. That's a good thing for me, I feel. Every day, it gives that little extra energy to push myself in practice."
All in all, if the Flyers do decide to trim down their goalies, Hart would make the most sense. He would be an expensive player to keep, especially factoring in the other players Keith Jones and Danny Briere are looking to keep in the team. The money, coupled with the fact that Hart has not only been not able to match Ersson's numbers, but hasn't been looking like himself in front of the net, puts him on the chopping block. Far from the kid who sprayed his water bottle in the air and chose one drop to focus in on to help him lock in before a faceoff, Hart looks like the pressure has been getting to him.
In a dream world, both goalies would be able to stay—they're young, talented, and fit in extremely well with the Flyers organization and have earned the love and respect of the fans. But we live in a world where the Flyers are in playoff talks while also navigating a rebuilding era, meaning sacrifices must be made, and Hart might have to be one of them.