With all the changes and question marks in Flyers-world right now one aspect of the upcoming 2025-26 season seems to have been pretty much nailed down for a while.
When it comes to predicting the Flyers soon approaching regular season many things still remain to be seen. We are still very much in the “too soon to judge” zone. There are a number of variables at play and until the final roster is set it’s difficult to get a bead on where things stand.
The team has a new head coach. Rick Tocchet brings along with him a new coaching staff and systems and these things take time. There are two new offensive acquisitions in Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak. And you still have a handful of hopefuls fighting for the last spots on the opening night roster. The team is in a state of flux as the pre-season is winding down and cuts are ramping up.
1st Round Draft Picks
Our two top picks from the 2025 NHL Draft are already settled into their 2025-26 situations and it is not with “the big club”. Porter Martone (6th overall) will be playing this season at Michigan State. Jack Nesbitt (12th overall) has returned to the OHL Windsor Spitfires. Jett Luchanko (13th overall 2024 draft) is still with the team at this point.
Between the Pipes
Development Camp
Back in July when the Flyers hosted their annual development camp we saw the return of Carson Bjarnason. Carson was picked by the Flyers 51st overall in the 2nd round of the 2023 NHL Draft. This is not his first trip to camp.
He was joined at Dev Camp by fellow netminders Ajay White, Cameron Ryan, and Waylon Esche. Waylon is the son of former Flyers goaltender Robert Esche.
He’s the guy
When Flyers Rookie Camp rolled around this September there were only two goalies on the roster, Bjarnason and “amateur tryout” Joey Costanzo. You kind of get the picture that Bjarnason is the only goalie prospect that is ready to jump out of the pipeline.
After four seasons with the WHL Brandon Wheat Kings Bjarnason will most likely begin the 2025-26 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Bjarnason was excellent in his pre-season debut with the Flyers this year and was a big part of the reason the team won the opener against the New York Islanders. The young netminder stopped 17 of 17 shots he faced during the 3rd period and overtime. He also stopped 8 of 11 attempts in a marathon shootout which decided the game.
Aleksei Kolosov
After splitting time between the Flyers and Phantoms last season Kolosov did not take part in Rookie Camp this year and did not join his team until main camp opened on September 18th.
It already seemed a given as Flyers Training Camp got underway that unless there are some major surprises Kolosov and Bjarnason will be the goaltending tandem for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the start of the coming season.
Farewell Fedotov
The Flyers made one last move in the goaltending situation that seemed to solidify the plan moving forward. Complicating things even less the organization decided to move on from 6′-7″ Russian netminder Ivan Fedotov trading him to the Columbus Blue Jackets just days before the start of training camp.
Samuel Ersson
This 25 year old goalkeeper has been carrying the weight of the team on his shoulders ever since Carter Hart took leave of absence back in January of 2024. As part of the tandem with Hart Ersson had strong and consistent showings in the Flyers crease. Without a reliable and consistent backup for the last season and a half the team has had no choice other than to overplay him. On most nights even an exhausted Ersson was going to give you a stronger game that his well rested alternatives.
Former Flyers head coach John Tortorella often admitted to overplaying Ersson out of necessity. Samuel, a team player, and always a gentleman has done whatever the team has asked of him. He would be best sharing duties in a tandem with a solid NHL level goaltending partner.
Dan Vladar
Which brings us to the Flyers most recent goaltending acquisition. Twenty-eight year old 6′-5″ Czech netminder Dan Vladar.
Dan was drafted in the 3rd round 75th overall by the Boston Bruins in 2015. He was picked up by the Flyers in free-agency after playing four seasons with the Calgary Flames. Last season he appeared in 30 games with the Flames and posted a GGA of 2.80 with a .898 SV%.
In his pre-season debut with the Flyers on Monday night he stopped 13 of 15 shots and was perfect in the shoot-out to pick up the win.
Where this is all headed remains to be seen but it seems pretty certain how things will shake out as far as goaltending for the start of the 2025-26 season. Barring any surprises over the next nine days, Bjarnason and Kolosov in Lehigh, Ersson and Vladar in Philly.
Next Up: Flyers host the Islanders on Thursday night October 2nd 7:00 PM.
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
Cool Matvei Michkov merchandise
About Author
All garbage. Thanks comcast.
So the rebuild begins again. What a trash product.