Photo Credit: Brian Liesse/T-Birds
Who would have thought that the goaltending position would be a strength throughout the Flyers organization in the year 2020? That is exactly what has transpired. Thanks to brilliant drafting by former General Manager Ron Hextall, and Chuck Fletcher’s late-round steal of Roddy Ross this past draft. The goaltending problems that have haunted this proud organization for many years may just be a thing of the past. Look at the crazy good young goaltenders that the Flyers have behind Carter Hart in the pipeline. There is Felix Sandstrom, Kirill Usitmenko, Ivan Fedotov, Roddy Ross, and Samuel Ersson. Shoot one can even make a case for Matej Tomek, as well, after the rebound year that he had.
Ross was masterful, in what would be his his final season for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL. His numbers don’t tell his entire story, as he stood on his head on most nights, most notably a 50 save performance in the 4-1 home opener victory against the Kamloops Blazers. For the 2019-20 season, he registered a 20-21-4 record, 3.17 GAA, and a .908 Save Percentage in 49 games played. In addition, Ross received the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award for the Thunderbirds for his efforts. Talk about one heck of a prospect. He will now play for the Regina Pats after getting traded from the Thunderbirds yesterday afternoon. This trade comes as a shock on draft day in the WHL, but the Everett Silvertips fans might be happy that Ross got moved. Ross enjoyed the fans of Seattle, “They are great, they always support us,” Ross told me at developmental camp this past year.
Fletcher may have a steal in Ross, as he was selected in the 6th round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Ross stands at 6’2” so he takes up a good portion of the net. It’s always nice to select a Goaltender in the draft, as the Goaltending position is the most unpredictable in the sport of hockey. Fletcher realized that, and snagged a really solid netminder.
This young prospect in Ross really elevated his game to another level this past season. He became a better skater; in turn that led him to become a more mobile goaltender, which allowed him to move post to post in an effective manner. This also helped his hockey IQ with anticipating the play. Moreover, Ross was also more effective with his rebound control, as well. All in all, Ross is a prospect to keep your eye on.
The plethora of young goaltenders in the Flyers system should come as a treat for most fans. It’s great to see, and it’s just good to see the goaltending problems that have plagued this team for so long are a thing of the past. Thanks to Hextall and now Fletcher, the goaltending position is now a strength within the system.
