On Thursday afternoon the Flyers announced the signing of a young promising netminder in Samuel Ersson. Ersson played very well for a poor Brynäs IF club this past season, and actually was one of the lone bright spots for them. With many Flyers fans wondering who Ersson is, well he has great size, and can become an NHL caliber goalie to backup Carter Hart in about a year or two.
The one thing Ersson needs is patience. Felix Sandström struggled in his first season in North America, and was relegated to the Reading Royals for the majority of his first pro season. Like Ersson, Sandström also lit it up in the third toughest league in the world the SHL. Ersson needs patience to get adjusted to the North American rink size.
Ersson was masterful in his final season for Vasteras IK in the Allsvenskan League, in Sweden. For the 2018-19 season, he registered a 1.93 GAA, and a .933 Save Percentage in 36 games. In addition, Ersson received awards for Rookie of the Year, Goaltender of the Year, and Most Valuable Player of the Year. Talk about one heck of a prospect.
“I look forward to the challenge in the SHL, and Brynäs IF. It’s a tough league for sure, but it will show you what you are made of.” – Samuel Ersson said to Jamey Baskow at Flyers Developmental Camp in 2019
The former Vasteras IK product appears to be confident, and one could see the determination on his face as he started for Brynäs IF again and again this past season. For his efforts, Ersson finished with the 12th best Save Percentage at a rate of .911.
Unknown to most Flyers fans, Ersson is a modern day butterfly goalie. He remains calm and he is very active with his movement. His active movement thus allows him to save most short-side shot attempts, and Ersson has the ability to transition from a butterfly to a standing position.
Ersson’s butterfly techniques allow him to seal most shot attempts, and his rebound control is impressive. Limiting second chance opportunities sets him aside from most prospects trying to make the next leap in their professional career. Moreover, Ersson possesses good puck tracking skills, thus giving him the ability to square up and stop the initial shot. He is rarely out of position, or looking like a crazed goaltender.
His lateral movements from post to post are smooth. Additionally, Ersson is just confident with handling the puck. Time after time, Ersson would drop the puck behind the net to a defenseman, rather than over stick handle. His skill set appears to be far ahead than most young netminders his age, and Ersson is only 21-years-old.
Samuel Ersson hopes to build off last season and put forth a good season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Ersson’s leap to the professional level signals the end of Alex Lyon presumably. The Phantoms can have two solid netminders next season in Felix Sandström and Samuel Ersson, with Kirill Ustimenko taking the reins for conditioning for the Reading Royals.
