The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be without their top goaltender Carter Hart for an extended period of time, as Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo shared that Hart could miss anywhere from two to six weeks. Hart left the team’s Wednesday night game with the injurythat will now hold him out. The exact moment that the injury occurred is unclear, although there was a moment when Kyle Okposo awkwardly fell on Hart that could have been the inciting incident.
Sam Ersson took over for the Flyers after Hart’s injury. It’s expected that Ersson will hang onto the role, with many anticipating that the team will call up Cal Petersen to operate as his backup. Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate has also had Felix Sandstrom and Parker Gahagen play games for them this season, with Sandstrom recording an overtime loss in his sole AHL game this year and Gahagen repping a team-best .911 save percentage through three games.
Regardless of who Philadelphia opts to use as a backup, Ersson is undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary of Hart’s absence. Ersson is technically a rookie, despite playing in 12 games last season, and has started the season out a bit uneasily, setting a 0-2-1 record and .763 save percentage through three games. He set a 6-3-0 record and a .899 save percentage in his 12 appearances last year. He also played in 42 AHL games last year, recording a .900 save percentage and a 24-17-1 record. The Flyers drafted Ersson in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, taking him 143rd overall. He’ll operate as the team’s top option for the time being, getting his first shot at the starter’s net.
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