Who Will Backup Carter Hart Next Season?
Though it’s not as talked about as other positions on the Flyers, the backup goalie spot is still an important one for the team to address.
Brian Elliott will become an unrestricted free agent when free agency starts and will surely garner interest from multiple teams as a backup goalie option.
But, will the Flyers be interested?
After signing a one-year, $2 million contract last summer, Elliott earned his keep backing up Carter Hart in 2019-20. The problem is that Elliott is 35 years old and we don’t know if Flyers can keep relying on him to perform like he did last year.
Elliott would be a great value if he can still perform like he did in 2019-20 but his age is a concern.
With that in mind, here are some goalies that could interest the Flyers.
The In-House Option
Alex Lyon
After agreeing to a one-year contract extension last week, the 27-year old goaltender will be back with the Flyers for the fourth-straight season.
He’s been the third goaltender in the Flyers organization for the last two seasons and has appeared in 16 games over his first three years, posting a 3.15 goals-against average and .895 save percentage.
Lyon hasn’t shown any signs that he’ll be a star goaltender in the NHL or even a good backup but with a flat salary cap this offseason, money will be tight and Lyon does have some experience so we can’t rule him out.
Under-The-Radar
Cam Talbot
Talbot had a cup of coffee with the Flyers in 2018-19 where he struggled through four appearances. But after signing a one-year deal with Calgary, Talbot rebounded as a backup to David Rittich posting a .919 save percentage through 26 games and started all 10 playoff games for the Flames.
The 33-year-old Talbot will be one of the best values on the market and the Flyers should definitely be interested in a reunion if Calgary decides to let him walk.
Thomas Greiss
The Flyers became acquainted with Greiss during their series with the Islanders as he shut them out twice, including the deciding Game 7.
Greiss will be 35 in January but he showed that he could still perform at a high level (.913 SV% in 2019-20) and even step in during the playoffs.
Aaron Dell
Dell has been a solid backup in San Jose for the past four seasons and had a lot of success against the Flyers in the process.
The 31-year-old goalie is coming off a .907 SV% season in 2019-20 and will be one of the best under-the-radar options in a free-agent class with a bunch of big names.
Dell is one of the younger options on the market and could get a multi-year deal as a backup which could interest the Flyers who are searching for a reliable option behind Hart.
The “Former Star Goaltenders”
Braden Holtby
It was very obvious that the 31-year-old Holtby fell off this past season, posting career-lows in goals-against average (3.11) and save percentage (.897). With the Capitals opting to move on from Holtby, he’ll undoubtedly be one of the biggest names on the market even with his diminishing play.
Even with his decline, someone will still be willing to pay more than the Flyers can afford and hope that he can return to form.
Henrik Lundqvist
Talking about someone whose really fallen off, the 38-year-old Lundqvist is a far cry from the goalie he used to be.
Even so, Lundqvist still posted a .905 save percentage last season over 26 games which isn’t completely terrible (and better than Elliott’s .899 SV% last season).
Though his play has dropped off over the years, he could be had for fairly cheap and undoubtedly serve as a great mentor to a young goalie like Hart.
Featured Image:
- Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
- Jess Starr Photography
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