Flyers might have eye on a free-agent goalie

    If there’s a Brian Elliott-type goaltender out there among the current crop of free-agent goaltenders, the Flyers might be interested.
Elliott, you may recall, came to the Flyers as a free-agent signing back on July 1, 2017. After serving one year as the starting goaltender, he spent three more as the backup to No. 1 Carter Hart.
Right now the Flyers are in a situation similar to where they were in the 2018-19 campaign. Back then, they needed a steady hand as a No. 2 guy for Hart.
At the moment, it’s pretty much a given that the Flyers’ top goalie, Samuel Ersson, could use some competition for the lead spot. And maybe a veteran presence to support the Swede. Neither Ivan Fedotov nor Aleksei Kolosov could offer much help in that role last season.
There are a number of veteran unrestricted free-agent goaltenders out there  who could fill that role for new head coach Rick Tocchet this season.
The Flyers will have their phones ready when the National Hockey League’s free-agent signing period opens at 12 noon on Friday.
The list includes some proven talent as well as some other players who might be still on the rise.

    Here’s a list of some of the highest-rated goaltenders on the open market (name, age, last team, last salary, scouting report):

    >1. Jake Allen, 34, New Jersey Devils, $3.85 million: Allen served as a willing backup to Jordan Binnington on the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues’ Stanley Cup championship team and that says a lot about his character. His career regular-season stats are decent (2.76 goals-against average, .907 save percentage) but it’s the playoffs where he has really stood out (2.06 GAA, .924 SP).

    >2. Vitek Vanacek, 29, Florida Panthers, $3.4 million: Another guy who doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to a superstar such as ex-Flyer netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who just put the finishing touches on a second straight Stanley Cup with the Panthers. Still young enough to command a decent salary.

    >3. Alexander Georgiev, 29, San Jose Sharks, $3.4 million: Anyone who has played for some dreadful Sharks teams must be strong in the fortitude department. Prior to this one-year stint in California, he spent three years with the Colorado Avalanche and led the NHL in wins with 40 in 2022-23 and 38 in 2023-24.

    >4. Robin Lehner, 33, Vegas Golden Knights, $5.0 million. If you can get past a long list of off-ice related stuff, Lehner is a pretty good goalie. He’s been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also, he’s been an outspoken critic of the NHL and the league’s leniency on the permitted use of sedatives.

    >5. Ilya Samsonov, 28, Vegas Golden Knights, $1.8 million. Another ex-Vegas player worth possibly taking a gamble on. He’s put in some quality years with Washington, Toronto and the Golden Knights, which include 15 shutouts in 200 career games. His last contract was reasonable and his agent probably isn’t asking for anything outrageous on his next deal.

    >6. James Reimer, 37, Buffalo Sabres, $1.0 million. Now here’s a fellow who won’t be complaining about his salary, not at his age. Can still play the game. Put up decent numbers for a so-so Buffalo team last season. He’s been around the block – the Sabres were his seventh NHL team so he’s used to being the new guy in town.

    >7. Kaapo Kahkonen, 28, Colorado Avalanche, $1.0 million. Kahkonen has enough experience to work with someone like Ersson on the Flyers and probably wouldn’t be talking about wanting to be the No. 1 guy. He’s faced more than 4,000 shots in 140 NHL games played so he knows what it’s like be under attack on certain nights.