Samuel Ersson: Should You Pick Him Up In Fantasy Hockey?

Samuel Ersson: Should You Pick Him Up In Fantasy Hockey?

It’s been reported that Carter Hart is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Flyers. That means Samuel Ersson is the new starting goalie in Philadelphia. However, does that mean Ersson is worth taking a chance on in fantasy hockey? Let’s have a quick chat.

Ersson, 24, has registered a record of 12-6-3 with a .909 save percentage on the season thus far. Not terrible numbers and are certainly usable in fantasy. I guess the concern here would be how long the Flyers can remain in the playoff race. The Flyers feel like a bit of a fraud contender at the moment. After missing the playoffs last year, Philadelphia currently sits in second place in the Metro through 47 games. Is that going to continue down the stretch?

I just have a hard time buying it. If the Flyers start selling off pieces at the deadline, this could become a non-starter for fantasy purposes. Given where the Flyers are at in the rebuild process, I have a hard time believing they’re going to buy and add veteran pieces. Nothing matters in fantasy hockey for goalies more than wins. If Ersson is picking up wins, then this will be worth it. I just don’t know if the Flyers can continue to perform like this.

If you’re looking for reasons to buy, those are pretty easy to find. Mostly due to John Tortorella. We know Torts’ motto by now. Forecheck, forecheck, forecheck. They’re not winning games with talent. They’re winning games by outworking other teams. You have to respect his commitment to defense. Philly has given up 133 goals on the season which is good for the 13th-best mark in the NHL. Not bad! Maybe Ersson has value considering how the team plays.

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I guess it sort of depends on where you stand. If you’re desperate for a goalie, you can do worse than adding Ersson right now. Just proceed with caution. If you have Carter Hart, then Ersson becomes a must-add. At this current moment, Ersson is owned in 10.5% of ESPN fantasy leagues (credit to McGuiness for picking him up already in the Vendetta league).

On the season, Ersson is averaging 2.8 points per start. Not bad considering goalies get negative points for goals allowed. I have no issue taking the flier here.

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