How bad would the Flyers have to be for Hakstol to get fired?

How bad would the Flyers have to be for Hakstol to get fired? by Nick Som

The Philadelphia Flyers should be confident that new starting goalie Brian Elliott will be an improvement in net.

If you’re a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, you’re well accustomed to mediocre-to-poor goaltender play. The Flyers have not seen stability at goalie for quite some time. Steve Mason came close, giving the team four solid seasons, but he’s now in Winnipeg. There is hope on the horizon, with prospects like Carter Hart, Felix Sandstrom and Anthony Stolarz coming up in the system (though Stolarz may already deserve an NHL chance), but the horizon is still a couple years away. As a result, the Flyers signed veteran goalie Brian Elliott to bridge that gap.

Elliott is an experienced goalie, but does he represent an improvement in goal? Or can we expect more of the same this upcoming year?

.921

If you didn’t read the headline, you’ll be happy to know the answer is yes. Since his breakout 2011-12 season, Elliott has recorded a .921 save percentage over the past six years. There’s definitely a bit of inconsistency in his year-to-year performance, with a SV% as low as .907 and as high as .940 (!) over that period. But even Elliott at his worst outperformed the 2016-17 Flyers goalies, who combined for a .905 SV%.

Another concern with Elliott is his durability. Elliott has never been a clear-cut number one goalie; he’s exclusively found himself in platoons with players like Jake Allen and Jaroslav Halak. Of course, that surely played into the Flyers decision to sign him, given Steve Mason’s reluctance to take on such a role.

Besides, durability isn’t as much of an issue with a veteran backup in Michal Neuvirth and a promising prospect like Anthony Stolarz waiting in the wings. Even if Elliott gets injured, the Flyers have the pieces to hold down the fort until he gets back.

Improving their skaters’ habits in their own zone is the most important issue for the Flyers to address if they want to improve next season, but Elliott will be able to help by pitching in quality goaltending. However many games he winds up playing, the Flyers should be confident in the knowledge that they can count on Elliott.