Ottawa is where Samuel Ersson hopes to turn his goaltending career around, after the Senators signed him to a two-year, $4.4 million contract on July 1. The deal carries an average annual value of $2.2 million through the 2027-28 season, announced by general manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios.
A rough season in Philadelphia
Ersson's move to Ottawa comes on the heels of the worst statistical season of his career. In 2024-25 with the Philadelphia Flyers, he went 22-17-5 with a .883 save percentage. His save percentage dipped even lower, to .870, and only one goaltender across the NHL with 15 or more starts posted a worse mark that season.
Injuries were part of the story. Ersson dealt with recurring groin issues that affected his availability throughout the year. But he found his form late, posting a 6-1-0 record with a .912 save percentage after February 26, 2025, a stretch that helped the Flyers reach the playoffs.
Over four seasons in Philadelphia, Ersson's overall numbers read 65-50-17 in 143 games, with seven shutouts, a 3.01 goals-against average and a .884 save percentage. He also had a strong showing on the international stage, going 4-0-0 at the 2025 IIHF World Championship with a 1.16 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage, evidence that the talent is there even after a difficult NHL year.
What Ersson's role looks like in Ottawa
The plan is for Ersson to serve as backup to Linus Ullmark, with an expected 25 to 30 starts this season. That is a meaningful workload for a goaltender coming off his weakest year, and it puts real weight on Ottawa's goaltending program to get him back on track.
Senators head coach Travis Green has already made clear he sees a capable goaltender behind the rough numbers. "I think he's a pretty good goalie," Green said. "I know the numbers didn't say that last year, but I know he was better down the stretch." That view lines up with Ersson's post-February surge in Philadelphia, the version of him Ottawa is presumably counting on.
Ullmark, who will share the crease with Ersson, has also spoken positively about his new goaltending partner. "He made a good impression on me at that point," Ullmark said, "it's nice to have conversation with him on a daily basis." A strong working relationship between the two goaltenders could matter as much as any technical fix, given how much of a goalie's routine depends on the people around him.
The support system behind the comeback
Ersson's turnaround attempt will run through Ottawa's goaltending staff, led by goalie coach Justin Peters and goaltending coordinator Maciej Szwoch, under Staios. For a goaltender whose season fell apart statistically before rebounding late, having a coaching staff able to identify what changed in that February stretch, and build on it from the start of training camp, will likely shape whether the Senators' bet pays off.
Sources: Ottawa Citizen (via Yahoo News Canada), NHL.com / Ottawa Senators official
