Adding to the goaltending depth, the Philadelphia Flyers signed Carson Bjarnason to a 3yr/$2.85mil entry-level contract.
Bjarnason, 18, was a second-round selection by the Flyers in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Daniel Briere traded a 2023 sixth-round and 2024 second-round pick to move up the draft board. He was the 51st overall selection.
“I definitely let pucks come to me. I try to play the Carter Hart [or] Carey Price kind of style game. It’s pretty cool to come to Philadelphia and be able to see Hart.”
Carson Bjarnason; 6/29/2023
Standing at 6’3″ and 195lbs, Bjarnason went 21-19-5 with a 3.08GAA and 90%SV on the Brandon Wheat Kings last season. His stat log includes three shutouts (tied-4th in WHL), 2,726 minutes (6th in WHL), and 1,265 saves (8th in WHL). In 2022-2023, Bjarnason helped capture the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal and a U18 World Juniors Bronze Medal.
“We were a young team. It was an exciting year for us, and moving forward will be great. [I’m] thankful for Brandon; they’ve helped me so much to get to this point, and [a] big shoutout to all my teammates.”
Carson Bjarnason; 6/29/2023
On Team Canada at the U18 World Juniors, Bjarnason went 4-2-0 with a 3.51GAA and 84.9%SV, including one shutout. En route to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal, he finished 1-0-0 with a 1GAA and 95%SV.
“[I’m] pushing for another couple [of] years there, and I’m trying to make the World Juniors this year.”
Carson Bjarnason; 9/14/2023
During the 2023 Flyers Rookie Camp, Bjarnason did compete against the New York Rangers. In a 3-1 loss, Bjarnason took on the brunt of a few high-danger scoring chances ranging from a wraparound to a breakaway.
It is a crowded goaltender room in Philadelphia. Six netminders are under contract, including Carter Hart, Sam Ersson, Felix Sandstrom, Cal Petersen, Alexei Kolosov, and, technically, Ivan Fedotov. Hart is the guaranteed NHL starter for the Flyers. Ersson, Sandstrom, and Petersen are battling for the 2G role. Kolosov and Fedotov are in the KHL but to very different extents of availability.
In 2023-2024, Bjarnason will likely return to the WHL. Sandstrom and Fedotov expire at the end of the upcoming season. Returning to the WHL allows Bjarnason another season to develop before potentially working for a roster spot with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms by the 2026-2027 season.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
