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With the Columbus Blue Jackets nearing a potential trade for Seth Jones, it seems the Flyers have forgotten a key potential problem. What happens if Brian Elliott retires? Carter Hart had a very trying year, battling with depression from covid-19, and getting his head around a very unproductive 2020/21 season. Brian Elliott’s contract is up and the Flyers may need to make some netminder decisions sooner than they thought. Moose went 15-9-2 this past season and being 36 years old, definitely still has some gas in the tank. But with his family attending the end of the year ceremonies and following the team around pretty closely, to me it gives off the retirement vibe.

Say Brian decides to hang up the skates, who should the Boys of Broad Street get to fill his skates? Here are some available names that could help mentor the Flyers starting goaltender, Carter Hart, and some in house answers that were almost left forgotten it seems by the organization.

ANTTI RAANTA

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Raanta is kind of an enigma when you look at his stats. He is legitimately the definition of a “Hot and Cold” goalie. Minding down in the deserts of Phoenix, he had a record of 21-17-6 in 2017 but had a devastating 5-5-2 this past season, blowing all hope for a cup in the desert. When he’s hot, he’s hot but when he’s cold, he’s ice cold. He has tenure when it comes to the league, having played for the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers before making his trek to the land of the Yotes.

Maybe he’s too unpredictable for the Flyers!

JONATHAN BERNIER

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Jonathan Bernier is my personal favorite when it comes to the available choices to replace Brian Elliott. Even though, he was with the Detroit Red Wings and has been for the past 3 seasons, he managed to keep a relatively good save percentage at .913. He had his best year with the Los Angeles Kings with a .957 save percentage and a .922 save percentage with the Toronto Maple Leafs. So, he is more than capable to fill the shoes of the current Flyers veteran goaltender. He falls under the category of “Good goaltender behind a Bad team!”

LINUS ULLMARK

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Kind of a dark horse selection, don’t let the team he plays for fool you, this kid’s got skill! He’s pretty much played for the Buffalo Sabres since he entered the league in 2015. He had a .935 save percentage in his 2017/18 season with an odd record of 1-2-0. it doesn’t get much smoother with a 9-6-3 percentage this past season. This is a long shot but does he fall under that same “Good Goalie, Bad Team” category? The save percentage looks sexy with very few games played but honestly, it should be worse when you put a magnifying glass on the team he currently stands between the pipes for.

ALEX LYON

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SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! I am about to cross some lines when it comes to Carter Hart and Alex Lyon.

When the Flyers had their goalie merry-go-round 2 years ago, there was a comment made by Hart that hasn’t sat with me well. “My record is better than all of the goalies playing up there right now, I deserve my shot.” Well, I for one think that was the statement that doomed Alex Lyon’s Flyer career. The Flyers, in my opinion, skipped Alex Lyon and jumped right to Carter Hart. Personally, I think this is wrong. I don’t feel Lyon was given the full on, 100% chance he needed in the NHL.

He had a save percentage of .893 this past year with the Flyers and .874 with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. These numbers obviously don’t look good on paper but I think a lot of people forget when Alex Lyon stopped 94 saves, while helping the Lehigh Valley Phantoms win the longest game in AHL history.

A 2-1 QUINTUPLE OVERTIME WIN! I don’t care who you are, that’s impressive and also, in my opinion, makes up for some of his declined save percentages in the past years. I’m not saying Alex Lyon is the answer to this impending problem but he’s far from forgetting about.

These are my possible goalie replacements for Brian Elliott. Maybe one of these guys are the answer? Only the near future will tell, with the Seattle Kraken expansion draft next Wednesday and the 2021 Entry-Level Draft two days later.

- Jesse Bell- Flyers Alley/ Olde City Sports Network