Flyers sign backup goalie Felix Sandström to two-year contract
Sandström, 25, played five games for the Flyers last season (3.23 GAA, .919 SV%) and is expected to compete with Ivan Fedotov for the backup role behind Carter Hart next season.
Felix Sandström, who made history in his NHL debut this past season, will continue with the Flyers for two more years.
Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher announced Thursday that the team has signed the goaltender to a two-year, two-way/one-way contract worth an average annual value (AAV) of $775,000. A two-way/one-way contract means in Year 2 Sandström will be guaranteed his NHL salary whether he is playing in the NHL or not.
Sandström was a third-round pick of the Flyers in the 2015 NHL draft.
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The 25-year-old has played in five NHL games and was set to become a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. Sandström finished with a 3.23 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and a record of 0-4-1, while playing in front of the league’s sixth-worst defense.
The Swedish goaltender debuted last season during the Flyers’ West Coast trip when they were dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak. In a 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 30, he made 43 stops on 46 shots, the most saves by a Flyers goaltender in his NHL debut. His performance was a major reason the Flyers stole a point from that game.
With 2021-22 backup Martin Jones an unrestricted free agent, Sandström is expected to compete with newcomer Ivan Fedotov for the backup role behind Carter Hart. The Flyers signed the 6-foot-7 Fedotov to an entry-level contract on May 7. Fedotov, 25, backstopped CSKA Moscow to the KHL’s Gagarin Cup last season and the Russian Olympic Committee to a silver medal at the 2022 Olympics.
Sandström spent most of his 2021-22 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, andfinished with a 16-18-5 record. In 44 games, he had a 2.89 GAA and .902 save percentage with two shutouts.
Before joining the Phantoms, Sandström played in the ECHL, the Swedish Hockey League, and HockeyAllsvenskan (Sweden’s second tier). He represented Sweden in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships, where he was named the tournament’s best goaltender.