Ivan Fedotov will have some competition for the backup job.
The Flyers re-signed goalie Felix Sandstrom to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday. Sandstrom’s contract has an average annual value of $775,000, making him the least expensive goalie currently under contract in the Flyers’ system.
Sandstrom, 25, made his NHL debut in December against the San Jose Sharks, making 43 saves to set the all-time franchise record for most saves by a goalie in their debut. He appeared in five total games in the regular season, logging a 3.23 goals against average and .910 save percentage.
Sandstrom, selected in the third round (No. 70 overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, spent the majority of the season in Lehigh Valley serving as the Phantoms’ primary backstop. The 6-foot-2, 191-pound Swede ended the season with a 2.89 goals against average and .902 save percentage, along with a 16-18-2 record.
With the Flyers likely to let veteran goalie Martin Jones walk in free agency, Sandstrom will have an opportunity to compete for the team’s backup job behind Carter Hart next season. Also expected to compete for the backup gig is Russian netminder Ivan Fedotov, who signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Flyers in May.
Fedotov, standing at 6-foot-8, is coming off an outstanding campaign with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. He led the team to a Gagarin Cup victory and was named a finalist for the KHL’s top goalie of the year. He also led the Russian Olympic Committee to the gold medal game at the Beijing Olympics, logging a stellar 1.61 goals against average and .943 save percentage in six games.
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