The Flyers and goaltending are synonymous with playoff failures. But as long as the late owner Ed Snider was around, there was never a goalie that should’ve felt safe or secure tending the Philadelphia net. The Flyers drafted goalies (and continue to draft them), traded for them, or would wait until that magical day when they could sign Unrestricted Free Agents and lock them up. In hindsight, some of the decisions should’ve resulted in the front office being locked up for psychiatric evaluation. In other cases, it was a hard lesson learned…until the next time the same situation arose. And they damn near did the exact same thing!

Having said that, there are better goaltenders the Flyers have had over the years than the three mentioned below. However, these goalies about to be looked at were not traded for and then signed (unlike Martin Biron and Steve Mason). These are strictly UFAs who were signed in the off-season. Perhaps the surprising part is that many off this list are from the Lindros era onward. Most of the goaltenders the Flyers used from expansion through the early ’90s were ones they drafted, traded for, or in some cases received from the NHL expansion draft (Bernie Parent and Doug Favell, both from the Bruins, back in 1967).

Here then are three of the top Unrestricted Free Agent goaltenders that the Flyers signed over the years, in no particular order.

1) Michal Neuvirth — July 1, 2015

After starting the 2014-15 season with Buffalo, Neuvirth was later sent off to Long Island to play a mere five regular season games with New York. His save percentage went from .918 in Buffalo to a bad .881 with the Islanders, not great considering he’d be looking for work with an expiring contract. However, the Flyers took a rather low-risk chance on Neuvirth, inking him on July 1, 2015 to a two-year contract. In year one, Neuvirth was great, appearing in 32 games and ending up with a highly impressive .924 save percentage and a good goals-against average (2.27). His winning percentage was also .667 (18 wins, 8 losses with four overtime losses).

The playoffs that year, was one of the shorter but stellar performances from a Flyers goalie. In 178 minutes, Neuvirth was 2-1 with a miniscule 0.67 goals against average. He allowed two goals! And a save percentage of .981 on 105 shots on goal! He stole Game 5 in the opening round against Washington. Facing elimination, he made 44 saves as the Flyers (who managed two goals on 11 shots) defeated Washington 2-0 to push it to a sixth game. The Flyers would lose the sixth game at home, but it made many wonder had Neuvirth started the series over Steve Mason would Philadelphia had won that first round?

Neuvirth came back down to earth the following year, posting a .891 save percentage and a .500 winning percentage. His goals against also increased to 2.82 in 28 appearances. But with the potential seen in the goaltender as a backup (or starter if necessary), Neuvirth signed another two-year deal with Philadelphia in March 2017 for $5 million, increasing his cap hit to $2.5 million AAV. The following month Neuvirth collapsed on the ice in a scary situation, sustaining a concussion from what was deemed a fainting spell. Fortunately it ended up being nothing more.

The second deal mirrored the first in some respects, with the goaltender having a strong first year with a 2.60 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. But a problem-plagued second season saw him appear in just seven games for the Flyers, ending up with a .859 save percentage and a terrible 4.27 goals-against average. Neuvirth never played in the NHL after the 2018-19 season.

Of course some would argue that Neuvirth, like any other Flyers goaltender not named Bernie Parent, didn’t get the Flyers to the promised land. And they’d be right. But the Neuvirth signing was generally a good signing. Neuvirth deserved the two-year extension. It’s just that the team in front of him (as Claude Giroux would easily attest to) just wasn’t deep enough to contend.

2) John Vanbiesbrouck — July 8, 1998

Some might argue that Vanbiesbrouck was a horrible signing and they have valid arguments. At the time the Flyers were deciding on whether Vanbiesbrouck, the veteran Rangers and Panthers goaltender, would be the solution to their goaltending issues. Or would Philadelphia be better off with Curtis Joseph, who remained a solid performer, particularly in the playoffs. The Flyers decided on Vanbiesbrouck. Joseph wanted more money and term. The Flyers weren’t keen to part with that much money as they believed there was generally little difference between both keepers. And while the outcome in the two playoff years he was here were not good, Vanbiesbrouck on the whole was good value for the Flyers.

After signing his two-year deal with Philadelphia, the 35-year-old Vanbiesbrouck would be given the bulk of starts. He played in 62 games, ending up with a 27-18-15 record, a .902 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average. But as was the case with most Flyers goaltenders, he could’ve gone undefeated with 50 shutouts and it wouldn’t have mattered. It always has been whether the goalie can be successful in the playoffs. And in both seasons Vanbiesbrouck was a Flyer, the Flyers weren’t. In the opening round against Toronto in 1998-99, the Flyers saw Vanbiesbrouck shutout the Leafs in game one and up 1-0 with under two minutes to go in the second game, close enough to see them take a commanding 2-0 lead heading back to Philadelphia. But Steve Thomas scored at 18:01 of the third, then Mats Sundin scored with 53 seconds to go to even the series at one game apiece. Despite the split, the Flyers swam upstream the rest of the way.

Philadelphia lost in six games, scoring 12 goals in that round. Eight of the 12 goals came in their two victories. So in the four defeats they averaged a goal a game. A few goalies might be capable of pulling off two 1-0 victories in those four games. Vanbiesbrouck wasn’t one of them despite having a .938 save percentage and 1.46 goals-against average. The four losses were by a combined total of four goals, three 2-1 losses (including one in overtime) and a 1-0 defeat in game six. The salt in the wound this entire series was that the Leafs were led by Curtis Joseph in goal, who was still available to Philadelphia when the Flyers inked Vanbiesbrouck. Toronto signed Joseph for four years and $24 million ($6 million AAV) on July 15, 1998. He was there for the taking for Philadelphia, and probably didn’t hate the fact he proved his worth in defeating them.

In 1999-2000, Vanbiesbrouck had a .602 winning percentage with similar numbers (2.20 goals-against average and .906 save percentage) in 50 games. But with the previous season’s playoffs disappointment fresh, the Flyers used Brian Boucher for all 18 playoff games, eventually losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions New Jersey Devils in six games in the conference finals. It was a sad exit to what was on paper a very good stint as a Flyer. To go from a 118-minute shutout streak to start your first playoffs in Philadelphia to not see a second of playoff action the following year proved just how unforgiving the team, and particularly its front office, could be at times.

3) Brian Elliott — July 1, 2017

Like those before him and a few after him, Brian Elliott was signed to sure up the Flyers goaltending woes, particularly being a veteran back-up. Elliott’s first season in Philadelphia saw him with 43 game appearances, sporting a strong .646 winning percentage, a .909 save percentage and a 2.66 goals-against average. Elliott was supposed to be part of the solution now that Steve Mason was no longer in the picture (although his horrid playoff goal allowed against Washington remains in this writer’s noggin). A good first regular season.

However, the Flyers were in tough against the Penguins. And Elliott, much like the Flyers, got hammered in game one, losing 7-0. Looking like deer in the headlights, the Flyers couldn’t do anything right. Elliott was pulled roughly halfway through the game, seeing five go by him on 19 shots. Elliott and the Flyers split the opening two games, but after that the Flyers were no match for the Penguins the next two games. Elliott was in for game three, a 5-0 loss to Pittsburgh but was pulled in game four (a 5-1 loss) for Michal Neuvirth. Elliott never saw any action the rest of the series as the Flyers lost in six games.

In the second year of the deal, Elliott saw less action, playing in 26 games and having a 2.96 goals-against average despite a similar save percentage as his previous season (.907). However, with the Flyers centering their future in a blue-chip prospect in goal, Elliott saw limited action in the pandemic-delayed playoffs, starting a game against the Islanders in the second round but otherwise being used in relief (essentially garbage time). The Flyers seemed fine with Elliott. And he seemed fine with them. Hence the two continued beyond the two-year deal. In 2019 both sides agreed on a one-year $2 million deal and in 2020 the two sides agreed on a $1.5 million one-year deal. Elliott battled some nagging injuries both of those years, and saw his save percentage drop each season as he ended up playing roughly 30 games each of those two final years.

Elliott wasn’t the savior the Flyers have still aspired to find for decades. Yet for the contract and the value he provided in that time, Philadelphia could say it was money spent far more wisely than foolishly.