The Flyers began the season with a simple competition for the starting goaltending role. Dan Vladar started one game and Sam Ersson started the next. It was a fair way to give each goaltender a chance to put themselves above the other.
And now, five games into the season, the Flyers have deviated from the plan. With that, they may be tipping their hand as to which goaltender they believe gives them the best chance at this time. Right now, that is the newcomer in Vladar.
This move doesn't come as a particular surprise. While the expectation was that Ersson would begin the season as the starting goaltender, his counterpart earned the opening night start after a rather impressive preseason.