Flyers’ Lyon is feeling the heat in Philly

After an up and down season in 2016-17, Philadelphia Flyers goaltending prospect Alex Lyon is facing a true “make or break” campaign in 2017-18. In his latest article for Broad Street Hockey, Flyers blogger Kurt R. takes a look at the team’s goaltending pipeline and examines Lyon’s chances of earning a full-time NHL job in the future.

While the addition of Brian Elliott and the departure of Steve Mason grabbed most of the headlines this summer in terms of Flyers goaltending news, the emergence of their young stable of goaltenders is compelling story in its own right. Youngsters like Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Carter Hart and Felix Sandstrom have made things interesting in the Flyers crease.

Lyon was signed in 2016 as an NCAA free-agent and he posted a respectable 2.74 GAA and .912 Sv% in his first season of pro hockey with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Not bad, except he ultimately lost the starting role to Stolarz when the going got tough heading into the Calder Cup Playoffs. Lyon would get a shot at redemption when Stolarz would go down with an injury, but ultimately he was done in by injury himself. Flyers GM Ron Hextall has maintained that the pair will “battle it out” for the top spot in Lehigh Valley once again next season.

With Lyon’s two-year, $1.85 million contract expiring next offseason, it’s truly a make or break campaign for the youngster. Can he deliver and earn himself a full-time spot in the NHL for 2018-19?