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Stolarz making case to be with Flyers full-time next season

2012 NHL Entry Draft - Rounds 2-7

PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 23: Anthony Stolarz, 45th overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers, looks on during day two of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft at Consol Energy Center on June 23, 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Ron Hextall went into the season with an open mind about his goaltending. The Flyers’ general manager didn’t want to commit to anything before he had to, and he still hasn’t yet.

And so Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth, who both played very well last season, are still pending unrestricted free agents, and potential goalie of the future, Anthony Stolarz, is still just the potential goalie of the future.

That being said, if you had to bet on a tandem for next season, the current favorites would be Mason and Stolarz. The former has bounced back after a tough start, winning seven in a row with a .930 save percentage over that stretch. The latter was called up to replace the injured Neuvirth and has won both his starts, including Sunday’s 28-save shutout of the Red Wings in Detroit.

“It’s exciting, that’s for sure. I couldn’t have drawn it up any better and when you’re a kid dreaming of playing at Joe Louis Arena,” Stolarz told reporters. “It’s something you can’t even put into words. I’m excited, but I’m more excited to have the [nine-game winning] streak going.”

The 22-year-old did not just come out of nowhere. He was a second-round draft pick in 2012, the fourth goalie selected that year, and has been developing slowly but surely the past couple of seasons in the AHL. He was 6-2-0 with a .927 save percentage for Lehigh Valley prior to getting the call.

“He’s been amazing, very confident,” Jakub Voracek said, per CSN Philly. “He made a couple huge saves (in Detroit), especially on the penalty kill in the third period.”

The first goalie selected in 2012 was Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay’s goalie of the future, so it’s not too big a stretch to picture Stolarz full-time in the NHL next season.

Of course, that would mean bidding adieu to either Mason and Neuvirth, perhaps even prior to the trade deadline. The latter’s numbers this season (4-2-0, .859) won’t help his value, but with a cap hit of just $1.625 million, he may garner interest, especially if he can show something when he gets healthy.