Photo Credit: telusinternational.com
When the Flyers selected Oskar Lindblom in the 5th round of the 2014 draft, they could have only dreamed they get the kind of return on their investment that they did. Oskar may have taken a while to develop, but develop he did! Before finding out he had Ewing’s Sarcoma (a rare and very aggressive form of bone cancer) Lindblom managed to play his way into the Flyers top six. He was also the teams leading goal scorer with eleven goals before finding out the bad news in December.
The Flyers have now been left with the uncertainty of, just when this emerging 23-year-old Swedish sniper may, or if he will ever be able to return to the lineup (Praying he does). Flyers General Manager Chuck Fletcher will be obliged to tackle the task of finding a winger with some much-needed size, strength, and goal scoring ability at a price that will not break the bank in leu of Oskar’s absence. What is making that so problematic is the fact that the team has a lengthy list of unrestricted free agents (UFA’s) and restricted free agents (RFA’s) to possibly sign in the off-season.
Question now is do the Flyers really want to draft Lindblom’s replacement this year, and wait conceivably another three or four seasons until that player is ready to join the big club on a full-time basis? The Flyers system is loaded with plenty of depth at Center, defense, and at Goaltending, but that’s not the case at Wing. The Flyers do have Wing prospects like David Kase, Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Isaac Ratcliffe, Carsen Twarynski, and Wade Allison who are close, but most are still unsigned or vastly unproven at the American Hockey League (AHL) level (Except Kase). Therefore, most certainly none of them would be able to step in next year, and fill a spot as one of the Flyers top six forwards.
So, what’s the answer? Do the Flyers turn to their depth at Center and try to convert yet another natural center into a Wing? Much like they did with both Claude Giroux and Scott Laughton. Let’s hope not!
If Chuck Fletcher is unable to use his multitude of stockpiled picks to drop down in this year’s entry draft, to the point where he can be assured that the guy he decides on is going to be playing on South Broad Street next season. Then he should look to trade for one of another team’s prospect that is already in their system, and is ready to make the jump to the NHL on a full-time basis next season. One that may have not been able to already because of either depth in their position in the NHL already, or their organizations inability to trust young players at the highest level consequently denying them their rightfully shot at the NHL. Something that Flyers Head Coach Alain Vigneault and GM Chuck Fletcher seem to have no problem doing; instead they encourage the growth of the youth in the system even making moves in order to do so when necessary.
In a previous article back in January titled “The Time For The Flyers To Act Is Now” I proposed three such potential prospects that the Flyers could obtain to help them right away. One being winger Owen Tippett who at the present time is stuck idling in the Florida Panthers farm system. Owen is now 6’1″ and weighs 201 pounds. This 21-year-old elite marksmen was drafted in the 1st round of the 2017’s entry draft. Tippett currently makes just $873,000 a year until the end of the 2021-2022 season.
The next player I discussed in that article was Nashville’s prospect winger Eeli Tolvanen. Eeli is 20-years-old, stands at 5’10″ and weighs 192 pounds. Tolvanen was drafted in the 1st round back in 2017. He can score from just about anywhere, and would plug into the Flyers lineup seamlessly offering some much-needed scoring depth at Winger. His talents are currently being wasted away in Milwaukee playing for the Admirals (the teams AHL affiliate). Eeli currently collects just $894,000 from the Predators until the end of 2020-2021.
The last player that I reviewed in that article was winger Jason Robertson who is now 20-years-old, and is trapped in the Dallas Stars farm system. He now stands at 6’2″ and weighs 201 pounds. Robertson makes just $795,000 through the 2021-2022 season. This young Winger’s talents are off the charts, as well. Presently, all these prospects are stuck in the same position from when I last wrote about them in January, and all of which Chuck Fletcher should still have on his radar.
Let’s add to that list, now shall we? A name that should join that ever-growing list is Tampa Bay’s prospect Taylor Raddysh. A 22-year-old right Winger, who for whatever reason hasn’t yet been able to make the jump to the NHL. Raddysh was a 2nd round pick in the 2016 entry draft, is now a towering 6’3″ and weighs 216 pounds. He is set to make just $833,000 through the end of the 2020-2021 season, and has generated points on a regular basis for the teams AHL affiliate the Syracuse Crunch the past two season’s. This year Raddysh amassed 19 goals, and chipped in 16 assists for a total of 35 points in 62 games played. Taylor isn’t afraid to use his size and strength to gain control of the puck; in doing so Raddysh flourishes in board battles, and in front of the net. If given the chance to play with quality players Taylor would thrive.
Another player that fits the same criteria as metioned above is a the New York Islanders prospect Kieffer Bellows, who was drafted back in the 1st round of the 2016 entry draft. Bellows, now 21-years-old has risen to stand at 6’1″ and weighs 194 pounds. He usually plays Left Wing, and is inked for just $894,000 through the 2020-2021 season. This proven finisher looks like a chip off the old block (whose father is Brian Bellows a long time Minnesota North Star lamp lighter), as he did see some NHL time this year posting two goals, and one assist for a total of three points in eight games played. His AHL numbers through 52 games were 22 goals, and nine assists totaling 31 points.
Lastly, is 22-year-old winger Julien Gauthier. Gauthier is an impressive 6’4″ stocky player that weighs in at 227 pounds. Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016 in the 1st round, Julien has since been traded to the New York Rangers. He too received some playing time in the NHL this year, but only managed to total just three assists in 17 games. Spending most of the season with the Charlotte Checkers (the Hurricanes AHL affiliate) Gauthier netted 26 goals, and 11 assists for 37 points in 44 games played. In Charlotte, Julien used his size to his advantage playing a very physical game that he paired well with his excellent skating ability and impressive puck handling skills. Gauthier looks to have all the intangibles needed to be a prolific goal scorer in the NHL, even managing to draw comparisons to a young Rick Nash by some experts.
What all six of these players have is the ability and pure talent to prosper with the Flyers next season. With all the talents they possess, with the size and strength they have, these are some intangibles the Flyers so desperately need. What they would benefit from most though is an opportunity to prove themselves on a line with other talented players. Far too often when these type players are called up to the big club, they are placed in a situation that sets them up to fail. Often finding themselves on the fourth line plugging in a hole that the existing NHL fourth liner left open after they filled the actual vacancy left by an injured player on a superior line. This is something that Alain Vigneault does not do to his young players. Rather he sets them up for success playing them alongside proven NHL stars, who tutor the young players in game, this results in a boost to their self-confidence level and calms them down all at the same time. If the Flyers want to contend again next season, they will need help on the Wing. The problem is they don’t have time to wait for one of their prospects to develop, nor do they have the money to sign a big-name free agent to fill Oskar’s void. With that being said, a package deal for one of these other teams ready prospects in exchange for a Flyers player that is longer needed on the current roster and or does not fit into coach Vigneault’s system would allow guys like prospect Mark Friedman for example (who’s contract is minimal at best) to easily step into the role of the teams 6th defensemen next season giving him his shot and not creating a new hole in the lineup via the trade. Pairing one of those expendable players from a position where we have depth at the NHL level with a draft pick or two and or other top-rated prospects in our system (from positions of depth like was mentioned before) and it should be enough to get the job done. Thus, acquiring a scoring Winger with size and strength, who has a reasonable contract and could slot in the Flyers top six next year.
Chuck Take Your Pick: 2019-2020 AHL Season Stats
| Player | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Owen Tippet | 19 | 21 | 41 |
| Eeli Tolvanen | 21 | 15 | 36 |
| Jason Robertson | 25 | 22 | 47 |
| Taylor Raddysh | 19 | 16 | 35 |
| Kieffer Bellows | 22 | 9 | 31 |
| Julien Gauthier | 26 | 11 | 37 |
