Egor Zamula will sit tonight, Morgan Frost is benched again for the Flyers

Zamula has shown enough to earn another game. He has gotten off to a great start to the season, but yet he is about to be benched for the second time this season, in what will be just four games into the season. He got bigger and stronger in the offseason, plus his confidence is much better just go around. This is something that Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella and Danny Briere have preached time and time again throughout the course of the season, “We’re not looking out to go sign a big-time free agent with lots of term on a contract at the moment,” Briere said at his season ending presser. “We want to give our young players the opportunity to develop, and we want to see what we have before kind of blocking some of the young guys.”

It’s become increasingly clear that Zamula is an asset, or he may have possibly been sent down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He is no longer waivers exempt, and now it’s in Zamula’s hands to show that he belongs. He is doing that as Zamula has played very well early in the season accumulating one goal and one assist, and is a plus three. Zamula is no longer seems skittish when he is pressured, and he’s making the right plays more often than not. It hasn’t been perfect, but he has been very good in the same token.

Tortorella wanted Zamula to make the play more quickly. If he sees it, then make it without hesitating. This has been a work in progress on this part, but he has been much smoother in that regard. He has shown poise, and makes some nice clean zone exits. Honestly, Zamula did a good job and he could be part of the solution moving forward for the Flyers, as his game has grown in the early going of the season. Even with how good he has been, Tortorella is hesitant to label him as an everyday sixth defenseman. He hinted at it not being fair to the other youth like Emil Andrae, for instance. Tortorella says there will be struggles for everyone, Zamula included.

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“There are some veteran guys that I’m hoping kids take their spot. As I just got through with Danny, as we looked at some of the guys, I think we’re gonna have healthy competition in all spots. I think you’ll look at our forward position, I think some kids have progressed nicely there as far as our youth. I think the next spot is defense. I’d like to see some youth come into there and push some people because there’s no locks. Not judged on the overall play of all those players are back there, there’s no locks there. I’m hoping some kids come in here. Certainly not going to be given – I’m certainly not going to disrespect the veteran guys and want to get them out of there. Everybody’s going to have to earn their spot. I think it’s another year and you’re still trying to go through the process. I’m anxious to see what camp looks like next year with some of the guys that’s played down in Lehigh that were interested in.” – Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella said at his season ending presser

So in the end, why would Tortorella bench Zamula in favor of playing Emil Andrae? Andrae needs to play, like Torts says, to which I agree. However, the easiest benching could have been Nick Seeler or Marc Staal, both of whom are not part of the rebuild in the coming years, at least at the moment. Zamula has outplayed both defensemen, he should be playing.

This is by no means throwing shade against Torts, but it’s time to take the gloves off the youth if they are continuing to show progress. With playing Andrae, I will not criticize Torts, he continues to shuffle the lineup with the youth, to allow each one to play. He has been honest in that regard. I just think Zamula has earned another game, as he has one goal and one assist on the season. In addition, Zamula is a plus three. What do you think Flyers fans, should Zamula play or not?