Photo Credit: Zack Hill
A young man by the name of Elliot “The Destroyer” Desnoyers hails from St-Hyacinthe, QC, CAN, which is located outside of Montreal. Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher traded picks 202 and 209 to the Nashville Predators to move up to select a sharpshooter in Desnoyers with the 135th pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. Desnoyers is a Left Winger/Center, and he’s the former Captain of the Halifax Mooseheads. He was trying to win a job outright at Flyers Camp, but he fell a bit short and was sent to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms where he is the leading point scorer (36) and goal scorer (19) this season.
“I feel ready,” Desnoyers said as he prepared for the season that lied ahead. “I’m going to keep improving for the rest of the summer. It’s going to be a great challenge for me to play against some really great players. Physically, I feel totally ready. I’m not the biggest guy, but I’ve been working hard in the gym, trying to get stronger every day.”
“I think a guy that’s responsible in every aspect of the game in all three zones. A guy that can be used in any situation, penalty kill, power play, a lot of offense as well. Just being a complete player.“ – Elliot Desnoyers said of the role the coaching staff may want him to play
Once seen as a project pick for the Flyers after being traded from the Moncton Wildcats. Desnoyers brings a combination of high-end skating and hockey sense that makes him a dangerous player without the puck. He plays a good two-way game, and is rarely out of position. Desnoyers blocks shots, gets into the passing lanes, provides high energy, and simply plays the game the right way.
All of this above was evident in his NHL Debut last night against the New Jersey Devils. He may have not have achieved the outcome he wanted in his debut getting blown out 7-0, however, he was very impressive. In the first period he threaded a beautiful pass to Scott Laughton who missed a tap in goal, which would have been Desnoyers’ first NHL point. In addition, he managed to block three shots, registered six hits, and played 14:53.
“Just being here is awesome, the coaching staff is great. I’ve learned a lot already.” – Elliot Desnoyers said following his NHL Debut
Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella sounded off on Desnoyers following the game, “I thought he was terrific.”
“The Destroyer” Desnoyers provided a leadership role with a rebuilding Halifax Mooseheads club in his first season, and he increased his production last season en route to a career year. The good news for Desnoyers was he was utilized in every situation to include the top Power Play Unit. Unfortunately, the Flyers have needed help with a successful Power Play Unit for the past few seasons, so maybe Desnoyers can provide something to this unit if he were given the chance when his time arises in the NHL.
The young 21-year-old in Elliot Desnoyers had the potential for big point totals this year. As a fifth-round pick, Desnoyers kept his game simple, and this approach lead to a breakout season with 42 goals and 46 assists for the Mooseheads in his final season with them. He’s playmaker with a high-end shot. Flyers’ Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr is high on the young man:
“Elliot Desnoyers had a productive year in Halifax and played a strong, two-way game with lots of passion. As he matures physically and gets stronger, his game should continue to grow.”– Brent Flahr said earlier last year
Elliot Desnoyers said his parents were at his brother’s Canada game when they found out he got recalled. He said his parents started driving at 2am to make the game to watch him play.
This young Phantoms Forward got the call when he was watching the Flyers game on Friday night. Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperrière called him and said, “He just wished me good luck, and that I worked hard. He said keep playing like I was down there.”
“Coaches often talk about details, that’s something that I really take pride in doing,” Desnoyers said at developmental camp, “I love to study the game and it’s something that helps me a lot. Talking about the offensive game, I try to watch some games, pro players. If you want to play in the NHL, you have to be good in all zones basically. It’s something that I’ve been studying for a long time, like you said, I kind of added that to my game. But I’ve always knew that that offensive touch, was just for me to have that role and to prove it to everyone.”
Desnoyers is a talented, skilled forward that has great vision of the ice, and can skate with the best of them. That was definitely evident last night. He has a lethal wrist shot, great acceleration, and is a determined young man. Could Desnoyers be flushing out some other prospects in the Flyers system? Maybe so, but in the end his NHL Debut was a night you will never forget, nor his parents.
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