Photo Credit: Zack Hill
After Saturday afternoon’s practice, the Flyers announced they have recalled 19-year-old Forward Joel Farabee from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL). When Farabee was sent down earlier this week it was clear that he would not be down long, as General manager Chuck Fletcher said it was his decision to send Farabee down, and that there was no change in Farabee’s stock within the franchise. The recall comes at a time where the Flyers are hot, after of a 5-2 win over their division rival New York Rangers.
Farabee may sit as a healthy scratch for a game or two, as lineups typically do not change (barring a move like a trade or injury) after a win. With that being said, newly acquired forward Derek Grant missed practice for a maintenance day after taking a puck to his hand during Friday night’s game. If Grant is unable to go Sunday afternoon, Farabee may take his spot in the lineup. This will likely cause a shift in the lines, as Grant and Farabee play different roles within the Flyers system. Farabee is a Winger, while Grant plays primarily Center. If Grant is unable to go it is likely that Scott Laughton or Michael Raffl slides to the Center spot to fill his role.
For now though, it seems like Farabee’s status for Sunday’s matinee against the Rangers relies on Grant’s ability to play. We will likely see an update on this situation early tomorrow morning before the game. If Farabee is inserted into the lineup, I would expect him to come out aggressive, as his demotion likely lit a fire within him. He will come out with a chip on his shoulder to prove to the Flyers brass that he deserves a roster spot long-term.
Good! Because we need Farabee in our line-up, instead of both Grant and Thompson! We must decide that which one to play in our four-line center position, likely Grant, and use the other likely Thompson as a reserve, because our team did not need two four-line centers!