Photo Credit: NHL.com
The Flyers organization cannot catch a break with long-term injuries, or injuries that linger throughout an entire Summer. This time it’s happening to an organizational depth piece in Egor Zamula. Unfortunately, the Flyers announced this yesterday about Zamula:
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Egor Zamula underwent successful surgery on his left shoulder on April 10. The surgery was performed at Penn Medicine. He will miss the remainder of the 2023 AHL playoffs and is expected to make a full recovery for training camp this September.
John Tortorella and his staff are laying building blocks for a successful foundation, and that starts with playing hard and wanting to win, even though the Flyers already knew their fate of missing the playoffs for the third straight season. Both he and Danny Briere are committed to the youth, and do not want any vets blocking them from growing. Things never seen brighter for a Zamula with earning a spot with the big club out right out of camp, especially when Flyers’ Interim GM Danny Briere said that the defense is not etched in stone for next season, to me this meant that the Flyers were given opportunities to the young guys to earn spots.
“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.” – Danny Briere said at his season ending presser
“There are some veteran guys that I’m hoping kids take their spot,” Tortorella said at his season ending presser. “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.”
It’s been tough for Flyers fans for the past few seasons, but there might be a silver lining. The time of vets clogging up spots from the youth are a thing of the past. Now it’s time to give each young player a shot. This includes Zamula, and that’s why this injury is bad timing. Zamula could have a golden opportunity to win a spot outright out of camp, the Flyers want this to happen. However, fortunately there is plenty of time to heal and recuperate before training camp commences in September. Let’s hope this trend does not continue in terms of offseason injuries.
Extra Credit:
Our very own Samantha Wismer painted a few cool things on the ice last night at the PPL Center. This is in hopes the Lehigh Valley Phantoms are able to continue their season as they play the last game against the Checkers tonight. The Reading Royals also kick off their playoff series and has the main Mariners tonight
