What were the Phantoms thinking, and why did they jump the gun with their most recent signings?

Photo Credit: Lehigh Valley Phantoms

The Philadelphia Flyers made the wise move of signing two of their previous draft selections (2017 5th round pick forward Noah Cates- who won a NCAA Championship in 2019 with the University of Minnesota-Duluth; and 2019 3rd round pick, right-hand-shot defenseman Ronnie Attard- who played for Western Michigan University) after their teams were both beaten in their respective Regional Finals. Afterward, the Phantoms (the Flyers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate) tried to go out and do something similar by signing two other NCAA players this time to Professional Try Out (PTO) contracts. The question is: Out of all the undrafted free agents who were to be had right now, why did they choose these two players?

Their first signing was a 23-year-old goaltender by the name of Darion Hanson who played for the UCONN Huskies this season. Darion suited up for 35 games this year where he finished the season with a less-than-impressive record of 20-15-0 and he was able to maintain a 2.24 goals-against-average (G.A.A.) that he paired with a .923% save percentage (SV%). While that’s all well and good, the fact still remains, with countless other free agent goaltenders available to sign, the Phantoms chose to sign one of the only ones with a losing record for his career. Over Darion’s collegiate career that has spanned four seasons, he finished with an uninspiring record of 50-52-9. With an infinite amount of AHL players’ contracts allowed or not, it leaves a lot to be desired. More importantly, it could possibly leave a far more damaging effect when it comes to the possibility (or now lack thereof) of signing a far more talented free agent goaltending prospect like Dryden McKay. 

Dryden McKay

Currently, McKay plays with the Minnesota State University Mankato, who are still in the running to win a National Championship as they are getting ready to play up in Boston, Massachusetts in the Frozen Four. Dryden, a senior (who’s managed to break practically every NCAA goaltending record there is during his time in the collegiate ranks), will play his last game for the Mankato next week. He may not want to sign with a team whose prospect pipeline is already weighed down with a horde of less-than-stellar guardians of the blue paint. Just for comparison, McKay was 37-4-0 this year with a 1.28 G.A.A. that he paired with a .934 SV%. His career record stands at 112-19-4 and has seen to it that he is a now a three-time Hobey Baker Award Finalist. 

The second questionable signing that the Phantoms made recently was that of the Ohio State Buckeye’s Captain/defenseman Will Riedell. Standing at 6’2 198 pounds, Will may have seemed like a man playing amongst boys at times this season- but that’s because he was! Riedell is 25 years old and still was only able to put up 10 points in 33 games played this season. I ask you, Phantoms management: If a player hasn’t developed into more of a force than that in over five years spent playing in the collegiate ranks, what makes you think he will develop while playing in the AHL? Certainly, there were far better choices to try and sign from the NCAA than that.

Zach Metsa

I mean, they could have gone after 23-year-old senior/right-hand-shot defender Zach Metsa, whose team (the Quinnipiac Bobcats) just got eliminated from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday by the juggernauts known as the Michigan Wolverines. Metsa, who served as an alternate captain, led the team in points this season totaling 10 goals and 27 assists for 37 points in just 42 games played. On top of that, like all players who suit up for the Bobcats’ Head Coach Rand Pecknold, Metsa is defensively minded and finished the year a +38. 

Nick Blankenburg

If the Phantoms were willing to wait, they could have also tried their hand at acquiring Michigan’s captain, defenseman Nick Blankenburg. This Senior has potentially only two games left (only one of which is guaranteed) in his college career. I’m sure he will have texts, emails, and/or voice messages waiting for him on his cell phone in the locker room the minute the final horn sounds on the season. Why? Well, despite Nick’s diminutive size of just 5’9, this 23-year-old right-hand-shot defender can skate with the best of them, and because of that he is ofttimes looked to be the catalyst on the back end who can get the offense going. A born leader, Blankenburg has been entrusted by Head Coach Mel Pearson to act as an on-ice coach of sorts playing alongside the team’s top prospect defensemen over the years, one of whom was the Flyers’ own 1st round pick Cameron York, who had the pleasure of playing with Blankenburg. The other top prospect defenseman is the Sabers’ number one overall draft pick, defenseman Owen Power. With Nick’s on-ice tutelage, both of these young prospects came to Ann Arbor with a lot of raw talent but left/will leave as a polished player. Blankenburg could do the same thing at the next level. Serving as a calming presence on the Phantoms’ blue line as early as this season for the Flyers’ other blue chip defensive prospects. Blankenburg had his best season as a Wolverine this year, scoring 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points in 37 games played. And, when going up against the best the Big 10 has to offer on a nightly basis, Nick still managed to maintain a +17 average this season. 

With the Flyers and Phantoms struggling this year- and Giroux only a memory now- the Flyers’ organization as a whole cannot mess up this off-season. Management cannot fall into the same old practices of making uninformed decisions/singings that will leave this organization with a pipeline yet again stocked full of mediocre, over-aged prospects and/or over-the-hill veterans who are well past their prime. While these two above-mentioned signings are only pro try-outs, they could prove to be the deciding factor while other, more talented players choose to sign with another team who have a clearer path to stardom. (I.E., former Flyers’ draft pick defenseman Wayne Kalynuk). 

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