Selke Trophy award winning center Sean Couturier and the young defensive catalyst Philippe Myers are on the shelf (for the foreseeable future) and Philadelphia’s season is in a downward spiral. The team may have the depth at defense to bench and replace some with others who may be able to act as a band-aid until Myers gets back, but the problem that others may be overlooking (considering the glaring problem on defense) is that of the immediate future at center. For example: when one of the team’s centers go down, who is there to fill in? Last season, when Nolan Patrick was out for the entirety of the season, the Flyers tried to slot in their highly-rated prospect Morgan Frost; Although he looked to always be in the right spot- thanks to his elusive nature- he just could not capitalize on his chances. The team tried to use their prospect Connor Bunnaman but he proved to be more of a role-player on the bottom 6 rather than a point producer like what was needed. With these two unable to provide the required offense, the Flyers were forced to go out and trade for centers Derek Grant and Nate Thompson at the deadline. Then, with an off-season to work on his game, Frost was presented with another golden opportunity to prove his worth this season: When the team’s number-one center Sean Couturier went down with an injury- a costochondral separation to be more exact. That’s when the ribs separate from the cartilage that connects them to the sternum (or breastbone). With this happening Frost was able to line-up with some of the team’s best players at his sides and lasted just a game and a half before becoming injured himself. In those two games played Frost looked like much of the same player he did last year: Exciting to watch, yes; but unable to benefit from any of the chances he was given- largely due to his diminutive size. At just 5’11 and 170 pounds, Morgan looked out of place, and easily manhandled by their opponents’ gargantuan defenders. This is evident by him being placed on the injured reserve list because he suffered a dislocated left shoulder after colliding with an opponent during a legal check. Now there are more center prospects on the way (thanks to former Flyers’ General Manager Ron Hextall) like Jay O’Brien (who is currently playing for Boston University in the NCAA), but he is still some time away. The big difference here is that O’Brien (who is of similar height to Frost) has dealt with his own injury problems in the past- has learned from them- and has chosen to do something about them. His method was to hit the gym and pack on a good 15-20 pounds of solid muscle to his frame since being drafted.
Getting back to the problem at hand though: what could the Flyers do with the cards that that have been dealt to them currently? Should they go through another season of having to deal with a young star center out due to injury, with no one able to step in and fill their skates? Or should they make a move that could provide them with an inexpensive option that could come in and possibly make a difference starting on day one?
Now I know what you may be thinking: Where are the Flyers going to find someone that can do that right? The free-agent pool has been picked over and things are looking grim, but I have an option that they should try. That player’s name is Henrik Borgstrom, a 23-year-old center who stands at 6’3 and weighs in at over 198 pounds. Borgstrom’s rights are currently held by the Florida Panthers, but this young talented center currently cannot be found on any of the beaches near Sunrise, Florida. Instead, he is back home and currently playing in his native Finland in their top professional league- the Liiga. Why you might ask? Well, the Panthers- although they have drafted very well in the past few years by adding many names to their prospect pool, the team has never done much to help develop their young star players after being drafted. Unlike the Flyers, who keep a close eye on their prospects by having them not too far away in Lehigh Valley, PA, it’s been some time since the Panthers have had a consistent home for their prospects once signed. Instead, they choose to bounce their prospects around from year to year going from the Carolina Monarchs from 1995-97, to the New Haven Beast from 1997-99, to the Kentucky Thoroughblades from 1998-99, the Louisville Panthers from 1999-2001, the San Antonio Rampage from 2002-05, using the Rochester Americans from 2005-2011, back to San Antonio from 2011-15, the Portland Pirates from the ‘15-16 season, then it was up to the Springfield Thunderbirds from 2016-2020 and now they just signed a deal with the Charlotte Checkers only to have them opt out of the approaching ‘20-21 AHL season due to Covid. With all of this movement over the years, and a total lack of direction from the Panthers’ front office and their coaching staff once they’re drafted, these talented players have been largely left to fend for themselves, leaving them to have to navigate their way through the minor league ranks alone and forced to fight tooth and nail just to get a chance to get a look from their big club. Take Owen Tippett for example (the Florida Panthers 2017 1st round pick). Owen is only now just receiving his first real chance at playing with the Panthers this season. He- along with others in the same system- has been doing big things for some time now, but the team has set a precedent of just giving them a hand-full of games the year after being drafted, and if they don’t immediately take off then the Panthers send them back where they came from and forget about them for a long time. This concept has clearly not worked for Florida over the years, seeing that no prospect since the likes of Aaron Ekblad (who the Panthers took back in the 2014 draft with the number one overall selection) has been able to succeed under that model.
This is much of the same case with Henrik Borgstrom (the Panthers 2016 1st round draft selection), who is now fed up with the way he was being treated by the Panthers and chose to sign for the remainder of this year with the HIFK of Finland, instead of signing the extended offer sheet proposed to him by Florida. But this was not just another case of a foreign player not being able to adjust to the likes of the North American style game. On the contrary- this Finish forward, whose premier puck-handling abilities, strong wrist shot, and quick release that once had experts drawing comparisons of his game to the likes of Austin Matthews and Pavel Datsyuk, had quite the impressive two years at the University of Denver back in the ‘16-‘17 and ‘17-‘18 seasons. In fact, the 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points (a 1.16 point per game average PPG) he provided for the Pioneers that season helped earn them a division one National Championship that year. Then, to follow it up, Henrik returned for another season at Denver only to top those numbers with 23 goals and 29 assists in 40 games played- totaling 52 points with a 1.30 PPG on the year. That effort was good enough to earn him the honors of being named a Hobey Baker Award finalist (an award given to the top collegiate player) and more importantly (finally) a look by the Panthers.
By this I meant they sent him to the AHL. Borgstrom only managed to be selected as a member of the All-Star team while in Springfield during the ‘18-19 season and posted 5 goals and 17 assists for 22 points in just 24 games played (a .91 PPG) in his first-year pro. This type of performance got him a chance in the NHL with the Panthers that same season. Playing in 50 games during his rookie campaign, Henrik was only able to manage to score 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points that season. That’s just a few points off of the Flyers’ Joel Farabee’s totals last season who (in 52 games played with the Flyers last year) managed to score 8 goals and 13 assists, for 21 points in his rookie season. Now- Borgstrom’s production could have been even better if not for some poor coaching decisions made by the Panthers that saw him giving it all he had on the third and fourth lines that season playing with players far beneath his caliber where, unlike Joel, Henrik was forced to use his dangling skills (or stick handling ability) to do it all seeing that the Panthers did not have the depth that the Flyers do at the time. This was something that Henrik had in college but did not have to rely on as heavily. If the Panthers had taken the time to groom Borgstrom (like the Flyers are trying to do with Frost by playing him alongside the team’s best players) and not throw him to the wolves (and thus setting him up to fail) his growth may have continued instead of stalling. If that wasn’t enough: After a stellar first year, the Panthers chose to do what they do best and stick him back in the minors (where he came from) and forget about him. Florida is now choosing to replace him in the depth chart with the next man up if you will- another Finish forward (22-year-old Aleksi Heponiemi) who is a laughable 5’10 and 148 pounds! You can see why Henrik (like others before him stuck rotting in the Panthers’ system) choose to take his talents elsewhere this year.
Not to worry though: Borgstrom was smart enough to sign a deal in the Liiga this year with an outlet clause that allows him to return to North America to play if he so chooses to return. Now, the Panthers are reporting that things are all fine between the two and they are indeed having talks with Borgstrom about a possible return; but Henrik and fellow Finnish star, and current Panthers prospect, Aleksi Saarela (who has also taken his talents back home this season after finding himself in the same predicament after spending just 9 games last year with the Panthers- where he was able to post 4 points during that time before being sent back down to the minors) say otherwise.
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Rescuing Henrik Borgstrom from the clutches of the Florida Panthers would mean an obvious trade. Most fans may be thinking “hey, why don’t we trade them Shayne Gostisbehere- the team’s offensively-minded defenseman, who hails from Florida and has been out of favor with the Flyers for some time now?” If this is you, I would urge you to take a look at the Panthers’ lineup and see that they already have an offensively-minded defenseman of their own named Keith Yandle that management has begun to have a falling out with, but who they are stuck still paying $6.35 million a year. So, a deal would have to come from elsewhere. But never fear- much like the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets just had to do by trading their unhappy star players, this one seems to be on a similar collision course. Lucky for the Flyers it should not cost them anywhere near what the previously mentioned trade did in order to acquire this Finnish forward, seeing that Florida has yet to make him a consistent player within the NHL ranks.
What would this trade do for the Flyers? Well, if this current and past season has shown us anything, depth is a key part of a team’s success. It brings reassurance to a team and its management that if a player does go down, then a more-than-capable replacement is going to be there to fill in and be ready and willing to take on whatever challenges come his way. This particular reassurance is coming by way of an offensively-gifted player with the size needed to sustain the rigors of the grueling NHL season, who could not only step in on day one and provide the help needed in the faceoff dots if and when another star center goes down, but whose stick-handling skills has provided the ability to quarterback a power play from the point and shows the versatility to possibly transition to wing when needed. Henrik possesses an elite level skill with the puck on his stick that few other players in the NHL have. A possible trade for Borgstrom would see an immediate upgrade over Frost and would bring a more proven dynamic scorer and playmaker into the team’s fold. Why rely on the uncertainty of if and when Morgan Frost will be able to conquer his short comings and be able to contribute on a consistent level? Aren’t you tired of seeing your favorite team just being good enough to make the playoffs every year, only to get bounced out by some team more talented than them? Why not go out and take a shot at acquiring a piece that can provide more than just a band-aid for now and most certainly will develop into another cog in the Flyers’ current quest for the Cup? The Flyers have a wealth of prospects for sure, but why not make room for others still coming, by getting rid of ones in positions where we have an abundance. Doing this would allow the Flyers to acquire a better player in a position we need NOW! So what if a pick or two has to be included. A pick is just another unproven player. Henrik has proven he can indeed play this game on its highest level already. Why not call up Florida’s general manager Bill Zito and keep him on the phone until he agrees to a trade the exceptionally talented, but frustrated, Henrik Borgstrom to the Flyers? What say you?
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