The Flyers have re-invented themselves in a matter of a season. Chuck Fletcher made some ballsy moves with acquiring Cam Atkinson (While losing a point producer in Jakub Voracek), Rasmus Ristolainen, and Ryan Ellis via trade. Moreover, Fletcher signed Derick Brassard, Keith Yandle, Martin Jones, and Nate Thompson to contracts via free agency. What do most of these players have in common? Leadership, most of the players aforementioned are former Assistant Captains for previous teams.
There is no secret that the orange and black are stockpiled with some bull-dog prospects that are chomping at the bit to make the big club. Some proud prospects will finally see some time with the big club this season. Finally, Flyers training camp is upon us, and the proud orange-clad fans are pumped. They are ready for training camp to get underway, as they will be allowed to enter Voorhees for the first time this season.
Fans do not have to show proof of vaccination, they only have to wear a mask.
Lots of positional battles will ensue at this year’s Training Camp: second-third-fourth line center positions, third-line right wing given the injury to Wade Allison, and a seventh defenseman position
Key Positional Battles:
Potential Second, Third & Fourth Line Centers- Claude Giroux, Morgan Frost, Tanner Laczynski, Connor Bunnaman, Scott Laughton, Nate Thompson, Derick Brassard
“He said in one of the texts he sent me: AV, we got this early. I would love to still be around the team during training camp to be able to go through the meetings, and we’ve got a lot of new faces, and I’d like to help out,“ Vigneault said about Kevin Hayes. “So I’m all for that. Told him I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I want him around the team.”
Hayes will miss training camp after having abdominal surgery yesterday. He will be out 6-8 weeks, and miss approximately 1-3 weeks of the season. In his place this opens the door for a bulldog prospect named Morgan Frost, or even Claude Giroux:
“He’s (Morgan Frost) one of the young players that is going to get an opportunity here because we have a normal training camp, because we have six exhibition games, he’ll get an opportunity to show what he can do on the ice.” – Alain Vigneault
Frost has only played in two organized hockey games in the past year and a half. However, Frost did look good in developmental camp and rookie camp. He also has high end skill, and is bigger and stronger than he was two years ago. According to Frost at rookie camp, he said he weighs 190 pounds. Ian Laperrière said he put in the work at home, and is definitely bigger and stronger. He also gave Frost a vote of confidence following the second rookie game this past Sunday:
“For sure. For me he does. He was physical. I just talked to him before I got up here and he felt great,” he said on Sunday. “He was a little bit tired, like I gave him quite a bit of ice-time, which I wanted to test him in different situations I would like to see him in, and management would like to see him too. I thought he looked great…He’s such a smart player, he can adjust. I’m just happy for him that he put the work in. He looks bigger, he looks stronger, and even playing in his battles out there, he did. And all credit to him, he went back home and put the work in and it’s paying off right now. I told him already, I want him to make the Flyers. I hope he does. I hope I don’t see him. I’ll be honest, I hope I don’t see any of those kids, I hope they make the NHL.”– Ian Laperrière
Frost and Giroux will battle for the second line center position, with Giroux getting a look to see how comfortable he would be at this particular center position again. If the Flyers go with Frost, then Frost will more than likely be centering two veteran players to make him more comfortable, as Alain Vigneault alluded to yesterday at his press conference with the media. Frost will indeed be centering two veteran players when camp opens on Thursday at 8:30am sharp.
Third Line and Fourth Line Center
Derick Brassard and Nate Thompson were signed as a depth centers for these exact reasons, and given the event Frost wasn’t ready for the NHL given he has only played two games in a year and a half. The Flyers went down this road last year with Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom, as both missed significant times with their situations. Both players suffered early and through the greater parts of last season as a whole conditioning wise due to such. Fletcher did not want this to happen again, but unfortunately the Flyers are caught in a pickle here.
However, the good news is that Connor Bunnaman, Tanner Laczynski, Jackson Cates, Nate Thompson are all healthy. Let’s not forget about Scott Laughton and his versatility to move up and down the lineup/wherever Vigneault needs him to plug a hole. Whatever the case maybe, this will be intersting to see who comes out on top.
Third Line Right Wing– Max Willman, Tyson Foerster, Linus Sandin, Scott Laughton
Willman has very good puck skills, and has great lateral mobility and edging. He can make plays at high tempo, and he may not be be the fastest skater but he skates well. Willman clocks in at 6’0 and weighs 183 pounds. Of course, like most prospects he needs to get bigger and stronger, and could always improve their skating abilities. Willman has a heavy shot, and is dead accurate when he shoots. He can pick apart the net with the best of them, and this is his time to shine.
Linus Sandin was amongst the league’s highest goal scorers with 19 in the SHL for HV71 two years ago, as he finished tied for third in this particular category. This smooth skating Winger in Sandin finished the season with 36 points (19g,17a) in 51 games played for HV71 in 2019-20. The 23-year-old Winger in Sandin stands at 6’1″ and weighs 209 pounds, and immediately provides much needed size on the Wing. Sandin can board battle with the best of them, and he is a good skater. He got better as the year wore on with the Phantoms last season.
Tyson Foerster is only 19-years-old and he may actually get a chance to make this team outright. He’s a sniper the Flyers have craved for years, but he will have to blow the doors off training camp in order to make this team. It’s possible he does this, as let’s not forget Travis Konecny making the team outright of camp in 2015. No one, and I mean no one thought Konecny would make the team out of camp, but the rest is history. Foerster has the size and his skating is a bit improved, then when he played for the Barrie Colts in 2019-20.
Nothing more needs to be written about the versatility of Scott Laughton. Laughton does everything and does it well. If Vigneault wants him to be in the top 6…no problem, if Vigneault wants him to play wing…no problem, if Vigneault wants him to play center…no problem. He kills penalties well, and is a great veteran asset to have to help stabilize the youth.
Defense- The only battle, for once, is for the seventh defensive position between Adam Clendening and Nick Seeler
Fortunately for once the defense is set with the pairings looking like this give or take:
Provorov, Ellis
Sanheim, Ristolainen/Braun
Yandle, Braun/Ristolainen
Maybe, just maybe Alain Vigneault would like to give Sanheim a veteran defenseman to play with like Justin Braun. For once the Flyers have equal lefties and righties as defensemen, which is very rare to have in the NHL today. Adam Clendening and Nick Seeler both have NHL experience, and were signed by Fletcher for depth purposes in case of injuries to their top six. Much like Nate Prosser was last season.
Goaltending: None. Carter Hart and Martin Jones
I just have the feeling Carter Hart will rebound. Martin Jones should have trouble playing between the pipes this season, as Hart will be that good.
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Kirill Ustimenko, Felix Sandström, and Samuel Ersson will compete head to head for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms starting job, and backup position for the Phantoms. Moreover, one of these prospect netminders will wind up playing for the Reading Royals at some point, as well.
Schedule:
The Flyers have a total of 58 players to training camp: 33 F, 20 D, 5 G= 58
Flyers schedule for Thursday:
GROUP C: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
GROUP A: 10:00 – 11:45 a.m.
GROUP B: 1:00 – 2:45 p.m.
INJURY UPDATES:
Kevin Hayes- abdominal surgery on Sept. 21, out 6-8 weeks
Samuel Morin- right knee surgery to have loose bodies removed on Sept. 10 – out 6-8 weeks
Wade Allison- High right ankle sprain, out indefinitely
Fans:
Fans will be allowed, and they do not have to show proof of vaccination. All that is required is a mask to be worn at all times.
