This week’s Flyers Prospects Mailbag is a bit brief with only one question. Still, it is a great question that deserves attention.
https://twitter.com/negadelphia76/status/1064625887000301571
This is a great question, and there are two ways we can approach answering it. First, when should Mikhail Vorobyev return to the Philadelphia Flyers roster? Second, when will he receive a call-up from the organization?
Let’s focus on when he should get called first. That answer is quite simple. It’s now. There is no denying that the Flyers have been underwhelming at this juncture of the season. The team is in desperate need of change before the wheels come entirely off. Confidence in Ron Hextall making a big move via trade or making adjustments to the coaching staff is low. He has done little to show that he is going to deviate from his plan. If that indeed is the case, the least he can do is make a few call-ups and inject this team with youth that will bring hunger and determination to the ice. Vorobyev should be at the top of the list of prospects to call up. Yes his first stint in the NHL did not go as planned. However, the verdict is still out on who is responsible for that. You know he has something to prove and is a better option than any of the players he should replace in the lineup. My PSN colleague, Jamey Baskow, and I were discussing this subject, and he made a suggestion I can get behind. He would like to see the Flyers call-up Vorobyev, move Scott Laughton to 3C, remove Jordan Weal from the line-up, and slot in Vorobyev as 4C. Weal is one of the players where what you see is what you get. He is replaceable, and the team would be better off giving Vorobyev another shot.
Now let’s move to when Hextall will actually decide to call Vorobyev back up to Philadelphia. As we all know, this is a much more difficult question to answer. Predicting the moves Hextall will make has become a fool’s errand. He does not let any information leak and will not deviate from his plan. Who knows what Hextall’s plan for Vorobyev is. I’d assume he’s open to giving him some more opportunities with the Flyers this season but I’d be far from shocked if he’s convinced himself Vorobyev needs another year with the Phantoms.
I’m aware this answer was both complex and unclear. What it boils down to is that Vorobyev should get the call-up right now but nobody knows what Hextall has planned for the young center.
Thank you so much to all of the people who provided questions for Flyers Prospects Mailbag! If you missed out this week, keep an eye on Twitter for my next request for your prospect questions.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
