In this week’s Flyers Prospect Mailbag, we spend some time discussing where some of the prospects will play next season. Who will crack the pro roster and who will play in Lehigh Valley? How about mid-season call-ups?
Let’s get right to it!
This is a tough one. I don’t want to say Morgan Frost because I still feel he will make the Flyers out of camp. Joel Farabee is probably the next safest answer but I don’t feel like giving you response every other person would. I am going to go with Isaac Ratcliffe. The 6-foot-6 winger has transformed into an absolute powerhouse for the Guelph Storm, scoring 50 goals in the regular season. The amount of skill and size Ratcliffe possesses is not seen every day and I expect him to have an immediate impact for Lehigh Valley.
From Craig Bowen:
When does camp begin this Summer? Which kid will make the FLYER’S this year out of Camp? Which ones do you see being a call-up midseason? Thanks, John.
Hey Craig, the prospect camp will take place this June in Voorhees.
I truly wish I knew wish prospects will make the Flyers roster out of camp. However, there are so many uncertainties regarding the current roster and offseason moves. Of course, this will affect how many, and which, prospects will start the year in the NHL. The way I see it, Chuck Fletcher will address the need for a 2C and possible top-six winger through free-agency. If the Flyers only obtain a center via the free agent market, there is a potential third-line winger spot open for someone such as Morgan Frost or Joel Farabee. If Philadelphia grabs a winger as well, circumstances will get a little trickier. The Flyers will have to subtract from the roster if they want to slot in a Frost or Farabee. In regards to the defense, Phil Myers and Samuel Morin will be the only inexperienced youth to start the year in Philadelphia. I’m not convinced about Morin but I’ll put him there for now.
Regarding mid-season call-ups, I believe there are a lot of options. Obviously, if Frost or Farabee don’t make the team out of camp, expect them to be called up at some point. Other players to keep an eye out for are Isaac Ratcliffe, German Rubtsov, Mark Friedman, Matt Strome, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and maybe even Connor Bunnaman. It really all depends on how the team is performing and whether or not injuries occur.
Hey Anthony, thank you for all of the questions. I answered a few of these up above. For the sake of avoiding repetition, I’m just going to skip to question three. I mentioned a lot of names as possible mid-season call-ups but I do believe a few of them will stay put in Lehigh Valley for the entirety of next season. Players such as Connor Bunnaman and Matt Strome will likely play the full year with the Phantoms which is not a bad thing. I also would not be surprised if German Rubtsov spends the whole year in Lehigh Valley depending on how he performs. His sample size was small last year and I’m still not prepared to move him to the NHL-ready group yet.
To be honest, I have thought very little about the Seattle expansion draft. If he is still around, I think Jakub Voracek goes.
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: Derrik Bobb
