In this week’s “Flyers Prospects Mailbag”, we touch on a variety of fun topics. There is a lot of interest in which prospect will fill that third-line wing spot. What if Scott Laughton doesn’t come back? Will a prospect become the fourth-line center? We also dive into which prospects are playing where next season.
Without further ado, let’s get on with it!
I agree that both Morgan Frost and German Rubtsov are going to get serious consideration for the third line winger spot. However, I do not think they will be the only ones. Expect Joel Farabee and Isaac Ratcliffe to be strong contenders as well.
As for the fourth line center position, I can see a few things happening if Scott Laughton is not a part of the picture. First, Philadelphia could move Tyler Pitlick to center and have Nicolas Aube-Kubel play on the wing. Pitlick has played the center position before so it is not out of the question. Another option is giving Mikhail Vorobyev another crack at the NHL roster. I believe that the other young forwards on the Phantoms would be better served playing a bigger role in the AHL than playing fourth line minutes in the NHL.
At the end of the day, I think Laughton is a member of the Flyers next season making this a non-issue.
According to Cap Friendly, the Flyers have 43 contracts. The limit is 50. There is a strong possibility that Philadelphia signs Mika Cyr to an entry-level deal. In an interview with PSN’s Jamey Baskow, Cyr stated that he has been invited to training camp. Of course, this is a good sign that Chuck Fletcher has future plans for the young forward.
I assume that the three top prospects you are thinking of are Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Isaac Ratcliffe. Maksim Sushko and Matthew Strome will also be turning pro from the OHL. There are no other college prospects aside from Farabee joining Lehigh Valley this upcoming season. As for Europe, goaltenders Felix Sandstrom and Kirill Ustimenko will be joining the North American pro ranks. Expect Sandstrom to play with Lehigh Valley. Although Ustimenko should be with the Phantoms, there’s a chance he starts in the ECHL.
Next season, Mason Millman will be in the OHL. As of right now, Egor Zamula, Wyatte Wylie, and Roddy Ross will be in the WHL. Wylie is still a candidate for an ELC so he could end up in Lehigh Valley. Egor Serdyuk will be the lone prospect in the QMJHL. Unless something changes, Jay O’Brien will be in the BCHL next season.
As far as college goes, the Flyers will ten prospects in the NCAA. They are Wade Allison, Tanner Laczynski, Noah Cates, Gavin Hain, John St. Ivany, Wyatt Kalynuk, Cam York, Bobby Brink, Ronnie Attard, and Bryce Brodzinski.
In Europe, Philadelphia will have Marcus Westfalt, Samuel Ersson, Adam Ginning, Olle Lycksell, Linus Hogberg, and David Bernhardt.
To me, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee are the co-favorites to earn that third right-wing spot. I give Frost a slight edge, however. I just think that his size and skill make to him a bit more ready than Farabee at this point. Still, it’s going to be one of these two. Ratcliffe would really have to wow some people during camp and the preseason. He’s got a bright future. He just needs some time to develop and transition to the pro game in the AHL.
Although a productive training camp and preseason would benefit Philippe Myers, it will not alter his chances of making the Flyers roster to start the season. The time where we questioned that has now passed. Myers is a part of Philadelphia defense going forward.
This is a great question Leroy. If you look at Greg Carey’s AHL numbers, it’s puzzling that he has never gotten the opportunity to play in the NHL. It took him some time to get where he is, however, he’s been scored over 25 goals for the last four seasons. The harsh truth is that some people are just meant to be career AHLers. General Manager must see something in other players that they don’t see in him or he’d have been called up at least to fill in for an injured player at this point.
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
