The boring days are almost over. Hockey is starting to reappear and we will be reaching interesting times shortly. This week’s “Flyers Prospects Mailbag” comes with a handful of interesting questions that I really enjoyed answering.
Let’s get right to it, shall we?
First, I’d liked to mention that there is no guarantee that Morgan Frost or Joel Farabee will be the first prospect to crack the Flyers roster. Of course, they are the current front runners and for good reason. However, neither of them have seen any professional hockey action. Training camp and the preseason could prove that both of these prospects need a little seasoning down in Lehigh Valley.
If we take Frost and Farabee out of the equation, I believe the next prospect up will be German Rubtsov. He will likely get some time in the AHL to prove that last season’s 14 games were not a fluke. Still, if he can build off last year’s success in that small sample size, there’s no reason he cannot be a candidate for a mid-season call up.
The tricky part of this question is figuring out where he will fit in the lineup. He has to be able to slot in somewhere in the top-nine for a call up to make sense. Putting him on the fourth line does little for his long term development. At this point, there would need to be an injury or a player would have to really struggle for a Rubtsov mid-season callup to occur.
For someone who follows the prospects closely, this player might not fit into this particular category. However, Noah Cates could be a player not on the casual fan’s radar but has the potential to become a really effective NHL player. He has all the tools necessary to be a perfect bottom-six forward for the Flyers. Cates is a defensively sound forward with the ability to produce offensive as well. Additionally, is a part of a winning culture with the University of Minnesota-Duluth as they strive to capture their third-straight National Title this season. There are a few other players that could fit the bill here but I believe Cates is the best choice for now.
Man, this is so difficult to do. There are countless things that could happen between now and five years down the road. Of course, you will see a lot of the young players we’ve grown to love become mainstays on the Flyers roster. As long as they continue to move in the direction they are, all of the big names will have a place on this roster. NHL teams don’t let good young players go elsewhere anymore. Chuck Fletcher will be much more interested in trading away some of those high-paid veterans to make salary cap room.
As for the core, you will have Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, and Cam York as the main guys on the blueline. With forwards, Sean Couturier will be the veteran of the core. Then, you’re looking at guys like Travis Konecny, Morgan Frost, Issac Ratcliffe, and hopefully Nolan Patrick. I’m tempted to throw Bobby Brink in there but his skating might make him a little bit of a “late bloomer”. The face of the franchise will certainly be Carter Hart though. He’s the piece that everyone will automatically associate with Flyers hockey.
I have to be honest that I don’t have a lot to provide here. I know that Morgan Frost put on some significant weight and is still looking to add some more size. For me, this puts him one step ahead of Joel Farabee on the depth chart. I can tell you that putting on size is always a focus on the younger players. They understand the physicality of the professional game and know they need to add some meat on their bones. Sorry, I could not give you more here Cliff.
My top line is very similar to most. I’d like to see Sean Couturier at center with Claude Giroux and Travis Konecny on the wings. For the second line, I have Kevin Hayes at center with James van Riemsdyk and Jakub Voracek on the wings. I know some have JVR on the third line but I can’t help but foam at the mouth over the possibility of the physical second line I’ve proposed.
Line three will be centered by Nolan Patrick. His wingers will be Oskar Lindblom and Morgan Frost. Honestly, it’s a toss-up between Frost and Farabee as the 3RW. I’ve been saying Frost since the beginning and I’m sticking with it. The fourth line will have Scott Laughton at center and Michael Raffl and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. Hopefully, Aube-Kubel will get his shot in the lineup while Tyler Pitlick recovers from his surgery. Whether he keeps the spot will be totally up to him.
I really wish I could say a prospect. However, the answer is very simple. Sean Couturier will be the next captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.
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
