The Flyers have made a couple moves ahead of the game Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals. Per the Philadelphia Flyers official Twitter account, the Flyers have re-called defenseman Mark Friedman and loaned forward Andy Andreoff back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
This puts the Flyers at seven defenseman once again, even after losing Justin Braun until after the All-Star break. The Flyers stand at 13 forwards after sending Andreoff back to the Phantoms.
What Does This Mean?
For starters, the Flyers go back to having seven defensemen, a number Alain Vigneault has worked with in the past. According the Dave Isaac, Friedman’s second ever NHL game may come at the cost of another young defenseman.
The call-up may solely be for insurance purposes, but Dave raises a good point. Myers didn’t exactly have his best game of the year against Carolina Tuesday night. He got burned a few times in his own zone, but time and time again has shown he can bounce back after a game or so.
This also spells intrigue for the Phantoms. They get a solid veteran forward back, in exchange for a blue-liner who the Phantoms can ill-afford to replace. Lehigh Valley is in the midst of a less-than-stellar season, given all the call-ups causing a depleted roster.
Between losing Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost for an extended period of time, and currently Nicolas Aube-Kubel, the Phantoms have been missing a few key cogs. While the youth infusion was great to start the year, it hasn’t exactly helped to this point.
Regardless, Mark Friedman has been a bright spot on the Phantoms blue line. With 10 points (2g,8a) in 28 games, Friedman has been getting better by the game. He has been a fixture on the Lehigh Valley blue-line since 2017, and has 53 points in 169 career AHL games.
Friedman now gets the chance to impress at the NHL level once again, having played one prior game at this level last year. Fans may see Friedman suit up tonight against the Washington Capitals. Coverage starts at 7:00 on NBCSN, and puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 at the Wells Fargo Center.
Mandatory Credit – Alex McIntyre
