The end of the year is upon us. 2021 has been a rollercoaster for many reasons and as far as Philadelphia sports teams are concerned, the ride is only just beginning. The Flyers just fired their Head Coach, the Eagles are eyeing up a playoff run, Bryce Harper is an MVP again and the Sixers…yeah let’s not go there.
Anyway, I wanted to shed some Christmas joy. Hopefully, 2022 holds plenty of happiness for you and your family. As far as the City of Brotherly Love is concerned, there are plenty of players to be excited about. I decided to rank the top 22 young guns to watch next year.
It made sense to start with the Flyers because if there isn’t some kind of positivity soon, then I feel like the masks in the next ‘Purge’ film will be replaced with brown paper bags.
#17 Egor Zamula
The first Flyers entry on this list is Egor Zamula. I’m personally a huge fan of Zamula’s game and was a little surprised that he wasn’t able to carve out a role as the seventh man. However, Justin Braun’s contract will expire next year and it’s not like Patrick Brown or Nick Seeler have left trails of fire on the Ice.
The Flyers are going to be entering a chaotic offseason that will probably involve a few big changes. Because of this, it’s important that the team figure out which pieces they can build around and which prospects they can bank on to develop in the long-run.
Zamula is only 21-years-old and ticks both boxes. He should be firmly in the picture for minutes later this season now that there is nothing to lose, with the potential ceiling of earning a role as the seventh man next Training Camp.
#11 Cam York
As far as rankings go, Frost may be the hotter of the two prospects, but York’s path to regular playing time could theoretically be a lot smoother next season, with the opportunity to prove himself in front of a new coach.
York is two years younger than Frost and has already had a taste of NHL action. He’s an agile defenseman and an accomplished passer of the puck. If he can find a way to channel some aggression into his play, the Flyers could be looking at a real blue-chip prospect.
He’s notched 1 goal and 5 assists through 16 AHL appearances this season. With the defense struggling to form any kind of consistent identity, it’s likely that we see a call-up sooner rather than later.
#10 Morgan Frost
Now fully healthy, Frost is up on the Flyers and has a perfect opportunity to turn heads. Since being recalled from the Phantoms two weeks ago, the 22-year-old has registered a goal and 2 assists in 7 games. He’s widely regarded as the teams’ top forward prospect and will likely see a ton of action moving forward now that the team is in total disarray, as one of the few long-term options who should be gunning for a top-6 role next year.
Frost was red-hot in the AHL prior to his call-up and is settling in nicely to life on the Flyers. Having missed the entire 2020-21 campaign, it’s nice to see him making up for lost time. That trend should only continue deep into this season and the beginning of the next.
#6 Joel Farabee
He may be streaky, but young Beezer has become a fan favorite over the past two years thanks to his flashy play and knack for finding the back of the net. He has 7 goals and 3 assists so far this season and it’s scary to think he’s still only 21-years-old.
Although he’s currently week-to-week with a shoulder injury, it shouldn’t be too long before we see Farabee back to what he does best – scoring goals on the top line and making it look easy. There is no doubting the ability of Joel Farabee and he’s only going to get better with time.
Photo Credit: Alex McIntyre
