On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers will begin their first training camp with John Tortorella as their head coach. Already caught in less than ideal circumstances, the Flyers must prove resilient.
Monday, Philadelphia released its 2022 Training Camp roster.
The training camp roster includes all players tied to an NHL or AHL contract, Flyers prospects, and camp invites. The 2022 Flyers Training Camp roster consists of 41 forwards, 22 defensemen, and eight goaltenders.
Forwards
Wade Allison
Allison suffered an injury against the New York Rangers in the 2021 Rookie Camp Series. The ankle injury put him on track to begin the season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms; he was on pace to make the Philadelphia Flyers roster. Allison played one NHL game in 2021-2022, suffering another injury against the Buffalo Sabres. Now, completely healthy, he has another opportunity at cracking the Flyers roster out of training camp. He’s looking forward to the 2022 Training Camp, unphased by his injury setbacks.
“I’m not gonna’ say it’s been unfortunate because everybody suffers with injuries as part of the game. You pick yourself up, you dust yourself off, and you get back out there and do your best again.”
Wade Allison; 9/6/2022
Cam Atkinson
Atkinson sets the pace as a leader on this roster. He is the only player who completed a previous Tortorella training camp. A beacon of hope, Atkinson presents leadership qualities. A player’s voice sets a different tone from the coach or front office, but Atkinson echoes the standard and expectations required to improve from their 2021-2022 showing. A silver lining from a season ago, Atkinson totaled 50pts (23G, 27A) in his debut Philadelphia Flyers season.
“Doesn’t matter who you are, where you played, how much money you make; we’re going to play the right way, we’re going to play hard. Everytime we went to an away rink, guys knew, especially with the Blue Jackets, we were coming in to play hard. We didn’t necessairly have the highest skill in the world, but you practice how you play, and you better believe we’ll be a whole different team this year for the better.”
Cam Atkinson; 9/13/2022
Bobby Brink
Brink made his debut with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2021-2022, immediately after capturing the NCAA Championship with the University of Denver. In July, Brink had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. In 10 games, he notched 4A.
Patrick Brown
The Philadelphia Flyers claimed Brown off waivers, housing him on the fourth line. He suffered an MCL sprain, missing about a month and a half of action. His season ended after a 9-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, with nine games remaining in the 2021-2022 schedule.
Sean Couturier
Couturier missed most of last season and, from the look of it, will at least miss training camp. Just over a week ago, Couturier commented on his improved health.
“When I started being intense again and started pushing myself, there were some setbacks here and there. Like I said, nothing to worry. Everything is coming back to normal.”
Sean Couturier; 9/12/2022
On Monday, Anthony SanFilippo reported that he could miss all of 2022-2023 with a herniated disc. The Philadelphia Flyers are looking for a second opinion, per Elliotte Friedman. In an injury-riddled 2021-2022, Couturier tallied 17pts (6G, 11A) before undergoing season-ending back surgery.
Nicolas Deslauriers
Adding an enforcer to plays hard but racks up penalty minutes for a penalty kill that ranked 26th in the NHL last season doesn’t seem like the hot route to improving special teams. Deslauriers fits the prototypical Tortorella mold, a player who makes it hard for his opponents by playing physically.
“I think I have proved I can play hockey. I’ve done a lot of work to add to my game; I have done a lot of power skating because it’s a faster league. Teams know what I can bring. The market was after me this summer. It was an interesting process.”
Nicolas Deslauriers; 7/14/2022
He missed one game last season, splitting his time with the Anaheim Ducks and the Minnesota Wild, tallying 13pts (8G, 5A) and 113 penalty minutes.
Joel Farabee
Farabee is another Philadelphia Flyer who required surgery this offseason. During a workout, he injured himself while bench pressing lightweight. Brent Flahr, the Flyers AGM, stated:
“The first time he was working out with his shoulder, everything felt a hundred percent, felt great, then it just happened.”
Brent Flahr; 6/29/2022
Expected to miss 3-4 months, Farabee is nearly through three months of his recovery. He played in 63 games, tallying 34pts (17G, 17A) in a season where he missed time twice due to upper-body injuries.
Morgan Frost
Frost has a prime opportunity to prove that he belongs in the Philadelphia Flyers’ plans beyond 2023. Couturier will miss time, and his return is unconfirmed. Kevin Hayes will act as the 1C but has quite the recent injury history. His home belongs on ‘The Kids Line,’ created last year by Mike Yeo. Tallying 16pts (5G, 11A) in 2021-2022, Yeo benched Frost to install consistency and physicality into his game; a blessing in hindsight ahead of Tortorella.
“As a center, compared to the start of the year, I think I drastically improved in that area; playing defensively, even faceoffs I’ve felt a lot better towards the end of the year. Wherever I can play here, I’m happy.”
Morgan Frost; 4/30/2022
Kevin Hayes
Hayes took to the podium the same day Couturier declared he was healthy, a week before his injury report broke. Despite the unfortunate news regarding Couturier, Hayes remains a core member of the Philadelphia Flyers roster committed fully to Tortorella and his philosophy. He’ll be out to regain his form from 2019-2020, the last time he was really healthy.
“Every new season is exciting. I think when you have such a bad year like we did last year, it just adds to it. If you’re not excited, it’s probably not the spot for you.”
Kevin Hayes; 9/12/2022
More than anything, Hayes wants to get back on the ice. Last season, he totaled 31pts (10G, 21A) while missing time due to abdominal and core muscle surgeries.
Travis Konecny
Konecny led the Philadelphia Flyers in scoring, notching 52pts (16G, 36A) in 2021-2022. It’s the second time in the last three seasons that Konecny led the Flyers in scoring. Expect Konecny to take the next step under the guidance of Tortorella. Tortorella did so with Atkinson, and Konecny isn’t far off.
“TK is a guy who is not afraid to work hard, and I think if he gets challenged, and he gets pushed to the limit, I like the type of response you’re going to get from him.”
Daniel Briere; 8/25/2022
Philadelphia will prompt Konecny to shoot, and he will, but Tortorella will finish the job Alain Vigneault started, making Konecny a dual threat, two-hundred-foot player.
Scott Laughton
Laughton will experience a significant increase in his role with Couturier out of the lineup. He has pleasantly surprised in the top-six before, dating back to the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, he registered 30pts (11G, 19A) while missing time due to a head injury.
Zack MacEwen
MacEwen quickly became a fan favorite during a lowly 2021-2022. On the fourth line, he created a ruckus, inciting passion on a listless team. He earned a one-year extension from the Philadelphia Flyers, avoiding arbitration. Deserving of the Gene Hart Memorial Award from the Flyers, it was a token of appreciation for what his style of hockey offers.
“For me, coming here from Vancouver, not really know what to expect and to be welcomed in that manner; it’s something I don’t take lightly. I couldn’t be more appreciative of the fans here.”
Zack MacEwen; 4/30/2022
MacEwen, like Deslauriers, tallied 100+ penalty minutes (110mins) to go with nine points (3G, 6A) last season.
Owen Tippett
Tippett was the centerpiece in a trade haul that sent Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers. He began to find his pace with Frost on ‘The Kids Line,’ but hopes to throttle his shoot-first mentality into more goals in 2022-2023. Tippett notched 21pts (10G, 11A) in his best NHL season split between the Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers.
James van Riemsdyk
Chuck Fletcher stuck to his guns, deeming the price to trade for Johnny Gaudreau too expensive; a package including van Riemsdyk. His decision didn’t sit well with the Philadelphia Flyers fanbase, who practically packed his bags in preparation for Gaudreau. Nonetheless, van Riemsdyk remained the ace of the Flyers’ powerplay over the last two seasons, one of the reasons Fletcher considered him too valuable to package for a legitimate NHL superstar.
Max Willman
Willman showed flashes of defensive excellence, which turned into scoring threats in transition. Heading into training camp, he’ll battle for ice-time against the likes of Noah Cates. Cates has the upper hand, especially after the 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Rookie Camp, but Willman turned in six points (4G, 2A) in his 41 games in the NHL.
Jackson Cates
The Cates Brothers, currently, might be the most exciting part about the Philadelphia Flyers. The synergy they exhibited during the 2022 Flyers Rookie Camp was incredible. Jackson flashed glimpses of two-way prowess at the NHL level, but his brother Noah accentuated his strengths as a linemate. In the second rookie contest between the Flyers and the New York Rangers last weekend, Jackson served a shorthanded goal to his brother, looking poised in the process.
Jackson scored a goal against the Montreal Canadiens in an empty Bell Centre in 2021-2022, the only point of his eleven-game stint.
Noah Cates
Following his performance at the 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Rookie Camp, Noah is prepared to take on training camp. He made a solid debut in 2021-2022, securing nine points (5G, 4A) in sixteen games. Noah will have to earn the trust of a new coach, working on making another good impression at the NHL level. Holding himself accountable before 2022-2023, he isn’t letting emotions get to him, keeping a level head ahead of training camp.
“I’m not going to be too emotional with it; up-and-down with looking at numbers. Just kind of focus on myself and put my best foot forward every day.”
Noah Cates; 9/15/2022
Ian Laperriere, for one, doesn’t think Noah will be with him when the season begins for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Hayden Hodgson
Hodgson exhibited sneaky production in his six-game stint, securing three points (1G, 2A) last season. He made his AHL debut in 2021-2022, graduating from the ECHL. Yeo acknowledged his leap, noting the jump in competition:
“We’re talking about a guy who, before this year, was playing in the ECHL. The jump from the ECHL to the AHL is a big one in the caliber of players, then the jump from the AHL to the NHL. The things he did well, he did very well tonight.”
Mike Yeo; 3/24/2022
In his debut, Hodgson scored a goal and notched the secondary assist on a goal scored by Konecny. The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the St. Louis Blues, 5-2.
Tanner Laczynski
Laczynski made his debut in 2020-2021 with the Philadelphia Flyers, then played less than ten minutes of the 2021-2022 season. The injury bug is a common theme throughout the lineup, and it derailed Laczynski since the end of the 2020-2021 season and throughout the 2021 offseason. First, Laczynski is focused on a healthy training camp and AHL season in 2022-2023, proving his consistency after receiving his extension in July.
Isaac Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe, a big-bodied winger, impressed during his ten-game stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, collecting four points (1G, 3A) last season. He signed a one-year extension with the Flyers in July, a two-way contract. His big frame came in handy, trickling points as he obstructed the view of goaltenders such as Alex Nedeljkovic and Thomas Greiss. Ironically, Ratcliffe explained that the NHL pace came easier because everyone knew where to be:
“I finally got an opportunity up here when I was at my peak, I think, down there. When you come out onto the ice with these big guys, everyone is always in the right spot. It’s hard to make a mistake when everyone’s kind of doing the right thing out there.”
Isaac Ratcliffe; 2/21/2022
Recalled players worked well for Yeo, but Ratcliffe put into perspective that prospects are ready to go to work, and the transition could be easier than perceived.
Linus Sandin
Sandin appeared in one NHL game last season. His lone appearance was during a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders. He was sent back down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and didn’t receive another look from the Philadelphia Flyers, but inked a one-year extension in May.
Artem Anisimov
Anisimov is a camp invite with an intriguing history. When Tortorella coached the New York Rangers, Anisimov did reach a high of 44pts (18G, 26A) back in 2010-2011. A veteran at the C position, Anisimov serves as a beacon of knowledge for prospects like Laczynski, Foerster, and Wisdom.
Antoine Roussel
Roussel, similar to Anisimov, is another veteran camp invite. Tortorella is not a prior coach of his but serves as an LW who can also lend a helping hand to young prospects. Elliot Desnoyers serves as a prime target to take after Roussel as he fine-tunes his two-way game for the NHL level.
Other Forwards
JR Avon, Jordy Bellerive, Adam Brooks, Elliot Desnoyers, Ryan Fitzgerald, Tyson Foerster, Jacob Gaucher, Alexis Gendron, Charlie Gerard, Mikael Huchette, Alex Kile, Olle Lycksell, Cooper Marody, Tye McSorley, Theo Rochette, Tyler Savard, Garrett Wilson, Zayde Wisdom
Defensemen
Justin Braun
Braun had an electric season start to the 2021-2022 season, tallying seven points in the first ten games. By the deadline, he was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2023 third-round selection. Now, he returns to anchor the bottom pair with Cam York while Ryan Ellis continues to remain a mystery.
Tony DeAngelo
DeAngelo became a Philadelphia Flyer via trade during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Fletcher, fishing for a fix on the top pair with Ellis unavailable, sent three picks to the Carolina Hurricanes. The hope is that DeAngelo can fill in for Ellis on the top pair with Ivan Provorov. Nothing the Flyers were in 2021-2022 is phasing DeAngelo, who is more than ready to play in Philadelphia:
“I probably said this before, so I’m sure there’s people that heard me say it, but I would be yelling in my room at the TV, and I’d sneak up late past bedtime on a school night if they were playing Calgary or Vancouver, you know, ten o’clock games. Trying to sneak the TV on, I’d watch it on mute to make sure I could catch the game. My parents have to make me shut my TV off. I only like the Flyers. I hate everybody else.”
Tony DeAngelo; 9/18/2022
Signed through 2023-2024, DeAngelo presents another dominant presence along the blue line.
Ryan Ellis
Ellis played four games with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was listed as ‘week-to-week’ in most injury reports, but that turned into an alternate way of saying that he’ll miss the rest of the season. The Flyers, as well as Ellis, state that there is a plan to return healthy; one that Ellis stated he was happy about. Ellis went as far as to say that he was excited to be ready for training camp during the 2022 Break Up Day press conferences:
“It was, more or less, a multi-layered problem. It wasn’t just a one thing fix all. That was the problem, trying to figure out what was going on. It had multiple levels of what the problem was. We have a plan; everyone is very comfortable and happy with the plan. I’m excited, like I said, to be ready for training camp.”
Ryan Ellis; 4/30/2022
He will not be ready for training camp and there is no timetable for his return.
Ivan Provorov
Provorov, on paper, shows he had a better year than what the eye test showed in 2021-2022. With Tortorella rejoined by Brad Shaw, Provorov could work very well with DeAngelo. After all, it would be the most stable partner he’s had since Matt Niskanen in 2019-2020.
Rasmus Ristolainen
The Philadelphia Flyers wanted a physical defenseman, and they paid a ransom to acquire Ristolainen ahead of 2021-2022. A steep price to pay to acquire Ristolainen (Robert Hagg, a 2021 first-round, and 2023 second-round pick) resulted in one of his worst seasons in the NHL to date, including a decade-long span with the Buffalo Sabres. Fletcher provided a 5yr/$25.5mil extension, locking the Flyers to Ristolainen through 2026-2027 while simultaneously erasing enough cap space to afford an elite NHL superstar, like Gaudreau.
Travis Sanheim
Sanheim emerged as the best defenseman on a porous Philadelphia Flyers roster in 2021-2022. He will enter his first camp with Tortorella, his fifth different head coach since debuting for the Flyers. The rate of rollover in head coaches serves as a testament to Sanheim, who improved in a lost season under the guidance of Vigneault and Yeo. He answered questions about his defensive unit, admitting this about the defense:
“With the pieces we’ve added, with some of the guys we got coming back as well, we got a good mix of physicality and a ton of skill to play on both sides. I think you need that in today’s game. You can’t shy away from it, and you still got to have that skill level and speed to be able to keep up in this league.”
Travis Sanheim; 9/13/2022
Previously playing with a terrific cast of teammates allows Sanheim to have a feel for his defensive unit, remaining positive despite all the uncertainty looming over Ellis.
Nick Seeler
Fletcher made sure to ink Seeler to a two-year extension. He’ll act as a seventh defenseman, battling for that distinction against Kevin Connauton as other prospects continue to develop with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The contract is buriable if Seeler goes to the AHL.
Cam York
York serves as an injection of youth, shoring the left side of the defense. Though York will be the 3LD, he has NHL experience at RD. One of the few beauties of the 2021-2022 season was the use of prospects in sink-or-swim situations. Most of the forwards made a positive impact, and so did the defensemen.
“I think he was solid. We know he’s a good player. He’s got a lot of skill and a lot of talent. For his first game of the year, especially in his hometown here, I’m sure it was really special for him. It’s not easy stepping up into the first pair for your first game of the season. I thought he did a great job.”
Carter Hart; 1/5/2022
Pending on the stability and health of the Philadelphia Flyers’ defensive unit, York and Braun serve as a balanced anchor on the bottom pair.
Ronnie Attard
Perhaps, Attard could leapfrog Braun in 2022-2023, joining York on the bottom pair. An ideal timeframe for that would be after the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, but if Attard impresses Tortorella in the 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Training Camp, how long until Braun becomes the seventh defenseman? Attard cited Erik Cernak and Jacob Trouba as players he studies to provide stability on defense, per the direction of Mike O’Connell:
“Me and OC, we met before I went back for the summer, and he gave me a couple of guys to cue in on from the playoffs. That’s something I did; watch guys like Jacob Trouba and Cernak, players like that who just provide stability for their team. I know that’s a role I need to take under my wing; provide that stability on the back end and keep continuing to earn more ice time.”
Ronnie Attard; 7/14/2022
Attard only received glowing reviews from coaches in the 2022 Flyers Development Camp and Rookie Camp. It is impressive to see how far he came in fifteen games, stumbling out of the gates against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but returned the receipt in the form of a goal on Jack Campbell.
Kevin Connauton
Connauton and Seeler are practically interchangeable as the current seventh defensemen. Both are offensive-minded defensemen; Seeler gets caught too deep in the offensive zone at times, and Connauton actually scored a point as a forward in 2021-2022. Regardless, his two-way contract houses him mostly with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms through 2023-2024.
Linus Hogberg
Hogberg received a one-year two-way extension late last month. In five games, he tallied two assists on a splatter-shot defensive lineup featuring Attard, Yandle, Provorov, Sanheim, and Egor Zamula. He’ll return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but Hogberg served his role well for the Philadelphia Flyers last season.
Egor Zamula
Zamula, a defensive defenseman, returned to the 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Rookie Camp with added weight. A new version of himself, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will deploy Zamula with Attard to begin their 2022-2023 campaign, if the 2022 Flyers Rookie Camp is any indication. After the Phantoms season, it’ll be interesting to gauge the temperature on Zamula. He locked onto becoming stronger, discovering the parity between the AHL and NHL.
“I need to put [on] some muscle to be better one-on-one, in front [of] the net, and play stronger every shift. I’m waiting for the new season.”
Egor Zamula; 9/15/2022
Currently, Zamula stands at 6’3″ and 192lbs.
Other Defensemen
Louis Belpedio, Colin Felix, Adam Ginning, Adam Karashik, Will MacKinnon, Mason Millman, Ethan Samson, Wyatte Wylie, Brian Zanetti, Cooper Zech
Goaltenders
Carter Hart
Tortorella is going to have this team playing hard, and that means helping Hart is the priority. Last season would’ve been tough on any goaltender, and the mental game is more than half the battle for the player between the pipes. Hart had a rough go of it since the end of the 2019-2020 season, but he knows as well as anyone else that he’s better than the last two seasons dictate.
“It’s ‘what do we need to do to help Carter,’ right now.”
John Tortorella; 6/20/2022
Nothing is going to happen overnight for the Philadelphia Flyers. However, Tortorella is making a commitment that the players who show up and compete every night will be on the ice, and what’s best for the goaltending as well as those attending the Wells Fargo Center to occupy a seat.
Felix Sandstrom
Sandstrom is the only other goaltender attending the 2022 Philadelphia Flyers Training Camp who started a game for the Flyers last season. In his starts, he was impressive, especially considering the shot volume. Needing to become more inexpensive, Philadelphia is ready to turn to a younger goaltender to aid Hart. He’ll have competition in camp, considering the rookie camp performance Samuel Ersson mustered and the signing of Troy Grosenick.
“I thought he was great. [He] looked really calm. I was confident with him in the net. That five-on-three; I would have liked for that to be a turning point in the game. That’s a massive kill for almost a full two minutes against a powerplay like that.”
Mike Yeo; 4/13/2022
He received high praise from Yeo, recording a few quality starts in his brief stint.
Other Goaltenders
Samuel Ersson, Troy Grosenick, Jonathan Lemieux, Nolan Maier, Pat Nagle, Tyler Wall
(Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)
