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[Philadelphia Flyers]

2024-25 Player Review: Production from Flyers’ next men up

It’s that time of year again! We’re taking our deep dives into how the Flyers’ players fared over the whole of this wild and long season. But before we tuck into the details of some of our big name players, let’s roll through some quicker recaps of how things went for some of the shorter stint havers.

Rodrigo Abols

This was a big year for the Flyers as far as the number of call-ups needed from their AHL squad, but also a particularly interesting one in terms of how a number of those players fared. Abols, for starters, has had kind of a wild year. Having signed with the organization in the offseason and starting the season with the Phantoms, he got his first taste of AHL action after a short stint in Springfield five seasons ago, and a longer stretch in the interim of playing in the SHL, carved out a role for himself there, and made himself a top option for a recall to the Flyers when the door opened up, and ultimately making his NHL debut at 29 years old. It’s a great story on its own, but it was also a good impression that he made at this top level. He stuck around for 22 games over the course of a couple of different recall stints, beginning in a bottom of the lineup role, but eventually working his way up into some middle-six minutes, and time playing alongside Matvei Michkov, who he showed some legitimate chemistry with. The numbers game meant that the Flyers weren’t able to keep Abols around over a longer span of time, but he accomplished something that’s somewhat rare among non-prospect recalls — he hit the ground running to such a degree as to force some tough questions on the management group.

Anthony Richard

We’ll stick with that thread, because that was largely the same experience we had with Anthony Richard this season. Richard spent a total of 15 games up with the Flyers, spread across two stints — the first in November, and the second in January, spilling into February — and those games were, on the whole, good ones. The first stint was more productive, when he put up two goals and six points across seven games, and, adding that production in with the jump that his speed game gave the team, it also prompted some tough questions about whether he deserved a longer look (he did not get it). And while he couldn’t quite tap into that same level of production in his second look with the team, he still brought some notable energy and speed just by virtue of the style of play he brings, and he looked like he was fitting nicely back in with the group (even if he didn’t seem to gain the full trust of his coach). He stepped in as a useful addition to the team, and even if it wasn’t the same role as he was used to playing, as he does with the Phantoms, he took it in stride and did what he could with it.

Jacob Gaucher

What a year it’s been for Jacob Gaucher. His hot start to the season with the Phantoms, the leap forward in the development of his offensive game, earned him his first NHL contract in December — a huge marker in his career for him, but also a good thing for the Flyers, as with a very thin organizational depth at the center position, they would end up needing him as a reinforcement come February. His four-game stint was an unflashy one, but in a reasonably good way. His role was a limited one, as he played around seven and a half minutes a night, and got no special teams deployment, but he held up reasonably well in those minutes. There were certainly flashes where he looked a little bit out of his depth — Gaucher doesn’t have a ton of raw foot speed, and while he’s able to use his brain to work around that at the AHL level, that got more difficult as he moved up a level — but on the whole, he settled in nicely as his stint went on (notable, too, as the system he’s used to down with the Phantoms wasn’t the same as the one being run at the NHL level, adding another piece to the list of things he needed to adjust to on the fly). It’s hard to glean a lot from such a short stint, but while Gaucher wasn’t able to use that to bang on the door for a longer look, like those last two players, he still handled the job asked of him well.

Adam Ginning

We only saw Adam Ginning for one game this season — he was recalled at the end of January to fill in for a game against the Islanders, but that’s all his services were needed for — and for not very long in it (just over 12 minutes), but it was a fine showing on the whole. Ginning by and large plays something of a no-frills, tight defensive game, and while he does still have a little bit of offensive capability in his toolkit (at least, we’ve seen it at the AHL level), the recall to fill in in a depth role under Tortorella was not the time to be a hero and try to showcase that as well. To echo this sentiment one last time, Ginning did just about exactly what you want to see from a player that’s brought in on what’s sure to be a quick recall, jumping seamlessly into the lineup, filling a role, and not creating any fires.

Nicolas Deslauriers

We didn’t see a ton of Deslauriers this season, between him being in something of a rotation of players coming in and out of the bottom of the lineup through the early goings, and then simply being out of the lineup for an extended period of time at the end, while he worked his way back from a back injury, but the cobbled together 31 games he was in the lineup for were fine. He didn’t put up big scoring numbers (just two goals and an assist on the year), and the underlying numbers were a bit of a mixed bag (49.76 CF% and 47.21 xGF% while Deslauriers was on the ice), and while those are figured that, in a vacuum, we’d like to see improved, it’s also fair to acknowledge that scoring and playdriving aren’t really why Deslauriers is in the lineup in the first place. First and foremost, he’s in as a physical force, and he certainly did maintain a high level of physical engagement in his time in the lineup. He’s a role-player in this lineup, and fans can quibble about whether we feel that type of player’s presence in the lineup is wholly necessary, but we also won’t take it away from Deslauriers that he did well in the task that was asked of him.

Erik Johnson

Johnson, too, played in a very limited role for the Flyers this season. In some ways, it was even a little bit of a surprise that he returned for another season after being acquired from the Sabres two trade deadlines ago — in his availability after the last game of the season, he was thoughtful, and it was clear that retirement was at least a consideration — but something convinced him to come back for one more season, play some games when called upon, but by and large serve in the mentor role for the team’s young players (something the organization has sought out in various forms over these last few seasons). Seeing as we’re not in the room, we’re not going to make any sweeping judgements on Johnson’s mentorship abilities, and rather stick to the on-ice results — results which were not, expressly, hugely positive. Across his 22 games played, the Flyers were limited to just 44.15 percent of the share of shot attempts while Johnson was on the ice, and a similar 44.3 percent Expected Goal share, so certainly at a disadvantage. But with that said, it feels hard to pile on too much on a player who was shipped out at the deadline and is likely, for real this time, at the end of the road on his career. If nothing else, Johnson brought some extra character to the room, and that’s valuable as well.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/2024-25-player-review-production-from-flyers-next-man-up/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Some takeaways from Phantoms’ 3-0 loss to Hershey

The second round of the AHL playoffs kicked off for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Wednesday night. But Hershey was a bit too much to handle as the Bears shutout the Phantoms 3-0 at Hershey’s Giant Center.

The basics

First period: 9:16- Chase Priskie (Pierrick Dube, Jake Massie)

Second period: No scoring

Third period: 7:00- Spencer Smallman (Alex Limoges, Hendrix Lapierre), 18:49- Bogdan Trineyev (Mike Vecchione, Henrik Rybinski) (ENG)

SOG: 26 (LHV) – 27 (HER)

Some takeaways

Decent start

Hershey’s fourth line did a good job in the opening minutes but the Phantoms helped their own, getting the first shot of the game on a long wrister. Phantoms goalie Parker Gahagen made a good save in close three minutes in as the Bears, much like their big club affiliate, are a bigger, heavier team. But like most opening periods of game ones, there was a bit of a feeling out period between the two sides. Unlike the Penguins, the Phantoms realized early on the Bears are a different beast altogether.

Although Lehigh Valley had their problems trying to create any mojo in Hershey’s end, they were a bit more successful late in the first. After Hershey’s line iced the puck, the Phantoms started tiring the Bears out. But they couldn’t tie things up. A shot by Ethan Samson hit iron late in the first and Olle Lycksell’s high wrister was stopped by Bears’ goalie Hunter Shepard.

Discipline, discipline

Maybe the score or the missed opportunities caused the Phantoms to lose it a bit. In the third, after the second Bears goal, Lehigh Valley’s Hunter McDonald took a roughing minor. Just as they killed that one, Lycksell took a slashing minor, taking four minutes off the clock basically.

It was clear that Hershey was content to maintain possession over that four minutes, killing the clock and the Phantoms’ chances to squeeze out a late comeback.

Sutter slams Gardner

Early in the second period, Hershey forward Riley Sutter lowered the boom on Rhett Gardner, dropping him after a heavy check. Gardner got up and seemed okay. More importantly, the Phantoms didn’t seek revenge and end up with a needless retaliation penalty. Gardner had a great chance in front of Shepard minutes later in the slot but the bang-bang play didn’t tie things up.

Neither team was mustering much offensively as halfway through regulation the shots were 14-11. Lycksell had the Phantoms’ best two chances of the night, the latter a great wrist shot that Shepard got a piece of to keep Lehigh Valley scoreless.

Gahagen fighting it a little bit

It took some time for Gahagen to settle down, as he seemed to be fumbling a few rebounds early, rarely finding the puck cleanly to cover. Instead, it was becoming an adventure of sorts. Coincidental minors opened things up Alex Bump who almost made a full lap in the offensive zone before Lehigh Valley coughed the puck up. Unfortunately, after Hershey pulled the goalie on a delayed penalty to the Phantoms, scored. Gahagen made a save on the delayed call but wasn’t able to swallow the shot for a stoppage in play. It burned him and the Phantoms.

Chase Priskie gave Hershey a 1-0 lead moments ago on a delayed penalty call.

The Bears don't look like a team coming in to Game 1 following a lengthy layoff.

Shots 11-4 HER with 6:00 left in 1st frame.@InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/ILyjblqkuH

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) April 30, 2025

Another problem he was having was his decision making playing (or not playing) the puck. A few times he wasn’t able to clear or beat a Bears forward, nearly resulting in good scoring chances. This was painfully obvious in the second when he had ample time to make a play and still somehow looked lost at sea.

Not too chippy

Neither side had much vitriol after the whistles. The first power play Hershey had was courtesy of defenseman Adam Ginning. But Lehigh Valley created a few short-handed opportunities that didn’t materialize into something. Gardner took a dumb penalty late in the second, punching Hershey’s defenseman Nicky Leivermann in the kisser 200 feet from Gahagen’s net. Whether it was frustration or a brain cramp, the penalty could’ve been a backbreaker. And thanks to a wide-open net miss by Mike Vecchione in the dying seconds, the Phantoms left the ice still down only one after 40.

That chippy play reared its head in the third when the Phantoms’ Zayde Wisdom and Hershey’s Bogdan Trineyev got into it after Hershey tried to pry the puck loose from Gahagen. The scrum gave Lehigh Valley its first power play of the night. The ensuing power play led to another minor on Hershey as the puck was cleared out of play. A 78-second five-on-three was wasted as Alex Bump had a few chances but nothing got it done.

Which led to….

That opportunity bit the Phantoms big time as Spencer Smallman got an insurance goal to make it 2-0 seven minutes into the third. Or so most thought. However, because play never stopped, the Phantoms argued a shot earlier on their power play crossed the line. Officials had to go back to look at the replay to determine if Lehigh Valley tied it before Hershey made it 2-0. Literally a two-goal swing on one call.

Well that was hilarious.

Hershey's goal by Spencer Smallman counts.

Referees reviewed a sequence during Lehigh Valley's 5-on-3 that LV thought they scored on.

The ref said no-goal & pointed to LV's bench. Fans at Giant Center got confused.

It's 2-0 Hershey. @InsideAHLHockey pic.twitter.com/q4gXLQRQT3

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) May 1, 2025

The Hershey fans jeered the referees signalling no goal, but not realizing it was the Phantoms’ attempt they deemed was no goal. The public address announcer quickly told them what happened and all was well in Hershey again.

Jett sort of grounded

Jett Luchanko made the first pretty play of the evening, dodging a Hershey player before feeding a fine cross ice pass to an oncoming Phantom. The shot unfortunately missed the mark before Luchanko lost his neck guard. Luchanko was visible at times but seemed to be fighting things most of the evening. Sadly he wasn’t much of a factor in game one, getting a lone shot on goal and being on the wrong side of the plus/minus stat.

In the second, Luchanko won a foot race and had a short breakaway attempt, but roofed the puck over the net. Minutes later Shepard made another strong stop as Lehigh Valley started taking it to the Bears. Luchanko ended the night at -2. He wasn’t the worst however as Louie Belpedio ended the tilt at a -3.

Bump not grounded

Alex Bump couldn’t be blamed for Wednesday night’s result. Midway through the third Lehigh Valley had 23 shots on goal. Bump took eight of those! Although he couldn’t beat Shepard, he looked great most of the night, far more vital than Luchanko on this night in terms of trying to get something going. Not bad for his third professional playoff game!

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/some-takeaways-from-phantoms-3-0-loss-to-hershey/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

6 short-term UFA goalies Flyers could target

As it was mentioned a few hundred times this season, the Philadelphia Flyers had (and still have) bad goaltending. Given the save percentages and other metrics that gauged just how dire the situation was, Flyers general manager Danny Briere was to the point: if it made sense, the Flyers wouldn’t hesitate to upgrade their goaltending, whether it was through trade, signing an unrestricted free agent, or parting (or buying out) one or both of Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov.

With Carson Bjarnason and Yegor Zavragin still around the corner but not quite here yet, the Flyers could try to at least put a tourniquet to stop the figurative bleeding for a season. And there are more than a handful of journeymen, veteran NHL goaltenders who could at least conceivably fare better than what the Flyers had in the backup position in 2024-25. It’s conceivable the Flyers could open up the piggy bank a wee bit more to attract an established veteran goaltender, particularly with a rising cap ceiling. It’s doubtful any of these goaltenders would be signed to anything longer than a two-year deal. So, with that, here are five netminders (in no particular order) who could fit the bill and possibly lift the Flyers’ team save percentage (dare I say it) into the .900 range.

Anton Forsberg​

After a few seasons of seasoning in the American Hockey League with the Cleveland Monsters, Rockford IceHogs, and Charlotte Checkers, Anton Forsberg found a home the last four seasons with the Ottawa Senators. Although he saw action in just 30 games this season, the Swedish goalie had a goals against average almost three quarters of a goal less than the Flyers team average. Forsberg could also be a great complement to fellow Swede Sam Ersson and be a legitimate one-two tandem.

Forsberg’s busiest year was in 2021-22 when he played 46 games and posted his career high with a .917 save percentage. His Goals Saved Above Average was 0.9, almost miles ahead of anything a Flyers goaltender had last season. And he only had six really bad starts while posting three shutouts. Perhaps the biggest question would be if Forsberg, 32, would seek a fresh start with the Flyers or possibly sign a short extension with Ottawa. The Senators seem to be on the rise, making the playoffs this year and have plenty of younger talent developing. He’s also spent the last four years there, so might take a cheaper deal if he’s willing to stay put.

The Flyers would probably have to sweeten the Forsberg’s AAV as he’s wrapping up a three-year, $8.25 million contract ($2.75 million AAV). But considering they paid Cal Petersen a boatload of coin to stay in Lehigh Valley all season, a deal in the $3 million to $3.5 million range for one or two years could be money well spent. Like nearly any other UFA goalie this July, Forsberg would be a slight to sizeable improvement on what Philadelphia offered last year. But again, a lot of that depends on if Briere can unload one of Fedotov and Kolosov. Or both of them.

Jake Allen​

Jake Allen has 460 regular season games under his belt and 29 playoff games. After the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season saw him play a combined 34 times, Allen posted average to good backup numbers, playing 31 times, posting his highest save percentage since 2019-20 with the Blues, and four shutouts. He might be the most coveted UFA goalie on July 1.

So what could convince him to become a Flyer? Well, for one, spending the last two seasons in New Jersey would mean he wouldn’t have to move given the proximity between the two Metropolitan Division teams. It’s not as huge a logistical nightmare for professional athletes compared to the average person. More money should mean an easier time of relocating. But nobody really enjoys moving. And signing with the Flyers would mean staying put.

Secondly, considering the lack of capable backups the Flyers have, it would be a no-brainer for Allen to be lured to Philadelphia. It probably wouldn’t be enough to be secured a playoff spot. It would be enough to most likely keep them in the hunt through 82 games as long as he remained healthy. Turning 35 in August, Allen might not be the epitome of physical health for a goalie. However, if the Flyers are looking to improving in goal, no option is off the table.

The sticking point? Well, it could be money. According to CapWages.com, Allen would have a projected annual cap hit of just over $2.7 million, a drop from his $3.85 million AAV this past season. If a bidding war was to start over Allen, it’s highly unlikely you’d see Briere inking him to something north of $4 million AAV, unless it was a one-year deal. Considering his age, this could be Allen’s last contract, so obviously he would want to maximize his value. Given the Flyers’ need, Allen could be a great fit. Just don’t expect Briere to break the bank considering what he could be asking given the rise in the salary cap. The salary cap increases will see comparables thrown out the window for a season or two. It’s unlikely the Flyers will be on the forefront of creating a new ceiling for an aging (but good) Jake Allen.

David Rittich​

While he was the obvious plan B to Darcy Kuemper for the Kings this season, David Rittich made a case for being sought after this summer. The 32-year-old goalie (will be 33 in August) had a clunker of a season compared to 2023-24 when he posted a 2.15 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Rittich won 16 games this season, his highest total since 2019-20 with Calgary. He’s also seen his share of one-year deals, as stops in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Nashville took place between his years with the Flames and now in Los Angeles.

Rittich would probably be one of the more economical (cap-friendly) deals the Flyers could find, as he earned $1 million this past season. He’s averaged just under that amount the last three seasons. Again, with the cap increase the floor will also rise, meaning he could come in at $1.25 to maybe $1.4 million. He would also seem content playing the 30 to 35 games he would be asked to play as the backup. Being the most experienced goalie Ersson would have the chance to play with would also probably help Ersson. Rittich’s had his ups and downs, and could provide some perspective (or be a reasonable sounding board) should the starter find himself more in his own head and not performing where it counts.

Alex Lyon​

Did you really think a former Flyers goalie wouldn’t be an option? Heck, Calvin Pickard was given the green light to bail out the Oilers while Anthony Stolarz is a win away from moving into the second round with Toronto. After battling and battling for more than spot time for several years, Lyon’s two-year contract with Detroit to start 2023-24 was a godsend for the keeper. He has played 113 NHL games. Of those, 74 came with Detroit. The goals-against average improved while the save percentage dipped every so slightly. In short, Lyon found some semblance of normalcy the last two years, something he fought tooth and nail for since his days with Philadelphia.

He still might have nightmares about his time in Philadelphia, particularly the season where Dave Hakstol and company used everyone but the trainers to try and stop the pucks. He’s probably seeking greener pastures and there’s a few places (Los Angeles should they let go of Rittich, Tampa Bay, and New Jersey) where teams are hoping to resolve their backup goaltender issue.

Lyon, 32, is slightly younger than Rittich and Allen and is perhaps one of the cheaper contracts Briere could ink to try to solidify the goaltending situation (or ease the suffering a tad). Whether Lyon would welcome a return back to the Flyers is up for debate. Certainly wouldn’t hurt to kick the tires on him.

Frederik Andersen​

Frederik Andersen has been around. His best days are behind him. Yet he could still fit the bill when it comes to a tandem with Ersson. Andersen had a decent regular season and was nearly .900 in save percentage. Certainly a step up over anythinng the Flyers offered up. What might be even more impressive is this was his second worst season for that stat after almost consistently being over (or way over) that magic number.

Outside of his five-year contract he signed with Toronto, Andersen has worked on two-year contracts most of his career. His AAV over that deal was $3.4 million (yet getting paid $3.7 million in year one and $3.1 million this season). Andersen, who turns 36 on the cusp of this coming season, might still be looking to play for a Cup contending team in 2025-26. Philadelphia is not there yet. The numbers statistically would definitely work for the Flyers. But it’s probably doubtful Briere could reasonably lure the netminder towards a team still on the outside looking in.

Jack Campbell ​

Hear me out here. If you’ve noticed anything about Danny Briere and the current Flyers organization, they are not averse to reclamation projects. From Jakob Pelletier this season, Jamie Drysdale the previous year or enabling Nick Seeler to sign a four-year contract (after once contemplating retirement), the Flyers don’t mind taking a chance on a long shot or underdog. And when training camp rolls around in September, there would be no bigger longshot or underdog than former Oilers and Maple Leafs keeper Jack Campbell.

Everybody knows Campbell couldn’t get the job done with Edmonton after signing a five-year contract. The Oilers paid for him (and paid to get rid of him) handsomely. Last season, Campbell signed a $775,000 deal with Detroit last summer. But last October the goalie entered the NHL/NHLPA’s Assistance Program, being unavailable to Detroit while he dealt with his own issues.

Assuming Campbell was given the okay to play again, and assuming he was eager to return to professional hockey after overcoming or coping with whatever demons he had, he wouldn’t find a better place than Philadelphia. The reputation with the franchise is they chew up and spit out goaltenders like chewing tobacco. There’s a little bit of truth to that. But whether it was John Tortorella’s doing or the players themselves, the current Flyers locker room is possibly one of the tightest in the league. Campbell would be welcomed with open arms and given a chance to play. He would also be given the support needed to ensure that demon or demons are in the past. And remain in the past. The Flyers are still not contenders and don’t proclaim to be, so the situation would be somewhat different than the Golden Knights and what they expected out of Robin Lehner. It might not even be on Briere’s radar as nobody seems to be beating down Campbell’s door with a contract.

Briere’s need to see quick improvement between the pipes for 2025-26 might not mesh with trying to give a former good goaltender another chance. Yet if Campbell was able to be a capable backup for Philadelphia, it’s probably a guarantee you’d be watching the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner 30 to 35 games out of the season.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...6-short-term-ufa-goalies-flyers-could-target/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

John Tortorella reportedly hired by Rangers with Mike Sullivan

Just over a month after being fired by the Philadelphia Flyers, John Tortorella has found himself back with a job in the NHL and it’s with a team he is very familiar with.

According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the former Flyers coach and long-time veteran bench boss is going to be joining the New York Rangers. The specific role is unknown at the time of writing, but he should provide a strong voice for a team that just wants to squeeze whatever is left out of their roster.

Sounds like John Tortorella is a strong possibility to re-join the organization as well, @KevinWeekes and I have heard. David Quinn is not expected to follow Sullivan but will be a head coaching candidate, including in Pittsburgh.

— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) May 1, 2025

Of course, Tortorella is not joining the Rangers all alone. Mike Sullivan, just days removed since parting ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins after spending a decade in that organization and winning two Stanley Cups, is going to be named Rangers head coach, seemingly in the coming days. Of course, these two are not unfamiliar with working in Madison Square Garden together.

When Tortorella was the Rangers head coach from 2009 to 2013, Sullivan served as his assistant and the partnership would continue in the single year that Tortorella was the Vancouver Canucks’ head coach as well, before Sullivan would be hired by the Penguins. Now, those two are reunited at a team that is just so desperate to try to make anything of this aging roster and failson prospects.

This could have theoretically been the setup in Philadelphia, before Tortorella pulled some very Tortorella moves (mainly, getting in such a heated argument with Cam York that he told the defenseman that if he would re-sign with the team, he would barely play him). If the veteran bench boss would have moved on from his head coaching role this summer, we could have realistically seen him move into more of an advisory role as his recently unemployed friend Mike Sullivan came in to lead the Flyers. It’s not too far fetched.

But now they are going to be doing whatever they’re about to do in New York. If Tortorella is Sullivan’s assistant, it would be nice to see some freakouts on the bench not happen behind some Flyers. But if the 66-year-old just goes upstairs to make his opinion known about some players, then we will be losing some peak entertainment.

For the Flyers, they will be moving on, replacing Tortorella and it could be sooner rather than later. According to recent reports, they have already interviewed Western Michigan Broncos head coach Pat Ferschweiler for the job, fresh off winning the national championship. Rick Tocchet is another name that has been heavily linked to the Flyers, and it is a possiblity that Brad Shaw could just have his interim tag removed. Philadelphia has at least started its search for a new head coach after a couple weeks of silence.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...portedly-hired-by-rangers-with-mike-sullivan/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

BSH 2025 Community Draft Board, No. 8: Roger McQueen is high-risk, high-reward

Roger McQueen is a dominant force of a centerman, with the dazzling skill set and spectacular offensive toolkit, wrapped up in the package of a 6’5, 192 pound beast. A back injury slowed his season to a crawl and prevented him from truly challenging for a top three spot in the draft, but there are still a lot of projectable tools that McQueen brings to the table.

If he can stay healthy and bring his playstyle to the NHL level, the sky’s the limit for one of the more naturally gifted players in this year’s draft class.

Pre-draft rankings​

#9 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)

#5 by Elite Prospects

#8 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)

#6 by FloHockey (Chris Peters)

Statistics

What’s there to like?

Roger McQueen possesses a combination of size and skill that is rarely seen in someone heading into their draft year. He doesn’t have “good hands for a 6’5 monster”, he just has flat out elite hands and puck skills.



Sometimes, players with such a long and rangy reach can struggle with in-tight plays around their feet, but McQueen looks really comfortable making those moves, a testament to his innate ability to create and find spaces. As he continues to fill out his frame, McQueen’s shot will only develop further, and it’s hard to see a world where he doesn’t one day have an absolute rocket of a wrister. But as it stands, he has a good shot regardless, one that can beat goalies from a cariety of angles, and one that he can release from different spots in his stance due to his long reach.

His game really shines when he is playmaking, though. In addition to those silky mitts, McQueen can spread the puck around to his teammates, and pass and move into space at a much more advanced level than most other players his size. And keep in mind, this all comes while he is struggling to find a rhythm due to repeated injuries that have lingered; a fully healthy, motivated McQueen could even find another gear.

As a massive centerman, he hulks around the ice just looking for ways to impact the game, and is often very noticeable whenever he is on the ice, one way or another. His physicality is assertive and noticeable, and when he gets in on the forecheck as the F1, he is just free to let loose and wreak havoc wherever he goes. Just look at this shift late on in a game against Lethbridge:



McQueen is a one man wrecking crew in the offensive zone, and his naturally high motor and competitive drive makes him an asset defensively that should only improve with time. He is similar to Porter Martone in the way that he seems like a little too much for the opposition at his level to handle, except McQueen is even bigger than Martone, and as a center, will serve as a potential centerpiece for the future.

Upon returning from injury, McQueen’s production got back up to speed and he was able to finish his season in Brandon with 20 points in 17 games, which is a pretty solid return after having to sit out for such a long period of time.

What’s not to like?

Speaking of being out for a long period of time, that’s probably the only reason why McQueen isn’t a slam dunk top five pick. He suffered a Pars Stress Fracture in his spine, also known as Spondylolysis, that erased most of his past season and has scared a lot of potential evaluators. It made it impossible for him to get a full season of production in his draft year, and also caused him to miss the World Juniors where he would’ve had a chance to stack up against other prospects.

He did return and started to get back into the swing of things, but I do want to stress to Flyers fans that this means that McQueen is an injury prone centerman who plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Ring a bell at all?

Not much else to critique McQueen for besides his injury woes, and the fact that they prevented him from really having that impact draft year that would’ve cemented a spot. It’s just that a lot of his positives are extrapolated from a pretty small sample size, and it is important to know if he can keep that up over a full season.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

In a world without injuries, Roger McQueen could very well have been the player that the Flyers have dreamed about being their number one center of the future. He is a big bruiser with silky mitts and a natural competitive edge that would fit any system, but especially Philadelphia’s, with some of the small skilled forwards that they have on the roster currently and coming through the pipeline.

He would provide a great complement to a player like Jett Luchanko as well up the middle, and has the potential to anchor all three situations, be it penalty kill, power play, or even strength.

Could the Flyers actually get him?

He is more than likely going to be available for the Flyers, even if they were to drop when the draft lottery rolls around, McQueen’s injury concerns have forced him to the outer range of top-5 discussions. But he is very enticing, and in a draft projected to have a glut of centers in the 5-10 range, he does seem to have the highest potential upside if he was to pan out.

There will definitely be discussions surrounding McQueen in the Flyers’ front office, but it all comes down to the medical reports.

What scouts are saying

“Teams are going to have a hard decision to make on McQueen at the draft because on talent, upside and pedigree he’s a top-10 pick and was viewed as a potential top-five one at one point. As a player, I like his tenaciousness/willingness to go get pucks and then stick with them when he has them. He uses his linemates well. But it’s his ability to control and manipulate pucks in tight to his body, with his length, that I think distinguishes him and gets scouts excited.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

“He’s a giant of a man who has a presence. McQueen is equally adept at directing pucks on net, using his size and strength to shield opponents in the process, or extending plays and distributing the puck.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

“There’s an argument to be made that if McQueen had been healthy all year, he could have broken into that consistent top-four group of players. He was recently cleared and returned to game action on March 4. With the size, skill, and skating package that McQueen offers, the potential is off the charts if he reaches his ceiling.” – Kareem Elshafey – FC Hockey

---

With McQueen gone, that means it’s time to add another name to the board. This time it is the big rangy Czech defender, Radim Mrtka.

“Mrtka is a giant right-shot defenseman who moves extremely well and played huge all-situations minutes for Czechia at the Hlinka. His minutes in the Czech Extraliga (and Champions Hockey League) with Trinec were quite limited to start the season, though, prompting a move to Seattle in the WHL. With the Thunderbirds, he has been phenomenal, playing to nearly a point per game on a low-scoring team, logging an average of 27 minutes and often 30, and going over the boards first on both the power play and penalty kill. There has been debate in this draft class as to who the second-best D is but for me, it’s Mrtka right now. He’s one of the most intriguing prospects in this class, period, and his upside is exciting.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...r-mcqueen-nhl-draft-scouting-report-analysis/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

BSH 2025 Community Draft Board, No. 9: Jake O’Brien is a center with some pop

Don’t be scared of the J. O’Brien. We swear this one is different.

Jake O’Brien is someone who has been rapidly rising up draft boards and rankings, and is plainly giving some stiff competition for the other forward prospects projected to go in the first five or six selections. If you had to sell a team on him (or a fan base) it really boils down to a couple key points (please still read the rest of the article).

The Brantford Bulldogs center produced very well in the OHL this season, almost hitting the century mark with 98 points on a team with some decent prospects like Chicago Blackhawks’ Nick Lardis, but nothing like the star-studded cast some other draft-eligible skaters have supporting them. Since 2010, only 10 draft-eligible OHL skaters have managed to score more points than O’Brien did this season: Alex DeBrincat, Arthur Kaliyev, Ryan Strome, Matthew Tkachuk, Cole Perfetti, Marco Rossi, Michael Misa, Mitch Marner, Dylan Strome, and some guy named Connor McDavid. Those are the player that excelled higher than this player in terms of raw point totals.

That’s one positive. He produced. But when it comes to really diving into the nitty gritty of a prospect, age comes into question. O’Brien is on the younger side of this draft class. Not as young as Jett Luchanko was in comparison, but with a June 16 birthday, the Bulldogs centerman has way more of a runway than someone like Roger McQueen, who if he was born just a few weeks earlier, he would’ve been drafted last year.

So, lots of points and young for this class. The one other thing we can boil this player all down and deliver in a concentrated dose is that there is nothing really abhorrently wrong with his game. Other prospects you might say the skating is off, or the size is an issue, or this or that. O’Brien is a plus in a whole lot of categories. The main question is, just how much of a plus can he be?

Pre-draft rankings​

No. 10 by Elite Prospects
No. 9 by TSN/Bob McKenzie
No. 7 by The Athletic/Corey Pronman
No. 10 by FC Hockey

Bio​

DOB: June 16, 2007
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Position: Center
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: Right​

Statistics​

What’s there to like?​

Jake O’Brien is a really fun player. He’s the sort of center you see in the CHL that no one should have any problems with. He is as well-rounded as a young center can be — essentially a perfect sphere on the ice to just lift his whole team and lead them through either difficult pressure from an oncoming attack or while down a couple goals and needing someone to quickly make the perfect read to get his team back on the board. O’Brien right now is considered just a super reliable player down the middle.

What his main strength is, though, is his playmaking. O’Brien can regularly make great offensive reads and make that play that eventually leads to high-quality chances — stripping the puck off an opponent’s stick in a prime area of the zone, or threading a pass through multiple defenders, for example. Everything he does is to give his team an advantage and it shows up on the score sheet.

The main takeaway about O’Brien’s playmaking and just general offensive game is that he does nothing that isn’t going to lead to the strongest play possible. There’s no soft chances or lazily floating the puck towards the net when O’Brien is on the ice — it’s all about getting in those nasty areas on the ice or, creating enough space so his teammates can cleanly get into that high-danger spot with limited resistance and score.

And even when it comes to his individual scoring, it’s all about highest quality possible. O’Brien scored 32 goals on just 134 shots on goal this season for the Bulldogs. While reading that 23.8 shooting percentage first makes you take a step back and be cautious if he can score at higher levels, just watching him and the chances that he does get, it’s understandable how he got there. It’s not riding some percentage wave (maybe it is a little) but that rate of success is built on getting to those high-danger areas or linking up with his teammates enough and making smart plays to keep that rate going.

Only four other draft-eligible players in the OHL managed to score over 30 goals this season. It was Porter Martone with 37 on his 190 shots, Brady Martin scoring 33 goals on 202 shots, Malcolm Spence scoring 32 goals on 222 shots, and of course Michael Misa and his historic 62 goals on just 284 shots. O’Brien clears all of them in terms of shooting percentage of course, but it is just how he approaches the game, where we could potentially spin it as he’s not just being constantly fed pucks by his teammates to score goals. He managed to hit that milestone despite being a creator and more of the connective tissue of a scoring chance, rather than just the end point.

Of course, when it comes to the modern Flyers we have to think about size and wanting some more physicality down the middle. O’Brien is not the most physical player in terms of laying guys out, but he really uses his 6-foot-2 frame to protect possession extremely well and is hyper aware of his body positioning. That is just another way he is able to get to those high-danger areas — not necessarily bullying his way down through the slot in an unprojectable way in junior hockey, but keeping defenders out of reach and being able to distribute the puck from that position.

It’s super clear to see why O’Brien is quickly rising up the draft boards and possibly on June 27, we could hear his name called higher than some other prospects we have already written about.

What’s not to like?​

When it comes to O’Brien, you love to hear about all the things he can do with and without the puck at a high level. All those little details to his game and his smart hockey brain that can take him far in this sport. But the ultimate downside to his game is also the general question when it comes to a lot of prospects who aren’t the most bona fide top selections: What really is his ceiling in the NHL?

If you boil down and concentrate O’Brien’s playstyle, tools, and habits, you get a playmaking center who has consistently shown he is one of the smartest forwards in the OHL right now. But, with nothing truly popping off the page or having moments that make you sit back and fall back in love with this sport, there is a general ceiling of not being a championship team’s top center, but rather just a solid option down the middle who could certainly pop off for a couple seasons.

But it also is only a question asked when talking about these top-10 picks. If you have a player who might not have the highest ceiling but does everything as well as O’Brien, you are leaping for joy and doing backflips as you call the pick in. But with a whole lot of pressure to nail a pick earned by being a downright very bad hockey team, what’s not to like about O’Brien is maybe him topping out as a middle-six center. But even then, it’s hard to think about this player not making a future impact in the NHL. He’ll get there and do some cool things.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?​

Probably really well! It would form an interesting one-two punch of center prospects for the Flyers. Jett Luchanko, last year’s first-round selection by Philadelphia, and O’Brien together have a similar high-floor projection to the NHL. Both of these players should make it, but like we just pointed out, the question is just if they can be the top-of-the-lineup guys.

Luchanko has all the work ethic and defensive acumen that you want from someone stable to be beneath someone who is more offensively focused like O’Brien. But, they would both share the same work ethic and drive and ability to have an elevated and mature off-puck game that should make them successful in the game for a long time. It’s not the most enticing duo of center prospects in the world, and doesn’t really have that star-level punch most fans want, but they would form a future down the middle for the Flyers that is incredibly easy for star wingers to play with. These guys can do a lot of heavy lifting for their linemates. Two thoughtful centermen.

But overall, it would be adding another high-end prospect to this pool that has lacked them for a very long time.

Can the Flyers actually get him?​

If the Flyers do not win the draft lottery and are picking fourth overall, O’Brien most likely would not be the pick. It’s certainly not out of the question, but there are other forwards like Porter Martone who have a higher ceiling than the Brantford Bulldog, and even other centers like James Hagens and Anton Frondell who are projected to be selected before him and could be available in that range.

Now, say the Flyers fall into the worst possible scenario and two teams below them have suddenly leaped into the top two spots. To really hit the point home about how miserable this could be, it is the New York Islanders and New York Rangers picking first and second at the draft this year. Now, the Flyers are picking sixth overall.

There is a path where with that pick, the players you want in the position you want are now gone. If the centers Michael Misa, James Hagens, Anton Frondell, and even Caleb Desnoyers are all selected in the first five picks somehow, then the Flyers have a choice to make. And say, instead of picking Martone like they could, they really want that center. O’Brien would most likely be the next after that group and that is the (questionable) scenario that could play out. All hypothetical and probably not going to happen, but that’s it. O’Brien is projected to go in the top 10 but not in the first half of the top 10 — the weird area where the Flyers probably won’t have a pick and don’t want to use their first pick on the Bulldogs center.

What scouts are saying​

“He leads the crop of smart playmaking centres who may not carry a ton of pace in their game, but simply go with the flow making great reads, adapting to pressure well, keeping pucks away from opponents and driving great possession results with their overall impact. Similar to Kindel, blocking shots isn’t necessarily his forte, but his off-puck results are great. His shot selection is one of the best available, rarely wasting his chances and not shooting pucks from places he won’t score from, and his slot pass numbers are also quite good. He’s one of the best players in the class at finding creative ways through opponents and adapting to play on the fly, I just wonder what his upside is going to be in the NHL as he is. I think there’s plenty to work with though and plenty of traits that I think should help him find a role somewhere in the middle of an NHL lineup.”
— Will Scouch, scouching.ca

“O’Brien is an extremely crafty two-way centerman with a high hockey IQ and a strong ability to read and anticipate plays. Both his offensive and defensive instincts shine throughout the course of a game, displaying his understanding of space and timing. He possesses a powerful skating stride that allows him to accelerate effectively through the neutral zone and initiate the attack. Additionally, he’s a gifted playmaker who distributes the puck with precision and intent. O’Brien threads passes through traffic and executes hard, cross-ice feeds to set up teammates in high-scoring areas.”
— Mike Kennedy, FC Hockey

O’Brien is a crafty playmaker. He reads how plays are developing in the offensive zone and has a knack for finding opportunities in the deep slot and around the net. He works the weak side flank effectively on the power play and has added more of a defensive dimension to his overall game. He produced 32G-66A for the Bulldogs in the regular season and averaged over 20 minutes of ice time. O’Brien’s skating mechanics are sound, but he needs time to add more strength to his frame, which should result in more separation in open ice and the ability to track the full 200 feet even more effectively.”
— Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

---

There goes O’Brien off the board and in his place on the poll is energetic Everett Silvertips winger Carter Bear. He’s an interesting one where you have to balance a brutal injury to his potential.

“He possesses quick, soft hands, legit skill, good speed and a natural shot but he also stays around it, plays with intensity, works extremely hard and goes to the net and inside ice. I’ve seen him make some impressive skill plays this season and dance goalies and defensemen, but he can also beat you with his work ethic and I like both the intentionality of his game and the way he uses his skill to play to the middle third.”
— Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...d-no-9-jake-obrien-is-a-center-with-some-pop/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Zayde Wisdom scores twice shorthanded in Phantoms Game 2 win over Bears

Last night saw the Phantoms take big step forward in their division semifinal matchup with Hershey, responding after a tough loss in the opener and coming away with a, if not an altogether tidy, well-deserved win.

The Phantoms’ offense looked much more commanding at even strength — a really notable change from their series opener performance — and while they did manage to pot one goal at even strength, the bulk of their scoring came, go figure, on the penalty kill.

The lack of discipline from the Phantoms throughout this postseason has been much lamented, and there’s been a real feeling that they’ve been playing with fire, with a continued inability to keep themselves out of the box, and yet, they keep not getting burned in big ways. Last night saw them give up one power play goal, but still manage to outscore the Bears on the power play, in an effort that was somewhat singular — that is, it was on two well pressured breakout plays that the Phantoms were able to send a pair of their forwards heading down-ice on the rush, and it was twice the Zayde Wisdom was able to get one by Hunter Shepard shorthanded.

And the fact that Wisdom was able to step up for the team in this way should not come as a shock, after all, “he’s been playing like that all year, for us,” Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere said postgame. “He’s been a great surprise… not surprise, I shouldn’t say surprise, but I talked about him before, he’s a kid who came to our camp and told me this summer ‘I’ll come to camp and make your team and you won’t be able to take me out.’ A lot of guys are telling me that, but not too many guys walk the walk. He’s been walking the walk and he’s one of our leaders in that room and I couldn’t be happier, he’s just a great kid.”

And this echos what Laperriere has been saying about Wisdom since the real resurgence of his game kicked off back in December. He’s been doing well to get himself on the scoresheet, which is certainly impressive in its own right, but even more notably, he’s bringing a balanced and engaged game, which helps to raise the level of play of whoever he’s paired with. He might not be one of the big names on this roster, might not be putting up the biggest and flashiest of numbers, but he’s done some remarkable work to rebuild his game at this level, and to make himself an integral part of this offense. He’s in a really positive spot with his game, and he’s stepping up for them when they need him most.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...horthanded-in-phantoms-game-2-win-over-bears/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Some takeaways from Phantoms’ 4-2 gutsy win over Hershey

Cal Petersen came in relief and stopped 15 shots, Nikita Grebenkin had a game-winning bomb, and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms flustered the visiting Hershey Bears for a thrilling 4-2 win Sunday at PPL Center. The Phantoms now lead the best-of-five series two games to one.

The basics

First period: 11:23- Jacob Gaucher (Unassisted) (SHG)

Second period: 3:03- Andrew Perrott (Matt Strome, Alex Limoges), 4:27- Ivan Miroshnichenko (Luke Philp), 13:09- Garrett Wilson (Jett Luchanko, Anthony Richard) (PPG), 15:51- Nikita Grebenkin (Emil Andrae, Anthony Richard)

Third period: 14:09- Olle Lycksell (Emil Andrae)

SOG: 26 (LHV) – 32 (HER)

Some takeaways

Phantom penalties a plus

The Phantoms didn’t score on their first power play, but then gave up two power plays to Hershey, who seemed to gain some momentum from the kill. The Bears had a two-on-one nixed by Adam Ginning but a somewhat iffy tripping call led to another short-handed situation. And as has been the case the last two games, another Phantoms short-handed goal.

Jacob Gaucher broke up a play and got in on Hunter Shepard, then beating him with a nifty little play to give Lehigh Valley an important 1-0 lead. It was just Lehigh Valley’s third shot of the game as both teams had a tougher than usual time hitting the net.

Breaking News: Gaucher is bringing the storm #RallyTheValley | #LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/CSCgSMSzFe

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) May 4, 2025

The effectiveness of the penalty kill has to be renting some rooms in the psyche of Hershey, whose power play prowess against Lehigh Valley makes this past season’s Philadelphia’s power play look like the Gretzky-led Oilers power plays of the ’80s.

Perhaps the biggest kill came late in the second period when the Phantoms closed ranks and gave Cal Petersen (more on him later) some much needed help with some shot blocks and crisp clears. Clearly it was frustrating the hell out of Hershey who botched another power play in the third.

Chippy chippy

The Phantoms and Bears got some hate built up in game two, and didn’t take long to show that vitriol towards each other early. With both teams starting their fourth lines, the Phantoms threw their weight around before a small scrum started after the first whistle. Lehigh Valley’s first power play came courtesy of a strong shift by Givani Smith and his linemates, getting a good shot against Shepard who made the stop.

Bears show brawn early in second

Hershey tied things up on an Andrew Perrott shot early in the second. The shot looked relatively innocent but Gahagen didn’t get it.

Perry comes through in a big way in his Calder Cup Playoffs debut!

Strome
Limoges https://t.co/DxxCxltila pic.twitter.com/xs5u5h1r4k

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) May 4, 2025

Hershey seemed to kick into another gear that the Phantoms simply didn’t match for the first half of the second. Ivan Miroshnichenko beat Gahagen on the glove side on what looked to a shot that deflected off something. Lehigh Valley needed some quality shifts in response. Hershey outshot the Phantoms 7-2 and needed a spark to get back into the game.

Olle Lycksell (who had a great quasi-breakaway in the second) nearly delivered but Shepard was up to the challenge. Meanwhile seconds later Hershey’s golden chance was denied by an excellent stop by Gahagen who got enough of it. But the save was costly, as Gahagen (who accidentally flopped earleir in the second that looked more comical than hurtful) injured something possibly in his lower body that caused him to leave the game with 8:48 to go in the second. Cal Petersen was brought in cold and given an extremely difficult position.

Peterson comes in and holds steady

Cal Petersen was forced into the game following an injury to Gahagen. Petersen had a shooting gallery at times in his own end, particularly after Lehigh Valley tied it. Petersen (who had played since April 18) wasn’t pretty but he kept things tied which is all you could ask for. He stopped all seven shots he faced in the middle frame as the Bears were outshooting the Phantoms 24-17.

Fortunately, Petersen remained healthy for the remainder of the tilt as Lehigh Valley have fewer goalie options than most with injuries. He also made an incredible diving stop with just under four minutes to go which energized the already high-octane crowd.

HOLY STICK SAVES BATMAN! What a stop by Cal!#RallyTheValley | #LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/5HQnJC0NZC

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) May 4, 2025

Petersen did almost a similar acrobatic stop with Hershey playing six-on-four with Shepard pulled and the Phantoms (you guessed it) killing another penalty.

Grebombkin!!

Nikita Grebenkin had the crowd at PPL Center abuzz with an absolute cannon of a shot. The one-timer gave the Phantoms an improbable 3-2 lead in the closing minutes of the second.

Nikita asked “Can I kick it?” And everyone said “Yes you can!”#RallyTheValley | #LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/iypHpi3sLs

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) May 4, 2025

Hershey, who were outshooting the Phantoms, began to lose their cool, especially late in the second when Aaron Ness was given a 10-minute misconduct seconds after Vincent Iorio clocked a Phantom.

Luchanko lights out, Bump more bumpy

Two of the Flyers’ brighter prospects were on the same line to start game three. Both were on the power play and had some good looks, particularly Jett Luchanko who drove to the dirty area but couldn’t drive it home. However by the middle of the second period, Luchanko’s chance was the lone shot on goal between the two players. Alex Bump had a pretty quiet start to the contest and had a clean sheet through 40 minutes (except for being -1 in +/-). He also took a dumb minor two minutes into the third.

Minutes after Gahagen’s injury, the Phantoms delivered a huge goal. Jett Luchanko’s sharp angle shot was stopped by Shepard but Garrett Wilson buried the rebound to tie it 2-2. A huge boost!

Cap Scratch Fever#RallyTheValley | #LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/44X0vjIcpN

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) May 4, 2025

Luchanko’s biggest chance came early in the third on a breakaway. Sadly he didn’t make hay as Shepard stoned him cold. Anthony Richard had a breakaway with about seven minutes to go in regulation that couldn’t provide Lehigh Valley an important insurance goal. However, Lycksell provided that fourth goal almost a minute later, using the Bears defender as a screen to beat Shepard with a fantastic wrist shot.

A gutsy relief appearance from Cal Petersen and the Phantoms are now a win away from knocking off the defending two-time Calder Trophy champions Hershey Bears.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/some-takeaways-from-phantoms-4-2-gutsy-win-over-hershey/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

BSH Community Draft Board, No. 11: Jackson Smith is a smooth skating, sizable defenseman

We’re keeping the defenseman theme rolling around here for just a little bit longer, as we exit the top-10 and add to our mix Jackson Smith, a somewhat rangy, but very tools defender out of Tri-City in the WHL. A prospect who might be a bit of a project in some areas, his toolkit is one which will still almost certainly be attractive for NHL organizations, even if it’s split draft projecting pundits a bit. Let’s get into it.

Pre-draft rankings​

No. 17 The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
No. 6 by Elite Prospects
No. 10 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
No. 7 by Daily Faceoff

Bio​

DOB: May 13, 2007
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 190 lbs
Shoots: Left

Statistics​

What’s there to like?​

There’s a lot about Smith’s game that gives the feeling of the making of a good defenseman in the modern NHL. For one, he’s already developed his skating stride nicely, and shows as a fluid skater in all directions — not just for a player of his size, but in general. That size, too, is already a notable attribute as well. Smith is already clocking in at 6’3″ and 190 pounds, already a solid frame and one which he’ll continue to fill out as he matures, and it’s a size that isn’t just raw, but one that he already knows how to use well. He’s certainly not afraid to step up as a physical presence, laying bit hits with ease. Now, that does sometimes pull him out of position and leave him exposed defensively, so he’ll have to continue to work to learn to choose his spots, but his impacts on the whole are still solid enough that this doesn’t present as a massive red flag.

Elsewhere, Smith has worked well to make a name for himself as a pretty dependable breakout passer, but that impact has gotten a little complicated by the fact of his teammates kind of struggling to do much with those passes. In a situation like this it can be kind of hard to parse out whether this is an issue of a defender making passes which are difficult to handle, or one of the forwards receiving them maybe not having the same skill level to continue to make plays on those breakouts to a consistent degree, but for our money, we’re leaning more towards it being the latter, as Smith’s passing doesn’t look to be structurally unsound or anything like that. Anyway.

He also hasn’t shown up as a huge scoring threat, with a modest 11 goals on the season, and though there’s clearly still some potential there, with a big shot and some reasonable dependability at getting it through traffic on net, he’s shown up so far with a little more dynamism on the playmaking side. Here too, that quick, decisive passing is an asset, and he shows some real poise in distributing from up at the point.

All in all, looking at this toolkit, the areas where things are already clicking very well for him, and there’s a lot in his game which feels projectable to the professional level. This might be the kind of thing one says that sounds boring to fans — even so, rest assured, there’s nothing boring about Smith’s game — but a largely projectable player is one who is almost certainly attractive to these NHL organizations, so it’s no surprise that he’s still hanging around the top-10 in many of these rankings.

What’s not to like?​

While we’re not exactly in panic mode about Smith’s level of processing of the game and his troubled in defensive reads, there are certainly other pundits out there who are finding that these lapses are giving them some more pause. And that, to be sure, is valid. After all, if Smith doesn’t learn to play a little smarter and pick his spots to step away from coverage and engage physically a little better, he’s going to struggle at the next level and look even more porous against professional level competition. So all of this amounts to what might be a bit of risk in this pick — not a huge, blaring red flag level of risk, but it will come down to the team drafting him having a strong belief that either he’s going to be able to make those adjustments easily as he matures, or that they have the development infrastructure in place to help him through any more potentially difficult adjustments. With a pick like this, it all comes down to the right organizational fit.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?​

The Flyers aren’t exactly hurting for left shooting defensemen at the NHL level in the current moment, but that certainly doesn’t mean that their prospect pool couldn’t still use some bolstering in this area. It’s not exactly their highest position of need, but we’re far enough out from Smith legitimately contending for and NHL roster spot that this shouldn’t be a massive consideration — so much can happen between now and then, and the focus at hand should just be to get the players that they like, and figuring out the numbers game later.

That said, there’s a lot about his game that we could see the Flyers liking. As it stands, both their NHL defense group and a good bit of their pipeline has trended smaller of late, and this is something that they seemed to make a concerted effort to address in last year’s draft, and we could definitely see that spilling over into this year’s draft as well. Because a player like Smith ticks a lot of boxes for them — he has the size, sure, and he can engage physically, but he’s also mobile enough that he’ll be able to hang in an increasingly fast and fluid NHL game, and he projects as a player who will be able to support a transition game well at the next level, giving him more dimension. He might not answer their growing question of who’s going to step solidly in to run their top power play unit from the point — as we said, he has some offensive potential to his game, but he doesn’t really project as a power play guy — but there’s a lot that would be attractive about his toolkit.

Could the Flyers actually get him?​

We’re getting into a little bit of a slippery area of the first round here. If it works out that the Flyers don’t move much in their position in tonight’s lottery, and end up picking somewhere around that fourth or fifth position, Smith would almost certainly be a reach to grab at that position. But then if he’s a player they might be interested in targeting with one of those later two picks, though there’s not a consensus on where he’s likely to be picked, it does feel likely that he’ll be off the board by the time the first of those two picks rolls around. Now, strange things could happen on draft day, be it the Flyers packaging some of their picks to move up into Smith’s range, or other teams going wild and Smith slipping down into the second half of the round, so it’s not out of the question that they could end up with him being an option for them when they’re called, but it doesn’t feel like a lock.

What scouts are saying​

“Smith, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft, had a solid 16-year-old season in the WHL last year with Tri-City and made an impact in his minutes and role at the Hlinka, playing 18-19 minutes per game for Canada’s gold medal-winning squad. This season, he tried to play a more aggressive and ambitious offensive style and drove more offense while playing big minutes (23-24 per game) for the Americans. I’ve always had a bit of a tough time with him and his game, though. It can be pretty high-event hockey at both ends at times (for better and worse), and while he’s got all of the physical attributes and has made some high-end plays in junior, I’ve questioned his hockey IQ both in moving pucks under pressure out of his zone and in defending. I thought he struggled at times with his decision-making and man-to-man defense at U18 Worlds as well.

Smith’s a big, strong, powerful left-shot defenseman who plays hard and can impact play in a variety of ways. He can skate pucks through the neutral zone. He’s got good edges opening up in the offensive zone. He’s strong through his pushes as a skater, regularly beating the first layer of pressure laterally. He walks the line proficiently and gets his shots through, opening up well. He can make plays in open ice. He can shoot the puck. He’s capable of playing the game firmly and even boldly at times. He’s got transition value. He’s competitive and strong. But his reads and processing still need some fine-tuning, he can skate himself into trouble, he can take bad routes defensively, and I’m not sold on him as a true power-play guy up levels. He has pretty well all of the makings of an NHL defenseman and he’s still got some untapped offensive and defensive upside. He should have a long career as a potential top-four NHL D if developed properly, but I just haven’t been able to fall in love with his game. I did think about ranking him a couple of spots higher here, though.”

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

“Smith is a “do it all” prospect. He averages north of 26 minutes per game of ice time in all situations and matches up to shut down top six forward groups on a nightly basis. Smith is an excellent skater. He has the legs to escape pressure and lead the rush on his own, plus the agility to walk the offensive blue line to open up shooting and passing lanes. His offence spiked dramatically this season (11G-43A) but it’s his size and strength that impress me in the defensive zone.”

Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

“Smith is a remarkably fluid skater for his size, covering ice in all directions extremely well, which bodes well for NHL projectability. He’s physical often, almost to a fault as he can fail to follow through on hits and end up a bit leaky on defensive transitions, but his overall results in that area are excellent. I get asked a lot about which players datasets don’t quite line up with my read on them as a player, and Smith is probably the best example of that. While on the ice at 5v5, Smith gets absolutely run over driven largely by completely absent offensive output from Tri-City with him on the ice. He’s not a poor offensive transition player whatsoever but he often relies on passing when those receiving those passes simply can’t finish the job. Of the offense that Tri-City generates, he’s the source of a third of it. There are some really impressive playmaking moments through scoring areas as well, and Smith simply brings an excellent talent profile that good coaches and development staffs could foster extremely well over time. He feels much more settled and comfortable in recent viewings, seeing the ice better and picking better times to push play up the ice, but he isn’t perfect. In this class, he brings big upside and potential which I value, and will be very curious where he goes at the end of the day.”

Will Scouch, scouching.ca

---

It’s another OHL addition to the poll — welcome Greyhounds center Brady Martin!

“An argument can be made that Martin is the most competitive player in the entire draft class. He’s a relentless, leads-by-example forward for the Soo Greyhounds. In his most recent 10-game segment Martin produced 8G-11A while averaging over 24 minutes per game of ice time and being deployed in all situations. He finished the regular season with 33G-39A overall.

Martin never cuts corners. He only weighs 178 pounds, but plays much bigger than his listed size. He finishes all of his checks, battles in the trenches, drives to the net and makes life generally miserable for opponents.”

Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...th-nhl-flyers-draft-scouting-report-analysis/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Matvei Michkov not named Calder Trophy finalist

The National Hockey League revealed its three finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy. And Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov is not one of them.

The three finalists were announced during the NHL Draft lottery broadcast. The finalists are Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf.

TOP ROOKIES!

Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson & Dustin Wolf are your Calder Trophy finalists — awarded to the NHL’s most outstanding first-year player. #NHLAwards

Find out where the next wave of young talent might be going during tonight's #NHLDraft Lottery which is about to… pic.twitter.com/k14qihgZRx

— NHL (@NHL) May 5, 2025

Michkov had 26 goals and 37 assists for points in 80 games (remember the two games he was a healthy scratch?). He had eight power play goals and 17 points with the man advantage on an almost comically inept special teams unit. Michkov also had three game winning goals and three overtime goals in his rookie year. He led all rookies in goal scoring and tied San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini in points for second, three points back of rookie points leader Lane Hutson of Montreal. The Russian forward also was named NHL Rookie of the Month twice in 2024-25.

Some believed Michkov would be on the outside looking in regarding a Calder nod, particularly given Hutson’s production as a defenseman. As for Celebrini, he missed a part of the season injured and ended up playing 10 few games than Michkov, yet managing the same point total. Of course, Michkov’s numbers don’t take into account he averaged 16:41 time on ice per game, far lower than Celebrini’s (19:47) and especially Hutson’s (22:43). Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolf also had strong numbers and looked to be in the running, but seemed to fall down the stretch somewhat as the Flames’ playoff hopes fizzled out. However, his numbers obviously to start the year was enough for to make him one of the three nominees. Wolf is the first goalie nominated for the Calder since Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner was a finalist in the 2022-23 season.

Perhaps the upside to this will be Michkov comes into 2025-26 with even more to prove than he mentioned during exit interviews at the end of the year. And that snub should only give him more ammunition to prove doubters wrong. That’s a good thing for the Flyers. Still, it would’ve been great to see him be a finalist.

One has to assume he finished fourth in voting, at least give us that.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/post/matvei-michkov-not-named-calder-trophy-finalist/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Rick Tocchet to guest on NHL on TNT panel as Flyers weigh coaching decision

There has been a lot of smoke around the Philadelphia Flyers and former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. There’s an obvious connection with Tocchet starting and finishing his playing career in Philadelphia, but there hasn’t been anything too concrete in recent weeks.

Tocchet declined to stay with the Canucks after his second full season in Vancouver. One of the reasons he stepped away was due to being burnt out, leading some to speculate if the former TV analyst would return to the media side of things.

Well, Tocchet has yet to make a decision, but he will be joining the NHL on TNT panel this weekend.

Tocchet was a regular on TNT’s hockey coverage as a studio analyst starting in 2021 after leaving his coaching post with the Arizona Coyotes. He then joined the Canucks in the middle of the 2022-23 season.

The longtime head coach was also a member of the Flyers Postgame Live panel in the early 2010s.

While a guest spot for a few days obviously doesn’t mean he’s returning to that gig in a full-time role, going back behind the desk for the weekend may remind him how much he enjoys the lighter side of hockey.

Tocchet has a few teams that could be vying for his services this offseason, but none of them are exactly desirable destinations in win-now mode. Given how quickly coaches are fired in-season nowadays, he could take a load off this summer and see if anything better comes up next season (or offseason).

There was some more Flyers-related Tocchet news dropped on Wednesday as well with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reporting that Philadelphia “had not reached out on Rick Tocchet” as of Tuesday, but he expects it to happen before the end of the week.

That’s an interesting development, given that Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said last week that he believes Tocchet is the Flyers’ “number one guy.” Wouldn’t the team have already reached out to the guy at the top of their list?

Nevertheless, the Flyers appear to be taking their time in their search for the team’s next head coach. Tocchet and Brad Shaw remain top candidates with Pat Ferschweiler and Jay McKee as darkhorse options.

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...-tnt-panel-as-flyers-weigh-coaching-decision/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

2025 BSH Community Draft Board, No. 13: Brady Martin is a one-man wrecking ball

Today on the 2025 Broad Street Hockey Community Draft Board, we’ll turn the page to one of the most physical forwards in the draft class, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds center Brady Martin.

Around this time every single year, we start to get a clearer picture of the draft tiers, who is rising, and who is falling. This is often the final time for prospects to make a push, with the IIHF World U18 Championship just wrapping up and the NHL Draft Combine at the beginning of June. If you’re looking for a player that has made a hell of an impression in the last month or so, look no further than Brady Martin, who recently led Team Canada to a World U18 Gold Medal.

Over the course of the U18s, Martin separated himself as Team Canada’s best forward, registering 11 points across seven games and winning the Tournament All-Star award for the event’s most valuable player. Martin has one mode on the ice: one-man wrecking ball. Since he’s played in juniors, Martin’s been one of the most physical forwards in the entire game, and scouts have commended him for his ability not just to throw a hit, but to throw a really effective one.



But that isn’t only what’s inflated Martin’s stock in the last couple of weeks – it’s the other flashes that Martin has shown. He’s showing legitimate offensive upside, combining plus skating with an improving shot and decent passing vision on the ice. There’s been talk about Martin ultimately ending up in the top-10, so let’s get into why that could happen come draft day.

Pre-draft rankings​

No. 10 by The Athletic (Scott Wheeler)
No. 18 by Elite Prospects
No. 13 by TSN (Bob McKenzie)
No. 14 by Daily Faceoff

Bio​

DOB: March 16, 2007
Birthplace: Elmira, Ontario, Canada
Position: Center
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 174 lbs
Shoots: Right

Statistics​

What’s there to like?​

As mentioned above, Martin is truly just a heavy physical presence on the ice, noticeable on a lot of his shifts due to his constant need to throw a check. So, despite Martin showing legitimate flashes of the other parts of his game in recent U18s competition, his physicality feels like the only place a profile on him should begin.

In short, Martin is bruising to play against, and he throws hits in all three zones. He’s constantly going full intensity, and has one of the highest motors in the draft class. He’s constantly throwing open-ice hits, causing disruptions by consistently throwing effective, legal hits. It’s hard to look at Martin’s hits and call him a truly “dirty” player, even when his hits sometimes injure opponents, like in the highlight below.



With his open-ice hits, it’s really useful to go through an entire game of Martin, shift-by-shift, and realize the magnitude of Martin’s physicality. My gut reaction to players like this is usually full of doubt, but Martin does seem to have a knack for throwing effective ones. For example, the clip vs Sudbury shows Martin timing a check on a defender perfectly, forcing a turnover by muscling a guy to the ground and creating space for a teammate’s mini-breakaway. It didn’t lead to a goal, and this will be harder to accomplish in the NHL, but the way Martin picks and chooses his places to leverage his body-checking skill is impressive.

Going hand-in-hand with his physicality, lots of Martin’s goals come from him being parked right in the front of the net and causing issues. He’s one of the best in the class at deflections in tight, fighting for rebounds, and scoring in a variety of ways even when his raw skill lacks behind. That might make him appealing for some teams, his ability to be an effective player even when his raw puck skills don’t exactly stand out.

Other than that, Martin is an all-situations type of player, who logged heavy minutes for Soo this past season in the OHL. Being relied on frequently for 25 minutes a night and the top forward on a not-so-great Greyhounds team, Martin was deployed in all facets of the game. He made an impact as one of the team’s top penalty killers, something that can probably be projected to future NHL success on the kill. He wasn’t incredible on the power play, but it’s not like anyone really was on Soo, who had the fifth worst power play percentage in the OHL. Either way, Martin’s a forward that has been trusted in every possible game situation, whether for Soo or Team Canada, and he’s shown his capabilities well in each situation. Unlocking the full upside of Martin might be difficult, but I’d feel decently confident in my chances of getting an effective third-line center or middle-sixer in selecting him.

What’s not to like?​

There was, and still is, a legitimate concern about Martin’s ability to score at a high level in the pros. The shot isn’t terrific, but it’s been good enough to beat goaltenders at a decent clip thus far. He hasn’t shown a lot of promise in scoring on the one-timer, but he has been able to beat goaltenders clean on rushes and in the zone with his wrist-shot. His shot will probably never be a plus, but it can certainly work its way to league-average or slightly above league average.

Another thing that could detract from Martin is the doubt over whether he sticks at center long-term. Thinking about the archetype of player that the best case scenario for Martin would be, most of those types of NHLers are on the wing. Putting Martin on the wing would alleviate him of some of the responsibilities of being a center in the NHL, and in most systems could let him be the first forward in the zone. Martin flying into the zone as the first forechecker is promising, and could be an absolute pain for opposing defenses to handle. To me, that feels like the only real viable path to getting a top-6 forward out of Martin, otherwise you might just have a checking third-line center that’s annoying to play against. That’s not a bad outcome for a mid-first rounder, but Martin’s stock is currently inflating quite a bit.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?​

There’s been a few players who we’ve said this about, but this is the final time I’ll use it for this draft class (I think), because there really is no one in the draft who feels like he was made for Philadelphia more than Martin. You name it, and Martin will hit it. There’s zero doubt in my mind that Philadelphia would die for the player that the high motor, bruising Brady Martin is. If a system allows Martin to fly into the zone as the first forward, he’s going to wreak havoc on the forecheck. Best case scenario for Martin as a player is one that is going to cause tons of turnovers in open-ice, at the blueline on the penalty kill, pretty much all over the ice. A version of Martin that meets his high-end projection has “playoff performer” written all over him, and is the type of player who will be the cause of every scrum.

Could the Flyers actually get him?​

Prior to U18s, it seemed this answer would be a resounding no, as Martin would be a massive overreach at the Flyers first selection, and barring a trade up into the mid-teens, selecting Martin would have been impossible to achieve. Now, though, Martin might not even make it to the teens, with the recent rumors that Martin might be pushing his way into the back half of the top 10. There’s even recent mocks from The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and TSN’s Craig Button that mocked Martin to the Flyers at 6. Martin all the sudden feels very possible, and he’s got a lot of momentum heading into the final stretch here.

Having said that, considering what we know about Martin, this feels like it has a higher likelihood of being a mistake than a success. It isn’t just the Flyers who might be obsessed with the archetype of player that Martin could be – everyone wants their version of Matthew Tkachuk. The thing is, the odds that Martin is that are extremely extremely low. There’s only one Matthew Tkachuk for a reason. It’s hard to find that level of physicality and snarl with high-end offensive skill, and the skill part is hard to project with Martin. Who knows? Maybe Martin will be the next Tkachuk, but the Flyers have to be careful dipping into those waters on a player whose offensive tools are very much in question. They’d have to be very confident in the offensive tools, otherwise they might just have a 2025 version of Casey Cizikas.

What scouts are saying​

“Few players go hard in the paint like Brady Martin. His competitiveness, his intensity and his confidence pop off the screen with every shift. Nobody will question his effort, especially not with how physically he plays.

That said, Martin is more than a wrecking ball on skates; he’s bringing a ton of skill too. He’s a force in transition due to his raw strength, and he brings soft hands to go along with it. It’s not uncommon to see Martin challenge a defender in the middle of the ice, just for Martin to immediately make a move into space to leverage his powerful shot.

While he’s relatively new to the first-round conversation, Martin has been pulling eyes all over the NHL since he’s been given the reins with the Soo Greyhounds. It’s possible we have another Jett Luchanko on our hands.”

David Saad, Dobber Prospects (January)

“Brady Martin projects as a dependable 3C at the NHL level, offering flashes of smart playmaking and strong puck protection, particularly when moving in straight lines. He’s comfortable threading passes through tight windows—often slipping pucks under sticks into the slot—and shows good puck security when handling pressure head-on through the neutral zone. His reach allows him to create turnovers along the boards and disrupt opposing possessions in the offensive zone.

However, Martin’s game lacks consistent pace and agility. He can struggle to pivot or shake defenders when facing lateral pressure, which leads to some untimely turnovers, especially near the offensive blue line. His shot selection under pressure is a work in progress, as he often fires into traffic from low-danger areas without finding a clean lane. While he’s capable of chipping in secondary offense through smart support play and puck movement, he’s not a primary creator or dynamic finisher at this stage.”

Josh Tessler, Smaht Scouting

“An argument can be made that Martin is the most competitive player in the entire draft class. He’s a relentless, leads-by-example forward for the Soo Greyhounds. In his most recent 10-game segment Martin produced 8G-11A while averaging over 24 minutes per game of ice time and being deployed in all situations. He finished the regular season with 33G-39A overall.

Martin never cuts corners. He only weighs 178 pounds, but plays much bigger than his listed size. He finishes all of his checks, battles in the trenches, drives to the net and makes life generally miserable for opponents.”

Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

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Next up, we’re adding Cullen Potter to the poll, a small, smooth-skating center from Arizona State.

“The best-skating forward in this age group by a margin for me, Potter is a smallish but talented and extremely fast player who uses his electric speed to put defenders on their heels, back them off, create opportunistic chances, get out in transition and jump onto loose pucks. He’s a fun player to watch with his ability to go inside-out and outside-in on players, his ability to round corners on them and his desire to attack off the rush and challenge D by turning on the jets and burning them wide or blazing into a quick stop-up. He’s tough to catch in straight lines or track in and out of cuts. He’s got some cleverness one-on-one. He can be creative with the puck on his stick. He can really get going in a hurry and has shown an ability to finish plays as well, with a great release. It sounds like he’s not done growing, either, which could upgrade his projection. His decision to leave the program to join Arizona State was a testy one and some questioned whether he and his game were ready for the NCAA level, but while he was inconsistent at times in the first half, I felt he really popped late in the year with the Sun Devils before rejoining Team USA for U18 Worlds. At U18s, he made some skill plays, drew some penalties with his speed, had a goal disallowed, had some third assists and had several chances around the net that he was probably owed from. But he also came and went a little too much for some and didn’t take over like they wanted him to. He has regularly flashed and occasionally even thrilled with his speed and legit puck skill. His skating truly is on another level, both through his edges and through a uniquely wide straightaway base. There’s still some real learning of the game and how to deploy his speed that needs to happen, but there’s also a real draw/appeal/upside to his game. If Frank Nazar could get picked 13th as a smallish center/winger hybrid who relies on speed and skill, I think Potter belongs in a similar range (he’s an even better skater, too, which is saying something). He’s an exciting player to watch when he winds up, and I’ll be interested to see at which point in the draft a team decides to bet on that because there are mixed opinions on him out there (Nazar was also more consistent/responsible), but the talent and speed are undeniable.”

Scott Wheeler, The Athletic

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...o-13-brady-martin-is-a-one-man-wrecking-ball/

 

[Philadelphia Flyers]

Why it’s too soon for Flyers to give up on Sam Ersson

The numbers aren’t sparkling. Across parts of three NHL seasons, Sam Ersson has an .888 save percentage (SV%), 2.98 goals against average (GAA), and a minus-23 goals saved above expected (GSAx, according to MoneyPuck) through his career with the Flyers. Sure, the team has been bad through most of that span, but those are worrying numbers any way you slice it, and the 2024-25 season was Ersson’s worst: in 47 games, he finished with an .883 SV% and 3.14 GAA, and the worst GSAx in the league with minus-19.9.

It’s good to remember, though, that Sam Ersson is just 25 years old. A player’s mid-20s are often considered their prime, and Ersson’s age falls in that range, but the 2024-25 season has shown just how much later goaltenders develop than skaters–especially as the game’s gotten more intense and 60-plus game starters have gotten fewer and further between. Last season, a surprising number of goaltenders had breakout years at exactly the same age. They’re not starting netminders, exactly, but they did establish themselves as very good tandem goalies. Before we get into those 1As, we need to clarify what makes a starting goaltender.

The True Starters​

Generally speaking, you know if a guy is a workhorse early in their career–Andrei Vasilevskiy, for example, played over 50 games at 22 (his third NHL season), and 65 the following year. Connor Hellebuyck played 56 games as a 23-year old sophomore, and 67 the following season. That player archetype is fading as much of the league moves towards tandems, though finding a goalie who can play that much (and be good!) is still quite the commodity.

Not every starter hits the league as young as Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy, either. Ilya Sorokin joined the New York Islanders at age 25, and Igor Shesterkin joined the New York Ragners at 24–both had their first 50-game seasons at age 26. They did, of course, have outstanding KHL careers before coming to North America, so there was a high likelihood their abilities would translate to an NHL starting role. Juuse Saros has been in the league since he was 20, but he didn’t play over 50 games until he was 26–and that season he played 67. The path to NHL starting goaltender isn’t linear, and that’s without accounting for where some of these goalies were drafted.

With all that in mind, it seems likely that a 25-year-old Ersson isn’t a true starting NHL goaltender–those kinds of players are few and far between. Writing him off entirely, however, is premature. There’s still a path for him to establish himself as a 1A tandem goaltender, even if being a good 1B is the more likely outcome. As the league moves towards tandems, having a guy come up through your system to fill either role should be viewed as a success. So, what age should we view as the “make or break” year for Ersson?

The Age to Engage​

Looking around the league this season, it seems that 27/28 is the age most goaltenders establish themselves as part of a tandem, whether as a 1A or a 1B. All of MacKenzie Blackwood, Sam Montembault, Joey Daccord, Adin Hill, Karel Vejmelka, Connor Ingram, and Logan Thompson finished the 2024-25 regular season at age 28; a couple of them turned 28 midseason, others are summer birthdays and were 28 for the duration. With the exception of Ingram, who I’m including because he was trending the right way in 2023-24 and had a down year due to heartbreaking circumstances, all of these goalies have established themselves as–at the very least–very good tandem goalies. Four of them earned lucrative new contracts this year, too, with each deal carrying annual average values between $4.75- and $5.85-million.

Averaged together, all seven of the goalies listed had a .903 SV% through the regular season, and the only one who fell below .900 was Ingram with an .882 SV%. MacKenzie Blackwood played for two teams in 2024-25, but only his time with Colorado was included as that’s the team he finished the season with (though a .909 SV% behind that San Jose Sharks team is nothing to shake a stick at). That’s about as league average as you can ask for, across the board, and Vejmelka, Ingram, and Daccord all played on teams that missed the playoffs, while Montembault’s Canadiens just squeaked into the playoffs and lost in five games to the Washington Capitals. A slightly more competitive team in front of any of those four and you’re cooking with gas, and Utah managed to keep their playoff hopes alive down to the last week of the season.

Going back a couple years, you’ve got a goalie like Linus Ullmark, who played a career high 41 games his first year in Boston in his age–you guessed it–28 season. Goalies in the conversation to fill a 1A or starting role include Filip Gustavsson and Jeremy Swayman; both will be 27 next season, and Swayman should bounce back with a proper training camp and none of the contract shenanigans management put him through. Even the much-maligned Stuart Skinner won’t be 27 until November, and there’s been enough good play to think he can become a solid tandem guy–though letting him figure it out through the prime of Connor McDavid is certainly a choice.

Past Performances​

What were all these goalies doing in their age-25 seasons, which is where Ersson was at in 2024-25? In many cases, they weren’t much better–and a few were far worse off.

MacKenzie Blackwood dealt with injury throughout his time in New Jersey, and his age-25 season was no different: in 2021-22, he played 25 games and had an .892 SV%; the following year, in 22 games, he had an .893–a far cry from the success he’s having in Colorado this year. Sam Montembault finished the 2021-22 season with an .891 SV% in 38 games with the Canadiens. Karel Vejmelka’s first NHL season was at age 25, and he played 52 games in 2021-22 for the defunct Arizona Coyotes, posting a .898 SV% in the process. With those same Coyotes, Connor Ingram played 27 games at age 25 (a year younger than Vejmelka, so the 2022-23 season) and posted a .907 SV%.

Adin Hill is an interesting case, as he showed some promise as a young goaltender. He’d been a solid backup for a few seasons and, at 25, he posted a .906 SV% in 25 games with the San Jose Sharks. The following year, he played with Logan Thompson on the Vegas Golden Knights en route to a Stanley Cup; 2022-23 was Thompson’s age-25 season, and he posted a respectable .915 SV% in 37 games for the Knights. That’s the highest save percentage of the goalies used in this exercise, but having the Cup-winning team in front of you absolutely juices a goaltender’s numbers.

Perhaps the most striking example is Joey Daccord: from 2018-23, he played a grand total of 19 NHL games and posted an average save percentage of .881 across all those seasons. Barely an NHLer most of his career, Daccord went on to play 50 games for the Seattle Kraken at 27 in 2023-24 and put up a .916 SV%. He came out of nowhere and usurped Philipp Grubauer as the Kraken’s netminder of the future, though that’s a low bar considering Grubauer hasn’t had a save percentage over .900 since signing with Seattle.

Where This Leaves the Flyers​

There’s mounting evidence that, in the modern NHL, the age 27/28 seasons of goaltenders are the start of their “peak” years, with the exception of elite starters who put it together earlier and, often, for longer. As fans, we need to recalibrate what age constitutes a player’s “prime” when it comes to goaltenders–and that includes Sam Ersson, though we’ll come back to him in a moment.

This age consideration also means that, as exciting as the Flyers’ goalie prospects are, we’re probably quite a few years away from seeing them in their primes: both of Yegor Zavragin and Carson Bjarnason are still 19, and don’t turn 20 until this summer. Unless one of them turns out to be an elite starter, it’s possible we won’t see them at their best until the 2032-33 season, which doesn’t even feel like a real year yet. Zavragin’s got the potential to be a starter, but he’s got two years remaining on his current KHL contract. Plus, if he follows a path similar to other Russian stars like Sorokin and Shesterkin, he may not arrive until he’s 24 or 25–that’s the 2029-30 season at the earliest.

For now and the immediate future, this is Sam Ersson’s job to lose (barring any additions from the outside). While Ersson’s results have been underwhelming so far, the 25-year old has runway left to develop if we view 27 as the start of a goaltender’s prime years. It even gives 23-year old Aleksei Kolosov, who was even worse than Ersson last season, quite a bit of time to try and put it together. The Flyers would do well to resist the urge to jettison their young netminders, because plenty of time remains for them to prove they’ve got the chops to stick as quality NHL goaltenders. Giving up on Sam Ersson now would be a tremendous mistake and, given the point the franchise is at, they have little to lose by keeping him.

Goalie stats courtesy Hockey Reference and Money Puck

Source

Source: https://www.broadstreethockey.com/p...on-sam-ersson-a-look-at-recent-goalie-trends/