Phantoms update:
1/12 – 6-2 LOSS
1/13 – 2-1 WIN
1/14 – 2-1 OT WIN
Samuel Morin (D): 1 GP, 2 shots, 2 PIM
2013 1st Round Pick, 11th overall
Big Sammy Morin makes his return to the lineup after a lengthy injury. He last played a game on 12/12 and has only hit the ice 5 games since mid-November because of nagging injuries. Unfortunately, it likely cost him important NHL time during Andrew MacDonald/Brandon Manning injuries and Radko Gudas’ suspension. He only played in Saturday’s game and the Flyers will likely take it easy with Morin as he eases back into more rigorous AHL schedule.
Philippe Myers (D): 3 GP, 1 assist, 4 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Myers’ stock remains high despite the durability concerns. He can literally skate circles around the competition. In his rookie AHL season he has 10 points in 23 games. While Hextall doesn’t share the same rookie philosophies as I do, it would be a shame if he didn’t see a few games in the NHL this season.
Mark Friedman (D): 2 GP, 1 shot, 4 PIM
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
One guy that is going to get the squeeze as Myers and Morin share the lineup again will be Friedman, who sat out Saturday’s game for Morin. He’s been a bit snake-bitten this year in the points column, but is still making a solid impression on critics and fans alike with his aggressiveness and positive play in the neutral/offensive zones.
Danick Martel (LW): 2 GP, 3 shots, 2 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
We might not see Martel for a bit after he took this predatory hit in Saturday’s game. It was so bad that he needed surgery to fix his broken jaw. This is sad news after Martel was having a breakout season with the Phantoms and didn’t look out of place in his brief call-up with the Flyers this season.
Mike Vecchione (C): 3 GP, 1 assist, 4 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Vecchione ended a 4-game pointless streak with an assist on NAK’s goal on Sunday. The rookie has 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 34 games and in my opinion should be the 4th line center for the Flyers right now.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 3 GP, 2 goals, 8 shots, 21 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Yes, NAK took 17 minutes in penalties in Saturday’s game after he got rightfully angry after the aforementioned hit to the head on Danick Martel. Besides that though, Aubé-Kubel has been a prospect reborn this season. You can check out his 10th and 11th goals here.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 3 GP, 1 assist, 3 shots, 2 PIM
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
Lindblom didn’t have any goals this week, but his impressive rookie season continues as he is 8th in AHL rookie scoring with 27 points (12 G, 15 A) in 40 games.
Cole Bardreau (C): 3 GP, 1 assist, 4 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
The Flyers beat writer favorite is back! Sarcasm aside, he’s been a productive player when healthy this season (2 goals and 4 assists in 9 games) and even sports a modest 3.82 CF%Rel at 5 on 5.
Alex Lyon (G): 2 GP, 7 GA, 50 saves
Undrafted Free Agent
Just when you think he is turning a corner, Lyon throws up a stinker. He allowed 6 goals in Friday’s game against Springfield of which two were via the power play. Lyon did follow it up with a nice game on Sunday, making 28 stops in the process. However, he still holds a disappointing .901 SV% overall.
Phantoms Notes: Mikhail Vorobyev (C) remains out with an injury.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
- 1/11 – 3 shots, 2 for 3 FOW
- 1/13 – 1 shot, 2 PIM, 4 for 8 FOW
- 1/14 – 1 assist, 8 shots, 6 for 9 FOW/
The Rangers’ captain going through his 2nd longest goal-scoring drought of the season. His longest this season was 9 games, but then he was still putting up assists in the process. During his current 7-game goal-less drought, he has just 1 assist. Overall on the season, Bunnaman has 36 points (17 G, 19 A) in 41 GP.
Anthony Salinitri (LW/C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
Salinitri breaks out of his own 5-game goal-less streak with his 17th and 18th goals of the season. He has 38 points in 40 games.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 1/10 – 1 assist, 1 shot, 11 for 19 FOW
- 1/12 – 1 goal, 2 assists, 1 shot, 11 for 18 FOW
- 1/14 – 2 goals, 3 shots, 10 for 19 FOW/
You know what never gets old? Talking about how great Morgan Frost has been this season. He not only leads the OHL in points (71), but also in primary points (57). Given this pace, I don’t think its out of the question to start penciling him into the Flyers lineup in 18/19. He looks…really good.
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
Ratcliffe eclipses the 20-goal mark for the 2nd year in a row. He had 28 goals in 67 games last season. With 21 in only 41 games so far, that should be easily surmountable with 20+ games remaining.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
Strome hasn’t gone more than 3 games without scoring a goal. He has 25 of them this season and is only 9 away from tying his total from last season. Strome is 29th in OHL scoring with 44 points (25 G, 19 A) in 40 games.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
A rare quiet week from Sushko after his excellent performance for Team Belarus at the World Junior Championship. He has 31 points (19 G, 12 A) in 33 games as a 2nd year OHL player. He is looking like a potential 4th round steal by Hextall and the Flyers.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
- 1/10 – 3 assists, 3 shots, 1 for 7 FOW
- 1/12 – 2 goals, 5 shots
- 1/13 – 1 assist, 1 shot, 1 for 1 FOW/
While not much of a prospect, Twarynski is doing what is expected as a 4th year junior player and putting on a nice audition for the Flyers. He has 49 points (29 G, 20 A) in 40 games this season. The goals and points are both career-highs.
Carter Hart (G), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Not your typical Carter Hart week, but he did get his team to victory in both starts this past week. He still holds a ridiculous .957 SV% in 19 games this season.
Pascal Laberge (C), Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
- 1/11 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 2 PIM, 1 for 3 FOW
- 1/12 – 2 shots, 2 PIM, 1 for 3 FOW
- 1/14 – 1 goal, 1 shot, 4 for 6 FOW/
Laberge now has 5 points (3 G, 2 A) in his last 6 games for Quebec. If he can keep up this pace, maybe this season becomes salvageable. Here is his 9th goal of the season.
German Rubtsov (C), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
- 1/11 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 0 for 1 FOW
- 1/12 – 1 shot, 0 for 1 FOW
- 1/14 – 2 goals, 3 shots, 0 for 1 FOW/
Rubtsov seems to have taken his game to the next level following his trade to A-B. In 19 games with A-B he has 20 points (8 G, 12 A). Overall on the season he has 31 points in 30 games. Sunday’s two-goal game was his second multi-goal game of the season. You can see his goals here and here.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
No points/shots this week from Högberg, but reports remain positive for the 19 year old defenseman as he cements a role in the SHL.
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Another quiet week from Bernhardt as well.
David Kaše (C/W), Mora IK (SHL)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
Nothing on the scoreboard for Kaše, but still has an impressive 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in 27 games as a rookie in the SHL.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), Linköping HC (SHL)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
Lycksell appears to be out with an injury.
Felix Sandström (G), IK Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall
Perhaps Sandström’s season isn’t quite over as we may have thought. He is presumably on loan to IK Oskarshamn until he is up to game-speed and will rejoin his SHL team in the coming weeks.
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
Not a great week for Fedotov (you can save this sentence). He has a .896 SV% in 23 games this season.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
He hasn’t appeared in a game since 12/28 after being pulled, but appears to be back in net today.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Wade Allison (RW), Western Michigan University
2016 2nd Round Pick, 52nd overall
- 1/12 – 2 assists, 1 shot, 4 PIM, 2 for 3 FOW
- 1/13 – no shots/
Because we can’t have nice things, Allison left Saturday’s game (for which the WMU site doesn’t have a stat sheet) with a lower body injury and did not return. Let’s hope all is well before this weekend’s games. Allison has 30 points (15 G, 15 A) in 22 games and is 7th in NCAA scoring.
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
Tanner Laczynski is 2nd in NCAA scoring with 34 points (11 G, 23 A) in 24 games. He is only a college sophomore and has already represented Team USA in the World Junior Championship (2016).
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
Michigan absolutely dominated University of Minnesota in Minneapolis this weekend. You can see one of Marody’s goals here. The college junior has 31 points (9 G, 22 A) in 22 games and is 5th in NCAA scoring. His 22 assists is tops in Division 1.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Warren doubles his goal total (6) and now has 10 points in 22 games this season.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
Kalynuk keeps racking up those helpers. He has 18 points (17 assists) in 25 games for Wisconsin. His 17 assists are 3rd most among NCAA defensemen this season.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
In his senior year Amorosa has put up an impressive 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 22 games so far. It still may be a long-shot for a contract given the abundance of defensemen for the Flyers/Phantoms.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
His 5-game point streak came to an end on Friday, but Cates did wind up putting his 7th goal in the back of the net to close out the week. He has 22 points in 29 games and has put up most of those points in his last 15 games.
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
The only thing consistent for Tomek this season is that he’s been inconsistent. His start on Thursday was easily his worst of the season. Tomek has a .906 SV% for Waterloo this season.
