Phantoms update: We’re going to need more D-men
11/29 – 3-0 LOSS
12/1 – 7-2 WIN
12/2 – 4-3 OT LOSS
Samuel Morin (D): 1 GP, 1 shot
2013 1st Round Pick, 11th overall
Morin joins Phil Myers up in the press box with an injury of his own. He missed both games this weekend with an apparent leg injury.
Mark Friedman (D): 3 GP, 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
Despite 40 shots in 22 games this season, Friedman is still trying to find the back of the net.
Danick Martel (LW): 3 GP, 1 assist, 6 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Danick Martel is back, for … reasons (they being the coach preferring folks like Dale Weise and Jori Lehtera in the lineup instead). Martel didn’t look out of place in the NHL in my opinion and will hopefully get his shot again soon. In 20 AHL games this season he has 20 points (14 G, 6 A).
Mike Vecchione (C): 3 GP, 2 assists, 2 shots
Undrafted Free Agent
Vecchione ended his 4-game point-less streak on Friday. The first year pro has 20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 23 games.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (RW): 3 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, 7 shots
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
NAK has 2 goals in his past 4 games and 6 overall on the season. He had just 9 goals in 71 games last season.
Oskar Lindblom (LW): 3 GP, 1 assist, 2 shots
2014 5th Round Pick, 138th overall
The rookie was quiet this week, settling in at 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 23 games.
Mikhail Vorobyev (C): 3 GP, 3 shots
2015 4th Round Pick, 104th overall
The other rookie is even quieter, staying put at 9 points (2 G, 7 A) in 23 contests.
Alex Lyon (G): 2 GP, 5 GA, 42 saves
Undrafted Free Agent
While he did pick up the win on Friday, it was another week to forget for Lyon. He has a .894 SV% in 16 games.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Connor Bunnaman (C/LW), Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
- 11/29 – 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM, 4 for 13 FOW
- 12/1 – 2 shots, 6 for 6 FOW
- 12/3 – 2 shots, 7 for 12 FOW/
Bunnaman now matches his longest goal-less drought of the season with 6 games. However, he does have 5 assists over that same span. With 25 points (14 G, 11 A) in 27 games, he is Kitchener’s 3rd leading scorer.
Anthony Salinitri (LW/C), Sarnia Sting (OHL)
2016 6th Round Pick, 172nd overall
- 12/1 – 2 shots, 2 PIM, 0 for 1 FOW
- 12/2 – 1 goal, 2 shots, 3 for 4 FOW
- 12/3 – 1 goal, 4 shots, 3 for 3 FOW/
Salinitri breaks out of his own 5-game goal-scoring drought. The 4th year junior player has 25 points (12 G, 13 A) in 29 games on a loaded Sarnia team.
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 11/30 – 1 goal, 3 assists, 5 shots, 12 for 24 FOW
- 12/1 – DNP
- 12/3 – 2 assists, 1 shot, 5 for 14 FOW/
Yo, Morgan Frost. Check out this back-handed goal for his 13th goal of the season. His 42 points (13 G, 29 A) are 4th best in the OHL. Frost is 2 points away from 2nd-best, and is 12 off the league-lead. He sat out on Friday along with other players for violating team rules.
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
His 13th goal of the season also leads the team. His 22 points overall are 3rd on an average Guelph team (who has trouble scoring at times).
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
As the weeks go by, I keep convincing myself more and more that Sushko might be the Flyers‘ best wing prospect in juniors. The 2nd year player has 23 points (14 G, 9 A) in 25 games.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
I know this was mentioned last week, but I’ll say it again … Strome’s season and recent stretch have been overshadowed by #FrostTalk. In his last 13 games he has 9 goals and 13 assists. He has 29 points in 26 games overall. You can see one of his helpers here.
Carsen Twarynski (LW), Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
- 11/29 – 3 goals, 8 shots, 2 PIM, 3 for 8 FOW
- 12/1 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots, 2 PIM, 0 for 8 FOW
- 12/2 – 1 shot, 2 for 5 FOW/
You keep doing you, Carsen. That’s his second hat-trick of the season and 5th multi-goal game. Twarynski has compiled 32 points (19 G, 13 A) in 25 GP. Goals are fun.
Carter Hart (G), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
He is literally better than every other WHL goalie right now. He doesn’t turn 20 until next August, where he will presumably be slotted into the starting goalie role for the Phantoms in 2018-19. Count on it.
Pascal Laberge (C), Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
2016 2nd Round Pick, 36th overall
Laberge served a 1-game suspension on Tuesday, but returned to action for the rest of the week’s games. His disappointing season continues with just 15 points in 26 games.
German Rubtsov (C), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall
Rubtsov has really adjusted to the North American game rather quickly. Dating back to his brief debut last season, Rubtsov has 44 points (15 G, 29 A) in 37 games as an 18/19 year old who has mostly played Russian juniors with limited KHL time.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
It’s happening! Högberg seeing increasing usage in games and all his hard work paying off. His goal last week was his first SHL goal of his career. He has 4 points in 23 games this season.
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Something in the water in Sweden this weekend, as Bernhardt also picks up a goal, his first of the season. He had just 2 goals in 27 games last year, his first season in the SHL.
David Kaše (C/W), Mora IK (SHL)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
Kase returned to the lineup briefly this week after missing games last week with an injury, only to miss one again this week.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), Linköping HC (SHL) / Linköping J20 (SuperElit)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
Lycksell was sadly sent back to juniors this weekend, but not before getting one final game (11/30). I think this short stint has proven that the kid can hang with the big boys in the SHL. With his J20 team, Lycksell is now up to 16 points (7 G, 9 A) in 20 games.
Felix Sandström (G), Brynäs IF (SHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall
Unfortunately, he remains out with a hernia injury. No news on when he might return.
Ivan Fedotov (G), Toros Neftekamsk (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
Still nothing to see here. Fedotov has a .894 SV% in 14 games.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
I’ll let Alex’s tweet here sum up how Ustimenko has done this season.
Notable NCAA and USHL performers this week:
Wade Allison (RW), Western Michigan University
2016 2nd Round Pick, 52nd overall
Another weekend and another goal for Allison. He is at 20 points (11 G, 9 A) in 17 games this season. He had 29 points in 36 games last season. Allison is one of the few pure goal-scorers that the Flyers have in the system. He needs to keep this up.
Tanner Laczynski (RW/C), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
20 points (6 G, 14 A) in 16 games for the sophomore, who appears poised to jump to the next level.
Cooper Marody (C), University of Michigan
2015 6th Round Pick, 158th overall
While not an official game, U of Michigan played the US National 18 Under team in an exhibition match-up on Saturday. Marody contributed 3 assists in the 7-3 victory.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
Warren contributed no points in the aforementioned 7-3 victory.
David Drake (D), University of Connecticut
2013 7th Round Pick, 192nd overall
Just two assists in 19 games for Drake this season.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
13 points (1 G, 12 A) in 19 games for freshman Kalynuk.
Terrance Amorosa (D), Clarkson University
2013 5th Round Pick, 132nd overall
- 12/2 – 3 shots, 4 PIM/
A no-point game for Amorosa, who has had only 7 of those in 17 games this season. The senior has 14 points (4 G, 10 A) overall.
Noah Cates (LW), Omaha Lancers (USHL)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
Sometimes the points can pile up fast. Cates has 3 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games. He had just 3 points in his first 13 games.
Matej Tomek (G), Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
- 12/2 – 3 GA, 25 saves/
Tomek loses Saturday’s game in OT. He has a .895 SV% in 9 games this season, but has played better than that of late.
