Today the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they had recalled defenseman Mark Friedman from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. They also announced that they had loaned defenseman Philippe Myers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. You can read the full press release here.
Friedman, 23, had been the only Phantom to appear in every game this season, a streak that will come to an end tomorrow as the team takes on the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 71 games this season he has 5 goals and 19 assists. Per my tacking, last season Friedman had a 52.73 Corsi-For percent at 5-on-5, and his +3.33 Corsi-For percent relative ranked fifth among all skaters to appear in at least 20 games. Through the first 50 games this season, Friedman posted a CF% of 45.91, and while that’s not good, it still led to a +0.46 CF% relative as the team itself struggled to push play in the right direction this season.
One thing that Friedman is known to do extremely well is draw penalties. From the start of last season through the first 50 games of this season, Friedman drew 51 non-coincidental minor penalties while taking just 23 himself; a +28 penalty differential. While we do not know the exact number, I know for a fact that his differential has grown further over the last 21 games of the season.
Assuming he plays, Friedman will make his NHL debut Saturday night as the Flyers close out the season at home versus the Carolina Hurricanes.
In other news, Phil Myers will be returning to the Phantoms for their five remaining contests. In 21 games with the Flyers, Myers picked up his first NHL goal and assist, had a 46.71 CF% (-0.97% RelT) and a 37.10 xGF% (-12.49% RelT).
After a hot start, It was clear by his ice time that the coaching staff wasn’t exactly happy with his recent performances, and it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him re-join the Phantoms one game early. He’ll be back next season and will continue to be an important player for the Flyers moving forward.
