The Philadelphia Flyers lost both of their games this weekend to the New York Rangers up in Allentown. 0-82 record, here we come.
In all seriousness, the outcomes of the weekend’s rookie games were less important than the progress shown by the prospects in said games.
Few will remember even a few weeks down the line that the Flyers lost 4-2 and 3-1 in two contests that fall somewhere between preseason games and organized scrimmages. But what may be remembered is which players kicked off the 2023 training camp with impressive showings, positioning them for a strong start not just for main Flyers camp — which begins on-ice activities starting this Thursday — but the entire 2023-24 season.
So did the prospects with legitimate chances at earning NHL roster spots this month put their best feet forward, or did they stumble? What about the recently-drafted players who will soon return to junior hockey? Were there any under-the-radar prospects who showed signs that they might be on the verge of a break-through?
Tyson Foerster
The hope — both from fans and from the Flyers as well — was that Foerster would kick off rookie camp with a bang, the same way that Noah Cates did last year, en route to earning an NHL roster spot.
That’s not exactly what happened.
Foerster got off to a solid start on Friday, just missing on a few prime scoring opportunities. But as the weekend progressed, he became less and less noticeable, particularly in the offensive zone. He won some battles along the boards, showcasing his improved strength, but on Saturday, his potent shot was nowhere to be found, and when the two games ended, Foerster had not earned a single point.
“I don’t think it was for lack of trying. I think I had some pretty good chances, but I’ve got to hit the net for sure,” Foerster admitted after the second defeat. “I think me and (Desnoyers) have a lot more to offer than we showed.”
Laperriere came away disappointed in Foerster, and the rest of the holdovers from his AHL club last season who are trying to make pushes to earn NHL jobs this month.
“Yeah, scoresheet is one thing, but you want them to create something,” he noted. “They might not score or get an assist, but at least do something offensively. I didn’t see that in the first two preseason games.”
Foerster’s goal of making the Flyers out of camp isn’t out of reach because of a couple underwhelming preseason games, and Laperriere even noted that they were closer to glorified scrimmages than anything else, with just one formal practice prior to puck drop Friday. Still, Foerster will need to be a lot better over the final few days of rookie camp and then (especially) during main camp to achieve his goal.
“Hopefully it’s a wake up call for some of them,” Laperriere said. “At the end of the day, they want to make the big team, but they have to do a little bit more, and hopefully learn from these two games and be better.”
Elliot Desnoyers
Desnoyers was placed into the same category as Foerster by Laperriere — the AHL coach simply expected more from him, particularly on the offensive side of the puck.
That said, Desnoyers more regularly showcased the skills that will make him an effective NHLer than did Foerster. The details of Desnoyers’ game were strong, especially on Friday — lifting sticks to prevent scoring chances, backchecking hard to make up for mistakes, keeping cycles alive with strong work along the boards. He even came an inch away from a goal in Game 2, ringing a quick wrister off the post.
Still, Desnoyers could have been better. He was involved in a few rough defensive breakdowns on Saturday, and while he wasn’t the primary player at fault, as center, he could have been more diligent. And offensively, he spent too much time on the perimeter, and not enough around the net, where he scored so many of his goals last season in the minors.
Even moreso than Foerster, Desnoyers is really going to have to break the door down if he wants to secure an NHL bottom-six role, given the depth of the competition that he faces. If he replicates his work this weekend throughout the preseason, he’ll be on the outside looking in.
Bobby Brink
Brink actually did earn a point this weekend, a secondary assist on Matt Brown’s goal on Friday.
Nevertheless, to my eyes at least, he was the least impressive of the Foerster/Desnoyers/Brink trio.
“For me, (he was) just okay,” Laperriere said after the doubleheader.
Brink’s best work by far this weekend came on the power play, where he absolutely showcased his creativity and passing ability in particular. With the man advantage, Brink looked ready to make a strong case for an NHL job. At five-on-five, however? Brink often appeared a half-step behind, with his attempts at creating offense regularly stymied just before he was about to produce something dangerous.
In addition, Brink on more than one occasion seemed to be hanging out deep in the neutral zone near the opposing blueline rather than involving himself in the buildup, hoping for long stretch passes; one such failed “cheat” resulted in a transition rush on Saturday that led to a Rangers goal. If you’re going to cheat for offense, you better produce some. Brink didn’t this weekend.
Zayde Wisdom
The performances of Brink, Foerster and Desnoyers won’t excite fans. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t bright spots over the weekend.
The biggest one? Zayde Wisdom.
“So far, he’s been our best player,” Laperriere noted. “He’s been great since Day 1, and good for him.”
A few years back, Wisdom was one of the Flyers’ most exciting prospects, especially after he thrived in the AHL back in 2021 as a mere 18-year old. Over the past two years, however, a shoulder injury set back his development, and then last season, he proved unable to stick at the AHL level, spending most of the year in the ECHL with the Reading Royals.
If this weekend was any indication, Wisdom is ready to put himself back on the prospect radar. He kicked off Friday’s game by dropping the gloves with 6’8 Matt Rempe, and while he quickly (and unsurprisingly) lost the fight, it set the tone for his work all weekend long. In short, Wisdom was everywhere, attacking on the forecheck, getting in post-whistle scrums, creating chances, and even scoring the team’s only goal on Saturday.
Wisdom almost certainly won’t be in the mix for a Flyers’ roster spot, regardless of how strong of a weekend he had. But he sure looks poised for a bounceback season regardless.
Emil Andrae
The one NHL true roster hopeful who did seemingly help his case this weekend? Andrae.
Despite the fact that he only appeared in one of the two games (he sat on Friday), Andrae can say he exits the rookie games with actual momentum. He came as advertised, threading high-difficulty passes with ease and showcasing impressive tenacity. The Rangers were clearly trying to target Andrae due to his size, and he wasn’t the least bit fazed.
“Andrae doesn’t change his style of play because they go after him,” Laperriere noted. “They know he’s the best defenseman out there, and he’s used to it. I’m sure all his life he’s dealt with that.”
Andrae wasn’t perfect, and he even admitted after the game that he felt a bit rusty in the first period. But out of all the “big name” prospects, Andrae easily came the closest to living up to pre-camp expectations. Lappy certainly saw it that way.
“I was impressed last year, and he’s the same player, even better right now,” he said in the wake of Saturday’s game.
Oliver Bonk
Bonk’s poise is tough to miss. I entered the weekend expecting the more experienced, physically-mature Adam Ginning to outshine the 18-year old Bonk on their pair, but Bonk was clearly the driver of the duo. Decisive passes, strong mobility, and confident work on the power play — Bonk presented himself just fine in his first taste of pro (ish) action.
There wasn’t a ton of flash to Bonk’s play, but there also weren’t any clear weaknesses to be found, either. The descriptor “balanced” can be used as something of a backhanded compliment at times when talking about prospects, but for Bonk, it’s very much a positive. He looked the part of a future all-around NHL defenseman on Friday (his only game).
Samu Tuomaala
Tuomaala flashed his plus skating in both games, but the best part about his play was the fact that he replicated his playing style from the development camp scrimmage in July. He played a simple game, using his speed to pressure opposing puck carriers and going north at all times with the puck. He wasn’t dominant. But he was noticeable on most of his shifts, and forced opposing players to react to him, not the other way around.
He was one of the players who Laperriere singled out for praise in the wake of Friday’s game, and he did the same following Saturday’s game, too. Tuomaala no longer plays like a forward who believes he’s destined to be on an NHL club’s top two lines. He’s looking more like a checker with speed, and that’s a good thing. Most likely, if the skill was going to carry him to an impact scoring role at the highest level of hockey, it would have showed over the past two seasons. But as a straight-ahead depth forward, he might have a future.
Denver Barkey
Barkey’s tenacious and relentless style came as advertised, especially in Friday’s game. On his very first shift, he tried to lay a hit on a significantly larger player and fell to the ice in the process. But that’s Barkey — for better or worse, he’s going to try and do things, making him a fun player to watch.
Also, unlike the vast majority of his teammates, Barkey actually produced offense. He picked up a primary assist on the Flyers’ first goal of the game Friday (a PP goal), charging the net to make himself a target for a Brink pass, and Matt Brown would ultimately clean up the garbage and pop in the rebound. Then, on Saturday, he set up Wisdom’s goal with a gorgeous feed on the rush. You can see why the Flyers think he’ll be a steal down the road, even if he’ll need to bulk up considerably if he wants to play his preferred style at the NHL level.
Matt Brown
Speaking of Brown, he was easily the most impressive of the camp invites. He was one of the quicker Flyers on the weekend, and didn’t look out of place on lines next to some of the club’s better prospects. Granted, he’s 24, so he should stand out in games like this, but a goal and an assist isn’t too shabby, especially given the roster’s scoring struggles on the weekend. Brown did lose the puck on multiple occasions under checking pressure, but that also speaks to how often Brown had the puck on his stick across the two games — he was constantly engaged in the play.
Did he do enough to potentially earn an entry-level contract? Well, he was one of the first players that Laperriere name-dropped on Friday, and on Saturday, Lappy did nothing to throw cold water on the idea.
“Since Day 1 of camp, he’s been pushing, he’s been working hard, he’s been doing everything we’re asking him to do,” Laperriere said.
In other words, keep an eye on this one.
Alex Ciernik
Ciernik may not have successfully executed on all of his high-difficulty maneuvers. But no player on the Flyers’ roster was trying more of them this weekend.
Clearly a creative player with confidence to burn, Ciernik’s higher-risk approach to offense creation was a welcome sight, and while it led to a few turnovers, it also resulted in more than a few dangerous rushes and quality chances. Ciernik also showcased his plus skating ability on more than one occasion, with his best moment coming on Saturday, when he chipped a puck off the boards, raced around two Rangers players, and then picked it back up halfway into the offensive zone before setting up a chance for a teammate.
Ciernik won’t be around much longer, as he’ll be heading back to Sweden to rejoin his club (Västerviks) before the start of main camp. But he can head to Europe knowing that he made a real impression, and along with Barkey, looks like a real find in the mid rounds for the Flyers.
Adam Ginning
Laperriere praised Ginning after Game 1 (his only appearance), saying that he was “a man among boys out there.” I didn’t share the same excitement, but Ginning was fine. He absolutely was one of the strongest players on the ice and thrived in battles along the boards, which perhaps was Laperriere’s point. It’s also possible that Ginning’s simple, controlled game made Bonk’s work on the pair significantly easier. But Ginning was more solid than truly impressive to my eyes, limiting his impact to solid thump checks and simple D-to-D passes. He was steady and fine, but not stellar.
Helge Grans
Grans took the Ginning role on Saturday’s top pair alongside Emil Andrae, allowing Andrae to do the bulk of the puck-moving and playmaking. Most of his best plays with the puck came on the power play, where he looked surprisingly poised and confident as a distributor. Grans doesn’t bring the same physicality and aggressiveness to the table as Ginning, but he clearly has the ability to make more plays, and in turn, has significantly higher upside. Lappy praised him effusively after Saturday’s game.
Carson Bjarnason
Unsurprisingly, he very much looked the part of a raw 18-year old just-drafted goalie. The physical tools are there, but he was scrambly at times in his net, and gave up a legitimately weak goal to Luke McNamara to kick off the game, basically knocking the puck into his net while trying to cover the far crease on a wraparound attempt. That said, he settled in nicely after the first period on Saturday, allowing only a late breakaway goal over the final 40 minutes. Bjarnason will need time, but there’s legitimate upside here.
