"He's the heart and soul of our team" -- Why the Flyers signed Jacob Gaucher to an NHL entry-level contract

The NHL season is a long one, and while it's rarely lacking for action or general activity, it isn’t often that major pieces of news relating to signings in the prospect group are announced before the midseason point is even reached.
But the Philadelphia Flyers dropped some of that news last week, announcing an addition to their prospect pool, via their signing of Lehigh Valley Phantoms center Jacob Gaucher to a two-year entry level contract.
This news may have come as a surprise to the fans, both due to the timing and the under-the-radar nature of the 23-year old Gaucher among the Phantoms forward group. It was a bit of a surprise to Gaucher as well.
“It’s a great moment,” he told Phantom...