Which Flyers Prospects Have Shined The Most Early In The Preseason?

How have some of the Philadelphia Flyers prospects performed to start the 2019-20 preseason?

The 2019-20 preseason campaign hasn’t exactly gone right for the Philadelphia Flyers thus far. They have yet to earn a victory through three of their seven games and put on a lackluster effort in their 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, who’s roster consisted mostly of players who will play in the AHL this year, on Thursday.

While wins and losses don’t matter during the exhibition season, it’s always nice to walk away from a game as the victor, and hopefully, the Flyers will be able to do so sooner rather than later. It hasn’t all been bad for the Orange and Black, though. Some of their prospects have performed admirably in the games that they’ve played in, including the ones battling for the open third-line wing position.

Among the group who has shined the most has been 2016 first rounder German Rubtsov. Though he didn’t have his best outing in the loss to Boston, Rubtsov has still impressed through a majority of the preseason early on. In the second game against the New York Islanders, the 21-year-old forward ranked fifth on the Flyers in expected Goals-For percentage and tied for third in High Danger Scoring Chances For percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick. Rubtsov also showcased his NHL-ready strength during the shootout loss, as an Islander defender tried knocking the Russian off of the puck but was able to fight through it to get a shot off. He, as well as the entire team, will need to rebound from the Bruins game but

Speaking of the contest against Boston, Morgan Frost was one of the lone bright spots for the Flyers as a whole. Making his preseason debut after recovering from a lower-body injury, Frost was noticeable on nearly every shift. The former Sault Ste Marie Greyhound could’ve easily had two goals in the game if it weren’t for Jaroslav Halak standing on his head through the first 40 minutes or the goal post being a big jerk.

Frost made his presence felt on the defensive end on the ice, too, showing an aggressive effort on the backcheck that helped negate an odd-man rush when Shayne Gostisbehere was out of position while trying to pinch. The 20-year-old center has patience and calm nature about him that’s almost Claude Giroux-like, which is something you don’t see out of a whole lot of players at his age.

Three other prospects who’ve impressed me include Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Joel Farabee, David Kase, and Philippe Myers. Aube-Kubel’s ability to create offensive zone entries with the puck on his stick has been his most noticeable quality in the two games he’s dressed for. Kase’s speed and shot have also stood out while Farabee’s IQ and Myers mobility have caught my eye, as well. Everyone I’ve mentioned hasn’t looked perfect, but they’ve done enough to warrant praise through the early goings of the preseason.

If I had to bet money on it, I’d take a Flyers rookie earning the third-line winger spot when the regular season rolls around. Who that player ends up being remains to be seen, but they’ve all outperformed the likes of Chris Stewart and Andy Andreoff.