How has each of the Philadelphia Flyers forward prospects still on the roster performed with the preseason winding down?
With two preseason games remaining, the Philadelphia Flyers have cut down their roster dramatically over the past few weeks to gear up for the 2019-20 regular season. What was once a team full of promising young forward prospects hoping to earn a Bottom-6 role now has just three healthy bodies left heading into Thursday’s contest against the New York Rangers. Following Monday afternoon’s cut-down, Joel Farabee, Connor Bunnaman, and Carsen Twarynski are the players still standing. All three have a case to be made to stick with the Flyers given their performances during camp and the exhibition season in September, but just how well have they looked through three and four contests?
Beginning with the man who’s played in the most games so far, Twarynski has impressed for the second straight year after a strong camp in 2018-19. The 2016 Third Round Pick is tied for the team lead with James van Riemsdyk, posting two goals on the preseason in four games played. He also possesses the highest expected Goals For (xGF) mark amongst Flyers forwards, the sixth-best High Danger Chances For percentage, and tied for the team-lead in High Danger Goals For percentage at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Not only has Twarynski shined in the scoring department, but he’s provided a solid physical element, as well, applying the most amount of hits per game along with Scott Laughton. I wouldn’t mind seeing the 21-year-old share the fourth line with Laughton and Michael Raffl, as I think his skill set would fit alongside them perfectly, but current injuries could play a role in who he shares a line with if he makes the club.
Moving on to Bunnaman, the former fourth-rounder was finally able to get on the board in the overtime loss to the Boston Bruins, recording a tally on the power-play. He’s done an above-average job at creating chances, tying for 13th and eighth in Scoring Chances and High Danger Scoring Chances For at even strength in Philadelphia. While he doesn’t stand out in every single game, Bunnaman has rarely caught himself in a bad light on the ice, consistently making the correct plays on both ends. His versatility could make him a viable candidate as 4C if Nolan Patrick misses time, as he has experience playing down the middle.
Lastly, Farabee’s done everything that’s been asked of him in the three preseason matchups he’s suited up in, except score. While the 19-year-old winger has zero points to his name, he’s done a tremendous job at out-possessing the opposition, posting a 60.0 Corsi and 64.4 Fenwick For percentages, which both sit Top-10 on the Flyers. Additionally, Farabee’s tied for fourth on the squad in Scoring Chances For percentage and tied for seventh in xGF, again while play was even. The 2018 First Round Selection has been his usual self as an aggressive forechecker, to boot, showcasing two-way upside to go along with his dynamic offensive skill set.
There will be plenty on the line for the three forwards as the preseason comes to a close. While they all won’t be on the roster when the Flyers drop the puck in Prague, unless somebody else gets hurt, they’ve certainly made their presences felt and should be among the first call-ups when an injury takes place during the regular season. It’s worth noting that I didn’t mention Morgan Frost in this piece due to his current groin ailment.