Flyers Prospects: Tanner Laczynski, Noah Cates Shining In College

Several Philadelphia Flyers prospects are playing well early on in the NCAA.

There’s a lot to be happy about with the Philadelphia Flyers at the moment. They’re coming off of shootout victories over two of the Atlantic Division’s top teams in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, are riding a four-game winning streak, and have earned a point in their last six contests.

It’s important not to get ahead of ourselves, as the Orange and Black have another tough test ahead of them in the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, but with everything looking good at the moment, let’s keep this positivity flowing and talk prospects! The Flyers currently have ten skaters playing in the collegiate ranks, and a good chunk of them have performed well through their first couple of games this season.

Beginning with the most notable, Tanner Laczynski, Noah Cates, and Wyatt Kalynuk are scoring at a near point-per-game (PPG) pace top start the year. Laczynski, a sixth-round pick from Philly in 2016, has netted ten points (2 Goals, 8 Assists) in ten games with Ohio State University, which leads the school and sits in the Top-50 among all Division I players in the NCAA.

The 22-year-old forward is in his fourth year at the college level and has produced at over a PPG pace in all but one of those seasons. While you like to see a guy with his amount of experience in the league dominant the competition a little more, Laczynski has still been impressive and could finally earn an Entry-Level Contract from the Flyers at the end of the year if he keeps it up.

Kalynuk, who’s in his junior campaign, has nine points (1 Goal, 8 Assists) in ten contests with a skilled University Of Wisconsin squad so far. That’s good for fifth on the team while leading all Badger defensemen and tied for seventh out of all NCAA blueliners, as well. The 2017 seven-rounder is on pace to top his career-high of 25 points at this level, and I’m inclined to think the Badger Captain will be able to do so given all the talent that Wisconsin possesses on their roster.

Cates has the least amount of collegiate experience of the three, as he’s in his sophomore season with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, but is still finding a way to produce at a similar rate. Following a 23-point freshman year that helped the Bulldogs win the National Championship for the second year in a row, the 2017 Fifth Round selection has netted six points (4 Goals, 2 Assists) in eight games, tying with his brother, Jackson, who was also on the Flyers Development Camp roster in June, for third on the club in point-production. It seems some added weight has done wonders for the 6’2 winger, bulking up to 190 pounds over the offseason.

Moving on to the rookies, 2019 picks Cam York, Bobby Brink, Bryce Brodzinski, and Ronnie Attard have put up solid numbers in their own right. Attard’s registered five points (4 Goals, 1 Assist) in ten games with Western Michigan, showcasing that goal-scoring touch he flashed in the USHL last year. Brodzinski has the lowest number of the four, potting three assists through ten contests with Minnesota, but is tied for ninth on the team in that category, respectively.

York and Brink have been slightly better from a PPG standpoint, sitting with four and seven points in seven and ten games with Michigan and Denver. Both Brink and York rank Top-15 of all Under-19 skaters in the NCAA in total scoring and should either stay within that range or place higher as 2019-20 rolls along, as long as they stay healthy.

Rounding out the group, here’s how the other three Flyers prospects have faired in college thus far:

• C Gavin Hain: 3 Points (1 Goal, 2 Assists) 8 Games
• RW Wade Allison: 2 P (1G, 1A) 6G
• D John St. Ivany: 2P (0G, 2A) 4G

There’s still plenty of hockey left to be played between now and the National Championship tournament in March, so be sure to check back with Broad Street Buzz on more updates with these and other prospects.