How The Flyers Rookies Stack Up Midway Through The Season

The All-Star break and bye week give us a good chance to take a look at how the Philadelphia Flyers rookies have been performing thus far.

While it’s not the official midway point of the season, this break comes right before the final push for the playoffs. So it gives us a moment to pause and reflect on the first half. The Philadelphia Flyers have had a total of 11 rookies take the ice this season. Samuel Morin only appeared in one game this season, however, so we will mainly focus on the other 10 rookies.

Out of that group, two of them are defensemen in Philippe Myers and Mark Friedman. Connor Bunnaman, Carsen Twarynski, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Joel Farabee, German Rubtsov, David Kase, Morgan Frost, and Mikhail Vorobyev make up the forwards.

Altogether, they have accounted for 48 points. That comes out to 14 goals and 34 assists. Farabee (15) and Myers (14) are the only two with double-digit points. They have played the most games out of the two. It is hard to truly judge all of the rookies due to most having played in less than 10 games. We can, though, take a look at a few who have stood out and made a positive mark.

Joel Farabee

Farabee was drafted by the Flyers back in the first round in 2018. He spent his freshman year at Boston University. He was named the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie of the year after posting 17 goals and 19 assists in 37 games.

That was all he needed to decide to turn pro the following year. And while he didn’t make the team out of camp, it only took a few weeks for the Flyers to give him that shot. Like any rookie, he has had his ups and downs. He currently has 15 points on the season, the highest among Flyers rookies.

And while he had a recent stretch that saw him on the fourth line, Farabee has come on as of late. He has two goals and three points in his last three games. A recent quick trip to Lehigh Valley gave Farabee a moment to catch his breath and reset. And while he was only sent down due to the Flyers cap crunch, it was still an important moment for the 19-year-old to reflect.

Even with the struggles, Farabee has earned more responsibility and more trust as the season has gone on. And he has played in more games in a season since his time with the United States National Developmental Program in 2017-18.

Phil Myers

After coming to the Flyers as an undrafted free agent back in 2015, Myers has grown before Flyers fan’s eyes. The 23-year-old defenseman is finally getting his shot in the NHL. And there have been growing pains, of course, especially with his puck-management and positioning at times. But he has been able to learn from those opportunities and stick with the Flyers.

The numbers aren’t flashy. His 14 points are seventh among rookie defensemen. While plus/minus isn’t the most important stat, he is tied for first with Carson Soucy at +16. One of the most impressive stats, though, for Myers is something he leads all Flyers in. According to Corsica, his goals for percentage tops the team at 66.67%. He has been on the ice for 34 goals, taking part in about 41% of those.

While Travis Sanheim has actually seen more time with Justin Braun, he has been Myers’ most consistent linemate this season. The young pairing has spent close to 300 minutes together on the ice. In fact, when together, they are the youngest pairing on the blueline as both are 23-years-old. Looking at Natural Stat Trick, the two have been on the ice for 12 goals against, the second-fewest among the team’s typical defensive pairings. It should be mentioned, however, that comes with less ice time than the most consistent pairing in Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Aside from the two mentioned above, Aube-Kubel has been the next impressive rookie to play for and stick with the Flyers this season. After developing in the minors since 2016, he has seemingly been given a chance to prove himself to the team. And while not a huge sample, his 17 games are the most he has played with the Flyers in a season. He did appear in nine games a season ago.

The difference is he has been able to put up points this time around. The four points are, of course, not something to boast loudly about. But Aube-Kubel has shown the ability to hang around against the tougher competition in the NHL.

And the average ice time has jumped for Aube-Kubel this time around. He was averaging about five and a half minutes last season. That number now sits at just over 11 and a half this year. He has been given a much bigger opportunity and a clearer role this season. On a line with Kevin Hayes and James van Riemsdyk, Aube-Kubel may have found something that will keep him with the Flyers. He has already drawn praise for his physical skill set and skating ability.

Now it comes down to putting all the pieces together in his offensive game. And it looks like he will have plenty of time to figure that out.

The Rest of the Flyers Rookies

As for the remaining Flyers rookies, there are been some flashes both good and bad. In Friedman’s limited time with the Flyers, he showed promise. The four-game stint was his first true action despite making his debut last season. He grabbed his first NHL point via an assist on Bunnaman’s first NHL goal.

Frost will certainly be back with the Flyers at some point this season. He burst onto the scene, scoring two goals in his first two games. He cooled off considerably after that, grabbing just four points in 16 games before being sent down. Regaining his confidence was a major factor, and it looks like he’s been able to do that with the Phantoms. He has 19 points, seven of those coming in the 12 games he’s played since being sent down.

For someone like Vorobyev, however, time may be quickly running out on a chance to stay with the Flyers. His success with the Phantoms, 20 points in 28 games, hasn’t translated to the NHL. And while that cannot be expected right away, Vorobyev has been given multiple opportunities to prove himself. His inconsistency when it comes to his compete level has been a major issue.

The Flyers have been able to find success more often than not with their rookies this season. And that has helped with their lack of depth, especially at the forward position. Chuck Fletcher was not lying when he said there would be a lot of shuffle between the Flyers and the Phantoms this season.