Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect Zayde Wisdom underwent shoulder surgery successfully on Friday, the team announced via social media. He will be out of action indefinitely.
Injury update: 2020 NHL Draft pick (4th round, 94th overall) Zayde Wisdom had successful shoulder surgery today in Philadelphia. Wisdom appeared in 28 games last season with the @LVPhantoms (AHL), recording 18 points (7g-11a). He is out indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/rkXfsnxCv1
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) August 13, 2021
Wisdom was drafted in the fourth round in 2020 from the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. His personal journey to professional hockey caught attention after the selection.
The 19-year-old is listed at 5-foot-10, 201 pounds. He likely would’ve started the 2021-22 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
He built up his reputation as an NHL-caliber prospect with a strong season in the American Hockey League last season. He and 2020 first-rounder Tyson Foerster showed promise and led many to believe their development was ahead of schedule.
Neither player would’ve been likely to play in the AHL if it weren’t for the cancellation of the OHL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a recent evaluation of the Flyers depth chart, Charlie O’Connor of the Athletic slotted Wisdom as sixth left-winger in the organization. The evaluation also noted that both Wisdom and Foerster “might not be as far away from NHL readiness as originally thought.”
Travis Konecny, Cam Atkinson, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel sat ahead of him with significant NHL experience. Wade Allison is hopeful to make the roster this season after a strong showing in 14 games last season. Linus Sandin, a 25-year-old with professional experience in Sweden and the AHL, was the only other left-winger ahead of Wisdom.
While the loss doesn’t impact the immediate roster decisions the Flyers will need to make ahead of the season opener on October 15, it does toss an unfortunate variable into the equation for a prospect who looked like he could turn out to be a fourth-round steal. The new-look coaching staff in Lehigh Valley will also be without one player who would’ve had a tremendously positive outlook heading into the season.
Wisdom is signed on an entry level contract through the 2023-24 season at an $870,000 average annual value.