Get To Know The Flyers Rookie Camp Invitees
The Flyers will be back this weekend when 29 players hit the ice for the team’s annual development camp. The roster features players from as far back as the 2016 NHL Draft, though the only one from there is Wade Allison. Four of the prospects drafted this past summer will also be in attendance.
Along with the 24 players who are, in same way or another, a part of the Flyers organization, five players will have a chance to earn themselves a contract with the team. They’ll be attending the development camp via an invite. While he is no longer with the team, that is how Phil Myers found himself on the Flyers roster. He came to the team’s main camp after being un-drafted and without an invite from the Flames after their development camp.
Egor Zamula was invited to the team’s training camp back in 2018. He was also able to use that opportunity to garner a contract from the team. So there is a possibility for at least one of two of the five invited players to find themselves invited back for main camp. And from there the notion of a contract could follow.
So out of the five players who will be invited this weekend, three of them are forwards while the other two are defensemen. Three of them hail from the WHL while the two others comes from the OHL.
Jon-Randall Avon
Coming in ranked 200th on the NHL’s Central Scouting List for North American Skaters, Avon unfortunately did not hear his name called by any NHL team. And regardless of what happens with this invitation, he will find himself back with the Peterborough Petes this October.
Growing up in the area, Avon became the first native player to be drafted by the Petes since Corey Perry in 2001. Only 18 years of age, Avon still has plenty of time to develop his game further in the OHL. A decent rookie campaign back in 2019-20, he posted four goals and 11 points in 56 games. He also had a chance to represent Canada on the national stage. While unable to register a point in six games, the experience will still certainly help Avon progress.
Avon is able to rely on his speed and poise with the puck to make plays happen. It also allows him to get back and defend if need be. He has shown a confidence and creativity within the offensive zone as well, allowing him to become a threat at any time. One of his main issues came with his physicality in the zone. Teams were able to keep him at bay when he wasn’t dialed in.
He switched between wing and center frequently during his rookie season, which could’ve caused some inconsistency as well. He should get some more responsibilities this upcoming year. The team has depth at center so it’s possible he could switch to wing full time.
Ethan Burroughs
Burroughs is another forward that hails from the OHL as a part of the Owen Sound Attack. He was another victim of scouts not getting an updated look at his game due to the league being unable to hit the ice this past season. Burroughs had been projected to go in the late rounds, ranked as the 138th best NA skater, but also found himself without an NHL team when all was said and done. It was only his first year of eligibility, though, so there’s a chance he could re-enter if nothing comes from the Flyers invitation.
He was taken by the Sound Attack in the second round of the 2019 OHL Draft. He demonstrated potential and progressed throughout the year as his role gradually increased. He finished with a modest eight goals and 19 points in 53 games. The lack of exposure for Burroughs likely played a big role in why a team didn’t take him during the draft. He’ll be counted on even more this upcoming season so this camp invite with be a good step for him to show an NHL team his potential.
He put up a decent performance at the PBHH Hockey Invitational, putting up one goal and six assists in nine games. Burroughs did find himself on the NHL’s Central Scouting Preliminary list of players to watch. So he was on the radar going in. All eyes will be on him to see if he does take that next step forward.
Nolan Ritchie
Ritchie is the only forward on this list who had an opportunity to play at all leading up to the draft. A WHL product with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Ritchie took a step forward during his second season. In the same amount of games as his first year, he doubled his goal and point output. He was tied for third on the team in both goals and points.
Ritchie was considered a top prospect heading into the 2021 NHL Draft. His intelligence with the puck was something a lot of scouts pointed to. He’s also known to play with a sense of urgency and does a good job of supporting his teammates in every situation.
Growing up in Brandon, Ritchie made sure to make this season count after a broken leg in November ended his 2019-20 campaign early. The hometown forward came out of gates on fire with 14 points in his first 10 games. With the ability to turn into an all-around center, Ritchie could potentially do well in Vigneault’s system if given the chance.
Quinn Schmiemann
Schmeiemann comes into development camp as the only invite who actually found himself previously drafted. The Tampa Bay Lightning took him in the sixth round in 2019. He was coming off five goals and 28 points in 58 games for the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. He improved the following season, increasing his point total to 37 while again grabbing five goals in 60 games.
He finished second on the team in points by a defenseman, with his defensive partner right in front of him. One of his biggest questions was what his offensive upside could be. It’s tough to grade what he did this last year due to the unique circumstances of the season. His production took a hit as he grabbed just two goals but did post 17 points overall in 22 games.
It was enough for the Lightning to let his rights expire a few months ago, though. So it’s the Flyers turn to see if they see something in Schmiemann‘s game. He’ll need at least another year or two in juniors before there’s even a chance he can think about turning pro. This invite likely won’t result in anything more than giving the 20-year-old a chance to show he has some potential and the opportunity to prove he can improve.
Jackson van de Leest
Van de Leest’s improved play for the Calgary Hitman of the WHL helped earn him an invite to Flyers camp. And his imposing size certainly helped as well. Standing at 6’7” and weighing almost 240 pounds will put some eyes on you. While the numbers don’t necessarily shown an improvement, one has to take into account that van de Leest played in 22 games this season as opposed to the 64 games he saw in the 2019-20 campaign.
He did register three goals, the same total from last season, in 42 less games. His point total took a hit, though, as he grabbed 12 points a season after posting 24. Again, the lack of games in the WHL season makes the numbers look a bit worse. Especially when the Hitman were also forced to pause after a positive COVID test shut them down for two weeks.
Van de Leest had potential value as a sixth round pick coming into the 2020 Draft. He also had a chance to go in 2019 as well. So it’s been back to back years of being past over. While his mobility has improved, his overall skating is still something he will need to work on. He will no doubt be a project, but if the Flyers could unlock that potential in him, they could have another un-drafted defensive gem in their system.