We all know about Wade Allison and Zayde Wisdom, but there are some prospects who need more of the limelight. If these kids prove to be NHL caliber talent, then eventually they will either be up on Flyers‘ roster or a good piece to trade when it comes time.
That is the life of prospects, either they are pieces to trade to get more talent, or they are the talent that steps up to be the players you want them to be. For the Flyers, it has been a while since they developed some really good talent, but this could be the start of rebuilding the farm system with some real talent.
Egor Zamula
At 6’3″ and 179 Lbs., the 22-year-old Russian native has been making strides in his development in the AHL. The left-handed shot has received a lot of hype around him, and we can see why. With speed and great IQ for the game, Zamula is a perfect piece moving forward. The Flyers are a little smaller and need to get bigger on that blue line. Zamula brings height but still needs to add some muscle.
While he did not necessarily impress in his 10 games with the Flyers this season, in 58 with the Phantoms, Zamula scored 4 goals and had 25 assists. He was a good blue-liner for the Flyers AHL affiliate but still has a lot to learn. I think this season, given a lot of offseason work, he will make a push at competing for a roster spot through training camp and the preseason.
Ronnie Attard
These kids coming from the Collegiate level of sports are becoming more NHL ready by the year. At 6’3″ and 208 lbs., the right-handed shot had a breakout year at Western Michigan with them going to the NCAA Finals, losing to Denver.
Attard seemed to have it figured out this season. In 39 games with Michigan, he scored 13 goals and assisted on 23 in 39 games. Attard looked really comfortable entering the NHL. In 15 games, he scored two goals and had two assists. He was also very disciplined with only having 8 PIM.
Instead of looking for multiple options for another replacement, I think Attard is more than ready to be an full time NHLer.
Tanner Laczynski
Tanner Laczynski is one player I have super high hopes for because of his play style. At 6’1″, Laczynski is a fast right-handed forward who can play center. His season was held to a standstill due to injuries, but he is a player who can skate and forecheck effectively.
In 28 games with the Phantoms, the recently turned 25-year-old scored seven goals and 10 assists with only 8 PIM. Laczynski is one of the players I could see making a run at securing a spot on this roster. This is going to be a season for some of these kids to really step and show Fletcher there are some in house options and I have high hopes for Laczynski.
Jackson Cates/Noah Cates
The two have been teammates multiple times in their career. From when Jackson was a senior in high school up to his final year in college, the two have played with each other. Jackson and Noah will be reunited this next season and it will most likely be in Lehigh Valley. Both players bring a ton of energy and passion to the game. With skill, speed and scoring ability, I expect these two to light up the AHL together.
Jackson scored one goal in 11 games with the Flyers and in 37 games with the Phantoms had two goals and eight assists. Noah scored 5 goals and had 4 assists in 16 NHL games. I think Noah can make the team currently due to his strong showing at the end of the season. The big question will be if Jackson can stay healthy enough to make this Flyers roster as well.
They say brothers have an intuition when they play together, and I can absolutely believe that because I have seen it myself. I would love to see both players on the fourth line alongside Zack MacEwen.