No player has taken such a huge step forward for the Flyers as left winger Joel Farabee. The 22 year old has the speed and sniping abilities this team needs. He has scored 37 goals in the last two seasons; the same as Travis Konecny and Claude Giroux and more than Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes.
However, he is facing a serious injury and it is unclear if and when he will be back.
Farabee was the 14th overall pick in 2018. He spent a year at Boston College, a popular destination for Flyers’ draft picks. He scored 17 goals in his one season there. In 2019-20, he played in only four games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring three goals with an assist before being called up. He scored three goals with two assists playing with Giroux and Couturier on the top line as Jakub Voracek was hurt during the bubble playoffs of 2020.
He returned to the team the following season and scored 20 goals in the COVID shortened season, playing in 55 games. On a team loaded with many veterans, his 20 goals led the team. His 17 goals this past season placed him fourth, behind only James vab Riemsdyk, Cam Atkinson, and Claude Giroux. Again, this is great company to be in when you are 22 and in your third season as a professional hockey player.
Again, we don’t know the timetable on his return as his neck surgery is a serious and complicated one. However, considering the dearth of injuries this team had last year, he is one player the Flyers can’t afford to have out for long. He has an ability to see the play before it develops and set it up. He can weave in between defenders and attack the goalie almost at will.
He has drawn comparisons to players like Brad Marchand and Jake Guentzell, two players known for having high hockey IQ,. At his very best, he could be the type of player that Flyers fans can be happy with having instead of a high priced free agent like Johnny Gaudreau.
But he has to get healthy first and he has to get back to form. I remember when Peyton Manning had to have spinal fusion surgery in his neck. The doctors had worried that with his type of injury, all it would take is one hit and not only his career, but his life could be in jeopardy. While we don’t know if Farabee’s injury is that severe, this is not a player we need to rush back. After all, we saw what happened when Ryan Ellis rushed back to the ice last season.
If the Flyers can get 41 games out of Farabee, it is reasonable to say he could score 10 goals and 15 assists in that time. That’s not a lot of points, but I’m thinking his ice time would be limited just to be on the safe side. If he can play a full 82 games and play at the level he has played in the past, a 25 goal, 50 point season is not out of the question. So, realistically speaking, he’s going to be somewhere in the 25-50 point range.
More importantly, Farabee has to get healthy. We all know that this upcoming season is probably going to be a wash. We don’t need Farabee just for next season, but hopefully for 10 more to come. He’s signed for six more years at $5 million a season, so you better get used to him. Great things will happen for him and for us, but first things first. He has to get healthy.