One of the biggest knocks on Egor Zamula was his size. He needed to bulk up in order to handle a grueling 82-game schedule. Ian Laperriere, head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, had even said as much. It was also clear the Flyers organization as a whole needing him to add on some size coming into his third professional season.
This time around, Zamula clearly listened to what they told him. A summer where he focused on adding the muscular weight, he came into camp at 192 pounds. That’s a 12 pound increase from what his playing weight was last season. Adding onto his already tall 6’3” frame, Zamula could be a force if he’s able to continue shaping things out physically.
To this point, he has appeared in 12 total NHL games. 10 of those came last season while he has a total of 83 games in the AHL. As for what he has learned over his two years thus far, a lot of it has to do with the physical demands of being a professional athlete. Even he could admit that he needed to add the muscle to be able to keep up with bigger players.
"“I need to be better every year. Show the coaches I have had progress every year. I need to play hard in defensive zone. Win some battles with big guys. I need to play faster.”"
During the first day of rookie camp, Zamula had the chance to be paired with Ronnie Attard. Attard stands in at 6’3” and is listed at 207 pounds. So the two could make a physical force if they were to hit the ice together. Attard will not be in the lineup on Friday, but we could see the two paired together on Saturday night.
When asked, Attard felt that him and Zamula would compliment each other well on the ice. He spoke on the Russian’s ability with the puck and his smartness on the ice. It’s may not happen this season, but those two could end up a pairing for the Flyers in the near future. For now, we will see what they’re able to do during rookie camp and potentially the preseason as well.
Zamula also had a chance to pair with Ivan Provorov last season, something he previously said would be a dream come true. He later added on that it was an incredible opportunity to play with Provorov. The two got together once they were both in the area and spent plenty of time getting to know each other.
Regardless of who Zamula may end up playing with in the future, it was clear he put the work in now and understands what was going to help him be even better at the professional level. Laperriere gave him full credit for using the summer to his advantage and realizing what was going to make him successful. He has a chance to crack this Flyers lineup if he’s able to prove to the team that he’s continuing to make the progress he’s talked about.