I know we gotta catch our breath. It’s only been eight games. A lot of guys have come out strong and then we don’t see much from them again. However, everything we’ve seen so far from rookie forward Tyson Foerster is showing that he is going to be good. Very good. He could be among the next Flyers stars. And if this isn’t just a flash in the pan thing, he could be one of the guys that helps to turn this team around.
In eight games, he has three goals and four assists for seven points. That’s as many as Patrick Brown had in 43 games and Lukáš Sedlák had in 27 games. That’s one less point than Zack MacEwen had in 46 games.
It’s also worth comparing Foerster to some of the other Flyers rookies who’ve played this season. Elliot Desnoyers, another highly touted prospect, didn’t register a point in four games. Olle Lycksell had one point in eight games. Now it’s different for defenders, but Egor Zamula has four assists in 11 games and Cam York has 15 points in 43 games.
There is a cocky swagger to the kid, but not one that suggest arrogance. It’s more of a confidence that every time he shoots the puck, he’s going to score. There is a fearlessness about him and it seems to be contagious. Even John Tortorella is not immune to this.
If what we have seen so far is just the beginning, then buckle up because this is going to be a wild ride. He could be a great linemate to some like Travis Konecny, Noah Cates, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, and/or Owen Tippett. He is making some of the players around him better as they are keeping up with his speed and abilities.
To me, he reminds me a lot of a young Simon Gagne. He has the speed and instincts to change a game around. He has the hockey smarts and intuitiveness that you don’t see a lot in young players.
I think that Tortorella will love coaching him and picking his brain. Likewise, Foerster is going to have a lot to learn under the tutelage of Tortorella. This could be the start of another great relationship between Tortorella and a player. It may have to wait until next year as he has been sent back to Lehigh Valley, but I think we are in for a treat.