The American Hockey League unveiled its inaugural AHL Top Prospects Team on Wednesday afternoon. And the Flyers saw one of their young prospects make the list in Tyson Foerster.
All about the Prospects.
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) June 7, 2023
The AHL has announced its inaugural AHL Top Prospects Team. @LVPhantoms@AmerksHockey@goicehogs@monstershockey@UticaComets@IAWild pic.twitter.com/ujccqhSZ4j
While the AHL didn’t specify what the qualifications for this team were, it appears that it is players under 22 years of age. That’s taking into account that Dustin Wolf, two-time goaltending MVP, did not make this list. He turned 22 in April, thus making him ineligible for this team if that was indeed the qualification as it appears.
Lukas Reichel and Foerster are the oldest on this team as they are 21-years-old. Both were drafted in 2020 while most others were drafted in 2022, Wallstedt being the exception as he was taken in 2021. Nevertheless, Foerster joins a talented list of AHL prospects on this inaugural team.
He enjoyed a strong season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in what is considered his first full season. He debuted during the 2020-21 season as the pandemic had shut down the junior league. Injury would limit him to just 24 games, but he would post 10 goals and 17 points. He returned to the OHL the following season before joining the Phantoms at the end of the season. He recorded two goals and three points in nine games.
Entering his first full season, Foerster showed he was ready. He was first on the Phantoms with 48 points and finished second behind Elliot Desnoyers with 20 goals. He was named to the AHL All-Star Game. He would also debut with the Flyers and impressed with three goals and seven points in eight games. But development was the key for John Tortorella and the Flyers so he finished the season with the Phantoms, leading them to their first playoff appearance since 2018.
Foerster had a strong playoff debut, scoring two goals for the Phantoms in their opening game victory against Charlotte. Unfortunately, they would go on to lose the next two games to the Checkers and be eliminated. Regardless of that, it was quite the season for Foerster.
He will have a chance to compete for a spot on the Flyers opening night roster during training camp next season. And if he competes the way he did this past season, he has a pretty good shot at impressing Tortorella once more. It’ll be hard for him to temper his expectations if that happens.
Foerster is likely going to be a big part of this rebuild and could end up being a key piece to the Flyers in the very near future.