#3. Tyson Foerster vs Bobby Brink vs Wade Allison
It’s a shame, because all three of these guys are talented and can contribute at the NHL level, but the Flyers simply have too many right wings. The logjam is genuinely insane, and the team can only choose one to stay. The rest will need to develop and play down in the AHL with Lehigh Valley.
Tyson Foerster is obviously going to be many people’s favorite thanks to his blistering shot and offensive play style, but he wasn’t all that during Flyers rookie camp. Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr said that Foerster was ‘frustrated’ over the weekend, but also called him a ‘smart player’ and observed that Foerster’s skating was much improved.
The veteran Wade Allison has the experience working in his favor, and is more of a neutral force out there on the ice. He plays hard and physical, and is neither good nor bad at any offensive or defensive aspect of hockey. However, availability and consistency have been two issues for Allison, and he’ll be 26 on Oct. 14.
Bobby Brink, like Foerster, was unimpressive during rookie camp, but at least did some nice work on the power play. That was a clear area for improvement for the Flyers last season, but it’s highly unlikely they keep Brink solely for special teams work. All three of these players need to kick it into high gear in the coming days or the Flyers are in for a tough time with their third line.