Farabee: Brink and Foerster ‘deserve spots’ on Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers’ final roster battle seems to be between young forwards Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster, but it may or may not be a true ‘battle’ after all. Fellow winger Joel Farabee has had a front row seat to the whole ordeal, and she believes the conclusion should be an anticlimactic one.

"I think both of them look great, and deserve spots on this team. – Joel Farabee"

Throughout the preseason, Farabee has often lineup alongside Brink, and during the game against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 2, Brink displaced Travis Konecny on that line with Farabee and Sean Couturier. The 22-year-old started the night on the fourth line with Wade Allison and Ryan Poehling, but impressed quickly enough to jump up to the top line before the end of the game.

Farabee’s judgement holds a little extra weight this time of the year; in an important year as a leader and as a player, the 23-year-old has had an excellent preseason and potted another goal against the Bruins on Monday. And, like his winger, head coach John Tortorella has suggested there’s a place for both Foerster and Brink on the Flyers’ roster.

"You guys keep saying that – you’re a little mistaken there. It’s not Tyson [Foerster] against Bobby [Brink]. There’s a lot of different things that can happen with the lineup. – John Tortorella"

And, Tortorella would be absolutely correct. Scott Laughton and Noah Cates can both play center and wing, and the Flyers’ coaching staff can certainly shuffle their lines on a nightly basis to play matchups. Foerster and Brink both add extra dimensions to a Philadelphia power play that was the NHL’s worst in 2022.

Fortunately, the Flyers don’t have to choose between the two, provided they carry only seven defensemen. CapFriendly currently shows the Flyers’ roster at 24 players – one over the limit of 23. However, their current version of the roster shows Philly carrying three goalies. By eliminating one of those three and demoting say, Tanner Laczynski to the AHL, Brink or Foerster would see their place opened up that way.

For the Flyers, this battle isn’t as high-stakes as it’s been made out to be. Instead, it’s become more about making the right choices for a rebuilding squad.