Few came on as strongly as Yegor Zamula
Yegor Zamula didn’t put up impressive statistics, but when you look at his past performances in what were small sample sizes over the years, it’s easy to justify him making the list. Zamula scored just five goals and contributed to 15 others, but let’s compare what he’s done in 65 contests to what we saw in the past.
Before the 2023-24 season, Zamula saw ice time in exactly 26 games, helping the Flyers score just four times. He averaged just 14:48 of total ice time per, gave the puck away 17 times, logged just 15 hits, and 33 blocks. Overall, he knew how to get in front of the puck, but he contributed hardly anything else.
That changed this season when Zamula, besides his 20 points, blocked 78 shots, logged 37 hits, 17 takeaways, and committed just 22 giveaways. Nobody will say that Zamula will be a Norris Trophy candidate any time soon, but the point is, he showed immense growth.
Zamula will be a restricted free agent this summer, but given his growth, it should be tough for general manager Daniel Briere to let him walk. He may or may not have a future in Philadelphia beyond 2026 or perhaps 2027, but he’s done enough to warrant another look.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of April 15th)