The Flyers have activated defenseman Ethan Samson from season-opening injured reserve and subsequently assigned him to AHL Lehigh Valley, the Phantoms announced. The rearguard had been sidelined since sustaining an upper-body injury midway through training camp.
Samson was a sixth-round pick by the Flyers in 2021 and signed his entry-level contract midway through the 2022-23 season, his final junior campaign with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. He’s now kicking off what will be his third professional season. The 6’1″ righty isn’t viewed as an impact prospect in their system – he wasn’t even discussed in Elite Prospects’ offseason ranking of their pool – but has been quietly establishing himself as an important puck-mover for Lehigh Valley over the past couple of years.
In 132 AHL games to date, Samson has 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points with a -19 rating. Some defensive weaknesses are apparent, but he has a strong toolkit of playmaking acumen and stick skills to work with that could potentially make the 6’1″, 181-lb righty a call-up option down the line if he’s able to develop further away from the puck. He’s still only 22 years old, but this year is something of a make-or-break one for him as he enters the final season of his entry-level contract. The Flyers have the option to cut him loose next summer by not issuing him a qualifying offer.
He’ll now get his feet wet on a Lehigh Valley team that’s rolled to an 8-3-1 start to the year, fueled by remarkable scoring depth – their top 15 scorers all have between five and nine points on the year.