Philadelphia Flyers Sign Bobby Brink
After winning a National Championship with the University of Denver last night, third-year NCAA player and Hobey Baker Award finalist Bobby Brink has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. In a statement, Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher had this to say about Brink:
We’re very excited to have Bobby under contract after an outstanding career in college hockey that concluded with a National Championship. Bobby possesses a high compete level combined with terrific hockey sense and offensive skill that has led him to succeed at every level he has played in his young career.
Brink, 20, was the 34th overall pick in the 2019 draft and broke out this past season at Denver. Brink’s first two NCAA seasons were good, especially for a player standing at five-foot-eight and 159 pounds, but this season he reached another level of production. He led the NCAA in points with 57 in 41 games and flashed significant offensive upside game after game. As with many undersized players who score boatloads of points as prospects, Brink will face question marks about how well his scoring will translate given the ruthlessness of professional hockey. But all Brink has done so far in his career is score, so it’s hard to imagine he won’t find a way to continue that as a professional.
For Philadelphia, the signing of Brink represents a moment to celebrate for a fanbase that has had little go right this season. Coach Alain Vigneault was fired earlier this year and the team faces heavy questions about its long-term future. But regardless of all of those issues, the signing of Brink means that the Flyers have added a supremely talented forward who should be able to dazzle the crowds at Wells Fargo Center sooner rather than later.
AHL Shuffle: 04/10/22
After a dozen games on Saturday, seven more are on the docket today. After colliding yesterday, the Capitals and Penguins are back in action Sunday and again face stiff competition. Washington will face the Bruins this afternoon, while the Penguins square off with the Predators later in the day. The Stars are also facing a back-to-back this weekend and looking for a better result today versus Chicago after falling to New Jersey on Saturday. Every point matters at this point in the season and teams are working diligently to make sure they are prepared for each and every game. Keep up with all of those roster preparations here:
Atlantic Division
- After Jake Allen, who has been oft-injured this season, left with an injury yet again last night, the Montreal Canadiens have made a move to replace him. The team announced that Cayden Primeau has been recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The 22-year-old has played well in the minors this season, but struggled at the top level. In a dozen NHL games, Primeau has an .868 save percentage and 4.62 goals against average to the tune of a 1-7-1 record.
- The Ottawa Senators have re-assigned rookie Mark Kastelic to AHL Belleville, opening up a roster spot for the return of Tim Stutzle. Kastelic is a big, two-way center and the former captain of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen who is asserting himself as a solid bottom-six option for Ottawa, recording 25 points in 56 AHL games this season, in turn earning him 11 NHL games.
Metropolitan Division
- Hayden Hodgson is heading back to the AHL after a brief recall to the Philadelphia Flyers. The team has announced that the recently-signed forward has been returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. After pro four seasons, spent mostly in the ECHL, Hodgson is enjoying a breakout campaign with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games in the AHL, leading to an NHL contract and three points in six games with the Flyers over the past few weeks.
- With center Casey Cizikas‘ one-game suspension served, the New York Islanders are returning forward Andy Andreoff to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Andreoff, 30, is a veteran of 185 NHL games and has 39 points in 55 AHL games this season.
Central Division
- The Nashville Predators have announced that with goaltender Juuse Saros out day-to-day with a non-COVID illness, goaltender Connor Ingram has been recalled from Milwaukee of the AHL. Ingram, 25, has appeared in 2 games so far this season and has a 1-1 record and a .906 save percentage. Ingram has a .914 in 50 games in the AHL this season.
Pacific Division
Flyers Recall Hayden Hodgson
- The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Hayden Hodgson from Lehigh Valley of the AHL. The 25-year-old was converted to an NHL contract just before the trade deadline and has played in five games since then, picking up a goal and an assist along with 11 penalty minutes. He’ll take the place of winger Joel Farabee who is out with a non-COVID illness.
Zack MacEwen Gets The Green Light From Doctors
- Flyers winger Zack MacEwen has been cleared by team doctors but will need some time before rejoining Philadelphia’s lineup, mentions Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). He last played last weekend and suffered a head injury in a fight. He has seven points and 101 penalty minutes in 66 games this season.
Looking At The Philadelphia Flyers Pursuit Of Centers
After trading star center and face-of-the franchise Claude Giroux at the NHL Trade Deadline a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Flyers have recently been linked to the center market for this upcoming offseason. The Flyers have never been a team that has looked to go into a full rebuild, and it appears they won’t break that trend after a dreadful season which is still ongoing. The team has dealt with a slew of injuries, most notably to defenseman Ryan Ellis, who the Flyers acquired last offseason to add to what was expected to be a formidable defense group.
Looking towards next season, the Flyers are poised to bring back a strong group of veteran defensemen, and a mix of young and veteran wingers who, if healthy, could be rather competitive. Philadelphia’s center depth, however, could use an upgrade, especially now that Giroux is out of the picture. Right now, the Flyers could expect Sean Couturier, Scott Laughton, Morgan Frost, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, and Patrick Brown to compete for spots up the middle next year, with some spilling over to roles on the wing.
One intriguing name speculated by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his 32 Thoughts, was Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri. After a career-high 61 points in 82 games back in the 2016-17 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kadri has exploded in a career year for Colorado before heading into free agency this offseason. Kadri currently has 83 points, including 26 goals and 57 assists, in 65 games this season. One concern however, is that as talented as Kadri is, he will turn 32 years old just in time for the start of next season, and after this breakout season, it would seem highly likely that he will seek a six or seven year contract, says Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period (link). A seven-year deal would carry Kadri through his age-38 season, and could cause some issues for the Flyers in the back half of that potential deal.
Di Marco also suggests Carolina Hurricanes’ center Vincent Trocheck as an option for Philadelphia. Trocheck is certainly not the presence Kadri has been, however he has long been considered a reliable, 200 foot player for his teams. The veteran has had an impressive 46 points in 70 games for the Hurricanes this season, however that is still well short of his career best 75 points in 82 games for the Florida Panthers back in 2017-18.
What might make Trocheck the more intriguing option for the Flyers is his age. He will be 29 years old on opening night, nearly three years younger than Kadri, and teams may have the ability to sign him to a shorter deal, perhaps four to six years. Although Kadri surely has the edge over Trocheck in their overall game, Trocheck would still fit nicely on a second line, lengthening the Flyers’ lineup down the middle and giving players like Hayes, Konecny, or Frost chances on the wing.
In addition to Kadri and Trocheck, there are several more pending UFAs at center that the Flyers could pursue to fill the need, such as the Hurricanes’ Max Domi, the New York Rangers’ Ryan Strome and Andrew Copp, and the Winnipeg Jets’ Paul Stastny, to name a few. Each of these names would be a step back from someone like Trocheck, but each can provide a middle-six presence at center that the Flyers are looking to add.
After all, despite being injured and out for the remainder of this season, the Flyers still have Couturier, one of the NHL’s elite centers, under contract through 2029-30. What the Flyers have planned for the offseason is still a mystery, but the options on the table are rather intriguing, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that despite their struggles this season, their internal options are certainly legitimate.
Philadelphia Flyers Activate Scott Laughton
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that the team has activated forward Scott Laughton off injured reserve after missing roughly three and a half weeks with a concussion. In a corresponding transaction, the team also loaned forward Hayden Hodgson back to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Laughton suffered the concussion after playing 11 shifts in a March 10th game against the Florida Panthers. He’d been taking on his biggest role yet in Philadelphia this year prior to the injury, scoring 11 goals and 28 points in 54 games while averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time per game for the first time in his career.
Historically a strong play-driving forward, Laughton continued to outperform his $3M cap hit this year, and the Flyers hope that he gets back to full health and serves as a solid depth piece for years to come. While they may still be in rebuilding mode for the next few seasons, Laughton, under contract through 2025-26, can serve as a veteran leader in what could be a tough stretch of seasons for the team.
He will return to the lineup against Columbus tonight, projected to center a unit between newcomer Noah Cates and Travis Konecny.
Hodgson, meanwhile, returns to Lehigh Valley after a strong showing during his first five games in the NHL, registering a goal and an assist and a -1 rating. He won’t get a chance to make a playoff impact there, however, as Lehigh Valley sits last in their division with 13 games remaining.
Lower-Body Injury For Nick Seeler, Zack MacEwen Injured In Fight
- Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler will miss some time due to a lower-body injury, relays Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been a depth defender this season, getting into 43 games with Philadelphia, averaging a little over 13 minutes per night. Meanwhile, Reiner adds that winger Zack MacEwen was injured on Saturday in his fight with Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds and was also unavailable for their game against the Rangers tonight. It’s only the third game that MacEwen has missed this season.
Keith Yandle’s All-Time Ironman Streak To End
The Philadelphia Flyers have made the decision – an odd and unpopular decision – to sit veteran defenseman Keith Yandle in Saturday night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo confirmed the move in a media session this morning. Yandle is the current NHL record holder for consecutive games played, an ironman streak of 989 games. That will come to an end tonight at 11 games short of 1,000 as Yandle will miss his first game since March 22, 2009, his sophomore season in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Why this decision is being made now is puzzling to say the least. Admittedly, Yandle has been sick and missed practice on Thursday. However, he was back at practice on Friday – noticeably skating on the “fourth pair”. Yandle has shown all-time durability in his career; if he is healthy enough to practice, he is healthy enough to play. Yet, Yeo and the Flyers have opted to sit him anyway, and with a healthy scratch designation no less. Philadelphia is 31 points outside of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with nothing left to play for this season, but will voluntarily end Yandle’s record streak anyway.
The major problem with the Flyer’s decision is the timing. Yandle joined the team as a free agent this summer in a move that Philadelphia hoped would help them contend for a playoff spot. Instead, the season went the complete opposite direction. Yandle is not without blame; he has been objectively poor this season, as evidenced by a league-worst -39 rating and complete lack of defensive impact. Yet, at no point was Yandle benched. His ice time was cut significantly, but the Flyers stuck with the veteran and allowed him to pass Doug Jarvis for the longest ironman streak back on January 25. So if respecting Yandle’s historic streak was important enough to keep him in the lineup early in the season when the playoffs were still a possibility, why has it changed now with nothing on the line? Yeo stated that the team wants to evaluate young defensemen like Cam York and the recently signed Ronnie Attard, which is valid. Surely the likes of Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Kevin Connauton wouldn’t have minded taking a night off though, especially to help their teammate to extend a historic streak. Yandle needed just 11 more games to hit 1,000, which would stand as a legendary achievement even if it was eventually surpassed.
Meanwhile, Phil Kessel also passed Jarvis on March 25 and sits at 967 consecutive games played. With Yandle out, the all-time ironman streak is no longer a moving target. Kessel needs just 23 more games to pass Yandle, which seems like a foregone conclusion. By staying in Arizona through the trade deadline, Kessel may have missed out on a chance at a Stanley Cup run, but the respected veteran is assured of a spot in the lineup for the remaining 14 games of the regular season, barring injury. He will then hit the free agent market this summer and, with his massive cap hit behind him, will draw widespread interest and will surely be able to find a team willing to keep him in the lineup for nine more games to pass Yandle, another ten games to hit 1,000, and potentially much longer than that. It’s too bad that Yandle is losing his chance to make it a more interesting race.
Minor Transactions: 04/02/22
The NHL Trade Deadline has passed, but key transactions continue to occur. The college free agent market is still going strong with NCAA standouts landing NHL and AHL contracts, while many leagues in Europe are already deep into the postseason with eliminated teams signing extensions and conversely allowing some notable names to become free agents. So while it may seem like the deadline puts an end to all important transactions until the offseason, there are still plenty of “minor” moves worth paying attention to:
- The Boston Bruins have been busy in the college free agent market, signing Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin to an entry-level contract (he scored in his NHL debut on Thursday), as well as Western Michigan goaltender Brandon Bussi and inking Ohio State defenseman Grant Gabriele to an AHL contract. They are back at it again, announcing a one-year AHL contract for 2022-23 and interim PTO for Omaha forward Joseph Abate. Abate, 23, is leaving college a year early to pursue his pro career. A defensive specialist, Abate only produced 32 points in 85 NCAA games but plays a physical checking game, excelled at the faceoff dot this season, and brings deceptive speed. A project for the Bruins, Abate will be groomed in Providence to potentially play a fourth line role down the road. Interestingly, Abate played junior hockey with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms with fellow Bruins prospects Curtis Hall, Trevor Kuntar, and Riley Duran.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have dipped into the college free agent pool, as their Silver counterparts in AHL Henderson announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract for North Dakota forward Connor Ford. A highly sought-after graduate transfer out of Bowling Green, where he played with fellow Knights prospect Brandon Kruse, Ford joined the Fighting Hawks this season and continued to produce. An incredibly consistent scorer through five NCAA season, the 24-year-old Ford appears to have the mature game that will translate to the pros. Ford finished second in scoring for North Dakota behind only Riese Gaber. Vegas certainly won’t mind if signing Ford help to convince the undrafted sophomore sensation Gaber to turn pro and sign with the Knights this year or even down the road.
- Another NCAA addition is arriving in Lehigh Valley, as the Philadelphia Flyers’ affiliate announced a PTO and 2022-23 AHL contract with Notre Dame captain Adam Karashik. Karashik, 24, actually played in his first season with the Fighting Irish this season as a graduate transfer, but was named captain based on his veteran leadership and experience and the ability he displayed in four years at UConn. Karashik had always played a sound defensive game on the blue line, but took his offensive game to new heights this season with 16 points, matching his previous three seasons combined. A two-way, right-handed defenseman with a well-developed game, Karashik is a nice piece for the Flyers’ pipeline.
- Moving overseas, NHL veteran Joakim Ryan isn’t rushing back to the NHL after a year away in Sweden. Instead, the 28-year-old has signed a one-year extension with the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the team announced. While Ryan was on an NHL contract for all six of his first pro seasons, including playing 41+ NHL games twice, his value had tailed off before he departed for his native Sweden this past offseason. While he could likely still find a depth role in the NHL, no one will blame him for sticking with Malmo for another year after he emerged as a star for the team in 2021-22. Ryan recorded 31 points in 52 games, second on the team and a top-five mark among SHL defensemen.
More to come…
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Ronnie Attard
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed another draft pick, once again giving them a contract that starts right away. Ronnie Attard has signed a two-year entry-level deal with the club that kicks in immediately and will allow the college defenseman to see NHL action down the stretch. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher released a statement on the deal:
We’re very happy to have Ronnie sign with us after a great career with the Broncos. He is a big, mobile defenseman who has steadily improved his game each season. We are excited to have him join our group and look forward to his continued development at the pro level.
Attard, 23, just finished his third season at Western Michigan University, where he exploded offensively this season to the tune of 13 goals and 36 points in 39 games. Originally selected 72nd overall in 2019, he combines size and skating ability to blend into the prototypical modern defensemen. The fact that he’s right-handed–a side that has given Philadelphia trouble in recent years–is no small thing, as he profiles as a potential partner for Ivan Provorov or Cameron York, depending on whether his game translates well to the NHL level.
The fact that he’s getting a chance to play this year shows just how confident the Flyers are in his development to this point, though expectations should probably still be tempered for the young defenseman. As a 1999 birthday, he was in his third year of draft eligibility when Philadelphia took him in 2019, undrafted his first two years because he offered little more than his size. That changed in his final year with the Tri-City Storm when he took a big step forward, but rushing him into important minutes could be a mistake, even if the Flyers have little to play for down the stretch.