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Tyson Foerster

East Notes: Richard, Lajoie, Smith, Vaněček, Foerster

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The Bruins reassigned winger Anthony Richard to AHL Providence on Monday, per CapFriendly. Richard, 27, was summoned from the minors on Thursday and made his Boston debut in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Capitals, recording one shot on goal in 10:38 of ice time.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney will likely make a corresponding recall ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Lightning, whether it’s bringing up Richard again or someone else. After sending Richard down, the Bruins are carrying 13 forwards on the NHL roster, but only 12 of them are healthy. Rookie Matthew Poitras remains on the roster despite requiring season-ending shoulder surgery, meaning he’ll end up on long-term injured reserve at some point, but they remain without an extra forward to insert into the lineup if a game-day injury strikes or if head coach Jim Montgomery wants to tinker with his personnel.

Despite being undersized, Richard has leveraged his speed to be a point-per-game producer in the AHL over the past two seasons. He has 49 goals and 105 points in 101 games since the beginning of 2022-23 and has posted 19 goals and 38 points in 41 games for Providence. After spending last season in the Canadiens organization and playing a career-high 13 NHL games as a result of his strong production with their AHL affiliate in Laval, Richard earned a relatively lucrative one-year, two-way deal from the Bruins in free agency that guarantees him $475K in salary.

Drafted 100th overall in the 2015 draft by the Predators, Richard is in his eighth season of professional hockey after wrapping up his junior career with the QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs, during which he won a league championship in 2014. He will be a UFA this summer upon the expiration of his contract.

Other morning updates from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Maple Leafs returned left defenseman Maxime Lajoie to AHL Toronto from his emergency loan on Monday, according to CapFriendly. Lajoie was rostered for Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Senators but was a healthy scratch, as he has been eight other times this season for Toronto. The 26-year-old was brought up in case all three Maple Leafs defensemen who were questionable for Saturday’s loss were unable to play, but only Mark Giordano and Conor Timmins were ruled out of the contest due to a lower-body injury and an illness, respectively. Lajoie has averaged 9:31 per game in his four showings with Toronto this year and has two goals, 15 assists, 17 points, and a +5 rating in 31 AHL games. The 2016 Ottawa draft pick is in his first season with the Maple Leafs after signing a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $450K in the AHL in free agency.
  • Devils defenseman/left wing Brendan Smith participated in their morning skate on Monday but won’t return from a knee sprain tonight against the Kraken, Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site reports. His return to the lineup seems imminent, however, and New Jersey will have an open roster spot to activate him from injured reserve after left wing Max Willman clears waivers or is claimed later today. He has not been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Predators. The 35-year-old has been out for nearly a month, sustaining the injury in the first period of a Jan. 15 game against Boston. He has one goal and five points in 34 games, averaging 14:25 per game with average possession metrics. The 2007 first-round pick will be a UFA this summer upon completion of his two-year, $2.2MM contract signed in free agency in 2022.
  • One Devil absent from practice is goaltender Vítek Vaněček, who Stein says is dealing with both an illness and a lower-body injury. The 28-year-old has started New Jersey’s four games and has seen a rare hot streak in an otherwise poor season, recording a 1-2-1 record and .914 SV%. If he’s not healthy enough to back up presumptive starter Nico Daws tonight, the Devils will summon farmhands Akira Schmid or Erik Källgren on an emergency basis.
  • Flyers forward Tyson Foerster is doubtful for Monday’s game against the Coyotes with an undisclosed injury, head coach John Tortorella said (via The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz). Foerster, 22, was absent from this morning’s practice. The rookie has played in 52 consecutive games after being scratched for the season opener, recording ten goals and 21 points while averaging nearly 17 minutes per game and cementing himself in the team’s top nine. Their 2020 first-round pick has also controlled possession well with a 53.7% Corsi share at even strength, third on the team behind Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny.

Metro Notes: Foerster, Capitals Recalls, Garand

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Although 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster had an extremely encouraging 2022-23 season, scoring seven points in eight NHL games and 48 points in 66 AHL contests, he still has had to battle for an NHL job to start 2023-24. His chief opponent for a role on a scoring line in Philadelphia has been widely regarded as 22-year-old former college hockey star Bobby Brink, a high second-round pick of Philadelphia in 2019. Both players have had impressive training camps, but today PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor reports that Foerster may be one step ahead in their competition.

O’Connor writes on X that Foerster is skating on a line at today’s practice alongside Flyers number-one center Sean Couturier and established top-six contributor Joel Farabee, while Brink “looks like an extra.” This could indicate that Foerster is ticketed for top-line NHL duty to start the season while Brink gets sent back to AHL Lehigh Valley, though it’s obviously not a sure thing. Anything can happen still at this stage of the preseason, though this development does suggest that Flyers fans should expect to see Foerster wearing the orange and black on opening night next week.

Some other notes from what is widely expected to be a hotly contested Metropolitan Division:

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled three players who had been previously waived and sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears: forward Riley Sutter and Ethen Frank as well as defenseman Chase Priskie. Each player has likely been returned to the Capitals’ roster in order to beef up its lineup for the preseason, and the trio are all unlikely to factor into Washington’s NHL plans for opening night.
  •  The New York Rangers have sent goaltender Dylan Garand back to the AHL after recalling him just two days ago. While backup goaltender Jonathan Quick has struggled this preseason, the 21-year-old former WHL star is not yet believed to be under legitimate consideration for the backup role behind superstar netminder Igor Shesterkin. He’ll begin the year in Hartford, where he’ll look to continue the progress he made late last season into 2023-24, potentially becoming the Wolf Pack’s true number-one goalie over veteran Louis Domingue.

AHL Announces Inaugural Top Prospects Team

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Ahead of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals, which starts tonight between the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Hershey Bears, the AHL has released a new award that will intrigue hockey fans across the country. The AHL Top Prospects Team is a group of players that may not be in the minor leagues for much longer.

This year’s group includes:

Tyson Foerster, Lehigh Valley Phantoms

The 21-year-old Foerster was selected 23rd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2020 and is one of the OHL players forced into the AHL during the 2020-21 season. Even as a teenager, he showed great scoring ability and returned this year to put up 20 goals and 48 points in 66 games.

Foerster made his NHL debut as well, suiting up eight times with the Flyers and putting up seven points—a taste of what will come next for the young forward.

Jiri Kulich, Rochester Americans

The Rochester club has seen several talented forwards come through in recent years, and Kulich is just the latest after being selected 28th overall in 2022 by the Buffalo Sabres. Coming over from the Czech Republic at just 18, he proved he was ready for North American professional hockey by scoring 24 goals and 46 points in 62 games.

Kulich was even better postseason, where he potted seven goals in 12 games. Only turning 19 in April, he was among the league’s youngest players this season.

Lukas Reichel, Rockford IceHogs

Anyone who has watched Reichel this season can see his time in the minor leagues should be over. The 17th overall selection in 2020 made his NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks last season and looked overwhelmed. Not so a year later, when he scored seven goals and 15 points in 23 games in the NHL.

The 21-year-old forward has been a dynamic offensive threat since the moment he joined Rockford, with career totals of 108 points in 111 games to this point.

David Jiricek, Cleveland Monsters

If it were a more important season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jiricek might not have played a full season in the minor leagues. The 19-year-old defenseman was a menace at the AHL level, scoring six goals and 38 points in 55 games.

Known more for his size and blistering shot during his draft year, the 2022 sixth-overall pick showed improved poise and vision, leading to some lofty expectations in Columbus. Before long, he’ll be a full-time anchor on the Blue Jackets’ blue line.

Simon Nemec, Utica Comets

The other top defenseman from the 2022 draft class was Nemec, who didn’t disappoint in his rookie season. Selected second overall by the New Jersey Devils, the 19-year-old defenseman put up 12 goals and 34 points in 65 games.

Nemec has a wildly entertaining style that sees him fly all over the ice, making unpredictable plays regularly. While he may still take some unreasonable risks, he has a higher ceiling than almost any defensive prospect in the league, and should add that excitement to the Devils group soon enough.

Jesper Wallstedt, Iowa Wild

It was a pretty solid North American debut for Wallstedt, who posted a .908 save percentage in 38 AHL games. The big Swede was the 20th overall pick in 2021 and could buck the trend of goaltenders taking years to develop.

There was obvious growth in Wallstedt’s game during his first season in the AHL, and despite being just 20, he should already be factoring into the Minnesota Wild’s decision-making in net. They already have a young starter in Filip Gustavsson but may not need a backup for long.

Philadelphia Flyers Send Tyson Foerster, Egor Zamula To AHL

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The Philadelphia Flyers are providing their AHL affiliate with a major boost for their playoff push. Per a team announcement, Tyson Foerster and Egor Zamula have been loaned back to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

While the Phantoms are unlikely to be able to catch the Hershey Bears for the second seed in the AHL’s Atlantic Division (therefore securing them a bye past the best-of-three first round of the playoffs) they could still feasibly catch the Charlotte Checkers to earn the third seed, which could be a factor that motivated these two loans.

Foerster in particular has made this decision a difficult one due to how well he’s played in his first taste of NHL action. Foerster is riding a five-game point streak with three goals and seven points in that span. The Flyers have won four out of their last five games as well, with their only loss coming in overtime against the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.

While this is unlikely to have been any significant motivator to the team sending Foerster back to the AHL, the Flyers are now four points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens for the fifth-best odds in the draft lottery.

By sending their red-hot rookie scorer back to the AHL, the Flyers have (perhaps not intentionally) raised their chances of getting back into prime Connor Bedard contention.

There is, of course, a legitimate case to be made that this is the most appropriate choice for Foerster’s development, and that’s likely to be the sole reason the Flyers have sent him down.

Despite how much NHL front offices seem to value gaining the best odds in the draft lottery, a team is still far more likely to make decisions on individual players based on what they believe to be best for the player’s development.

It’s reasonable to believe that having Foerster play a crucial role in meaningful AHL games for the rest of this season will be better for his development than playing some extra NHL contests near the end of what has been a generally miserable Flyers season.

The 21-year-old 2020 first-round pick has excelled in the AHL this season, thoroughly bouncing back after an injury-plagued 2021-22. He’s scored 19 goals and 39 points in 57 games and will be counted on as a top offensive option for second-year head coach Ian Laperriere.

If the Phantoms end up making any noise in the Calder Cup playoffs, it’s likely that Foerster will be a major reason why.

As for Zamula, he heads back to the AHL where he, like Foerster, has spent most of this season. The 22-year-old has scored 16 points in 42 AHL games and has been a top-pairing all-situations blueliner for the team.

Eligible for restricted free agency in the summer, a strong showing as a number-one defenseman for a Calder Cup playoff team would put Zamula in a strong position for offseason contract negotiations, and help support the idea that he’ll be ready to compete for a more regular NHL role in next fall’s training camp.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Flyers Recall Foerster, Ersson

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced a pair of players were called up to the NHL this morning. Forward Tyson Foerster and goaltender Samuel Ersson were both brought up from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to fill out the NHL roster. The team also mentioned the Foerster recall was on an emergency basis.

Foerster had been called up earlier this month to make his NHL debut and played two games, though he did not register a point with the Flyers. He was sent back down to Lehigh Valley on Sunday, but returns in time to face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight. He is a 21-year-old forward who is playing his first full pro season and has 19 goals and 39 points in 57 games for the Phantoms.

Ersson has been called up to fill in as the team’s backup tonight. The Flyers number one goalie, Carter Hart, is out of the lineup with an illness. Felix Sandstrom will get the call tonight, while Ersson will serve as the number two option. Ersson has played ten NHL games this season, posting a 3.07 GAA with an .898 SV%. The 23 year old has played 31 AHL games this season with a 2.61 GAA and a .907 SV%.

East Notes: Tavares, Lindholm, Flyers

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During a hard-fought battle in front of the net of last night’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, John Tavares slashed the hand of Oilers’ defenseman Vincent Desharnais, sending him to the ice immediately. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain will be fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. This will be the second time in his career that Tavares has been fined for slashing, the first time being in a similar incident with then Devils’ forward Zach Parise back in 2011.

Aside from the incident with Tavares, the Maple Leafs managed to secure another big win leading into the playoffs. The group has now managed to go 7-3-0 in their last ten games, gathering steam at just the right time.

Other notes:

  • In a quick meeting with the press, Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery stated that defenseman Hampus Lindholm will be held out of today’s game with the Detroit Red Wings. After blocking a shot in yesterday’s matchup between the two teams, Lindholm’s foot has apparently become very swollen, and he will return to the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Replacing him in the lineup is defenseman Derek Forbort, who has seen his playing time cut since the Bruins deadline moves. With 42 points already this season, and an incredible 40 +/-, Lindholm’s absence shouldn’t have too big of an impact on the Bruins. Having one of the most dominant seasons of any team in NHL history, the Bruins have put themselves in a position to absorb the loss of Lindholm for one game.
  • Flyers beat reporter Giana Han announces that the Philadelphia Flyers have sent down forwards Elliot Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster to their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms, becoming the first-ever transaction made by General Manager Daniel Briere. As the Flyers’ season has been lost, it will be important for the two forwards to continue their growth in the playoffs this year for the Phantoms.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Elliot Desnoyers, Tyson Foerster

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The Philadelphia Flyers, just trying to play out the stretch and get to the offseason, will give a couple of young players another opportunity. Elliot Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster have been recalled from the minor leagues under emergency conditions.

That last part means these will not count toward the Flyers’ four post-deadline recalls, though both players will have to return to the minor leagues once Philadelphia has enough healthy (and eligible) players to suit up.

For Desnoyers, it was only a week ago that he was sent down to help in an AHL playoff run, after making his first two NHL appearances. The 21-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2020 that found immediate success in the AHL, and continued to climb up the organizational depth chart with consistent play.

Selected more than 100 picks earlier was Foerster, who went 23rd overall in 2020 and has yet to make his NHL debut. The 6’2″ winger has 18 goals and 38 points through 56 games for Lehigh Valley this year, after seeing the last few development seasons disrupted by COVID restrictions.

Eighteen games remain in the Flyers nightmare season, and the best thing they can do now is to see which young players will be challenging for full-time spots next year.

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