Philadelphia Flyers Send Tyson Foerster, Egor Zamula To AHL
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
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
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
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.