There’s something special happening in Philadelphia. After years of lackluster play while they trusted the process, the fruits of their patience are starting to emerge. Some of the young guns could possibly be on the verge of becoming superstars and will be the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come. Which players should you be looking out for in 2020-21?
Number 5- Travis Sanheim
Now that the shackles of Dave Hakstol are no more, we got to see the rise of Sanheim unhindered this season. Spending his sophomore season developing his overall game, his offensive output dipped a bit, but he was counted on in bigger situations than the season before. Finding himself on a pair with Phil Myers, the two grew as a duo together and displayed the potential to be a dominate force for years to come.
Number 4-Nicholas Aube-Kubel
Even though it feels like Aube-Kubel has been in the system for awhile now, he just turned 24 on May 10. He made his full-time jump to the Flyers in mid-December and was an immediate spark plug for the bottom six. Aube-Kubel suited up for 36 Flyers games and recorded seven goals and 15 points. If he can replicate the same energy and scoring touch over a full 82-game season, the Flyers will have something special on their hands in an almost perfect third-line winger.
Number 3- Phil Myers
Making his full-time NHL debut in November, Phil Myers has developed into a reliable defenseman for the Flyers. Taking the 2019-20 season to work out the kinks in his young career should lead to a much more consistent performance from the 23-year-old. He paired well with Travis Sanheim on the second pair, and if left together, could flourish into one of the bright young tandems in the NHL.
Number 2- Morgan Frost
Frost didn’t exactly step up to the plate during his rookie season. Suiting up for just 20 NHL games and scoring two goals, he found himself back in the AHL after Christmas. There is plenty of flair to Morgan Frost’s offensive game, which was on display with the Phantoms, where he scored 13 goals. It was his play away from the puck, as well as his two-way play which was lacking. If he can make the Flyers out of camp and secure a middle six role with the club, he should stand a better chance during his second go around in the NHL.
Number 1- Joel Farabee
Joel Farabee joined the Flyers in the 2019-20 season and almost immediately made the Flyers roster. The issue was, his play didn’t convert perfectly to the NHL. Seeing anything from second line minutes, to less than 10 minutes a game on the fourth line, consistency should be the name of the game for Joel Farabee during his sophomore season. If he can lock down a top six role, expect Farabee to annihilate his eight-goal, 21-point rookie season numbers.
Honorable mentions-
Nolan Patrick
While we’re all still waiting on his return, if Nolan Patrick manages to suit up for the 2020-21 season, he will still have high expectations as a former second overall pick. We may have to cut the kid a lot of slack, but hopefully there is still a career to be had for Nolan Patrick.
Scott Laughton
Eight years removed from his draft, you can’t really call Laughton a prospect anymore, but his play continues to age like a fine wine. Laughton posted a career high in goals (12), and points (32) in 82 games in 2018-19, and continued that improvement in 2019-20 with 13 goals and 27 points in just 49 games after missing games during two separate stints in IR. If Laughton can stay healthy for another full season and continues to see an increased role under coach Alain Vigneault, the best may be left to come for Laughton.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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