The Phantoms went 2-1-0 on their roadtrip last week, first getting shutout 3-0 in Laval, but rebounded with a pair of 4-3 overtime victories against the Hartford Wolf Pack. They’re currently 6-3-0-1through the first 10 games of the season.
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Christian Kyrou
The newest Phantom, who was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Stars earlier in the week, arrived for their weekend games in Hartford where he posted a goal and two assists. They were the former second round pick’s first points of the 2025-26 season.
The Flyers currently carry seven or eight defenseman on the main roster depending on their feelings of Emil Andrae that day, and they’ve also got three blueliners on the shelf for the foreseeable future, so Kyrou will have every opportunity to step into a big role with the Phantoms on the right side of the defense, given their limited bodies on the AHL roster.
Tucker Robertson
Robertson was acquired in an offseason trade for J.R. Avon. He has played a limited role on the team thus far, but posted a goal and an assist on Friday, which makes him a point-per-game player through six games and is technically second on the Phantoms in points at the moment.
His ceiling as a prospect is probably rather limited, but he’s been making the most of the time he’s been given so far.
Carson Bjarnason
Bjarnason only played in one of the three games last week, but he stopped 30 of 33 shots in a winning effort on Friday in what was now his third consecutive game that went to overtime.
With Ersson on the shelf on the main roster and Kolosov recalled to take his place, Bjarnason will get a prolonged opportunity to step into the number one role for the Phantoms. Even if there are some clunkers along the way, the experience of holding down the fort as the unquestioned top guy will do him well.
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Ty Murchison
Murchison went pointless, with a +2 rating tacking on 14 penalty minutes in three games last week. Given the depleted status of the blue line, Murchison has been the unsung hero of the Phantoms to start the season. The rookie defenseman is already taking on a sizable workload and has looked pretty decent given his lack of experience at the pro level. It’s too early to call it (especially with this organization) but the fifth round pick in 2021 may be a diamond in the rough.
Alex Bump
Bump posted a goal and an assist on Friday, along with a -2 rating and whopping nine shots on goal all week. The consistency in Bump’s game has kind of come and gone during the early days of the season. If he can figure out a way to bring “the jam” consistently, a main roster gig awaits him sooner or later.
Karsen Dorwart
Dorwart went pointless last week. The rookie forward has been tasked with centering the Phantoms’ second line with a revolving cast of wingers and still tends to be one of the more noticeable players on a night-to-night basis even if the points haven’t been coming consistently yet.
Jacob Gaucher
Frankly, Gaucher has been relatively unspectacular to start the season in Lehigh Valley with just one goal and one assist through eight contests, but as long as the organization refuses to add center depth, he’s more than likely going to get the call any time the main roster needs him. so with Sean Couturier currently banged up, an NHL opportunity is knocking at the door.
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Devin Kaplan
After posting four points in the team’s first four games, Kaplan has gone pointless in the last six contests and has largely been used in a bottom six role. The Phantoms have too many young guys and not enough roster spots to deploy them all properly, and so far Kaplan has been drawing the short straw when it comes to sitting back and waiting his turn.
Denver Barkey
On paper, Denver Barkey has been on the Phantoms’ top line all season, but he’s got just one goal and three points to show for it in 10 games. He was one of the more interesting prospects making the professional jump this season due to his smaller stature but electric game, but the early results have been less than stellar, especially considering the opportunities he’s been receiving.
Emil Andrae
One day he’s tearing up the AHL, then he gets recalled and looks perfectly fine in the NHL, then he’s quickly dispatched back to the AHL. For whatever reason, the organization clearly doesn’t value Andrae, and he’s now officially trapped in the cruel game of yo-yo that so many prospects who came before him found themselves stuck in.
Samu Tuomaala
Tuomaala was traded to the Stars earlier in the week. He had only played three of the team’s first eight games. The Phantoms were depp at forward and for whatever reason Tuomaala was the odd man out. Luckily, they didn’t hamper him all season and made the trade early, but you can chalk him up as yet another second round pick the Flyers failed to develop.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 