Tyler Bertuzzi, UFA updates: What I’m hearing about the Red Wings offseason
By Max Bultman 7h ago 62

The bulk of the NHL’s offseason business will come to a head in the next three weeks. By this weekend, teams will have to finalize their preparations for the expansion draft and submit the lists of players they will protect from Seattle on Saturday. Then a trade freeze will be initiated through next Wednesday’s expansion draft. Next comes the amateur draft, an annual spark for player movement as well the actual drafting. And a few days after that, on July 28, free agency will begin.

That means busy times for Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, who has a mountain of cap space, a war chest of draft picks and a penchant for surprises at this time of year.

Here’s what I’ve been able to gather from conversations around the league about what the coming weeks may hold for the Red Wings.

1. Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi has been a popular subject the last few days after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Maple Leafs had interest in Bertuzzi leading up to the 2021 trade deadline. The Athletic’s Craig Custance reported that teams believe Yzerman is open to trading Bertuzzi, but not in a huge hurry to do so. That is in line with The Athletic’s report in March that Detroit might consider trading Bertuzzi or Anthony Mantha. Mantha was dealt to Washington in the final moments before the deadline.

Bertuzzi is a pending restricted free agent, and according to a source this week, there have been no developments so far between him and the Red Wings on a new contract. But I get the sense that’s not uncommon among Detroit’s major pending RFAs right now.

Bertuzzi went to arbitration with the Red Wings last offseason, with more than a $1 million gap between the team’s and player’s filing numbers — and then missed all but nine games this season with a back injury that eventually required surgery. That certainly doesn’t make his contract situation less complicated, nor does the fact he’s now just one year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency. And while fellow soon-to-be RFA winger Jakub Vrana was healthy and played 50 games, only 11 of them came with the Red Wings after being acquired from Washington in the Mantha deal (although he was excellent in those 11 games, averaging a point per game). I wonder if that could make Filip Hronek’s contract the most straightforward of the three major RFAs, given the more complicated circumstances with Bertuzzi and Vrana.

But back to Bertuzzi: Without getting too deep into rumor-land, if a trade were to happen this summer, it would obviously be a substantial development for the Red Wings. Bertuzzi is not only one of Detroit’s best players, but he’s also a heart-and-soul, playoff-style player of whom coach Jeff Blashill once said, “as this team gets better and we’re in position to have way more meaningful games, whether it’s during the regular season or playoffs or whatever, he’s going to be an even bigger piece.” And at the end of the 2021 regular season, Dylan Larkin said Bertuzzi was “someone I kind of count on when things aren’t going well personally and you don’t have confidence.”

Those things matter. They’re also the reasons it’s not surprising teams, and especially contenders, would be interested in him should he indeed be available. He’s wired for playoff hockey and has thrived in postseason play in the OHL and AHL.

Back injuries are scary, though, especially considering Bertuzzi’s fearless, physical style of play. One executive raised that concern in March, wondering if Bertuzzi could reasonably stay healthy considering the way he plays. That may be relevant when it comes to his trade value, especially when he hasn’t yet returned to game action.

For what it’s worth, two weeks ago, Blashill said Bertuzzi had “been able to do a little bit more lately, and I think he’s getting to the stage where he can start to get out of just pure rehab and get into strength training trying to build his body back up.”

That’s great news, no matter how things shake out this summer.

2. It’s been quiet around Detroit’s pending unrestricted free agents as well, but things are expected to heat up after the expansion draft, when teams have a clearer picture of where they stand. There is believed to be mutual interest between the team and pending UFA goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who has been great for the Red Wings the last two seasons, posting a .914 save percentage in 2021. There is also expected to be interest in bringing back veteran center and alternate captain Luke Glendening, though again substantive talks have not begun.

3. Trading a player at the deadline and then re-signing him the following offseason is a far more widely speculated concept than actually tends to occur. But for what it’s worth, it is believed defenseman Jon Merrill would be interested in a return to Detroit if that opportunity presents itself. Merrill will likely have other suitors, too, and Montreal (with whom Merrill went on a long playoff run this summer after the Red Wings traded him there) is believed to be interested in bringing him back.

4. As of now, the Red Wings are not expected to buy out any players in the current buyout window, after going that route last offseason with Justin Abdelkader. That’s not surprising, considering the only real candidate might have been Frans Nielsen — who is set to count $5.25 million against the cap next season and played in just 29 games in 2021. He has only one year remaining on his contract.

At present, Detroit has only two non-entry-level contracts on the books for 2022-23: those belonging to Larkin and Richard Panik, both of which are set to expire in 2023. The current RFA crop will likely change that a bit, but either way, Detroit currently has as close to a blank slate as exists in the NHL, even with Abdelkader’s dead cap hit on the books through 2026.
Troy Stecher (Roy K. Miller / Icon Sportswire)

5. It’s been impossible to get clarity on what the Red Wings are going to do with their expansion draft protected list, and my prediction has waffled plenty over the course of the year. My final guess matches the one I wrote in my latest projection last month: a 7-3-1 protection route in which Detroit protects Larkin, Bertuzzi, Vrana, Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, Adam Erne and Givani Smith up front, Filip Hronek, Dennis Cholowski and Gustav Lindstrom on defense and Thomas Greiss in net. But that list is just that: a guess.

The glaring omission there would be defenseman Troy Stecher, who is just 27 and had a good first season in Detroit. If you’re strictly talking about 2021-22 impact, Stecher would help the Red Wings next year more than either Cholowski or Lindstrom. He also could very well have some trade value at the deadline, especially with retained salary. Both of those facts cause some hesitation in projecting all three younger D to be protected over him. But I simply have yet to see Yzerman make a move that puts a player on a one-year deal above younger prospects with team control remaining, and my gut won’t let me predict he starts now. We’ll see what happens, though.

The potential curveball would be a trade prior to the submission of protected lists Saturday changing Detroit’s outlook. That could come in the form of a player going out, and thus creating a new spot on the list or a new player coming in and forcing someone else off it. There is a sense that teams around the league may have fewer protection problems in this expansion draft than they did with Vegas in 2017, so I wouldn’t sit on the edge of your seat waiting for something in that vein. But it does only take one team, making one phone call, to potentially change that.

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Pistons Summer League preview: What to look for from Detroit’s young players
Dec 23, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Killian Hayes (7) passes during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
By James L. Edwards III Aug 5, 2021 58

The Baby Pistons — and in some ways, the Detroit Pistons — are about to embark on a four-game, 10-day trip to the Las Vegas desert for the return of NBA Summer League, which was canceled a year ago due to COVID-19.

It will feature our first look at Cade Cunningham, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, on the floor for Detroit. Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Sekou Doumbouya are the marquee names who will represent the Pistons in some capacity during the event. Detroit will be without second-year big man Isaiah Stewart (ankle), second-round rookie Isaiah Livers (foot) and two-way pickup Chris Smith (ACL). Additionally, second-round pick Balsa Koprivica will be available once Detroit’s draft-day trade with Charlotte is complete. The team will be coached by JD DuBois.

Here are some things I’ll be keeping an eye on during the Pistons’ Summer League stint:
Where is Killian Hayes’ shot?

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft had a rookie year that, I’m sure, couldn’t have been more frustrating. After a tough seven-game stretch as the starter to begin the season, Hayes went down for three months with a hip injury that cost him the majority of his rookie year. He did make strides, though, after returning from the injury, primarily in terms of his feel for the NBA game.

Where Detroit needs Hayes to really take a leap is as a shooter. He shot 27.8 percent from 3 on 2.8 attempts per game last season. With the addition of Cunningham, who will initiate offense as much if not more than Hayes when on the floor together, Hayes has to be able to space the floor for this duo to reach its full potential. Cunningham’s ability to put pressure on the defense and find open teammates should provide Hayes with a lot of good 3-point opportunities. Together, the duo truly has the ability to be one of the more interesting passing backcourts in the NBA in no time, but that’ll only go so far.

To be fair, Hayes doesn’t need to become a 35 percent 3-point shooter in Year 2. This will still be a developmental season for Detroit. However, you’d like to see him get above 30 percent on a higher volume than last year. Summer League will give us the first live look at Hayes’ work on his jump shot and determining how far it might have to go to become a positive and not a negative.

Aside from the shooting, though, you want to see how Hayes has progressed as an attacker, specifically when looking for his own shot. You want to see if he’s gotten more comfortable with his right hand.

Summer League shouldn’t set your expectations for what Hayes is going to be or how next season will go for him, but there are certainly things you want to see gradual improvements in.
Did Saddiq Bey’s non-3-point-shooting game evolve?

Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Bey said he spent all summer — when he wasn’t with Team USA — working on every aspect of his game, which, yeah, he should. However, his shooting is no issue. The forward broke rookie records out of the wazoo on his way to knocking down 38 percent of his 3s on 6.8 attempts per night.

As is, Bey will be a longtime NBA contributor. You can plug him into any roster in the league and he would get minutes due to his 3-point shooting and solid defense. The question remains, though: what is his ceiling? Can he become an All-Star-level player? Evolving the rest of his offensive game would help, especially because teams will continue to try to run him off of the 3-point line for the rest of his career — unless he just forgets how to shoot.

Bey’s inside-the-arc numbers weren’t spectacular a season ago, though they did improve as the season went on. His assist percentage of 7.7 was one of the lowest on the squad.

Bey has shown enough to suggest that there’s more playmaking to his game. I’d love to see him be used in some pick-and-roll actions or situations where he’s dictating the possession and being forced to make the right read. He’s a smart kid who knows what to do. He’s also not the most athletic player, so that brings its own issues when he gets inside the arc, but he’s quite capable of generating more assists than he did a season ago.
Will Cade Cunningham show some rust?

Cunningham, as he told reporters on Tuesday, didn’t do any 5-on-5 work during the pre-draft process. His first taste of live game action in several months came earlier this week when Detroit began camp.

I’m not expecting Cunningham to try dominating Summer League opponents. He’s easing back into form, getting used to his new teammates and, I’m sure, still trying to get a grasp on his new life. More than that, though, the way Cunningham was talking on Tuesday, it very much feels like he wants to come out and make everyone else around him feel as empowered as possible.

“I don’t want to come in and force anything,” Cunningham said. “I want to get a flow for the team. I want to get a feel for everyone on the team. I know what the No. 1 pick perception is coming in, so I think the biggest thing for me is coming and reassuring the team that I’m about playing winning basketball and not living up to the hype or whatever. I want to be able to blend in.”

Those are great words from someone who, if you’re Troy Weaver and Dwane Casey, you want to be the face of your organization for many years. Cunningham has said all the right things since arriving in Detroit, and his approach this Summer League, I believe, will reflect a lot of the team-first speak he’s uttered over the last week.
Is this Sekou Doumbouya’s last audition?

It feels weird saying a clock might be ticking on a 20-year-old who entered the NBA shortly before the world drastically changed, but it certainly feels that way.

Doumbouya has had a weird two-year career in Detroit. He spent the early part of his rookie season in the G League only to be thrust into the rotation when the Pistons punted on the season after the turn of the calendar. Last year, Doumbouya’s season was up and down, with some consistent moments as the season wound down, but the fact that Detroit didn’t have a G League team a season ago never allowed him to get regular run and work out the kinks in his game.

Doumbouya is entering his third year and will play in Summer League. It’s not all the time that a player with two years under his belt still participates in the summer run, but it’s not uncommon. Factor in that Doumbouya was considered a project when he was selected in 2019 and it makes a little more sense that the Pistons are trying to get him as much run as possible.

However, just viewing the landscape right now, it looks like it’s going to be hard for Doumbouya to find regular minutes once the regular season rolls around. Jerami Grant floats between the 3 and the 4. Stewart and Kelly Olynyk, too, could make quite a frontcourt pairing. Bey could play power forward in small lineups. Maybe Cunningham, too. Oh, and Weaver and Detroit agreed to terms with Trey Lyles, a stretch 4, this offseason. Unless Doumbouya has made significant strides between the end of last season and the start of next year, you start to wonder where he fits in.

Now, maybe Detroit will truly play the slow game with the 20-year-old Frenchman, allowing to him spend a good portion of this season in the G League to really find himself as a player and build up confidence. It’s not like the Pistons have to make a decision on him right now. But, man, I’d be lying if it didn’t feel like there was a possibility Doumbouya wasn’t in Detroit to begin the regular season.

At Summer League, Doumbouya might be auditioning for the Pistons. On the other hand, they might be auditioning him for other teams.

bumparoo

Top 20 Flyers prospects: Cam York, Morgan Frost and Egor Zamula headline The Athletic’s 2021 offseason rankings
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Cam York #45 of the Philadelphia Flyers passes the puck along the boards against the New Jersey Devils at the Wells Fargo Center on May 10, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
By Charlie O'Connor and Alexander Appleyard Sep 7, 2021 20

The days of the health of the Philadelphia Flyers organization largely being measured by the quality of its prospect pool are now fully in the rearview mirror. But that doesn’t mean that the prospect pool doesn’t matter.

General manager Chuck Fletcher may have announced with authority this offseason that his team is firmly in win-now mode, but he was careful to avoid jettisoning any of Philadelphia’s top prospects in the process. Clearly, Fletcher and the Flyers see the youngsters who have yet to establish themselves as regular NHLers to be pivotal in shaping the team’s future.

And for good reason — the prospect pool doesn’t lack for talent. It may not be a top-10 system anymore, but depth remains strong and there are still quite a few players who possess clear top-half-of-the-lineup NHL upside. So with the 2021-22 season looming and both the NHL Draft and development camp officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take our biannual look at the Flyers’ prospects, and — in our opinion — how they rank.

As always, the list was constructed by myself and contributor Alexander Appleyard. All of the organization’s players who retain Calder Trophy eligibility — under 26 years old and played no more than 25 NHL games last season (or six games or more in two separate seasons) — were included in the voting process, as we each ranked our top 25 prospects and then combined the two lists to construct a final, 20-player ranking.

This is not an objective ranking of the Flyers prospects based on a mathematical formula. Alex and I used firsthand viewing, raw production and conversations with scouts, players and other hockey sources to inform our opinions. And when we differed greatly on a player’s placement in the final list, we’ve again provided an “opposing view” in addition to the main writeup to explain the discrepancy, which hopefully sheds light on why our evaluations proved so distinct.

Now, on to the list.

Cam York isn’t far away from the NHL. After a strong-but-not-exceptional freshman season at the University of Michigan, York took a significant step forward in 2020-21, establishing himself as an all-situations force for the Wolverines and captaining Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior Championships.

It’s not that he made major adjustments to his game — he was just a little bit stronger, a little bit quicker, a little bit more in control of the game with and without the puck. So it wasn’t a major shock when York chose to turn pro, even appearing in three NHL games before the Flyers’ season came to a close. Though the addition of veteran Keith Yandle to the Philadelphia blue line makes York’s path to earn a lineup spot for Game 1 more challenging, he will still be given a legitimate chance to make the big club out of camp.

York’s floor has always been high. A player with his combination of hockey sense, puck skills and skating ability is highly unlikely to be an outright bust. The bigger question is regarding his ceiling. Aside from the occasional wrap-around goal, York isn’t the most dynamic defenseman — he succeeds primarily because of his attention to detail and ability to do all of the little things right on the ice. For York to reach his NHL ceiling (likely that of a strong No. 2/3 defenseman on a team’s depth chart), it’ll be a result of those strengths made a cerebral puck mover who drives play at even strength and proves to be a high-end facilitator on a top power-play unit, while using his wits and guile to overcome his lack of ideal size while defending.

But even in a worst-case scenario, it’s difficult to see York turning out to be anything less than a solid sheltered third-pair defenseman capable of providing PP2 value. It’s that combination of strong upside and low downside — in addition to his proximity to the NHL — that makes York the Flyers’ top prospect. — O’Connor

With a bit better luck, Morgan Frost would already be an established NHL player by now.

In an organization with less forward depth, Frost likely would have stuck at the NHL level in 2019-20. And if a fluky shoulder injury hadn’t spoiled his 2020-21 campaign before it even really began, Frost was staring at a golden opportunity to seize a full-time lineup spot with even just decent play, given the early-season injury to Sean Couturier and the year-long struggles of Nolan Patrick. There’s an alternate universe where Frost is entering his draft-plus-five season as a clear-cut, quality NHL forward.

But that’s not the world we live in. Frost still has much to prove in the wake of a lost season, which was ruined by a separated shoulder and the ensuing surgery to repair it. The strengths of Frost’s game are all still there — high-end offensive creativity, vision, hockey sense and a strong on-ice work rate. The weaknesses, of course, remain as well — he’s never going to be the strongest physically, his game can lack pace at times and he’ll never be confused for a defensive stalwart. But no forward in Philadelphia’s prospect pool possesses the scoring upside of Frost, and if he can produce points at a high level, those weaknesses will quickly fade into the background.

After missing nearly all of 2020-21, Frost might be hard-pressed to win an NHL job right out of camp, though he’ll certainly be given the chance to do so, assuming he’s fully cleared from his shoulder rehabilitation come the third week of September when training camp begins. But the 3C spot in Philadelphia is still just sitting there, waiting for Frost to claim it at some point during the 2021-22 season. He possesses more than enough natural talent to seize and run with it; now, it’s just a matter of whether he actually will. — O’Connor

Despite coming into last season off of surgery to address multiple fractured vertebrae, there was much hype for rangy Russian blueliner Egor Zamula. The excitement was understandable; before his injury, he had dazzled at the 2020 world juniors and was in the midst of a second straight season as one of the premier defensemen in the CHL.

As a result, some Flyers fans watching from afar might have been disappointed with his offensive output in 2020-21 — just six points in 25 AHL games. However, there’s much more to hockey than points, especially for a blueliner. While he was the youngest regular on the Phantoms defense, his overall game was comfortably the most mature. With Zamula on the ice, goalies rarely had to face high-end chances and his low point total belied his passing ability. It was no surprise that when his chance came for a two-game NHL cup of coffee, Zamula impressed and avoided major errors.

The size, speed and skills are all there for Zamula, in addition to some snarl. He could very well develop into a second-pairing NHLer in the very near future. — Appleyard

No one in the hockey world questions the quality of Tyson Foerster’s shot.

Few prospects in the game right now possess the kind of natural ability to light the lamp that Foerster has. Whether it be his one-timer, his wrister or even his slapshot, Foerster combines accuracy, velocity and deception to be an absolute nightmare for opposing goalies. Add in the kind of high-quality hockey sense that allows him to innately recognize where he needs to be in order to deploy his shot — and the size necessary to battle his way there — and it’s tough to imagine Foerster not developing into a 30-goal scorer at the NHL level, right?

But then there’s his skating.

The only reason Foerster slipped to the back-half of the first round in 2020 was that the scouting world was divided on whether his underwhelming skating would prevent him from taking full advantage of all of his other natural gifts. Their concerns are warranted — Foerster’s stride is choppy and his top gear is underwhelming at best. It’s legitimately possible that it will prove to be his fatal flaw and prevent him from being much more than a depth piece with a great shot at the highest level of hockey.

But Foerster is making progress in this area, as he showcased at Flyers development camp last week. And he also proved last season that he could thrive in the AHL as a 19-year old despite his skating limitations — a very good sign for his ability to do the same in the NHL one day. Foerster isn’t a sure thing but any means, but he has the plausible upside to develop into the type of sniper winger that every NHL team covets and his progress over the last year increases optimism that he just might get there. — O’Connor

If Bobby Brink had come into the 2019 NHL Draft universally viewed as a prospect with even average skating, he would have likely been a top-15 pick. As it was, the undersized winger fell to the Flyers at No. 34. Since then, he has worked diligently on his skating to the point that at the 2021 World Juniors against the best players his age, the Minnesotan routinely crossed defensemen over in-tight and found space in high-danger areas on his way to six points in seven games. He will likely never be a “burner” in a straight line, but skating is no longer a problem for him.

That being said, his truncated 2020-21 NCAA season was slightly disappointing on the scoreboard. Just two goals and 11 points in 15 games was certainly less than most expected out of the talented right winger. However, there is context: Denver was a low-scoring team where not one player reached the point-per-game plateau, and aside from Brink himself, they had very few players who could create high-end chances for their teammates. Brink’s combination of high-end IQ, intensity, soft hands, a good shot and great passing means that he still has the potential to be a legitimate top-six winger down the line. — Appleyard

Sometimes, low-floor/high-ceiling prospects actually hit their ceilings, and right now, Wade Allison stands poised to do just that. Even before suffering multiple injuries at Western Michigan, the big right winger was a divisive prospect, with fans citing his shooting ability, offensive instincts and power forward potential, and skeptics arguing that he lacked the skating ability and hockey sense to be more than a decent AHLer. A breakout sophomore season was then halted by a torn ACL, which took longer than expected to heal and raised further questions as to whether Allison would ever make it.

But then, Allison finally got healthy. And given his first crack at the AHL, he tore it up with nine points in his first 10 games and a 57.5 percent Corsi For Percentage, per PhancyStats. It earned him a quick call-up to the Flyers, and he didn’t disappoint, bringing his physicality and plus shot to a team in desperate need of both. It’s not an overstatement to say that in his 14 NHL games, he was one of the most consistently impressive Flyers players on the ice — period.

Allison has already made a strong case via his 2020-21 NHL audition that he’s ready for the big show, and that his skills are likely to translate to the highest level of hockey. Now, it’s a matter of whether he can secure a full-time job in the team’s top-nine out of camp, and pick up right where he left off. If so, Allison has the potential to be this generation’s Scott Hartnell — a play-driving, goal-scoring wrecking ball of a winger who doesn’t play a pretty style but is undeniably effective where it counts. — O’Connor

Andrae oozes talent — the Swedish defenseman can pass, he can shoot, he can stickhandle. He loves stepping up at the blue line, and while he is undersized, Andrae relishes the physical aspects of the game.

Despite his gifts, 2020-21 was not the easiest year for him as he stepped up to the pro level full-time. After a brilliant SHL preseason, he also flashed his ability in the regular season but was inconsistent to the point he was eventually loaned out to hometown team Västerviks IK in the Allsvenskan. However, there is an argument to be made that some veteran HV71 defensemen were more worthy of demotion, and it did seem at times that Andrae was almost trying “too hard” to impress a coach who seemed to punish him for every mistake.

This season, with HV71 relegated from the SHL, he has the ability to be one of the better defensemen in the Allsvenskan. But he needs to clean up the mistakes that have sometimes snowballed in his pro career so far. Trying to force passes and being too aggressive defensively burned him too often in 2020-21. If he can iron out those kinks and continue to improve his skating, he could be a good second pairing NHLer. — Appleyard

Ersson stands as one of the most under-the-radar goalie prospects in the NHL. In 2018-19, he had one of the best seasons ever for a draft-plus-one European goalie, winning Allsvenskan MVP at 19, shining in the WJC for Sweden and making his senior national team debut. He was even better in 2020-21. He should have been in the SHL MVP race after single-handedly keeping an awful Brynäs team in the SHL. His .911 save percentage in the regular season might not seem “special,” but his veteran backup could only manage .880, and his team faced higher shot quality against than any other in the league. Statistically, Ersson was worth a goal per game for his team. And he stood even taller during the relegation, posting a .949 save percentage to ensure that Brynäs remained in Sweden’s top league.

Not only does the Falun native have an almost perfect technical game and an efficiency of movement that most NHL goalies would be jealous of, but is also extremely strong mentally. He rarely gets into ruts, never gives up on plays and inspires confidence from his defensemen. Expect him to be pushing for the Flyers backup spot in the very near future. — Appleyard

Opposing view: It’s not that I’m low on Ersson — I see him as clearly the Flyers’ best goaltender prospect and expect him to separate himself from his competition for that title at the AHL level this season. It’s just that until he proves that his game will translate to North America, I hesitate to rank him with the organization’s top skating prospects, giving the extra volatility of the netminder position. If he shows he can thrive over here despite lacking high-end athleticism for the position, I’ll start considering him a borderline top-five prospect in the Philadelphia system, but I’m not quite there yet. — O’Connor

For years, Flyers fans clamored for the front office to add real speed to the prospect pool, only to watch the organization repeatedly draft high-IQ, two-way players with skating strides in need of improvement. In 2021’s second round, however, Fletcher finally brought in a youngster who fits the bill. Samu Tuomaala can fly.

Now, skating ability isn’t Tuomaala’s only strength. He doesn’t merely skate well — he plays with pace, and isn’t afraid to rip it with his plus shooting ability. If Tuomaala hits as a prospect, he could easily turn into a dynamic right winger capable of racking up points on one of the Flyers’ top two lines. There’s legitimate scoring upside here.

Yet Tuomaala is far from a perfect prospect, which is why he slipped to Round 2 in the first place. Some scouts question his all-around hockey IQ and wonder if his size and tendency to keep to the outside will leave him an ineffective perimeter player as he moves up the prospect ladder. But if the Flyers’ current forward corps lacks two main skill sets at the NHL level, it’s speed and a shoot-first mentality, and Tuomaala has both. He’ll likely be playing in North America this season (either in the AHL or OHL), so we’ll soon find out if the Flyers are quickly rewarded for drafting a prospect who stylistically is a bit outside of their comfort zone. — O’Connor

Opposing view: I am a Tuomaala fan and was very happy that he fell to the Flyers at No. 46. In fact, going into draft day, I thought he might sneak into the back of the first round. He is a fun player to watch with a combination of agility, hands and shot that means if he hits he could certainly be a top-six forward who is capable of 25 goals and 50 points.

That being said, if he does hit, I believe he will be a complementary player. He has played best when alongside players of a similar or higher talent level, but has struggled to elevate linemates play when he is “the man.” He makes bad decisions with the puck too often and can be really selfish when linemates are in great positions. Also, for a player with so much skill, it can be concerning to see him struggle to get through the neutral zone. For a smaller player, he also needs to get a bit faster, he is extremely agile but sometimes struggles to get separation when he has done the hard part. His defensive game is better in my eyes than many believe, but he is inconsistent there.

I have no doubts about his talent and upside and love potential home-run picks. But he has a long way to go to reach the NHL and needs to improve in several areas. — Appleyard

No Flyers prospect increased his stock more during the 2020-21 campaign than Zayde Wisdom. It’s not inaccurate to say that he was one of the most talked-about non-blue chip prospects in hockey last season — 18-year-old fourth-round picks simply don’t do what Wisdom did last season. But given the opportunity to play in the AHL due to the postponement (and ultimate cancellation) of the OHL season, Wisdom unexpectedly thrived in the second-best professional league in North America, opening up an entirely new discussion surrounding the once-under-the-radar prospect: just how good could Wisdom be?

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here — Wisdom isn’t likely to develop into a first-line NHL scorer. He most likely doesn’t have the physical tools or the offensive creativity for that kind of outcome; plus, he’s still learning to add NHL-caliber pace to his game. But given his hard-nosed style of play, combined with a high hockey IQ and a knack for getting the best out of his talented teammates, Wisdom suddenly looks like he could potentially slot into the middle of the Flyers’ lineup one day and be both a fan favorite and a very productive winger. A shoulder injury has Wisdom on the shelf for now, so the follow-up campaign to his breakthrough season will have to wait at least a few more months. But Wisdom is undoubtedly one of the most exciting prospects in the Philadelphia system and he’s looking like a straight-up steal as a fourth-rounder. — O’Connor

Like Allison, Tanner Laczynski made quick work of the AHL in 2020-21, racking up points (10 in 14 games) and high-end play-driving metrics (58.49 percent Corsi For, per PhancyStats) in his short stint in Lehigh Valley. The difference between the two? Laczynski’s opportunity to shine in the NHL in the wake of his deserved call-up was quickly halted due to injury.

As a result, Laczynski doesn’t have the same leg up on his roster competition entering training camp as Allison — especially because Laczynski is still in the midst of working himself back to 100 percent in the wake of the hip surgery that ended his season. Despite this particular hurdle, however, Laczynski still retains all the strengths that got him to the NHL last season in the first place. His hockey sense is high-end, and he’s not lacking offensive skill, either. Add in clear physical readiness for the jump — he’s 24 and spent four years at Ohio State, so that shouldn’t be a surprise — and the ability to play all three forward positions, and Laczynski could certainly crack the Flyers’ lineup in the near future. Then, it’s up to him to prove that his skating — the issue cited most by skeptics — won’t hold him back and prevent him from becoming the kind of Swiss Army knife type of forward that Michael Raffl was for years in Philadelphia. — O’Connor

It is not hyperbolic to say that O’Brien had one of the most disappointing draft-plus-one seasons for a first-round pick in recent memory. His time at Providence in 2018-19 simply seemed painful at times, as he scored just five points in 25 games. Then, in 2019-20, he played in the BCHL so he could transfer to Boston University. Naturally, he dominated at that level, but it was a season that was extremely hard to evaluate given the lower level of competition.

Last season, though, was a lesson in not giving up on “raw” young players. On a talented BU team, he was the straw that stirred the drink up front. His eight goals and 16 points in 16 games led the team in both categories, and he played in all situations. If coach Albie O’Connell needed a goal, O’Brien got the call. If he needed to see out a game, O’Brien was there. It was also obvious to see that he had physically matured since his first go-around in the NCAA and was able to play his own game this time instead of being bullied onto the periphery.

It seems unlikely that O’Brien will ever be a high-end NHLer. But he has a well-rounded skill set that means he should be able to play at the highest level, even if in a bottom-six forward role. — Appleyard

Opposing view: O’Brien certainly put himself back on the radar with his strong season at BU. But I had him way down at No. 23 in last year’s incarnation of the list, skeptical that he even really qualified as a viable prospect anymore after his disastrous freshman season at Providence, followed by an underwhelming-given-his-age-and-pedigree performance in the BCHL the following year. I bumped him back up this time around, but it’s going to take more than one 16-game stretch in an unorthodox season to convince me that he deserves to be viewed as one of the Flyers’ better prospects again. There are still viable concerns regarding his hockey sense and consistency that one good year cannot erase. — O’Connor

Cates is the kind of player that coaches are always going to trust. He plays a committed, two-way game, forechecks relentlessly and sets a strong example for all of his teammates, while also possessing enough offensive creativity to play at the top of a collegiate lineup. In fact, Cates moved over from his usual wing position in 2020-21 to play first-line center for the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs and was even named captain of the club. In terms of taking a leading role on his team, 2020-21 was a big step forward for Cates.

Scoring-wise, however, Cates took a step back, scoring just five goals and 19 points in 28 games after producing 14 and 33 in 34 games as a sophomore. In fairness, the overall quality of his play didn’t dip dramatically — he just didn’t score as much. But it’s never a positive to see a prospect regress, especially because his offensive upside at the next level has long been in question, largely due to worries about his skating ability. But Cates has steadily improved in that area over the years and considering his versatility and detail-focused approach, it’s not difficult to imagine him carving out a long career as an above-average NHL bottom-sixer. The Flyers will need to sign him after this season to keep him from filing for unrestricted free agency, but there’s confidence on Philadelphia’s part that Cates will ultimately join the organization after his senior year, and the presence of his older brother Jackson certainly won’t hurt their case. — O’Connor

It is hard to remember a prospect more frustrating than German Rubtsov. Without a doubt, he is a player with the ability to play at the highest level and make an impact there. The Moscow native has a plus shot, nice hands and good passing. However, his defense-first, risk-averse mindset continues to hold him back.

Playing on an underwhelming Sochi KHL team in 2020-21, he was solid, but nothing more. Defensively he was relied upon heavily, and for most of the season, he shut down the best the KHL had to offer on a nightly basis, reading plays well, using his stick to force turnovers and harassing opponents up and down the ice. However, as his offensive play picked up after midseason, his defensive game suffered slightly, as he continued to struggle to find a balance between the two sides of his game.

Yes, he can likely play a fourth-line wing role with penalty kill time at the NHL level and hold his own. However, he has fallen down the organizational depth chart and might never get the chance to do so, though he’ll return to North America to give it another go with the Phantoms and attempt to re-establish himself. Given his skill set, he may still end up a solid role player in the NHL, but his absolute ceiling is likely on the third line. — Appleyard

Millman found himself in an awkward spot from a developmental standpoint in 2020-21. He likely would have been best served going back to the OHL for his draft-plus-two season and further developing his all-around game against age-appropriate competition; had he done so, there’s a very good chance he would have put up very impressive point totals from the back end in Saginaw and increased his perceived prospect stock dramatically. The OHL didn’t have a season in 2020-21, though, which meant Millman was forced to spend the season in the AHL — a league that he clearly was not physically ready to tackle on a nightly basis.

That’s not to say Millman didn’t give it his all, and there were flashes of brilliance in his 13 games. But as a physically immature 19-year-old, he just wasn’t going to be able to hold up in a men’s professional league the way that bigger, stronger players like Foerster and Wisdom did. Instead, Millman’s season was more about practice and off-ice instruction in preparation for this season, when he would look to establish himself as a full-time AHLer and then set his sights on the NHL.

Millman doesn’t lack for skill and he’s quietly one of the better skaters in Philadelphia’s prospect pipeline. He remains a bit of a lottery ticket prospect given the fact that he’s at least a few years from NHL readiness, but if all breaks right for him, Millman has second-pair defenseman potential. — O’Connor

After battling through injury in his freshman campaign at Western Michigan, Attard showed what he can do while healthy, scoring nearly at a point-per-game pace in 2020-21 and ranking second on the Broncos in goals scored. Offense from the back end has always been a key element of Attard’s game — think back to his monster 30-goals-in-48-games final USHL season — and with a fully healed wrist, it emerged in full force at the collegiate level for Attard as a sophomore.

But scoring is only part of what makes Attard so intriguing. There aren’t many 6-foot-3 right-handed defense prospects, and even fewer who also bring a willingness to mix it up physically, a bomb of a shot, a knack for joining the attack and sufficient mobility to pull it off. Considering the Flyers’ relative lack of RHD in their system, Attard will get every chance to prove that he can adapt his skill set to the NHL. Physically, he could probably hold up in the pro game right now. His success will depend on whether his attacking mentality can fully translate against NHL competition, and if it can’t, whether he can successfully adjust to play a more controlled, conservative style and thrive anyway. — O’Connor

Opposing view: I really like the way that Attard plays. He has legitimate aggression in all three zones and constantly looks to make something happen, with his “rover-esque” attitude and booming shot.

My concern is that his ceiling might be more European league star than NHL second pairing. In a different era, my evaluation would be far more glowing. But defensemen who are mediocre skaters and can be inconsistent with their passing have a hard time being more than bottom-pairing defensemen. I am also not sure his booming shot is enough to give him power-play ability at the highest level.

At times, he reminds me stylistically of Cody Franson, who had a long NHL career and was a useful player. However, I think Franson had more talent than Attard and a slightly better rounded offensive game, and in turn, it is hard for me to see him doing what Franson did and carving out a top-four role in the world’s best league. That being said, I do think Attard will play in the NHL one day. But whether that is a cup of coffee or several seasons in a bottom-pairing role depends on if he can adapt to a pro game by playing more within himself. — Appleyard

The Flyers’ 2020 fifth-round pick had an excellent 2020-21 season in the QMJHL. Scoring 49 points in 37 games is the kind of CHL production you would be very happy with from pick No. 35, let alone No. 135. Now, there are some caveats to his impressive year. Due to COVID-19, his Halifax Mooseheads only played against five other teams all season. Some of the worst teams in the league were among those five. Also, he did not look quite as consistently dominant as the production suggests, with a significant number of his points coming in a few huge games. However, he still outproduced 2021 first-round pick and teammate Zachary L’Heureux while playing good defensive hockey and running through walls for his team.

With Desnoyers, that is part of the appeal: the way he plays. Had he scored 20 fewer points in his draft-plus-one season, he would still have NHL potential. Yes, he has some skill, as shown by the goals and points, but he is arguably a better player without the puck than with it — in all three zones. He makes space for linemates with his movement in the offensive zone, causes havoc on the forecheck, disrupts plays in the neutral zone and often bails out his own defensemen in his own end. All this results in a player who could easily be a fan favorite bottom-six forward for the Flyers. — Appleyard

Högberg has a skill set well-suited for a depth role on a modern NHL blue line. He skates beautifully, his passes are crisp and he is intelligent in his own zone. Efficiency is the real hallmark of what he does on the ice. The Swedish blueliner is also a plus penalty-killer who has surprisingly soft hands for a player who will never put up too many points.

After starting 2020-21 in the Allsvenskan, he proved himself as one of the better defensemen in the league in short order. Playing over 21 minutes a night, he put up 12 points in 27 games while doing a solid job matched against the opposition’s best players each game. He arguably outplayed several defensemen who have already made a mark in the NHL as well as some high-end prospects.

However, his transition to the AHL for the second half of the season was not seamless. His eight points in 26 games was solid production and his play-driving was fine as well, but it did seem like he took some time to find his feet on the smaller ice. By season’s end, though, he was playing with the consistency and simplicity that had defined his game in Sweden. Högberg’s ceiling is likely a No. 5 defenseman at the NHL level; his floor is not far below that. — Appleyard

Last season was a tale of two halves for the shifty winger. Through his first 32 games, Lycksell had only picked up four goals and 10 points on a loaded Färjestad team. He had also been a healthy scratch five times and spent weeks in a limited fourth-line role.

But down the stretch? Lycksell turned it on. In his final 20 games that straddled the regular season and playoffs, he posted six goals and 14 points, while being utilized in the top six and on the power play. It was not just the points that were impressive — it was the way he played. He looked dangerous on almost every shift and brimmed with confidence. Lycksell is the kind of player that when the wind is behind him and he is riding high would think nothing of trying to dangle around anyone. He can be electric, and he plays with enough intensity to ensure he is not top six or bust.

Having signed his entry-level contract with the Flyers this summer, he was loaned back to the SHL and will play for Växjö Lakers, where he has a chance to play a far bigger SHL role in 2021-22 than ever before. Lycksell is a dark horse to make a major splash in the Swedish top tier this season and cement his status as a potential future NHL third-liner. — Appleyard

Opposing view: Lycksell certainly has the raw talent to make an impact at the NHL level. Despite his ranking in the bottom half of our top 20 list, Lycksell is capable of making offensive maneuvers that players like Frost, Foerster and Brink would find impressive. For Lycksell, the problem has been consistency; he’s yet to truly thrive at the SHL level for a complete season. It’s possible that Lycksell is simply one of those prospects who just needs a little extra time to put it all together, and to the Flyers’ credit, they announced their faith in his ability to do just that by handing him an ELC. But at some point, he has to turn all that talent into tangible, high-end production in a lower-level league; if he can’t, it’s tough to imagine him doing so in the NHL. — O’Connor

After a disappointing 2019-20 season, the gifted Swedish netminder bounced back last year. Now, that being said his season as a whole was nothing more than OK, as he played well in five Allsvenskan games before posting a respectable .903 save percentage in 11 games for the Phantoms. But given some of the adversity he has endured over the last four seasons, being OK at least put him back on track for a potential NHL future.

Sandström is an athletic freak. He makes going post-to-post look easy and can span the entire cage down-low without leaving a single gap on the ice, and from that position is still able to explode into action on a bang-bang play. Most NHL goalies have fewer physical tools at their disposal than Sandström. But his athleticism has never been questioned. Instead, detractors cite a leaky glove-hand and his propensity to play himself out of position. It’s those flaws that may prevent him from guarding a net in the world’s best hockey league.

The 2021-22 season is massive for Sandström. While he’ll likely begin the season in the AHL, he will have fellow Brynäs product Samuel Ersson and the talented Kirill Ustimenko breathing down his neck. If either (or both) pass him on the depth chart, it would be a dramatic blow to his future in the organization. — Appleyard
Honorable mentions

Isaac Ratcliffe (Charlie 18th, Alex 22nd): He’s yet to live up to the standards of his OHL dominance in two professional seasons with the Phantoms, but in 2020-21 the winger at least had good excuses for his struggles — a rib injury turned collapsed lung and later a battle with COVID-19. While legitimate questions exist regarding his skating and his ability to take full advantage of his immense size, it’s possible that a healthy Ratcliffe could deliver a breakout year in 2021-22, which given his impressive physical tools, would shoot him right back up this list.

Ivan Fedotov (Charlie 21st, Alex 21st): The KHL may be a low-scoring league, but the 24-year old Fedotov’s numbers from the past two seasons are still quite impressive: a .925 save percentage as a followup to a .931 the previous season, serving in a timeshare for his Traktor Chelyabinsk club. Goalies who are 6-foot-8 with strong results in the second-best pro league in the world don’t grow on trees. The real question with Fedotov is whether he truly fits into the Flyers’ long-term plans or if the 2015 seventh-round pick will ultimately stay in Russia. As far as the honorable mentions go, his upside is likely the most intriguing.

Aleksi Kolosov (Charlie 23rd): The Flyers’ second pick in the 2021 draft (third round), Kolosov put himself on the radar by holding his own in a nine-game KHL stint despite being just 19, posting a .911 save percentage for Dinamo Minsk. Kolosov was passed over entirely in the 2020 draft, so he’s a year old for his class, but the Flyers can afford to let him develop at his own pace overseas while he looks to build off his breakthrough season.

Connor McClennon (Charlie 25th, Alex 24th): McClennon can obviously score at the junior level. But hockey is littered with small, skilled forward prospects lacking elite skating ability who fail to translate their scoring ability to the AHL and NHL levels, and McClennon does stand at just 5-foot-8. It’s certainly possible that he could prove to be one of the exceptions, but he’s yet to receive his entry-level contract from the Flyers, so his looming season in the WHL will decide his future with the organization and whether he even gets the chance to show that he’ll remain a scoring machine regardless of level.

Wyatte Wylie (Alex 23rd): As the Flyers’ only right-handed shooting defense prospect currently signed to an entry-level contract, Wylie will certainly get a long look this season from the Philadelphia brass. But Wylie’s upside likely is limited to that of a useful third-pair blueliner at the NHL level and he’ll need to take a step forward in his second AHL season in order to stay on track to get there.

Kirill Ustimenko (Alex 25th): It’s easy to forget that when the 2019-20 season came to a close, Ustimenko had actually jumped Sandström on the organizational depth chart, despite being two years younger. Hip surgery spoiled his entire 2020-21 campaign, however, and now there’s a good chance he could start 2021-22 behind both a resurgent Sandström and the exciting Ersson in the pecking order, especially given his shaky showing at development camp which implied that he’s still working to shake off the post-surgery rust. Still, the talented goalie the Flyers selected in the third round in 2017 is still in there — it’s just a matter of if (or when) he can return to past form.

All statistics courtesy of EliteProspects. Graphics courtesy of The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn.