With the Philadelphia Flyers entering a rebuild, it was high-time that the club featured a lot of their top NHL-ready prospects in the 2023-24 season. Although general manager Daniel Brière acquired veterans in Marc Staal, Sean Walker, Garnet Hathaway, and even Ryan Poehling, there were plenty of spots still open for any of the prospects to win over in training camp.
The prospects that very vying for John Tortorella’s attention were Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Emil Andrae, and Egor Zamula. Cam York, who is still technically a prospect had finally made headway last season and was expected to carry a lot of the load left behind by the departures of Ivan Provorov and Tony DeAngelo.
After his strong 8-game stint with the Flyers last season, Tyson Foerster was more or less stapled into the opening night roster by everyone and anyone that covered or cheered for the team. He didn’t have the strongest of training camps but he made the team outright, which was a massive step in the right direction.
Emil Andrae was an interesting case because the Flyers had to first get permission from HV71 of the SHL to allow them to essentially hold onto his playing rights if he didn’t make the team outright from training camp. After getting their approval, Andrae entered training camp with a little less pressure to make the club but he showed out in a big way and essentially forced the Flyers’ hand into keeping him around.
Egor Zamula was a in a different position than Andrae because if the Flyers were going to send him to the Phantoms to start the season, he would have had to go through waivers first and there would’ve been a very good chance another team scooped him up. However Zamula’s training camp was formidable to say the least and the Flyers didn’t waver for a second on whether or not he’d remain for the season opener.
Bobby Brink was almost a forgotten prospect after an injury-riddled 2022-23. After appearing with the big club at the end of the 2021-22 season, Brink had flashed a lot of his hockey senses, his high hockey IQ, and his endless motor. Unfortunately he underwent surgery in the off-season that put his season on hold until January. He was sent to the Phantoms to get his feet wet, regain his confidence and momentum, and he did just that with 28 points in 41 games for the playoff bound Phantoms.
He entered training camp with a legitimate shot at claiming a roster spot but it almost seemed like he had to usurp Foerster for the chance to skate in the season opener. After all the hard work that he had put in through his rehab, then with the Phantoms, and once more in training camp, Brink made the club outright and started the season on the top line with Sean Couturier and Joel Farabee.
Rasmus Ristolainen being placed on IR to start the season helped out all 4 of the aforementioned prospects and Cam York. The initial idea was that Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Rasmus Ristolainen, Sean Walker, Nick Seeler, and Egor Zamula would start the season with the big club and Andrae would have time to develop and marinate in his first full season with the Phantoms. However, Ristolainen’s absence meant that the Flyers could run with 3 goaltenders, 13 forwards, and 7 defensemen that included both Andrae and Zamula.
For the forwards, it was more or less the same concept as one of Foerster or Brink would not start the season. However, John Tortorella did not want to send either of them down and with an open roster spot, the Flyers were able to keep them both around for the time being. He had mentioned that he would rotate them in and out of the lineup – same applied to Andrae and Zamula – however with Morgan Frost’s early struggles, he found himself in the press box, which gave Foerster and Brink the ability to be fielded in the lineup together.
Heading into Saturday’s tilt against the Dallas Stars, Frost was being withheld for the third consecutive game and it’s tough to dispute that with how well Brink had been playing and with Foerster creating scoring chances and looking dangerous alongside Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton.
Brink provided a primary assist on Joel Farabee’s goal and although Foerster didn’t get on the scoresheet, he looked as dangerous as he has all season. Zamula collected a primary assist on Sean Walker’s shorthanded goal that tied the game mid-way through the third period, Samuel Ersson was shaky and beatable on the short-side but he made some timely stops late in the game to keep the Flyers in it, and Emil Andrae had a so-so night but considering it was only his 3rd career NHL game, it’s tough to judge.
To start the 2023-24 season, two of the youngsters have really stood out in Brink and York. Not only is it a sight for sore eyes after the last 4-5 years of disappointments and under-developed prospects, but to see them succeed the way they have been and to not look out of position or out of place is even better.
Granted, York has been around for parts of 3+ seasons but never at a consistent level – whether that had to do with injury, development, or the Flyers not having room. 2023-24 is a different season, the Flyers have a whole new concept brewing, and it involves the prospects we’ve been bellyaching about for quite some time.
York has been quite the revelation so far this season and he is playing every bit like the first round pick everything claimed he’d be. During the draft and maybe a full season afterwards, lots of people were still fuming about Fletcher’s decision to draft York over Cole Caufield. In a matter of sense, York might’ve been the better judgement call with how bereft of talent the Flyers have been on the back-end since 2019. Ivan Provorov didn’t pan out, Shayne Gostisbehere was shown the door, Phil Myers was a flash in the pan, Samuel Morin retired, Robert Hägg was traded, and only Travis Sanheim has remained.
Caufield is an unreal talent, a sharpshooter, and a goal-scorer that the Flyers haven’t possessed since Jeff Carter and Simon Gagné, but with hindsight being 20/20 and how well positioned they currently seem to be with their forward group – present and future – York might prove to be one of the most valuable assets in the Flyers’ quiver for years to come.
York’s season to date:
@ Columbus: 0 points, even-rating, 2 shots on goal, 1 block, 22:31 TOI
@ Ottawa: 1 goal, plus-1 rating, 4 shots, 1 hit, 1 block, 21:11 TOI
vs. Vancouver: 0 points, even-rating, 0 shots, 1 hit, 22:26 TOI
vs. Edmonton: 0 points, plus-1 rating, 2 PIMs, 1 shot, 1 hit, 4 blocks, 26:30 TOI
@ Dallas: 0 points, minus-2 rating, 4 PIMs, 3 shots, 2 blocks, 23:55 TOI
His ATOI has risen to a whole new level with Provorov out of the picture and things will most likely stay the same even when Ristolainen returns from IR. He’s the most skilled option on the back-end, can quarterback a power play, and has the end-to-end abilities that the club has been missing for eons.
It has only been 5 games, however York has a 59.8 CF%, a ridiculously high 65.1 FF%, a 11.2 CF% rel, and a 17.7 FF% rel. Of course, these will be adjusted as the season rolls on but it’s not as far-fetched as some might believe. York has been amongst the top of the league since his arrival in expected goal share relative to the team around:
After being cut very early from training camp last season, York hasn’t taken anything for granted and intimated that being sent down was the best course of action. He got his feet wet, he was able to get all the playing time he needed to properly develop, and once he honed in on his potential, the call-up was a foregone conclusion as was his permanent residence with the big club.
Once the power play figures out their kinks, York will be a mainstay in the box score and should smash career-highs if he can stay healthy. Last year he posted a career-high 18 assists and 20 points in 54 games and the year before that he scored a career-best 3 goals in 30 games.
As for Brink, he might only have 2 points on the season and is still without a goal, but his overall gameplay has been formidable. Outside of Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson, Travis Konecny, and Joel Farabee, Brink has been noticeable on almost every shift and once he gets the bugaboo off his back, he will be a consistent producer.
Brink’s season to date:
@ Columbus: 0 points, plus-1 rating, 2 shots on goal, 2 blocks, 13:16 TOI
vs. Vancouver: 0 points, even-rating, 4 shots, 16:01 TOI
vs. Edmonton: 1 assist, plus-1 rating, 2 shots, 1 block, 17:06 TOI
@ Dallas: 1 point, plus-1 rating, 3 shots, 1 hit, 14:07 TOI
He went pointless against the Canucks in the home opener but he came within inches from either scoring or providing the primary assist:
He finally got on the scoresheet against the Oilers after a give-and-go with Farabee to get the Flyers on the board.
Later in the game, Brink went to the dirty areas and the high danger spots, was stopped on a wrap-around attempt, and almost set up Noah Cates with a no-look pass from behind the net.
Make that points in consecutive games as Brink set up Farabee – again – at the front of the net to get the Flyers on the board against Dallas.
When it comes to Cam York, he’s one of the alpha-dogs on the back-end this season and will get as much ice-time, situational hockey, and extra responsibilities he can handle and then some. The Flyers have been content with how everyone has performed, including Sean Walker, Nick Seeler, and the rookies in Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae, but Sanheim and York will continue to carry the brunt of responsibilities this season. So far, so good, as they’ve been up to the task.
With the Flyers continuing to play a full 60-minute effort night in and night out, it might be some time before Morgan Frost gets back into the lineup. Brink and Foerster have been playing well enough to both remain in John Tortorella’s good graces.
It will be interesting to see how things play out, who comes out of the lineup once Frost is inevitably reinserted, and if the Flyers decide to demote one to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to have them playing rather than sitting in the press box. However until then, the youngsters have a lot to prove and have merited a lineup spot for the foreseeable future.
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