No, this isn’t an article about the Philadelphia Flyers trying to trade Joel Farabee, nor is it a make-it-or-break-it season for him either.
However, the youngster needs to find some more consistency in his 5th season and become the first-round talent the Flyers desperately need as they embark on this rebuild.
Farabee is just 23-years-old but already has 4 NHL seasons under his belt. After being drafted with the 14th overall selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he just needed one season at Boston University before making the leap to professional hockey.
With a 20-goal campaign in just 55 games in 2020-21 and then 17 goals in 63 games the following season, expectations were still relatively high for Farabee heading into 2022-23.
Unfortunately near the end of June in 2022, Farabee had disk replacement surgery in his cervical region and was expected to miss the next 3-4 months. It put him on track to return either in October or November but he was going to miss training camp and exhibitions games due to the length of his recovery.
Farabee underwent the same exact surgery that Jack Eichel went through and from the time of surgery to the time of his return, it spanned 3 months and 4 days. The neck injury was the third ailment that he had suffered within a 7-month span after he sustained an upper-body injury in December of 2021, which cost him 7 games, and then another upper-body injury in January of 2022 that cost him a month.
It was an up-and-down 2021-22 season in terms of his statistics as well as he started the year with 3 consecutive multi-point games before going the next 14 games with just 1 goal and then had a 3-game goal streak before his first injury. Upon returning to the ice, he scored 4 goals and 8 points in the 12 games that followed before his next injury that saw him finish the year with 6 goals and 16 points in 30 games – he scored 1 goal in his final 12 games and just didn’t look like his former self.
Despite the struggles he still managed to score 17 goals and was on pace for 22 goals in a full 82-game campaign. With a return pegged somewhere closer to November than October, Farabee made a very quick recovery as he made it in time for the season opener. He took part in training camp and had his name stapled for opening night and even more impressive was the fact that he appeared in all 82 games.
It was obvious that he was marred by the injury because the Farabee from 2019-20 and the early parts of 2020-21 was not what we saw from #86 to start the season.
Similarly to his 2021-22 season, there was a lot of ups and downs as he started the year with 2 goals in 9 games but then he followed that up with 9 points in his next 13 games before going the next 45 with just 4 goals and 13 points – which included a 26-game goal-less drought. Fortunately, he ended the year with 6 goals and 12 points in his final 15 games – essentially the same amount of points but in 30 less games.
Farabee was still just 1 of 3 players to play in all 82 games – alongside Noah Cates and Ivan Provorov – he was also 6th in goals, was only a minus-1 on the season which was 4th best for players who played in 25+ games, recorded the 4th most even strength goals, and ranked 6th highest amongst forwards in ATOI.
In a season that was marred with inconsistencies and a lengthy goal drought, what sparked a massive uproar was the report that Farabee’s camp had voiced their displeasure to the Flyers on how the season unfolded for the youngster and how he was being used under John Tortorella.
When the report was brought to his attention, Tortorella was quoted as saying,
“This is news to me. Is his agent popping off? Is that what it is? He’s popping off in the media that he’s pissed off about Joel? Oh, for God’s sake. They should just shut up.”
The report was first mentioned by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, and Farabee was immediately placed on his trade board ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline. It also coincided with a three-game stretch that saw Farabee average 8:53 TOI, which also included an in-game benching against Calgary where he only saw 3:52 TOI that night.
It also came during his 26-game goalless drought and encompassed games 16, 17, and 18 of the drought, but up until that point Farabee had just 3 assists, was a minus-7, only 25 shots on goal, and still averaged 15:03 TOI in that stretch. Despite this report, he was one of the few players who was afforded time and patience from Tortorella during the season despite his struggles.
Kevin Hayes, Tony DeAngelo, Morgan Frost, Travis Sanheim, Wade Allison, and a few others were not so lucky as they all served as healthy scratches at least once. However, that should also go to show that Farabee put in the effort, the hustle, and the determination despite his name being omitted from the boxscore on a consistent basis. Tortorella was frank from the beginning that as long as you show the fight and determination on the ice, the points don’t matter as much – it was a building year.
Placed on a line with Frost and Owen Tippett to finish off the season – sometimes with Noah Cates and Travis Konecny – we witnessed the old Farabee in full flight and it was truly a breath of fresh air. The Flyers are going to be relying on him in 2023-24 and beyond as he represents one of the top scoring options the team has in their employ on a nightly basis.
A healthy Farabee, a full training camp, a year of Tortorella-coaching under his belt, and the impeding returns of Sean Couturier and Cam Atkinson, should all come into play as reasons for a resurgent bounce-back season for the 23-year-old. He has shown flashes of brilliance, has scored goals when it’s mattered, and with a full complement of players surrounding him and a top-6 position written in stone, Farabee should be primed to break his previous highs of 20 goals, 24 assists, and 39 points.
In contrast to the rest of his draft class, Farabee ranks 6th in games played behind Brady Tkachuk, Rasmus Dahlin, Andrei Svechnikov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Quinn Hughes – all picked within the first 7 selections – ranks 3rd in goals behind Tkachuk and Svechnikov, 7th in assists, and 6th in points. He’s a long ways away from catching some of the names ahead of him – outside of Kotkaniemi – which further epitomizes the need for a consistent season from start to finish.
Farabee’s droughts
2019-20: 15 game goalless drought with just 2 assists, 10 game stretch to end the season with just 1 goal and 2 assists
2020-21: 8-game stretch with just 1 goal, 18-game stretch with just 1 goal and 3 assists
2021-22: 14-game stretch with just 1 goal, 15-game stretch with 1 goal, final 15-game stretch with just 2 goals
2022-23: 10-game stretch with just 1 assist, 26-game goal-less drought with just 4 assists, final 10-game stretch with 2 goals
Farabee’s streaks
2020-21: 8 goals and 14 points in a 10-game stretch, 4 goals and 8 points in 11 games, 5 goals and 7 points in final 6 games
2021-22: 3 goals and 6 points in the first 3 games of the season, 7 goals and 10 points in 12 games, 5 goals and 11 points
2022-23: 4 goals and 13 points in 16-game stretch, 6 goals and 12 points in 15 games
Entering his 5th season and the 2nd year of a 6-year contract that affects the salary cap at a 5 million AAV, a lot of eyes will be on Farabee as he looks to redeem himself and push the doubters aside in what is a rather important 2023-24 season for the youngster.
2024 Stadium Series Trip
Flyers Nation and Philly Sports Trips have teamed up to bring you on an amazing bus trip to the 2024 NHL Stadium Series between the Flyers and Devils. Place an early deposit to reserve your spot at the ultimate tailgate experience at MetLife Stadium before the game. The package includes a game ticket, round-trip charter bus, an all-inclusive tailgate party with unlimited cold beverages, “Philly Style” catered food, live entertainment, and more.
