Tuesday served as the finale for the 2023-2024 Philadelphia Flyers. A team that overachieved but kept true to their rebuild competed with the rest of the NHL to come within reach of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unfortunately, they couldn’t grasp the postseason berth.
By the numbers, everything suggests a leap forward. The Flyers returned a net positive compared to the first chapter of the John Tortorella era in Philadelphia, but the strides are minimal.
To appreciate this season requires additional context. Nobody pinned this team in a scenario where game 82 of the regular season had meaning. In the first season of the Daniel Brière administration, the former franchise goaltender received his charges from the Hockey Canada investigation, and the second-best prospect in the system took his puck to California. Despite those unforeseen circumstances, this roster dared to put itself in the same breath as the term ‘playoffs.’
During the 2024 Exit Interviews, Tortorella, Brière, and most of the Flyers spoke with the media following the conclusion of the regular season:
Marc Staal
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Brought in as a mentor for a young roster in Philadelphia, Staal resembled the tried and true veteran Tortorella wants on his roster. He comes from a professional hockey family. Staal was a locker room fit and an ideal brain to pick regarding what it takes to be a successful professional in the NHL.
Staal is a defenseman who played in 10 NHL Stanley Cup Final playoff games. Upon arrival, he knew the talent on the roster had potential and that the Flyers were better than original expectations:
“Before I got here, I knew the talent that was in the lineup, and I believe that they were better than what everyone was projecting them to be. It was pretty apparent that was the case when I got here. How hard they worked this year and the commitment that they showed put us in a position to get into the playoffs. It’s an exciting team, for sure.” – Marc Staal; 4/17/24
Staal, an NHL veteran of 17 seasons, said this penalty-killing unit (83.4%; 4th in NHL) was ‘one of the best’ he was ever a part of, citing the shorthanded goals (16; 1st in NHL). Travis Konecny (6; 1st in NHL) led the league in shorthanded scoring, and Nick Seeler (205; 5th in NHL) was among the elite shot blockers.
He is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, and when asked about his future, he said he is spending time with his family and saving those discussions for the summer.
Travis Konecny
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Where have we heard that belief is dangerous before? Tortorella preached it a couple of times during his media availabilities this season. The roster believes they can compete for a postseason berth, and how this season finished presents itself as a teachable moment. Each game matters.
Five seasons ago, Philadelphia made the Stanley Cup Playoffs, representing the last time Konecny played in the postseason. They made the appropriate strides, and the rebuild is tracking ahead of schedule. There is excitement to get back to work, and it’s because of how close they finished to a postseason berth.
“I think it was a good season. It’s hard right now because you look at it as [if] you ended on a bad note. It’s been a little bit since I’ve been in a position to potentially be in the playoffs, and we felt really good about this group. That’s kind of all we’re looking at right now. I don’t think anyone’s doing any individual evaluations; we’re just trying to figure out what we can do for next year, and get ready to get back to work this summer, and come back excited again.” – Travis Konecny; 4/17/2024
Konecny is up for an extension. He said, ‘I love Philly,’ and as an alternate captain of the Flyers, an agreement will surely come to terms.
Joel Farabee
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Players returned with a chip on their shoulder and a lot to prove. Farabee is an example of that. A season ago, he was coming off of disc replacement surgery. This season, he set overall season highs in goals and assists. Similarly to Konecny, Farabee is excited about the roster, citing players like Cam York, Bobby Brink, and Tyson Foerster:
“A lot of the young guys made huge strides. I could go down the list of basically all the rookies I think got a lot better; Tyson [Foerster], Yorkie [York], and Bobby [Brink], just to name a few. Guys that just really came in trying to make the team to start, and then once they did, they just took off from there. It’s definitely exciting to see from such young guys; how good they played. They’re huge parts of this team going forward.” – Joel Farabee; 4/17/2024
Farabee moved up and down the lineup throughout the season but mostly played a thoughtful game. Tortorella inserted Farabee on different lines, and on most nights, Farabee stuck to his role. With and without the puck, Farabee played his best hockey in five seasons.
Garnet Hathaway
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Hathaway contributed to the shared sentiment that Philadelphia is closer to competing because they experienced meaningful hockey during their chase for the postseason. A critical step is understanding what it takes to compete against a more competitive league at the end of the season.
“In a group like this, where the work ethic is already so high, and you see that trust that we have in the locker room; you see how hard everyone’s working, you can trust the guy next to you that they’re going to do the same thing. You know in the summer, they’re going to put the work in, and we’re going to come back even better than we were.” – Garnet Hathaway; 4/17/2024
He expressed how he likes playing with Ryan Poehling. His line, featuring Noah Cates, was the best on the ice at times. Playing a game that fits the Flyers’ flavor, Philadelphia is where Hathaway hopes to continue to play as he enters a contract season.
Scott Laughton
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
One of the most pressing matters is the Flyers’ power play. It’s a testament to the defense-first approach and an elite penalty kill that Philadelphia competed for a playoff berth in the first place. Laughton called that exact sentiment ‘impressive.’
In back-to-back seasons, Laughton was a name who garnished a lot of attention in the trade rumor mill. He wants to be with the Flyers. When his name was amongst speculation, he had discussions with Tortorella.
“When my name was in rumors, I got a call from Torts [Tortorella] right away. We had a good chat about it, and all of them were very up-front with me with what they saw, and what they were thinking. I was never in the dark, which was a really good feeling. You don’t see your team president [Jones] and owner [Hilferty] coming down and shaking your hand after every game. Danny’s [Brière] in the locker room and that feeling makes the players want to be a part of this. Those guys care, and you see it.” – Scott Laughton; 4/17/2024
Laughton is an alternate captain and the only skater to wear a letter all throughout the Tortorella era. ‘I want to win here,’ Laughton said.
Cam Atkinson
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Atkinson had a frustrating season. It’s the first time he wasn’t a nightly player (unrelated to injury) in a lineup. He was a healthy scratch, and that decision came from a coach he has a long relationship with, dating back to his years with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“All thirteen years, I’ve been a go-to guy and contributed offensively, and been put in situations to have success. When you go from that to in and out of the lineup, and when I’m in the lineup, on the fourth line with limited minutes, there’s only so much you can do. When I was out there, I tried my hardest to just make some sort of impact. I’ve never experienced that. Going from playing one to three shifts a period, it’s hard. Being a good teammate and control what I can control; I’ll never go down that negative road. I want all of my teammates to succeed and do well. We all want to be difference-makers. When your role does change, you have to find ways to contribute any way you can. Unfortunately, it wasn’t on the score sheet, but overall, I thought I handled it pretty well.” – Cam Atkinson; 4/17/2024
He returned this season from a herniated disc. Atkinson said he still has ‘juice left in the tank,’ but what is in Philadelphia?
Nick Seeler
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
For a chunk of this season, before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Seeler and Sean Walker were arguably the best defensive pair on the Flyers. Brière dealt Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2025 first-round pick and Ryan Johansen. Seeler received a 4-yr/$10.8mil contract extension with a two-year no-trade clause.
“I’ve been fighting for that contract my whole career, and it’s life-changing. It means the world to be in a place where I feel respected, and the direction this group’s going, I’m so excited to be a part of it.” – Nick Seeler; 4/17/2024
Life after Walker paired Seeler with Jamie Drysdale. For context, we’ll call the 9-3 scorching by the Montréal Canadiens a wash because the only players to have a good game were the Canadiens, but Seeler and Drysdale began developing chemistry. Seeler excelled as a shot blocker and effectively contained the puck in the offensive zone in his newfound pairing.
By far, his chemistry was at an all-time high with Walker. The opportunity is there for Brière to sign Walker as an unrestricted free agent if the Avalanche do not agree to an extension.
Travis Sanheim
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Sanheim achieved a new career high point production with York. They were a heavily relied-upon pair, leading Philadelphia into battle when the rest of the unit felt the injury bug.
“We [Sanheim and York] wanted to be carrying the load, we wanted to be a big part of it, and for the most part, I thought me and York played pretty well. It’s just obviously disappointing with the outcome, but I’m happy with how me and him played down the stretch.” – Travis Sanheim; 4/17/2024
In his first 20 games of the season, Sanheim accumulated 16 points (2G, 14A). At times, he got caught being aggressive on the surf into the offensive zone, but it was tough to argue the approach due to the result. He felt he played the best hockey of his career during that stretch. It was undisputedly his best 20-game stretch with Tortorella.
Sean Couturier
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Named captain of the Flyers, Couturier had a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove as the longest-tenured veteran of the roster. Owning his performance, Couturier didn’t chalk it up to his two back surgeries. ‘I just, plain and simple, sucked down the road,’ said Couturier.
Couturier played well during the first half of the season. Then, his point production fell off almost entirely.
Tortorella benched Couturier at a point, and it blew out of proportion. With a healthy offseason ahead, he’ll have conversations with Tortorella about how to keep contributing to building the team:
“It’s fun to see our team grow. If you look at the rebuild; we’re building something special. We had a good year; we beat some expectations, but you got to do it all over again next year, and it’s not going to be easy, but I think if we keep growing and keep believing in our team, we can reach that next level.” – Sean Couturier; 4/17/2024
It’s the captain’s orders to keep the eyes forward.
Noah Cates
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Cates quickly pointed to his linemates, Hathaway and Poehling, as examples of who he learned from this season. To the surprise of no one, Cates was at his most confident on the forecheck, and eventually, he began to get rewarded for his hard work. When Hathaway commented on the team’s work ethic, one of the first skaters you think of is Cates.
“I think we took a lot of strides in the locker room because of guys like them [Hathaway and Poehling]. Kudos to them for stepping in off the ice more than anything, honestly. Playing with them was amazing.” – Noah Cates; 4/17/2024
He missed a chunk of time this season with a broken foot, contributing to a dip in season point totals. However, away from the puck, Cates was reliable. With a clean bill of health, he likely would have received votes for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as he did last year.
Owen Tippett
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
This was a giant season for Tippett, who agreed to an 8-yr/$49.6mil contract extension. He is one of the most explosive skaters on the roster for Philadelphia, and Tippett earned his role with the organization after his initial arrival meant departures headlined by Claude Giroux.
Tippett was one of four Flyers skaters to meet or exceed 20 goals this season, along with Konecny, Farabee, and Foerster. The last time that happened was when Philadelphia last made the postseason in 2019-2020.
“The way we bonded and stuck together through everything this year is going to put us ahead of schedule in terms of where we wanted to be.” – Owen Tippett; 4/17/2024
There is a visible and audible indication of the rebuild looking ahead of schedule.
Bobby Brink
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Some players moved in and out or up and down the lineup. Others moved in and out of the NHL, back to the AHL.
Brink never got down on himself, especially when reassigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He maintained a positive outlook:
“You can handle it two ways; you can go down there [AHL] and feel sorry for yourself, or you can do what you can to get back up here. I knew feeling sorry for yourself wasn’t the right one. That was an obvious choice to go down there and be positive, and do what I can.” – Bobby Brink; 4/17/2024
Unrelated to the season, Brink did comment on his former teammate from the University of Denver, Massimo Rizzo. He called him a ‘good player,’ and said he ‘can be a difference maker on offense.’
Tyson Foerster
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At the beginning of the season, Foerster had a tough time scoring. He had top-notch opportunities, but those chances weren’t finding the back of the net. Foerster contributed, but just not on the scoreboard. He improved away from the puck and protected the puck, to which Tortorella called him his best possession forward. Eventually, his scoring touch returned, but as he eloquently stated, ‘If I’m not getting scored against, I’m doing a pretty good job.’
Foerster took pride in sticking the lowered expectations to everyone. His outlook on the season was positive, pointing out the heart the roster played with throughout.
Morgan Frost
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Frost isn’t just a good player against mediocre teams. That’s an old narrative. This season, he matured. That’s a step past ‘finding confidence;’ another old Frost narrative. He found his game against quality opponents.
“I matured a lot, especially [after] obviously going through some hard times at the start of the season and coming out of it. Just in general, in my time here, from the first year I’ve been here to now, I think [I’ve] definitely grown up a lot, and I’ve learned how to handle situations better.” – Morgan Frost; 4/17/2024
A turning point was his conversation with Tortorella. He was in and out of the lineup often, and there were times when those decisions made sense. He isn’t as rattled because he learned to navigate his relationship with the bench boss.
As the roster stands, Frost is the powerplay leader. In the upcoming season, he will be playing for an extension. This season, the powerplay hit an all-time franchise low (12.2%). If Frost can become a proponent of fixing the man advantage on special teams, he’ll earn that extension.
Jamie Drysdale
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Talk about unexpected additions. Everything felt like a whirlwind blender when Cutter Gauthier went to the Anaheim Ducks for Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick. However, Drysdale meshed quickly in the locker room.
Admittedly, he dealt with injuries. Health is a fresh topic regarding Drysdale, who exceeded half of a regular season workload just once in his NHL career (2021-2022). Now, he has the opportunity to develop further under Brad Shaw:
“It’s definitely been a tough couple [of] years for me to begin with; just being out a lot. Shawsy’s [Shaw] been unbelievable since the moment I got here. He’s a pretty wild hockey mind and just the little details that you know he tells, and he kind of tells you, whether it’s in video or just during the game, little things to look out for that I’ve never heard in my life. Just little things here and there that I think can, over time, make a big difference in consistency and being a better player overall. I really hope I can work with him for a while.” – Jamie Drysdale; 4/17/2024
Drysdale is unsure if there is anything he needs to get cleaned up regarding his health but expects to be ready for 2024 Flyers Training Camp.
Sam Ersson
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Tortorella said after the loss to the Washington Capitals that he was very encouraged by Ersson. He wasn’t supposed to play as much as he did, but he recovered in the final few games and can carry that feeling into the offseason.
In the peaks and valleys of the season, Ersson received high marks for his mental fortitude. Tortorella stressed the poise he sees in his young goaltender, and he blocked out a lot of noisy distractions to step into his unexpected role.
Ersson was an instrumental part of the Flyers experiencing meaningful hockey late in the season. To compete next season, Philadelphia ideally will develop another goaltender to tandem with Ersson. It’s not ideal that he takes on the same workload, but Ersson never turned away from the challenge.
“This year, I felt like there was some ups and downs. I had some tough stretches, and I also felt like I had a long stretch where I think I played well; consistently over a period of time. I think that is the keyword I’m trying to push is consistency. I feel like that is the key for me to be an impactful player in this league, is to have your low as high as possible.” – Sam Ersson; 4/17/2024
Ersson expressed his desire to play in the 2024 IIHF World Championships should the opportunity present itself. A chance to compete against the best in the world will allow Ersson to get ahead in improving his consistency between the pipes.
Cam York
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York was relieved to get back to his natural side of the defense, and when responsibility and minutes were at a balance, the top pair featuring him with Sanheim was at its best. Tortorella pointed out that York had the most active stick on defense.
That is quite the achievement. A year ago, York didn’t make the opening night roster. Now, he’s the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy recipient as the most-improved player, as voted by his teammates.
“It’s really cool. I felt like I put in a lot of work in the offseason and spent [the] majority of my summer here with Dan [Warnke] and DeRick [O’Connell]. I think those two are really good at what they do, and allowed me to put myself in a position where I could do that. I felt like my body held up pretty well for 82 games, playing as much as I did. I’m happy with that and just want to continue to build, grow my game, and continue to get stronger.” – Cam York; 4/17/2024
Speaking of his partner, Sanheim also earned Flyers hardware.
Egor Zamula
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Zamula learned what a winning mentality is from a couple of veterans. For one, Erik Johnson left an impression. Zamula and Johnson paired on the bottom after the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
The other veteran was Staal. He kept it light on the bench for Zamula. He didn’t allow the juggling of the lineup to get to him, staying attentive when he wasn’t on the ice. Staal and Johnson are the elders of the NHL, but they’re still competing at the highest level of hockey.
“Those guys with big experience in the league. It’s fun to play with these guys because sometimes he tell you something funny in the bench, after crazy shifts especially, with Staalsy [Staal]. I will remember that. I can’t tell you what he says, but it’s something special, and I will remember these two guys for my life because it’s my first year, and I play with these people [with] this big experience. Old guys, but you see, still guys playing.” – Egor Zamula; 4/17/2024
Across the board, Zamula stepped up his game. Veteran players kept it loose while teaching and helping develop younger talent. Tortorella will likely want another veteran hand next season, and the trial run with Zamula and Johnson had some chemistry. Could Johnson return for another season?
Ryan Poehling
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Poehling trusted his gut when he picked Philadelphia. He assumed the Pittsburgh Penguins would keep him, but once it was apparent they weren’t, Poehling had a bevy of teams contacting him for his services. He chose the Flyers because he knew the team had a strong foundation with room to grow. It just felt right.
“Everything happened so quick. I thought Pittsburgh was going to qualify me throughout that whole process, and then the day before free agency, they called me and said they weren’t. So then, I was just like, ‘Whoa.’ A lot of teams called, and I had to make a decision, but I think just for myself, just trusting my gut; I’ve been a big man of faith, and I trust God, so for myself, I just thought, ‘You know what, this has a lot of opportunity here and I feel like in my gut, it’s telling me to come to Philadelphia.” – Ryan Poehling; 4/17/2024
It means more to Poehling to be a part of a build, growing into something special. He, with Cates and Hathaway, made a stellar impact in Philadelphia. Two-thirds of that line were new additions to the Flyers lineup this season, and both earned their space in the lineup.
John Tortorella
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According to Tortorella, there is some disappointment in not making the postseason, which is natural when in position. Expectations morphed because since Philadelphia positioned itself for the opportunity, it was up to them to complete the story. With 25 games remaining, Tortorella began to worry if the Flyers would close the deal, making the postseason. A 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers on February 24th represented the window where Tortorella began to evaluate if his roster would maintain their playoff position, which they didn’t.
Philadelphia needs to add talent. However, the lineup began to play well together quickly. A roster that meshed early in the regular season allowed adjustments from a season ago, which excited Tortorella. Last season, his first as the Flyers’ head coach, Tortorella stressed defense and checking. Suddenly, he realized the neutral zone could open, and the forwards were dangerous in transition and scoring on the rush.
“We progressed this year. A number of players progressed this year. I found out a style of play fits us this year. I found out that we have some work to do in how to play in other parts of the year. These are questions, and I think we have some answers. If you’re getting answers, and most of them I think are positive, then you’ve progressed. I think the players should feel good about themselves.” – John Tortorella; 4/19/2024
Yet, he has to discuss with Brière how players finished the season. Did certain players show who they are this season? Which players should receive another look? A note worth mentioning is that Tortorella doesn’t feel he can give a fair judgment on Couturier and Atkinson because of how their recent surgeries impacted their season performance.
Speaking of Couturier, Tortorella directly mentioned the process he took in benching the captain. It wasn’t something Couturier experienced, but Tortorella communicated to him the day before the game so it wouldn’t be a surprise; the same protocol he took with Staal, Atkinson, and Nicolas Deslauriers. As Couturier said, his relationship with Tortorella is open, and Tortorella has a ton of respect for Couturier because he disagreed and challenged the coach. A leadership role will not stop a player from being held accountable.
“Whether the player agrees with it, and Sean [Couturier] didn’t; that’s what I love about him. He didn’t. He disagreed, and we just talked yesterday, and we disagreed on a lot of stuff. That’s what I love about him. He’s willing to say what’s on his mind and that’s how our relationship is going to grow. I want you to understand that I’m not in the business to disrespect anybody, and if I take a guy of that stature out, I’m going to communicate what it was, and I felt I did, then we followed up after with video and tried to work that. I’m not in the business to disrespect people. Sometimes, the way I do things, I’m honest about it and it turns into a bit of a frenzy of all this sensitivity stuff. If everybody’s going to be happy coaching under me, I’m not doing my job. I want you all to understand that with Sean, I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, but I am going to coach players the way I think I need to coach them. [It] could happen again next year.” – John Tortorella; 4/19/2024
But, there is a steadfast adherence to the rebuild. Tortorella expressed his lack of regret for how Philadelphia handled the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. They avoided ‘spinning their wheels’ because they did obtain the right assets for players like Walker. Johnson proved valuable to young defensemen, as previously noted by Zamula. Tortorella emphasized the team still has a ways to go, that there are holes in the lineup, and that games with the most meaning this season don’t come close to the pressure a playoff game brings.
One piece of information fans will dread, inducing ire toward Rocky Thompson, is that it sounds like he will remain on the coaching staff, overseeing the powerplay. It ranked last in the NHL. Tortorella will take charge with Thompson to reinvent the powerplay with Brière, Patrick Sharp, and Dany Heatley. The powerplay didn’t get enough attention at practices, and Tortorella owned that responsibility. Heading into next season, it’s a priority, and players like Frost sparked the topic in their exit interviews.
Daniel Brière
(Heather Barry Images, LLC)
Brière said the players would dictate the rebuild, and the burning question is if the Flyers are ahead of schedule. Players like Foerster, Brink, York, Sanheim, Zamula, and Ersson took a sizable leap forward, naming the same skaters Brière did. However, the shared sentiment between Brière and Tortorella is that the team still has a ways to go.
“I’m still not quite there in saying that we’re a contender. I don’t believe we’re at the point where it’s time to let some young assets go to try to get better quicker. We’re not there yet, but there’s certainly a lot of players that have brought some optimism as far as believing that we’re going in the right direction.” – Daniel Brière; 4/19/2024
Though the team still has a lot of work ahead on the rebuild, don’t expect the course to change; another shared idea. Tortorella was adamant about sticking the course of the rebuild. In addition, Brière warned that the plan isn’t to spend money on a free agent or trade young players or prospects to bring in more talent. He will continue to listen to offers if they make sense, sticking to his guns since becoming the general manager.
Don’t expect a recalling of prospects to help that department. It’ll be a work in progress and could take a couple of years to fix. However, Brière made a solid point. The penalty kill was elite, and it ranked 26th last season. Why can’t the power play improve with Drysdale, Tippett, Farabee, and Frost driving the puck?
“I’m not saying we’re going to go from, what did we finish, around twelve percent in the season? We’re not going to go and double that, getting to twenty-five percent. We have to be realistic here. It’s going to be small steps, a little bit like when we attacked defending better the last two seasons. It didn’t happen overnight. Our PK [penalty kill] was something that we focused on. This season, I think it finished in the top five. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a work in progress, and it might take a couple [of] years to get to where we want to be, but at the moment, it’s going to start from the inside, and if we have the chance to acquire some talent to come and help us, we’re certainly going to be open to that.” – Daniel Brière; 4/19/2024
That also means Brière stands by the coaching staff. Yes, against the wishes of most Philadelphia fans, Brière seemingly doubled on the perspective that Rocky Thompson will remain the purveyor of the power play. It’s not just about the coaching staff and the direct translation on paper; collectively, the coaching staff and players created a sense of belief that Brière is immensely proud of.
But, regarding a few players, we did learn that there is seemingly a commitment to Ivan Fedotov in tandem with Ersson. Of course, Alexei Kolosov will get a look from the front office with the Phantoms in the AHL Calder Cup Playoffs. In front of the crease, Rasmus Ristolainen had successful surgery to fix a ruptured triceps tendon, and Drysdale could have surgery on a lower body or core, which he was cautious in discussing during his exit interview. Both defensemen should be readily available at the start of next season.
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