Philadelphia Flyers: The Future is Bright for Flyers Hockey

With the Philadelphia Flyers still jostling for a playoff spot in the N.H.L.’s Eastern Conference, I decided to take a look at the future stars of the ‘Orange and Black’.

G.M. Ron Hextall has a lot of talented players in the minors and will be patient on who to bring up and when. The Philadelphia Flyers were ranked having the sixth-best farm system in the NHL, according to an ABC News preview back in August 2016.

Despite having a bank of talented players for the future, Hextall’s main goal for the team will still be to make the 2016-17 playoffs. If that goal doesn’t come to fruition, then we could see some of these youngsters brought up in mid-March.

We have already seen players like defenseman Ivan Provorov, center Travis Konecny, and center Nick Cousins make an impact on the team so it shouldn’t be long before we see new faces in the big show.

Here is a report on five of the Flyers’ brightest stars for the future.

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1.) Samuel Morin – Defenseman 6’0 227 lbs
The former 2013 first round pick is in his second season with the Flyers A.H.L. affiliate, Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In his first pro season a year ago, Morin was the only player to skate in all 76 games for the team. He netted four goals, chipped in 15 assists, and led the team in penalty minutes (118). Most likely he will be a shutdown defender in the NHL and he showed encouraging durability signs a season ago. In 49 games so far this season, he has 10 points and 83 penalty minutes. At 21 years old, he can still develop his offensive game but possesses a powerful slapshot. We should see Morin up in the next season or two.

2.) Travis Sanheim – Defenseman 6’0 199 lbs
The Flyers 2014 first round selection is in his first full season with Lehigh Valley. After stellar numbers with the Calgary Hitmen in the W.H.L., Sanheim is now looking to translate those stats over to the A.H.L. The 20-year-old has eight goals, 15 assists in 49 games so far this season. He has featured for Canada’s youth teams at the World Juniors and put up over 60+ points in the 2014-16 seasons for Calgary. He could add some weight on but is a strong two-way defender who brings a little versatility to the bunch. Again, I expect Sanheim to fight for a spot on the Flyers next training camp and hopefully see some time next season.

3.) Robert Hagg – Defenseman 6’0 201 lbs
A steal of a pick in the 2013 Draft, Hagg is in his third full season with Lehigh Valley adding to the list of talented defensemen. He has five goals, and seven assists so far this season in 43 games. He has also featured for Sweden’s World Junior side at past tournaments. However, unlike Provorov, Morin, or Sanheim, Hagg doesn’t really bring a dominating trait to the table. He keeps things simple and is generally sound in most aspects of the game. He isn’t afraid to do the dirty work for the team and can feature on the point on power play opportunities. With Sanheim and Morin looking to turn pro this season or next, Hagg must make strides to become relevant in the Flyers plans for the future. But overall, he projects as a solid two-way defenseman.

4.) Alex Lyon – Goaltender 6’0 201 lbs
After signing with the Flyers has a free-agent in April 2016, Lyon is in his first season with Lehigh Valley. He has a 20-9 record with a 2.63 G.A.A. and a .911 save percentage. The 24-year-old played for Omaha in the U.S.H.L. between 2011-2013 tallying a record of 54-36-4. From 2013-2016, Lyon played at Yale University finishing with a record of 50-29-14 and a G.A.A. of 1.89. He is a big goalie who handles the puck well and is calm in many situations. His skill set suggests he can be an NHL starter but will have to continue to impress at the minor pro level. He will also most-likely share time in Lehigh Valley with Anthony Stolarz.

Next: Philadelphia Flyers: Rookie Travis Konecny To Miss 4-6 Weeks

5.) Nicolas Aube-Kubel – Forward 5’11 180 lbs.

Aube-Kubel was a second round selection for Philadelphia in 2014 and in his first full season with Lehigh Valley. Currently in 45 games, the forward has seven goals and six assists. He signed with Philadelphia in 2014, but returned to his junior side Val-d’Or Foreurs in the Q.M.J.H.L. His last season before joining Lehigh Valley, the 20-year-old tallied 38 goals and 46 assists in 61 regular season games. The forward has great wheels and a motor that doesn’t quit, which would make him a solid addition to any lineup. He can play multiple positions, which the coaches would love and is projected to be a second or third-line winger that would fit the traditional Flyers forward mold.

These are just a few names that you will be hearing a lot more about in the coming months. As the Flyers look to become a legitimate playoff contender each season, look for these players to become the blueprint of hockey in Philadelphia.

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