Philadelphia Flyers: Expect Joel Farabee to take another step forward next season

Fresh off a solid rookie year, do not be surprised if Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee takes his game to another level in 2020-2021.

When the Philadelphia Flyers dealt much-maligned forward Brayden Schenn to the St. Louis Blues for not one, but TWO first-round picks, there were many happy fans in the Delaware Valley.

Unfortunately, I wish I could say the same. I personally was a big fan of Schenn’s game and it hurt to see him go, however, even I understood receiving two first-round picks for a second liner was a pretty darn good return. While it ended up working out pretty well for Schenn, as he went on to win a Stanley Cup in St. Louis and sign a massive eight-year, $52 million extension, it worked out well for Philadelphia as well, as they received two good young prospects. One of these players ended up being former Boston University winger, Joel Farabee.

The Flyers selected Farabee with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and he made the jump to professional hockey this past season. The rookie ended up appearing in 52 games at the NHL level, producing a modest yet encouraging eight goals and thirteen assists (21 points.)

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Farabee also appeared in 12 playoff games for the Orange and Black and looked pretty darn good in doing so, producing three goals and two assists (five points.) In both the regular season and the playoffs, Farabee skated just over 14 minutes per game; not bad for a 20-year-old kid getting his introduction to the National Hockey League.

When he was drafted, it was said Farabee was a good playmaker and played a really strong two-way game; which is what the Flyers covet in their players.

At the beginning of his rookie season, Farabee showed fairly quickly that he was exactly where he belonged with the Orange and Black. While he wasn’t lighting it up by any means offensively, he did show that he possessed strong two-way skills and he even showed that he possessed some toughness and grit, as he proved he was not afraid to mix it up for his teammates. To see a young player willing to drop the gloves shows the confidence, and all but certainly earned the respect from his teammates.

While still only weighing in at around 175 pounds, Philly Joel will need to continue to put on some muscle; something he has already shown a willingness to do as he put on 15 pounds since he was drafted at 160 pounds. At just 20 years old, it is completely expected that Farabee will continue to get stronger and fill out his frame.

As this past season carried along, Farabee’s game continued to get stronger. Over his last 15 games, the Flyers rookie scored five goals and added in another four assists (nine points) as he fluctuated throughout the lineup; even spending a brief amount of time on the top line.

Heading into next season, do not be surprised if his role continues to expand. A jump to being a 15-20 goal, 40 point player is not out of the realm of possibility. It is also another big reason why the Flyers have remained pretty quiet in free agency so far (aside from not having a ton of cap space), as they do expect these younger players to continue to grow and get better.

Eventually, I would expect Joel Farabee to develop into a 25 goal, 60 point type of player who also plays a really strong two-way game. And hey, who knows? As he gets bigger and more comfortable in the NHL, maybe he becomes an even better player than that. Simply put, the future is incredibly bright for Joel; and with a hard work ethic, the sky is the limit for the Philadelphia Flyers’ young winger.