Everyone in this organization has been slamming the table for a player that just shoots the puck. How many Flyers games have you watched/been to where the entire crowd is screaming “shooooot” every time a Flyer touches a puck inside the offensive zone?

It’s sort of a tradition here in Philly. Something Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds and the rest of that core were all too familiar with.

We do have some players on the active roster that can shoot the puck, don’t get me wrong. Morgan Frost has shown off his shot and how quick he can get the puck off his stick. He has 10 goals this season. Owen Tippett probably has the best pure shot on the team. He has 13 goals.

Wade Allison also has a very underrated shot but I don’t see him controlling a wall on a power play in the NHL like I could with Frost and Tippett. Wade is a more, “I’m going to take this puck straight into the goalies teeth and pounce on the rebound that inevitably comes.”

Don’t get it twisted though, if you leave Allison open in the slot with enough time, he’ll make you pay. He’s just not coming down the ice on rush and ripping the puck like Frost or Tippett could.

Now lets talk about Tyson Foerster and Olle Lycksell

After suffering a shoulder injury last season and dealing with the pandemic beforehand, these have been a weird past few years for the 23rd pick in the 2020 NHL draft. Tyson Foerster eventually went back to his junior team (Barrie Colts of the OHL) after recovering fully. He had 11P (6G-5A) with them in the regular season and had 1G-3A-4P in 6 playoff games.

If Tyson was on the Flyers active roster right now, it would be hard to disagree if someone tried to make the argument he has the best pure shot on the team. Standing on the wall on the power play, coming down the ice on the rush…it doesn’t matter, this kid can shoot the puck.

(Those Phantoms jerseys are sexy)

It’s not a secret that Chuck Fletcher, Flahr and the top of the Flyers organization wants Tyson Foerster to stay in the AHL all season. It’s something that’s been said publicly in the beginning of the season, and in all honesty, it’s not the worst thing for his development.

Like I said previously, he’s lost the last few seasons to injuries, covid and even more injuries. Having him stay in the AHL where he can play top-line minutes, top power play minutes and consistently put up points is not the worst idea in the world.

He’s currently 2nd on the team in points with 15G-13A-28P in 40 games. Olle Lycksell has 2 more points in 11 less games (that’ll be another blog).

In his last 4 games, Foerster has 4G-1A-5P and I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon.

Top-Six for Phantoms as of last night

Lycksell – Anisimov – Brink

Wilson – Desnoyers – Foerster

I mean…that’s a pretty loaded top-six if you ask me. 1.03 PPG Lycksell with a nice solid veteran in Anisimov and then 4 goals in his first 9 pro games, Bobby Brink? Solid first line there.

Wilson is another solid veteran player to put in there with two younger guys in Elliot Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster. Desnoyers is another player on the Phantoms playing his first pro hockey. 23 points in 40 games is pretty solid for a guy who’s main concern with scouts coming out of his draft was his ability to bring offense with his already superb two-way play.

We Have Options Here

Trade deadline is very close (March 3rd) and we could see a very different roster potentially.

• Kevin Hayes is a trade candidate but he strikes me more as a off-season move than a trade deadline move. That contract isn’t AWFUL but it’s going to take some eating salary to move him. Who knows, maybe a team throws some assets at him. For christ sake, Nick Foligno went in April of 2021 in a 3-team trade for a 1st-round pick.
• JVR is 100% getting traded before or on that deadline date of March 3rd. He actually hasn’t been bad this season, helping younger guys in Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett to find their groove in the NHL. In all honesty though, just extremely tired of watching the guy play hockey in O&B. Very ready to move on.
• Justin Braun hasn’t played since January 2nd and has 0 points in 33 games this year. We saw him get shipped last TDL to the Rangers for a 2023-3rd round pick so maybe a 5th this year?
• Brown/MacEwen are both guys I could see playoff teams taking a flyer on for their upcoming run. Either would be solid adds for a 13th forward. Zack would bring energy on a 4th line when you needed it and Brown could do some of the same and is solid on face-offs. Maybe 4th or 5th round picks for either? This is just me guessing.
• Nick Seeler has been good this season. For all the shit I’ve talked on him, he’s just been justtttt find under John Tortorella and next to Rasmus Ristolainen. He’s not playing 3LHD consistently on a “good” team but could be a nice little add for a playoff team looking for insurance on D incase one of their bottom-pair guys go down.

If they do somehow trade JVR and lets say…MacEwen and Brown around TDL time, that opens up 3 forward spots. Lets also say Braun and Seeler get shipped as well for low-end picks.

Lets take a quick guess on what they could look like post TDL:

Farabee – Cates – Konecny

Lycksell – Frost – Tippett

Hayes – Laughton – Allison

Deslaurier – Desnoyers/Anismov – Bellows

Provorov – York

Sanheim – DeAngelo

Zamula – Ristolainen

I just don’t see them calling up Brink or Foerster right now. Brink is coming back from a torn labrum, Foerster is just now fully healthy and confident. Let them both stay down there, gain even more confidence and get ready to make a run at a spot next training camp.

Lycksell is a point-per-game player in the AHL after playing in the SHL for years. He’s already played 3 games in the NHL this season so it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him as the first forward call-up.

Anisimov or Desnoyers is tough because I’d rather Desy stay down there and take over Anismov’s 1C role if Artem is the call-up. Either way, a 4th-line of Deslaurier – Anismov – Bellows wouldn’t be brutal.

This is after saying the 4th-line of Deslaurier – Brown – MacEwen hasn’t been bad this season. They’re obviously not skilled at all but they’ll give you some physical shifts.

Zamula has always been a case of “you could definitely be in the NHL right now but there’s just no room”. If Seeler and Braun get moved, this would be the perfect time to throw Zamula on that 3rd pair for the rest of the year and see what you have.

We’ll see how things work out and if Foerster gets a look in the NHL this year after TDL time but if you take anything away from this article it should be that Tyson Foerster…IS HEATING UP.

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