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Flyer Fans, What a Difference a Couple Weeks Make.
After the Philadelphia Flyers failed to make any significant moves at the March 3rd trade deadline, fans were left with little hope regarding their team’s future. But what a difference a couple of weeks make!
Enough was enough! After dropping the ball yet again come deadline day, Chuck Fletcher openly admitted that his analytics team had developed an app that determined whether a trade proposal was fair or not for him. It was at that point that ownership decided they could no longer make up excuses for his incompetence and fired him on March 10th. His successor, former Flyer Danny Briere, was then named the team’s Interim General Manager. The self-proclaimed Flyers Governor Dave Scott was rumored to make this move before checking with the old guard of Bob Clarke, Paul Holmgren, and Bill Barber, that serve as his advisors. Although it was the right move at the time, it may have been the cause of his ultimate demise as he, too, was working on borrowed time and believed to be given the luxury of retiring, which Scott just so happened to announce just a few short days ago. Scott’s replacement will be Dan Hilferty, a fellow businessman who joined Comcast Spectacor last month as its CEO (a position Dave Scott used to hold as well).
Since then, the state of the team has changed under Danny Briere, and the Flyers have begun to bring up their youth from the Phantoms like so many of us have been screaming for them to do for some time now. These call up’s were highlighted by guys like the Flyers 2020 1st round pick Tyson Foerster who was able to join the team for eight games where he was able to score seven points before being sent back down to the AHL for a playoff push. Egor Zamula looked to fit right in as well on the Flyers blueline before heading back down to gain some much-needed playoff experience as well. This recent youth movement provided the fans and head coach John Tortorella with some much-needed hope and excitement for their future.
But that’s not all the newly appointed GM has done. Briere has come out and said that he is committed to a rebuild and, will look to bring a little different style of player to the Flyers in the future. In doing so, he is confident he can bring this once-historic franchise into the 21st century. One way he has already done that is to sign one of their top defensive prospects, 21-year-old Emil Andre of Sweden, to an entry-level contract. This a move that I think all of us can agree needed to happen as this team has lacked any sort of European style for some time now. Since coming over from the SHL (Sweden’s top professional league) this season, Emil has impressed in his first two contests in North America, scoring two assists in two games played with the Phantoms. Despite his diminutive size of only 5’9, Andre has shown he has no intention of backing down from the physical side of things and thus should be utilized as a potential asset in the offensive zone as well, seeing he is an absolute sniper from the point.
Now, listen, in no way am I saying these not so suddle changes will see this team rebound next year into being cup contenders. It will take time. But, with the firing of Chuck Fletcher, and the “retirement” announcement of Dave Scott, I believe it is the start of things moving in the right direction for this franchise that will lead to this team’s future success. And, who knows, with any hope, maybe the new big boss Dan Hilferty is merely grinding his axe before making some cuts of his own (I.E., those old senile advisors of his that haven’t stepped on the ice for nearly 40 years.) A fan can hope, right?
2023 Men’s Frozen Four Preview
With the Regional Tournaments Champions now named, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) can now prepare for the Famous Frozen Four Tournament, which is set to take place this year in sunny Tampa Bay, Florida, starting on April 6th. The four teams that will be battling it out down on the Suncoast are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who will be taking on the Boston University Terriers at 5 pm E.S.T., followed by the University of Michigan Wolverines, who will be facing off against the Quinnipiac University Bobcats at 8:30 pm E.S.T. that same night.
Why should you be watching it? Well, if you’re a fan of practically any NHL franchise, then it’s a sure bet your team has at least one promising prospect in this fight. So, with that being said, let’s break down each team’s roster and strengths that have not only helped them to get to this point but may result in the culmination of them beating out 59 other schools for the right to be named National Champions.
Minnesota
The Golden Gophers, who have 14 players on their roster that have already been drafted by one NHL club or another, had possibly the easiest route of the four teams previously mentioned to get to this point. Minnesota was named the victors of the Fargo Regional Tournament played in the Scheels Arena in North Dakota, which meant that they had to beat out the Canisius College Golden Griffins and the St. Cloud State University Huskies. Neither of these teams’ rosters contains a player’s name whom you might remember being called on previous NHL draft day coverages. But that doesn’t mean that the Gophers don’t belong in Tampa. In fact, with names like Logan Cooley (the 3rd overall by the Coyotes in ’22), who has scored 57 points in just 37 games played; Jimmy Snuggerud (who was taken in the 1st round of the ’22 draft by the Blues), who has scored 50 points in 38 games played this year. Matthew Knies (who was taken by the Leafs in the 2nd round of the ’21 draft) scored a team-leading 21 goals on the season; there’s no doubt their offense can certainly stand up to anyones in this tournament. The only question is, can their defense survive the onslaught of others in this tournament?
Boston University
Then there’s the Terriers, who managed to advance out of the Manchester Regionals, which were played up in New Hampshire. This historic hockey powerhouse should be viewed as an actual threat in this tournament because not only did they beat out the impressive Western Michigan Broncos by a score of 5-1, they then took down Cornell, a team that just shutout last year’s NCAA National Champions, (Denver) by a score of 2-0 before losing to the Terriers. How did Boston manage such a feat? Well, they have the depth for sure, with 12 NHL prospects filling out their roster, but perhaps none shined more brightly this season than their record-breaking freshman defenseman Lane Hutson. Lane, who the Montreal Canadiens took with their second-round pick this past off-season, came to the Terriers this year with much acclaim; only no one could fathom how much of a force this diminutive defenseman would prove to be. Bursting onto the scene this year Hutson (with the help of his teammates) was able to surpass Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox’s numbers for a defenseman in his first year of competition in the NCAA by more than eight points right now with games still in hand. That’s why with point totals like that, I think it’s safe to say BU wouldn’t be where they are today if it was not for this young man. Look for the team to run the offense through him as they try to take down the boys from Minnesota, EH?
Michigan
Next up is the heavily favored University of Michigan, who made it back to the Frozen Four after losing to the reigning champions, the University of Denver, last season. To do so, they had to defeat all others coming once again out of the Allentown Regionals, which was played out of the PPL Center in Pennsylvania. This year that meant taking down both Colgate and the local favorite, the Penn State Nitty Lions. The Wolverines were able to do so by relying heavily on the 12 players on their roster that NHL clubs have previously drafted, as well as newcomers Adam Fantilli- a freshman who led all collegiate players in points this season with (64) and who is potentially going to be one of the top three prospects taken this summer. Then not to be out down was former Brooks Bandit standout star TJ Hughes who scored 66 goals and 127 points last year in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before coming to Ann Arbor this season. With such depth, including three first-round picks already on their roster, there’s no doubt a betting man would be wise to put his money on Big Blue to win it all. The only question is whether all those stars can set aside their selfish quest for point totals for the team’s betterment.
Quinnipiac
While the other teams in this tournament depend on big-name recruits who are here today and signed to an NHL contract the next, Quinnipiac relies on their legendary head coach Rand Pecknold’s defensively responsible systems to win games. And why not? They have played a big part in him winning close to 600 NCAA games. With roughly only 6,000 students total annually attending this quaint Connecticut place of higher learning compared to that of, say, Michigan’s student body of over 32,000. Quinnipiac does not simply have the luxury of throwing millions of former alums or boosters bucks at players they wish to recruit. Instead, Coach Pecknold sets out every year to find unknown unselfish players he feels will be committed to playing the game the right way and will not leave in a year’s time. In doing so, he has built a true team who have become giant killers over the last two to three seasons playing together. To prove my point, the Bobcats had to best both Merrimack College and THE Ohio State in the Bridgeport Regionals to get the chance to play in the Frozen Four this year. And perhaps no one player on this roster is more responsible for their success than their elite goaltender Yaniv Perets. He is a 23-year-old undrafted free agent who not only led the nation in wins this year with 32, shutouts with ten, but in goals against as well, with a 1.46 average to his credit this season. While not as flashy as other teams on this list, Quinnipiac has become just fine with winning games 1-0 or 2-1 behind the phenomenal play of their goaltender. The only question for them is can Perets continue to dominate the opposition in this tournament like the ones he did previously, despite this one having multiple future NHL All-Stars peppering him with shots for the entire 60 minutes of play?
Ultimately, anyone of these four teams has played well enough this year to deserve the honor of being named National Champions. So, as we now wait with bated breath for this tournament to commence, we are left with nothing but the thought of whether it will be Minnesota’s high-powered offense, BU’s historic record-breaking defenseman, Michigan’s plethora of top-end talent, or Quinnipiac’s elite goaltending that will ensure they come out on the other end victorious?
NHL Teams should look to add depth by signing any of these NCAA Undrafted Free Agents
(Rob Rasmussen/Quinnipiac Athletics)
As the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) season begins to draw to a close, NHL teams should look to add depth to their organization by signing some of these promising scholars. How can they do that? Well, the NCAA is a place where undrafted free agents tend to go sometimes as nothing more than Walk On’s to prove themselves after not being drafted. Once on campus, these late bloomers are given an opportunity to attend classes and gain an education by day; by night, they are given the shot to show the NHL clubs that passed them by that they made a mistake. They do so by going head-to-head against some of the top prospects in the game today. Some of those players this season included Arizona’s 2022 3rd overall pick Logan Cooley who plays for Minnesota; the Devils’ 2021 4th overall pick Luke Hughes of Michigan; and the Flyers’ 2022 5th overall selection Cutter Gauthier who plays for Boston College. By being afforded this chance to prove themselves on sometimes a nationally televised stage, these prospects that have been once overlooked get a second attempt at making their dream of becoming a professional athlete come true.
That said, here is a list of players I think have proven themselves deserving of such a chance this season.
Jason Polin- Western Michigan
To start this list, I could think of no one better than the NCAA’s leading goal scorer, 23-year-old Jason Polin of Western Michigan University. Standing at 6’0 and 198 pounds, this senior was named captain of the Broncos this year, to which he has worn that C with pride. As all true leaders do, Jason took his game to the next level; this season by just about matching his combined goal and point totals from his previous three seasons. In 38 games played this year, Polin has scored a league-leading 29 goals and 17 assists for 46 points (1.21 points per game) while maintaining a +27 average. Now, why should prospecting NHL teams sign this 23-year-old who is still playing in the collegiate ranks you may be asking? With his strong play and incredibly hard shot, Polin has shown that he can be entrusted to be a finisher of sorts. And what team doesn’t need a player who can put the puck in the back of the net?
Hunter McKown- Colorado College
Next up on our list is a true late bloomer named Hunter McKown, who currently plays for Colorado College. McKown is a 20-year-old forward who left the United States National Development team a few years back with much left to be desired. Once in Colorado Springs, though, that all seemed to change. No longer buried by the sure talent that suited up for the Red, White, and Blue on any given night, McKown was finally able to grow his game as a Tiger—scoring 21 goals and seven assists for 28 points this season. Thank goodness Hunter did, as he has managed to be not only Colorado’s leading goal and point-getter this year (by a long shot) but has played well enough to be tied for 7th in goals in the entire NCAA. So, what’s so special about McKown that teams should be willing to sign him to a contract at the end of the season? Besides Hunter’s NHL size at 6’1, 205 pounds, he has exhibited that he is a true power play specialist scoring 12 of his 19 goals this season on the PP. While most of the others came by way of the shoot-out, another formidable tool that struggling NHL clubs should be looking to add to win a couple of extra games next season.
Collin Graf- Quinnipiac
Continuing with our current streak of impressive forwards, we add to it the 6’0 181 pound versatile playmaker Collin Graf of Quinnipiac University. After a sub-par season playing for Union College last year, Graf thought it was time for a change of scenery. So off to Connecticut, he went. But I bet he did not know just how good of a decision that would prove to be, as he is now playing in just his sophomore season for the Bobcats; Graf has been heating up as of late. Scoring six goals and 12 assists for 18 points in just his last ten games. With that latest stretch of games, Collin finds his point totals only trailing that of this summer’s potential top-three pick Adam Fantilli of Michigan. Graf’s deceptive ability to get in behind his opposition defense and impressive shot have been the critical factors to him averaging near a point and a half a game this year! Putting it all together 20 goals, an NCAA-leading 35 assists, a sum of 55 points on the season, and him being able to do all that while maintaining a +28 average you can start to see why NHL clubs would be wise to sign this young responsible player sooner rather than later.
Ryan McAllister- Western Michigan
While this next player may be a newcomer to the NCAA, this freshman forward has been on this writer’s radar for years. Ryan McAllister, the former Brooks Bandit alum who torched the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) for 57 goals and 82 assists for 139 points last season; came to Western Michigan already with a championship mentality, seeing that he had just finished a year in which he won the AJHL’s Inter Pipeline Cup and won the Ernie Love Trophy (for leading the league in points). He was named both the league’s regular season MVP and the playoff MVP, then went on to win Canada’s National Junior Championship, the Centennial Cup, along with being named that tournament’s MVP. So, it came as no surprise to this writer when McAllister was able to get off to a blazing hot start this year by leading all of college hockey in points for most of the season; before teams began to see him as a genuine threat and keep multiple men in his vicinity at all times. Now, I was lucky enough to have Ryan join me on my podcast “Prospect Watch” earlier in the year (which you can view below), and I have to tell you somebody better sign this 21-year-old before he spends the next 10-15 years playing in their division in the NHL and making them regret it. Because even if he commits to playing for WMU again next year, best believe his totals of 13 goals and 35 assists for 48 points will only multiply.
Jake Livingstone- Minnesota State
Moving to defense, we focus on Jake Livingstone of Minnesota State University. Jake is a 6’3 205, pound defender who has had NHL clubs drooling for years now, and for good reason. Through a combined 110 career games played for the Mankato, Livingstone has shown that he can both bring the offense by scoring a total of 80 points as well as proving he is, in fact, defensible responsible by maintaining a career +54 average. So as these videos will further prove my point Livingstone, I believe will be able to offer any professional team that signs him the best of both worlds.
Yaniv Perets- Quinnipiac
Regarding goaltending, other writers and scouts maybe head over heels for a guy like Maine’s 6’4, 205-pound goalie Victor Ostman. But this guardian of the blue paint turned writer is here to tell you there’s more to goaltending than size alone. Ostman is in his third season playing in the NCAA, and his combined goals-against-average during that time is a very uninspiring 3.03, and still worse is the fact that he has only managed to win 33% of the games he’s played in. Yaniv Perets of Quinnipiac, on the other hand, has led all starting goaltenders the past two seasons in goals against with a 1.17 G.A.A. average last year and a 1.52 G.A.A. this year. On top of that, over the last two seasons, while playing for the Bobcats, Perets has won an astonishing 76% of the games he’s played in! Still not impressed? Well, maybe you will be after I tell you 20 of his 52 NCAA victories have come by way of a shutout! After attending the Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp earlier in the year, I was able to catch up with Yaniv, and he did not disappoint. If signed, this 23-year-old goaltender could immediately step into the NHL this season and not only win games but take over a team’s net for the next 10-15 seasons, making them a true contender.
While some NHL organizations may be too distracted with them being in the midst of their latest perennial playoff runs, struggling teams who just sold off all of their assets at the trade deadline to try to start a rebuild would be wise to get a kick start their overhaul by signing one of these ready to go undrafted free agents who could potentially step into their NHL lineup the day after their collegiate season is over. Thus, negating the need to wait two or three years before someone’s game, they are drafting this summer matures.