You might not believe this, but the Philadelphia Flyers boast an impressive collection of prospects on this year’s rookie camp roster, headlined by none other than Matvei Michkov.
Talking about Michkov, Oliver Bonk, and Jett Luchanko is pointless, though. We’re all going to be watching those three and paying special attention to them.
So, let’s instead talk about five other Flyers prospects worth watching over the course of the next few days and weeks.
No. 5: D Helge Grans
Swedish defenseman Helge Grans has had a strange pro career since being drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 2020.
Grans was excellent for the Malmo Redhawks and the Ontario Reign in his D+1 and D+2 seasons, but took a significant step back offensively in 2022-23 and was subsequently traded to the Flyers in the Ivan Provorov deal that summer.
The 22-year-old never rediscovered his scoring touch playing on a subpar Lehigh Valley Phantoms squad, posting only one goal, seven assists, and eight points in 56 AHL regular season games. It’s worth noting, though, that Grans had a plus-1 plus-minus rating on a team that featured Cal Petersen and Felix Sandstrom as its two goaltenders for most of the season.
Jamie Drysdale is as big of an unknown as Grans is, and Rasmus Ristolainen, who is 29, more than likely does not have a long-term future in Philadelphia because of his age. Ronnie Attard and Erik Johnson each have one year remaining on their contracts, as does Grans.
If the young Swede wants to show he has a future as an NHL defenseman with the Flyers after over 150 AHL games, now is the time. Grans is an excellent skater and passer of the puck and brings the size at 6-foot-4. He just needs to finally put all the tools together into one complete product.
No. 4: RW Samu Tuomaala
The Flyers have many talented right-shot wingers in their system but, unfortunately, are limited on spots to accommodate all of them. As such, Samu Tuomaala has a lot to prove now, during the season, and in the future.
Although he had a hot start that fizzled out just before a season-ending injury, Tuomaala had put together a productive rookie year in the AHL for the Phantoms. The 21-year-old finished his 2023-24 campaign with 15 goals, 28 assists, and 43 points in 69 games.
Indeed, not mind-blowing numbers and, as a goal-scorer, fell short of the 20-goal threshold. With a full season of adjustment under his belt, though, Tuomaala is primed for an improved sophomore season.
Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink are both ahead of Tuomaala in the pecking order for now, but the young Finn is significantly faster than both of them. Tuomaala also has an excellent shot that rivals Foerster’s, but his defensive maturity will ultimately determine his future in the NHL.
There’s no better time than the present!
No. 3: D Hunter McDonald
At this point, it would not be a surprise if Hunter McDonald managed to appear in some NHL games for the Flyers this season.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, McDonald is a physically imposing stay-at-home defenseman who shows his opponents no mercy around his net and along the boards. I saw it myself in the Calder Cup playoffs. Anyone who tried to cycle the puck on McDonald’s watch got pasted to the glass for a considerable amount of time.
Strength is one thing, but McDonald is going to need to become a little more savvy with the puck and become a faster processor to become a reliable, turnover-free defender at the NHL level. He moves well and has the physical tools to become a Nick Seeler or a Radko Gudas in the future.
A little more seasoning is all McDonald really needs.
No. 2: F Massimo Rizzo
Massimo Rizzo signed a tryout with the Phantoms at the end of last season, but never ended up playing in the AHL as he continued to rehab an injury he suffered and played through on his road to winning the NCAA championship with the University of Denver.
A former collegiate teammate of Brink’s, the two are now reunited as members of the Flyers organization. Rizzo is a slightly below-average skater with an average build, but he’s an excellent playmaker who knows how to support his teammates at both ends of the ice.
Given his history of being a seventh-round pick and being traded to Philadelphia for virtually nothing, I’m a little skeptical of Rizzo’s NHL upside, but he’s an exciting player.
I’m most curious to see how Rizzo will perform with faster, more mature, more skilled players in his first taste of action in the pros. His hockey sense makes him a great fit on paper for what the Flyers have in their prospect pipeline right now.
No. 1: D Emil Andrae
The 2024-25 season represents a chance for young defenseman Emil Andrae to hit the reset button.
Andrae actually made the Flyers outright at the start of last season but quickly found himself outmatched by NHL competition and spent the rest of the year in the AHL after four games in Philadelphia.
The small-but-mighty Swede took it to heart, ripping off five goals, 27 assists, and 32 points in 61 games with Lehigh Valley. In the one Calder Cup playoff game I saw (Game 2 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins), Andrae was the most noticeable player on the ice.
The 22-year-old plays fearlessly with so much poise when he has the puck, and that allowed him to score a power play goal and add a power play assist in the overtime win over the Penguins. If Andrae can put together another strong training camp, expect him to push for an NHL roster spot once more.
Note: Flyers rookie camp opens on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, NJ, and is free and open to the public.
