Bet on Bobby Brink, a Flyers prospect bringing 'elite' smarts to Denver hockey

technical details

is_video => true
alias => "philadelphia\/\/flyers\/bobby-brink-flyers-prospect-elite-smarts-david-carle-denver-hockey"
nid => "795946"
title => "Bet on Bobby Brink, a Flyers prospect bringing 'elite' smarts to Denver hockey"
is_chrome_page => false
article_body => "Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>\nIn 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>\nWhenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>\nBrink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\n\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>\nAfter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Bobby Brink is a smooth operator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PioneerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PioneerTogether<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S0hnLYrGDo\">pic.twitter.com\/S0hnLYrGDo<\/a><\/p>— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 1, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nBrink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>\nBut Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>\nHe'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>\nWhat about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>\nI think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2277841--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/shannonvaleriodenverathleticsbobbybrinkflyersprospectjpg\">shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/philadelphia\/2020\/04\/16\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"840\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAs a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\n\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>\nBrink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\n\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>\nWith the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>\nDespite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\n\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\n\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TBT<\/a> we feature this snipe from Bobby Brink of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DU_Hockey<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gu19QLIWKW\">pic.twitter.com\/Gu19QLIWKW<\/a><\/p>— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nCarle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\n\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\n\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\n\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\n\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>\nWhich is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n"
author => "Jordan Hall"
mps => {"author":"Jordan Hall","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
published => "1587008700"
created => "1586983716"
changed => "1587008707"
status => "1"
hero_image_credit => "Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics"
tags => [{"tid":"466","name":"Philadelphia Flyers","url":"tags\/philadelphia-flyers"},{"tid":"25111","name":"Flyers prospects","url":"tags\/flyers-prospects"},{"tid":"31056","name":"Bobby Brink","url":"tags\/bobby-brink"},{"tid":"506","name":"Jordan Hall","url":"tags\/jordan-hall"},{"tid":"33381","name":"University of Denver","url":"tags\/university-denver"},{"tid":"33386","name":"Denver hockey","url":"tags\/denver-hockey"},{"tid":"33391","name":"David Carle","url":"tags\/david-carle"}]
field_bean_single_col => {"bean":{"flyers-prospects":{"#view_mode":"default","field_content_strategy":{"#theme":"field","#weight":8,"#title":"Content Strategy","#access":true,"#label_display":"above","#view_mode":"default","#language":"und","#field_name":"field_content_strategy","#field_type":"list_text","#field_translatable":"0","#entity_type":"bean","#bundle":"media_card","#object":{"label":"Flyers prospects","description":null,"title":"Flyers prospects","type":"media_card","data":{"view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines"},"delta":"flyers-prospects","view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines","bid":"3681","vid":"19386","created":"1586463569","changed":"1588726604","log":"","uid":"156","default_revision":"1","revisions":[],"field_ad_hoc_group":[],"field_branded_header":[],"field_content_strategy":{"und":[{"value":"MANUAL_CONTENT_STRATEGY"}]},"field_content_type":{"und":[{"value":"article"},{"value":"headline"},{"value":"media_gallery"},{"value":"video_on_demand"}]},"field_dl_tabloid_headline":{"und":[{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""}]},"field_event":[],"field_genre_display":[],"field_league":[],"field_link":[],"field_links":[],"field_media_card_items":{"und":[{"target_id":"798671","entity":{"vid":"847591","uid":"156","title":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Noah Cates","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798671","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588095294","changed":"1588726460","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588725600","revision_timestamp":"1588726460","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>Fortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>They were just kids.<\/p>\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>Cates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>Sandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>Cates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>It wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>When Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>Cates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?s=20<\/p>The 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>In 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>Sandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2313966\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>With Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>And one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>\nFortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>\nThey were just kids.<\/p>\n\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\n\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>\nCates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>\nSandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>\nCates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>\nIt wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>\nWhen Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>\nCates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Another look at Noah Cates' third-period goal ... <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/okx5o2K9kD\">pic.twitter.com\/okx5o2K9kD<\/a><\/p>— UMD Athletics (@UMDBulldogs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 8, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDMensHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UMDMensHockey<\/a> GOAL! Noah Cates puts the Bulldogs on the board. \ud83d\udcf1 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK\">https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tsOv9gmQyp\">pic.twitter.com\/tsOv9gmQyp<\/a><\/p>— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 20, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nThe 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\n\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>\nSandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\n\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\n\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2313966--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/minnesotaduluthathleticsnoahcatesjpg\">minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"826\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWith Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\n\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>\nSandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\n\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\n\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\n\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nAnd one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-05-06 00:40:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2313966","uid":"156","filename":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1178817","status":"1","timestamp":"1588094897","origname":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":826,"width":1500},"height":"826","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"27666"},{"tid":"5016"},{"tid":"20371"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33591"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Noah Cates, Scott Sandelin, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Duluth hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"798421","entity":{"vid":"847341","uid":"156","title":"Mike Haviland gives opponent's perspective on Flyers prospect Wade Allison making the pro jump","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798421","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588000083","changed":"1588030015","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588029300","revision_timestamp":"1588030015","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>The 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>Haviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>As the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>Haviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>With Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>The 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p><blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>It just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p><\/blockquote><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36<\/a> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112<\/a> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>Both Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>There's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>He could be a wild card.<\/p>Haviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?s=20<\/p>Power forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>It could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>\nThe 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>\nHaviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>\nAs the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>\nHaviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\n\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\n\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\n\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\nWith Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>\nThe 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>\nIt just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=36&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=112&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>\nBoth Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\n\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>\nThere's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>\nHe could be a wild card.<\/p>\nHaviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\n\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison, definitely crafty around the net. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2PTnIXoMkU\">pic.twitter.com\/2PTnIXoMkU<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 26, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison with a nasty shot past Felix Sandstrom to send championship game to OT. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7HxpXaOHtD\">pic.twitter.com\/7HxpXaOHtD<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nPower forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>\nIt could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-27 23:15:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2308616","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/27\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1691505","status":"1","timestamp":"1588000083","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wade Allison","format":null,"safe_value":"Wade Allison"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wade Allison","metadata":{"height":881,"width":1500},"height":"881","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"5416"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"33556"},{"tid":"33561"},{"tid":"33566"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wade Allison, Mike Haviland, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Western Michigan hockey, Colorado College hockey"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"795946","entity":{"vid":"844836","uid":"156","title":"Bet on Bobby Brink, a Flyers prospect bringing 'elite' smarts to Denver hockey","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"795946","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586983716","changed":"1587008707","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1587008700","revision_timestamp":"1587008707","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>In 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>Whenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>Brink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?s=20<\/a><\/p>Brink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>But Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>He'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>What about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p><blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>I think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p><\/blockquote>[[{\"fid\":\"2277841\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>As a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>Brink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>With the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>Despite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?s=20<\/a><\/p>Carle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>The Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>Which is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>\nIn 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>\nWhenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>\nBrink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\n\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>\nAfter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Bobby Brink is a smooth operator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PioneerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PioneerTogether<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S0hnLYrGDo\">pic.twitter.com\/S0hnLYrGDo<\/a><\/p>— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 1, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nBrink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>\nBut Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>\nHe'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>\nWhat about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>\nI think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2277841--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/shannonvaleriodenverathleticsbobbybrinkflyersprospectjpg\">shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"http:\/\/philly.nbcs.docksal\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"840\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAs a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\n\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>\nBrink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\n\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>\nWith the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>\nDespite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\n\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\n\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TBT<\/a> we feature this snipe from Bobby Brink of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DU_Hockey<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gu19QLIWKW\">pic.twitter.com\/Gu19QLIWKW<\/a><\/p>— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nCarle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\n\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\n\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\n\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\n\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>\nWhich is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-16 03:45:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2277836","uid":"156","filename":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/15\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1113819","status":"1","timestamp":"1586983716","origname":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":829,"width":1500},"height":"829","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect","format":null,"safe_value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31056"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33381"},{"tid":"33386"},{"tid":"33391"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Bobby Brink, Jordan Hall, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, University of Denver, Denver hockey, David Carle"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"794531","entity":{"vid":"843416","uid":"156","title":"An opponent's perspective on Flyers' resurgent prospect Jay O'Brien","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"794531","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586373546","changed":"1586534886","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1586394000","revision_timestamp":"1586534886","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>He was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>From Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>O'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273621\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>The 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>O'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>With the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>O'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273681\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>Against Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146<\/a><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371<\/a><\/p>O'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>Clark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>O'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>\nHe was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>\nFrom Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>\nO'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\n\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273621--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienflyersprospectjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"868\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThe 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\n\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>\nO'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>\nWith the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>\nO'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\n\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\n\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273681--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienpentictonjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"847\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAgainst Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\n\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\n\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5swnypioDy0?start=146&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SDLQBPS8k8Q?start=371&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \nO'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>\nClark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>\nO'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\n\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\n\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\n\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-09 01:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Jack Murray","format":null,"safe_value":"Jack Murray"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2273621","uid":"156","filename":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1101700","status":"1","timestamp":"1586374824","origname":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":868,"width":1500},"height":"868","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder","format":null,"safe_value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27161"},{"tid":"8466"},{"tid":"33286"},{"tid":"33291"},{"tid":"33296"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"646966"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Jay O'Brien, Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers prospects, Jordan Hall, BCHL, Chris Clark, Wenatchee Wild, Penticton Vees"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"793111","entity":{"vid":"841991","uid":"156","title":"How Flyers prospect Cam York can help and torture goalies","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"793111","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1585772099","changed":"1586464216","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1585998000","revision_timestamp":"1586464216","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>The catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>For John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>He emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1670981\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>York is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>In 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>York, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>Just how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>As a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1648931\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>A healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?s=20<\/p>York's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>But Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>\nThe catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>\nFlyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>\nFor John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>\nHe emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\n\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\n\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\n\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1670981--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/zackhillflyersalainvigneault-camyorkjpg\">zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"874\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nYork is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\n\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>\nYork, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\n\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\n\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>\nJust how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>\nAs a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\n\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1648931--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/renalavertyusahockeycamyorkjpg\">rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2019\/06\/13\/rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"825\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>\nA healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Welcome, Cam York <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a>! \ud83d\ude32 Catch Cam in action Friday night at Yost! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw\">https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/71zIeP3ZSg\">pic.twitter.com\/71zIeP3ZSg<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 8, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5CLIP: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a> scores his first career goal with a wrap around shot \u303d\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UJEAqVxmxj\">pic.twitter.com\/UJEAqVxmxj<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nYork's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\n\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\n\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\n\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>\nBut Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\n\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-04 11:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1683641","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/01\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1282924","status":"1","timestamp":"1585772099","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Cam York","format":null,"safe_value":"Cam York"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Cam York","metadata":{"height":830,"width":1500},"height":"830","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies","format":null,"safe_value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"8411"},{"tid":"20456"},{"tid":"29716"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31051"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"729656"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Cam York, Flyers prospects, John Wroblewski, Michigan hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"791006","entity":{"vid":"839876","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Wyatt Kalynuk has developed into 'elite offensive defenseman' at Wisconsin","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"791006","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1584814822","changed":"1586464283","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1584904800","revision_timestamp":"1586464283","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>The towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>And it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>Over 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?s=20<\/p>\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>On a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?s=20<\/p>Kalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>Kalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>Granato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>\nThe towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\n\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>\nAnd it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>\nOver 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk can really skate, he said that's his biggest strength. He's an impressive seventh-rounder. Expect a big junior year for him with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lqyGSKLtJz\">pic.twitter.com\/lqyGSKLtJz<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk against Joel Farabee, 2018 development camp (for purpose of a story). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vVXGUM1Q6m\">pic.twitter.com\/vVXGUM1Q6m<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>\nOn a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\n\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\n\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\n\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">How did you do this <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Wkalynuk17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Wkalynuk17<\/a>?! Any ideas <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>? \ud83d\ude33<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SlowMoMonday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SlowMoMonday<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1mDm9ixbrc\">pic.twitter.com\/1mDm9ixbrc<\/a><\/p>— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nKalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\n\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>\nKalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\n\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>\nGranato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\n\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-03-22 19:20:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2228681","uid":"156","filename":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/03\/21\/ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1039556","status":"1","timestamp":"1584814822","origname":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk","format":null,"safe_value":"Wyatt Kalynuk"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wyatt Kalynuk","metadata":{"height":811,"width":1500},"height":"811","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"32981"},{"tid":"13816"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27556"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"792246"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk, Tony Granato, Flyers prospects, Wisconsin hockey, Jordan Hall, Philadelphia Flyers"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"779301","entity":{"vid":"827991","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula can 'do things that not many players can'","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"779301","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1580240174","changed":"1586464346","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1580299200","revision_timestamp":"1586464346","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>Two years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>That player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>The incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>While the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>In 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?s=20<\/p>At Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>After drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?s=20<\/p><blockquote>What I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>He was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p><\/blockquote>Zamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>The Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>Chynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>Zamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>Zamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>Chynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>Not as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\nTwo years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>\nThat player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\n\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\nThe incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>\nWhile the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>\nIn 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5 WHL Highlight of the Night \ud83c\udfa5 December 14, 2018<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> prospect <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/egor_zamula?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@egor_zamula<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHLHitmen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WHLHitmen<\/a> \ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc42\ud83d\udc4b<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WHLHoN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WHLHoN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8rVBNojXmb\">pic.twitter.com\/8rVBNojXmb<\/a><\/p>— The WHL (@TheWHL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAt Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>\nAfter drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Yegor Zamula, pretty fluid. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwN5RIZGb9\">pic.twitter.com\/IwN5RIZGb9<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 25, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<blockquote>\nWhat I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>\nHe was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nZamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\n\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>\nThe Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>\nChynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\n\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>\nZamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>\nZamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>\nChynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>\nNot as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\n\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-01-29 12:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2124956","uid":"156","filename":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/01\/28\/ap_egor_zamula.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1329702","status":"1","timestamp":"1580240174","origname":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":784,"width":1500},"height":"784","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"4631"},{"tid":"28816"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31671"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"680511"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Flyers prospects, Egor Zamula, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Calgary Hitmen"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"739401","entity":{"vid":"787726","uid":"31941","title":"Eric Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"739401","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1564944327","changed":"1567529617","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1565010000","revision_timestamp":"1567529617","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>Then again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>From surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>Eleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?s=20<\/a><\/p>\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>But, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p><blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>He almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p><\/blockquote>- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?s=20<\/p>As a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>In Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>And everyone knows to watch him.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>\nThen again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\n\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nFrom surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>\nEleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\n\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83d\udea8 CAPTAIN DANGLES OH MY! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Prospect?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Prospect<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/isaacratcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@isaacratcliffe<\/a> puts on a show and ties up the game at 2-2! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GUEvsOTT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GUEvsOTT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1QU5ZTyW4x\">pic.twitter.com\/1QU5ZTyW4x<\/a><\/p>— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>\nBut, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p>\n<blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>\nHe almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe's shorthanded goal from a few days ago <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FdPEYvjtgg\">pic.twitter.com\/FdPEYvjtgg<\/a><\/p>— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAs a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\n\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nIn Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\n\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>\nAnd everyone knows to watch him.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":[],"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2019-08-05 13:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers ","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers "}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1756311","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2019\/08\/04\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1200698","status":"1","timestamp":"1564944327","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Isaac Ratcliffe","format":null,"safe_value":"Isaac Ratcliffe"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Isaac Ratcliffe","metadata":{"height":865,"width":1500},"height":"865","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Ratcliffe","format":null,"safe_value":"Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Ratcliffe"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"19521"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"31376"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":[],"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Philadelphia Flyers, Isaac Ratcliffe, Flyers prospects, Isaac Ratcliffe Flyers, Jordan Hall, Eric Wellwood"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"name":"nlevick","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true}]},"field_primary_display":[],"field_section":[],"field_show":[],"field_sport":[],"field_tags":[],"field_team":[],"field_author_reference":[],"field_archive":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_auto_mute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_cont_play":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_media_file_title":[],"field_mc_vod_player_id":[],"field_media_file_id":[],"field_mediacard_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_display_desktop_large_only":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_hide_on_mobile":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","entity_view_prepared":true},"#items":[{"value":"MANUAL_CONTENT_STRATEGY"}],"#formatter":"list_default","0":{"#markup":"Select content manually"}},"field_content_type":{"#theme":"field","#weight":7,"#title":"Content Type","#access":true,"#label_display":"above","#view_mode":"default","#language":"und","#field_name":"field_content_type","#field_type":"list_text","#field_translatable":"0","#entity_type":"bean","#bundle":"media_card","#object":{"label":"Flyers prospects","description":null,"title":"Flyers prospects","type":"media_card","data":{"view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines"},"delta":"flyers-prospects","view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines","bid":"3681","vid":"19386","created":"1586463569","changed":"1588726604","log":"","uid":"156","default_revision":"1","revisions":[],"field_ad_hoc_group":[],"field_branded_header":[],"field_content_strategy":{"und":[{"value":"MANUAL_CONTENT_STRATEGY"}]},"field_content_type":{"und":[{"value":"article"},{"value":"headline"},{"value":"media_gallery"},{"value":"video_on_demand"}]},"field_dl_tabloid_headline":{"und":[{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""}]},"field_event":[],"field_genre_display":[],"field_league":[],"field_link":[],"field_links":[],"field_media_card_items":{"und":[{"target_id":"798671","entity":{"vid":"847591","uid":"156","title":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Noah Cates","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798671","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588095294","changed":"1588726460","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588725600","revision_timestamp":"1588726460","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>Fortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>They were just kids.<\/p>\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>Cates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>Sandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>Cates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>It wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>When Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>Cates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?s=20<\/p>The 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>In 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>Sandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2313966\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>With Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>And one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>\nFortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>\nThey were just kids.<\/p>\n\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\n\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>\nCates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>\nSandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>\nCates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>\nIt wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>\nWhen Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>\nCates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Another look at Noah Cates' third-period goal ... <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/okx5o2K9kD\">pic.twitter.com\/okx5o2K9kD<\/a><\/p>— UMD Athletics (@UMDBulldogs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 8, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDMensHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UMDMensHockey<\/a> GOAL! Noah Cates puts the Bulldogs on the board. \ud83d\udcf1 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK\">https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tsOv9gmQyp\">pic.twitter.com\/tsOv9gmQyp<\/a><\/p>— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 20, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nThe 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\n\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>\nSandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\n\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\n\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2313966--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/minnesotaduluthathleticsnoahcatesjpg\">minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"826\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWith Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\n\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>\nSandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\n\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\n\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\n\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nAnd one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-05-06 00:40:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2313966","uid":"156","filename":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1178817","status":"1","timestamp":"1588094897","origname":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":826,"width":1500},"height":"826","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"27666"},{"tid":"5016"},{"tid":"20371"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33591"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Noah Cates, Scott Sandelin, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Duluth hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"798421","entity":{"vid":"847341","uid":"156","title":"Mike Haviland gives opponent's perspective on Flyers prospect Wade Allison making the pro jump","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798421","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588000083","changed":"1588030015","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588029300","revision_timestamp":"1588030015","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>The 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>Haviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>As the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>Haviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>With Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>The 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p><blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>It just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p><\/blockquote><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36<\/a> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112<\/a> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>Both Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>There's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>He could be a wild card.<\/p>Haviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?s=20<\/p>Power forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>It could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>\nThe 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>\nHaviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>\nAs the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>\nHaviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\n\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\n\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\n\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\nWith Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>\nThe 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>\nIt just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=36&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=112&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>\nBoth Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\n\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>\nThere's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>\nHe could be a wild card.<\/p>\nHaviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\n\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison, definitely crafty around the net. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2PTnIXoMkU\">pic.twitter.com\/2PTnIXoMkU<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 26, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison with a nasty shot past Felix Sandstrom to send championship game to OT. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7HxpXaOHtD\">pic.twitter.com\/7HxpXaOHtD<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nPower forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>\nIt could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-27 23:15:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2308616","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/27\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1691505","status":"1","timestamp":"1588000083","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wade Allison","format":null,"safe_value":"Wade Allison"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wade Allison","metadata":{"height":881,"width":1500},"height":"881","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"5416"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"33556"},{"tid":"33561"},{"tid":"33566"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wade Allison, Mike Haviland, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Western Michigan hockey, Colorado College hockey"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"795946","entity":{"vid":"844836","uid":"156","title":"Bet on Bobby Brink, a Flyers prospect bringing 'elite' smarts to Denver hockey","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"795946","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586983716","changed":"1587008707","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1587008700","revision_timestamp":"1587008707","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>In 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>Whenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>Brink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?s=20<\/a><\/p>Brink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>But Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>He'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>What about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p><blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>I think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p><\/blockquote>[[{\"fid\":\"2277841\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>As a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>Brink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>With the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>Despite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?s=20<\/a><\/p>Carle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>The Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>Which is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>\nIn 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>\nWhenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>\nBrink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\n\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>\nAfter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Bobby Brink is a smooth operator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PioneerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PioneerTogether<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S0hnLYrGDo\">pic.twitter.com\/S0hnLYrGDo<\/a><\/p>— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 1, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nBrink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>\nBut Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>\nHe'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>\nWhat about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>\nI think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2277841--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/shannonvaleriodenverathleticsbobbybrinkflyersprospectjpg\">shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"http:\/\/philly.nbcs.docksal\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"840\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAs a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\n\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>\nBrink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\n\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>\nWith the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>\nDespite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\n\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\n\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TBT<\/a> we feature this snipe from Bobby Brink of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DU_Hockey<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gu19QLIWKW\">pic.twitter.com\/Gu19QLIWKW<\/a><\/p>— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nCarle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\n\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\n\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\n\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\n\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>\nWhich is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-16 03:45:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2277836","uid":"156","filename":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/15\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1113819","status":"1","timestamp":"1586983716","origname":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":829,"width":1500},"height":"829","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect","format":null,"safe_value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31056"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33381"},{"tid":"33386"},{"tid":"33391"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Bobby Brink, Jordan Hall, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, University of Denver, Denver hockey, David Carle"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"794531","entity":{"vid":"843416","uid":"156","title":"An opponent's perspective on Flyers' resurgent prospect Jay O'Brien","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"794531","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586373546","changed":"1586534886","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1586394000","revision_timestamp":"1586534886","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>He was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>From Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>O'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273621\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>The 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>O'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>With the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>O'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273681\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>Against Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146<\/a><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371<\/a><\/p>O'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>Clark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>O'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>\nHe was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>\nFrom Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>\nO'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\n\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273621--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienflyersprospectjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"868\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThe 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\n\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>\nO'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>\nWith the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>\nO'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\n\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\n\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273681--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienpentictonjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"847\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAgainst Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\n\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\n\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5swnypioDy0?start=146&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SDLQBPS8k8Q?start=371&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \nO'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>\nClark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>\nO'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\n\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\n\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\n\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-09 01:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Jack Murray","format":null,"safe_value":"Jack Murray"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2273621","uid":"156","filename":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1101700","status":"1","timestamp":"1586374824","origname":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":868,"width":1500},"height":"868","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder","format":null,"safe_value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27161"},{"tid":"8466"},{"tid":"33286"},{"tid":"33291"},{"tid":"33296"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"646966"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Jay O'Brien, Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers prospects, Jordan Hall, BCHL, Chris Clark, Wenatchee Wild, Penticton Vees"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"793111","entity":{"vid":"841991","uid":"156","title":"How Flyers prospect Cam York can help and torture goalies","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"793111","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1585772099","changed":"1586464216","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1585998000","revision_timestamp":"1586464216","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>The catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>For John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>He emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1670981\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>York is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>In 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>York, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>Just how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>As a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1648931\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>A healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?s=20<\/p>York's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>But Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>\nThe catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>\nFlyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>\nFor John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>\nHe emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\n\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\n\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\n\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1670981--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/zackhillflyersalainvigneault-camyorkjpg\">zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"874\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nYork is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\n\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>\nYork, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\n\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\n\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>\nJust how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>\nAs a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\n\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1648931--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/renalavertyusahockeycamyorkjpg\">rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2019\/06\/13\/rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"825\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>\nA healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Welcome, Cam York <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a>! \ud83d\ude32 Catch Cam in action Friday night at Yost! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw\">https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/71zIeP3ZSg\">pic.twitter.com\/71zIeP3ZSg<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 8, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5CLIP: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a> scores his first career goal with a wrap around shot \u303d\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UJEAqVxmxj\">pic.twitter.com\/UJEAqVxmxj<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nYork's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\n\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\n\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\n\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>\nBut Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\n\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-04 11:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1683641","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/01\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1282924","status":"1","timestamp":"1585772099","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Cam York","format":null,"safe_value":"Cam York"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Cam York","metadata":{"height":830,"width":1500},"height":"830","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies","format":null,"safe_value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"8411"},{"tid":"20456"},{"tid":"29716"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31051"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"729656"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Cam York, Flyers prospects, John Wroblewski, Michigan hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"791006","entity":{"vid":"839876","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Wyatt Kalynuk has developed into 'elite offensive defenseman' at Wisconsin","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"791006","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1584814822","changed":"1586464283","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1584904800","revision_timestamp":"1586464283","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>The towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>And it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>Over 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?s=20<\/p>\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>On a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?s=20<\/p>Kalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>Kalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>Granato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>\nThe towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\n\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>\nAnd it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>\nOver 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk can really skate, he said that's his biggest strength. He's an impressive seventh-rounder. Expect a big junior year for him with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lqyGSKLtJz\">pic.twitter.com\/lqyGSKLtJz<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk against Joel Farabee, 2018 development camp (for purpose of a story). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vVXGUM1Q6m\">pic.twitter.com\/vVXGUM1Q6m<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>\nOn a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\n\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\n\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\n\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">How did you do this <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Wkalynuk17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Wkalynuk17<\/a>?! Any ideas <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>? \ud83d\ude33<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SlowMoMonday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SlowMoMonday<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1mDm9ixbrc\">pic.twitter.com\/1mDm9ixbrc<\/a><\/p>— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nKalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\n\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>\nKalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\n\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>\nGranato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\n\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-03-22 19:20:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2228681","uid":"156","filename":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/03\/21\/ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1039556","status":"1","timestamp":"1584814822","origname":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk","format":null,"safe_value":"Wyatt Kalynuk"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wyatt Kalynuk","metadata":{"height":811,"width":1500},"height":"811","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"32981"},{"tid":"13816"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27556"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"792246"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk, Tony Granato, Flyers prospects, Wisconsin hockey, Jordan Hall, Philadelphia Flyers"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"779301","entity":{"vid":"827991","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula can 'do things that not many players can'","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"779301","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1580240174","changed":"1586464346","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1580299200","revision_timestamp":"1586464346","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>Two years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>That player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>The incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>While the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>In 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?s=20<\/p>At Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>After drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?s=20<\/p><blockquote>What I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>He was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p><\/blockquote>Zamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>The Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>Chynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>Zamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>Zamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>Chynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>Not as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\nTwo years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>\nThat player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\n\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\nThe incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>\nWhile the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>\nIn 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5 WHL Highlight of the Night \ud83c\udfa5 December 14, 2018<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> prospect <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/egor_zamula?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@egor_zamula<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHLHitmen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WHLHitmen<\/a> \ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc42\ud83d\udc4b<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WHLHoN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WHLHoN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8rVBNojXmb\">pic.twitter.com\/8rVBNojXmb<\/a><\/p>— The WHL (@TheWHL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAt Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>\nAfter drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Yegor Zamula, pretty fluid. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwN5RIZGb9\">pic.twitter.com\/IwN5RIZGb9<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 25, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<blockquote>\nWhat I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>\nHe was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nZamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\n\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>\nThe Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>\nChynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\n\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>\nZamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>\nZamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>\nChynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>\nNot as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\n\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-01-29 12:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2124956","uid":"156","filename":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/01\/28\/ap_egor_zamula.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1329702","status":"1","timestamp":"1580240174","origname":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":784,"width":1500},"height":"784","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"4631"},{"tid":"28816"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31671"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"680511"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Flyers prospects, Egor Zamula, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Calgary Hitmen"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"739401","entity":{"vid":"787726","uid":"31941","title":"Eric Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"739401","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1564944327","changed":"1567529617","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1565010000","revision_timestamp":"1567529617","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>Then again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>From surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>Eleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?s=20<\/a><\/p>\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>But, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p><blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>He almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p><\/blockquote>- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?s=20<\/p>As a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>In Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>And everyone knows to watch him.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>\nThen again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\n\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nFrom surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>\nEleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\n\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83d\udea8 CAPTAIN DANGLES OH MY! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Prospect?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Prospect<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/isaacratcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@isaacratcliffe<\/a> puts on a show and ties up the game at 2-2! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GUEvsOTT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GUEvsOTT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1QU5ZTyW4x\">pic.twitter.com\/1QU5ZTyW4x<\/a><\/p>— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>\nBut, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p>\n<blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>\nHe almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe's shorthanded goal from a few days ago <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FdPEYvjtgg\">pic.twitter.com\/FdPEYvjtgg<\/a><\/p>— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAs a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\n\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nIn Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\n\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>\nAnd everyone knows to watch him.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":[],"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2019-08-05 13:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers ","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers "}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1756311","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2019\/08\/04\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1200698","status":"1","timestamp":"1564944327","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Isaac Ratcliffe","format":null,"safe_value":"Isaac Ratcliffe"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Isaac Ratcliffe","metadata":{"height":865,"width":1500},"height":"865","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Ratcliffe","format":null,"safe_value":"Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Ratcliffe"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"19521"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"31376"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":[],"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Philadelphia Flyers, Isaac Ratcliffe, Flyers prospects, Isaac Ratcliffe Flyers, Jordan Hall, Eric Wellwood"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"name":"nlevick","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true}]},"field_primary_display":[],"field_section":[],"field_show":[],"field_sport":[],"field_tags":[],"field_team":[],"field_author_reference":[],"field_archive":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_auto_mute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_cont_play":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_mc_media_file_title":[],"field_mc_vod_player_id":[],"field_media_file_id":[],"field_mediacard_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_display_desktop_large_only":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_hide_on_mobile":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","entity_view_prepared":true},"#items":[{"value":"article"},{"value":"headline"},{"value":"media_gallery"},{"value":"video_on_demand"}],"#formatter":"list_default","0":{"#markup":"Article"},"1":{"#markup":"Headline"},"2":{"#markup":"Media Gallery"},"3":{"#markup":"Video On Demand"}},"field_dl_tabloid_headline":{"#theme":"field","#weight":26,"#title":"Title Override","#access":true,"#label_display":"above","#view_mode":"default","#language":"und","#field_name":"field_dl_tabloid_headline","#field_type":"media_cards","#field_translatable":"0","#entity_type":"bean","#bundle":"media_card","#object":{"label":"Flyers prospects","description":null,"title":"Flyers prospects","type":"media_card","data":{"view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines"},"delta":"flyers-prospects","view_mode":"1col_eight_pack_headlines","bid":"3681","vid":"19386","created":"1586463569","changed":"1588726604","log":"","uid":"156","default_revision":"1","revisions":[],"field_ad_hoc_group":[],"field_branded_header":[],"field_content_strategy":{"und":[{"value":"MANUAL_CONTENT_STRATEGY"}]},"field_content_type":{"und":[{"value":"article"},{"value":"headline"},{"value":"media_gallery"},{"value":"video_on_demand"}]},"field_dl_tabloid_headline":{"und":[{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""},{"value":""}]},"field_event":[],"field_genre_display":[],"field_league":[],"field_link":[],"field_links":[],"field_media_card_items":{"und":[{"target_id":"798671","entity":{"vid":"847591","uid":"156","title":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Noah Cates","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798671","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588095294","changed":"1588726460","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588725600","revision_timestamp":"1588726460","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>Fortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>They were just kids.<\/p>\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>Cates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>Sandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>Cates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>It wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>When Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>Cates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?s=20<\/p>The 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>In 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>Sandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2313966\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>With Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>And one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Division I coaches in Minnesota never like when local recruits sneak out of the state.<\/p>\nFortunately for Scott Sandelin, he knew Noah Cates going back to the prospect's early teenage days. The Stillwater, Minnesota, native played summer hockey with Sandelin's son Ryan.<\/p>\nThey were just kids.<\/p>\n\"I remember Noah when he was not 6-foot-1, 6-foot-2,\" Sandelin, the Minnesota Duluth head coach, said, \"I remember when he was about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9.<\/p>\n\"I'm just glad he picked Duluth.\"<\/p>\nCates stayed and is still in Minnesota ... but not for much longer.<\/p>\nSandelin is now OK with that looming reality. Of all people, he understands best why Cates' days in the home state are numbered.<\/p>\nCates is no longer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/philadelphia-flyers\/high-school-hit-flyers-draft-pick-noah-cates-now-looks-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">a skinny high schooler<\/a>. He no longer portrays a fifth-round pick. And the Flyers are no longer well off in the distance.<\/p>\nIt wouldn't be outlandish to proclaim Cates as the club's top college prospect in the system. After playing a notable role in his freshman season for a Bulldogs team that won the 2019 national championship, the 21-year-old winger made an even bigger stride as a sophomore. Cates scored just a shade under a point per game with 14 goals and 19 assists in 34 contests, tying him as the second-leading scorer for fifth-ranked Minnesota Duluth.<\/p>\nWhen Cates left Stillwater Area High School in 2017, he was 165 pounds and relied a lot on his skill. Sandelin does not see that anymore.<\/p>\nCates is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound, all-situation winger \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/noah-cates-prospect-flyers-cant-stop-bragging-about\" target=\"_blank\">a prospect the Flyers couldn't stop talking about last summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game,\" Sandelin said April 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s got tremendous compete level, he\u2019s hard on pucks, great body position, he\u2019s strong on his feet. He\u2019s got everything. He\u2019s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn\u2019t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that\u2019s what makes him, in my opinion, special.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Another look at Noah Cates' third-period goal ... <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/okx5o2K9kD\">pic.twitter.com\/okx5o2K9kD<\/a><\/p>— UMD Athletics (@UMDBulldogs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDBulldogs\/status\/1225984570501292037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 8, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UMDMensHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@UMDMensHockey<\/a> GOAL! Noah Cates puts the Bulldogs on the board. \ud83d\udcf1 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK\">https:\/\/t.co\/gTzzVe9NjK<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tsOv9gmQyp\">pic.twitter.com\/tsOv9gmQyp<\/a><\/p>— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fsnorth\/status\/1185728297604272128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 20, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nThe 2020-21 season has the makings to be a special encore for Cates. Sandelin expects him to turn pro after his junior year.<\/p>\n\"For us, I think the plan is probably one more year of college and then making the jump, which I think would be pretty realistic for him,\" Sandelin, who played for the Flyers in 1990-91 and was a teammate of player development coach Kjell Samuelsson, said. \"I\u2019d love to keep him for four years, but I don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen and I hope that he continues to develop so he has that opportunity after next year to be able to step in and maybe play in Philly and have a long career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe just loves to play the game. And that\u2019s what you want to see. He comes to the rink with a smile, he works hard every day, he works on his game, he\u2019s a student of the game and that\u2019s why down the road a year from now hopefully the Flyers are going to be getting a pretty good hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, his freshman year with the Bulldogs, Cates had a productive 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship for the U.S., playing alongside guys like Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joel Farabee and Josh Norris.<\/p>\nSandelin was one of the team's assistant coaches and watched Cates return to Minnesota Duluth as a freshman surging down the stretch.<\/p>\n\"I thought he had a very good tournament there,\" Sandelin said. \"Very versatile, he can play wing, he can play center, so he was very valuable to that team.<\/p>\n\"You know what that tournament can do for players. I thought he really, really excelled in the second half for us, played with more confidence in everything that he was doing. I think this year, through his summer, training hard, came here \u2014 you know, confidence is a funny thing, right? You come off a really strong year as a freshman and sometimes guys can go the other way, but I think he took another step and rode that wave of confidence.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2313966--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/minnesotaduluthathleticsnoahcatesjpg\">minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"826\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Minnesota Duluth Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nWith Cates as a sophomore, his role was \"pretty much everything,\" Sandelin said. He killed penalties and handled a variety of jobs on the power play because of his multifaceted skill set.<\/p>\n\"He\u2019s played the bumpers, he\u2019s played the half wall, he\u2019s played different things and I think that\u2019s important to those guys, too, from a development standpoint \u2014 you put them in different spots,\" Sandelin said. \"You try and find, for all those players, especially on a power play, you try to find where they can really excel.<\/p>\n\"His strength along the wall, his puck protection skills, his ability to play in those areas is really good. A lot of guys don\u2019t always get to those areas or want to play in those areas all the time, but he\u2019s certainly not afraid of that. He\u2019s good around the net. He\u2019s kind of a net-front guy on our power play that can get pucks. We did some different movements with that.\"<\/p>\nSandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, recalled a weekend in February when the Bulldogs lost Cates' older brother Jackson Cates to an injury for the rest of the season, which forced Minnesota Duluth to shift the younger Cates to center.<\/p>\n\"He didn\u2019t really miss a beat,\" Sandelin said.<\/p>\n\"That\u2019s what I love about him, he doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play. He played center in junior hockey, as well, and even according to the coaches, he really excelled there. It\u2019s nice to have that versatility in a player. For us, losing Jackson was a big loss, but being able to move Noah to the middle and not really miss a beat was important to our team.<\/p>\n\"Positionally, he doesn\u2019t really care. \u2018I\u2019ll go there and I\u2019ll do what I need to do.\u2019 ... Some guys are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to play there,\u2019 or they kind of look at you. They don\u2019t even have to look at you or say anything, sometimes they\u2019re just like, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t really want to play there.\u2019 He just doesn\u2019t care, he just wants to play \u2014 he\u2019s a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nAnd one that is closing in on the pro level.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/cbf8754d-f14d-4d55-96fb-431ae55b19a1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-flyers-donate-lunch-philadelphia-first-responders-coronavirus-pandemic\">'Thank you so much' \u2014 Hayes, Flyers salute Philly first responders<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-tickets-2019-20-season-schedule-NHL-suspension-coronavirus\">Flyers release update for fans with tickets to remaining 2019-20 games<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-will-flyers-go-defensive-route-first-round-justin-barron\">Could Flyers go defense in 1st round for second consecutive draft?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-seth-jarvis-talented-winger-prospect-whl\">Will Flyers get a shot at 'talented' winger coming off 98-point year in WHL?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-draft-profile-brendan-brisson-scouting-report-flyers\">A center with 'the quickness, the skill and vision' to entice Flyers in draft<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Scott Sandelin, a three-time national champion head coach, loves everything about Noah Cates, a Flyers draft pick who might be the club's best college prospect. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-05-06 00:40:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Minnesota Duluth Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2313966","uid":"156","filename":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/28\/minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1178817","status":"1","timestamp":"1588094897","origname":"minnesota_duluth_athletics_noah_cates.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":826,"width":1500},"height":"826","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers' best college prospect? Excitement building around ascension of Cates"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"27666"},{"tid":"5016"},{"tid":"20371"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33591"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Noah Cates, Scott Sandelin, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Duluth hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"798421","entity":{"vid":"847341","uid":"156","title":"Mike Haviland gives opponent's perspective on Flyers prospect Wade Allison making the pro jump","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"798421","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1588000083","changed":"1588030015","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1588029300","revision_timestamp":"1588030015","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>The 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>Haviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>As the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>Haviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>With Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>The 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p><blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>It just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p><\/blockquote><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=36<\/a> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jdCADuMQFvM&feature=youtu.be&t=112<\/a> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>Both Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>There's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>He could be a wild card.<\/p>Haviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?s=20<\/p>Power forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>It could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Mike Haviland has experienced the entire gamut of hockey.<\/p>\nThe 52-year-old native of Middletown, New Jersey, has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. He won the 2010 Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Blackhawks and owns a pair of ECHL championships when he was the bench boss of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans.<\/p>\nHaviland has learned about pro players and players aspiring to be pros. There's a keen sense to identifying the differences between the two.<\/p>\nAs the head coach of Colorado College, Haviland watched Flyers prospect Wade Allison score five points (two goals, three assists) for Western Michigan during a two-game series in January. The senior Allison was clicking for the Broncos as they swept Haviland's Tigers in the weekend set. A week and two months later, Allison inked his entry-level contract with the Flyers, officially starting his pro career.<\/p>\n\u201cHe possesses a great package of size, speed and skill, and we strongly believe he\u2019ll be an NHL power forward moving forward,\" Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/wade-allison-signs-flyers-entry-level-contract-flyers-prospect\" target=\"_blank\">in a statement on March 27 when the 2016 second-round pick signed<\/a>.<\/p>\nHaviland had no addendums to the description, specifically the power forward section. Allison matured into a pro-ready 6-foot-2, 205-pound winger with four years at Western Michigan and playing for Andy Murray, a former Flyers assistant coach who has 10 years of NHL head coaching experience.<\/p>\n\"I know Flahrsy a little bit, too, and I agree,\" Haviland said last Wednesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"Listen, I think the biggest thing with anybody from college, it\u2019s the learning curve and how long is that curve until they can understand what it\u2019s like to be a pro and how hard it is daily.<\/p>\n\"Learning under Andy Murray and that staff there I\u2019m sure has helped Wade understand what it is to be a pro because Andy understands it and so does his staff.<\/p>\n\"When Wade plays hard and he was really getting after it like I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s a dangerous player. I\u2019m sure Philly wants the curve to be quick and not take a lot of time, but that\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/p>\nWith Allison, Haviland emphasized power forward. During 2018-19 \u2014 a season in which Allison was not himself after tearing his ACL, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/5-flyers-takeaways-focusing-prospects\" target=\"_blank\">abruptly ending a special sophomore year<\/a> \u2014 Colorado College held the junior to one assist over four games.<\/p>\nThe 2019-20 season was not the same story. Allison faced the Tigers only twice but had a four-point game in the second matchup after netting a goal in the first meeting. Through the two games, Allison was that authoritative power forward, playing on his terms and recording eight shots to go along with a plus-5 rating.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I think Wade took his game to a different level. He was dangerous every time he touched the puck, it didn\u2019t matter who he was playing with. He was always dangerous on the power play, but I think he was more dangerous every time this year. When we played them, he was making something happen \u2014 more of that power forward, taking things to the net, a noticeable player and a dangerous player.<\/p>\nIt just seemed that he was at a different level this year for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=36&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's first goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jdCADuMQFvM?start=112&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> (Allison's second goal against Colorado College)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his final collegiate season, Allison scored 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) in 26 games, with 17 of his points coming at even strength. Because of injury issues, he played 30 or more games only once in his four years with the Broncos. As a result of the injuries, staying in college made much more sense. Similar to fellow Flyers prospect Tanner Laczynski, a four-year forward out of Ohio State, Allison's transition to the AHL and NHL from a physical standpoint shouldn't be as drastic as it would be for a younger player making an expedited jump.<\/p>\nBoth Allison and Laczynski will be 23 years old in 2020-21.<\/p>\n\"They\u2019re men, they\u2019re good hockey players and I expect that they\u2019ll challenge for spots right away,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in March. \"Whether they can make it, time will tell. But they\u2019re players that are very close to being able to step in and play.\u201d<\/p>\nThere's enticement to Allison's pro ceiling because he has a craftiness and skill set to potentially play up in the lineup. Then there's the size and disruptiveness to profile down in the lineup.<\/p>\nHe could be a wild card.<\/p>\nHaviland likened Allison to Troy Brouwer, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound winger who won the 2010 Cup in Chicago. Brouwer has scored 20-plus goals and 40-plus points three times in his 14-year career.<\/p>\n\u201cI would probably say a pro guy, because I spent so many years in pro hockey, for me, he\u2019s got a little bit of Troy Brouwer,\" Haviland said. \"Brouwsy could score when he played like that power forward type of player. I think Wade maybe is a little bit more fluid through the neutral ice. Brouwer was more of a north-south guy and Brouwsy had a tremendous career, I loved him and he was one of my favorite players, but I saw a lot of Wade in that \u2014 dangerous in the offensive end and when they play that power forward game, they can be really effective. I think that\u2019s where Wade can be.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison, definitely crafty around the net. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2PTnIXoMkU\">pic.twitter.com\/2PTnIXoMkU<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143881004404416512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 26, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wade Allison with a nasty shot past Felix Sandstrom to send championship game to OT. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7HxpXaOHtD\">pic.twitter.com\/7HxpXaOHtD<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144716067186462721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nPower forwards aren't always flashy and the mindset of one might not be a style many wrap their arms around. Head coach Alain Vigneault's system is predicated on that effort.<\/p>\nIt could be Allison's quickest ticket to the NHL.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of guys come out of college when I was in the American League and even in the NHL, some of them, the curve is 30 games in the American League and some guys are a year in the American League,\" Haviland said. \"I think Wade has that chance to make an impact on a very good Philadelphia team and organization. He\u2019s going to be a really good pro player because of his IQ and his skill set. If he buys into that power forward thing \u2014 certainly I don\u2019t have him on a regular basis, but I\u2019ve seen it \u2014 if he becomes that power forward, I think he could be an impact guy for them.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/606aa852-772f-422e-93c1-f3f90b622c43\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/simon-gagne-talks-nhl-season-2019-20-coronavirus-suspension\">Gagne trying to imagine how difficult a return will be for NHL players<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/mark-recchi-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Recchi's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/report-swedish-forward-linus-sandin-intends-sign-flyers\">Flyers reportedly could be adding a Swedish winger to the mix<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-make-eric-lindros-team-ambassador-announce-participation-all-in-challenge\">Lindros named team ambassador, will participate in All In Challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/rick-tocchet-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Tocchet's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Mike Haviland has coached at the NHL, AHL, ECHL and NCAA levels. Up close, he saw Wade Allison play and knows what could be the prospect's quickest ticket to the Flyers. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-27 23:15:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2308616","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/27\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1691505","status":"1","timestamp":"1588000083","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_wade_allison.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wade Allison","format":null,"safe_value":"Wade Allison"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wade Allison","metadata":{"height":881,"width":1500},"height":"881","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"A coach with a Stanley Cup ring sees an NHL power forward nearing the Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"5416"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"33556"},{"tid":"33561"},{"tid":"33566"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wade Allison, Mike Haviland, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Western Michigan hockey, Colorado College hockey"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"795946","entity":{"vid":"844836","uid":"156","title":"Bet on Bobby Brink, a Flyers prospect bringing 'elite' smarts to Denver hockey","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"795946","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586983716","changed":"1587008707","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1587008700","revision_timestamp":"1587008707","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>In 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>Whenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>Brink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?s=20<\/a><\/p>Brink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>But Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>He'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>What about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p><blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>I think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p><\/blockquote>[[{\"fid\":\"2277841\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>As a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>Brink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>With the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>Despite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?s=20<\/a><\/p>Carle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>The Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>Which is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Paul Stastny was taken in the second round of the 2005 draft after his freshman season at the University of Denver.<\/p>\nIn 2006-07, he was the runner-up to Evgeni Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stastny, now 34 years old and in his 14th NHL season, scored 28 goals and 78 points that first year with the Avalanche. He's gone on to become an NHL All-Star and put up 726 points (250 goals, 476 assists) in 945 career games.<\/p>\nWhenever David Carle is posed a question regarding concerns with Bobby Brink's skating ability, he thinks of Stastny.<\/p>\nBrink, an 18-year-old Flyers prospect, is also a second-round pick and product of Denver. Various scouting reports have highlighted Brink's skating as a flaw.<\/p>\n\"People said Paul Stastny was a bad skater, too, during his time at Denver,\" Carle, the Pioneers' 30-year-old head coach, said last Friday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"And similar in the sense that Paul was passed over for some USA stuff early on in his career at the same age as Bob. Paul has gone on to do pretty well for himself because of his brain and his understanding of the game. And I think Bob is going to end up being a better skater than Stas, but my point is, you can\u2019t discount [Brink\u2019s] hockey sense, which is elite.\u201d<\/p>\nAfter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/one-long-day-should-give-flyers-prospect-bobby-brink-plenty-motivation\" target=\"_blank\">slipping into the second round of last summer's draft<\/a>, where the Flyers scooped him up at 34th overall, Brink had a productive freshman season with Denver, scoring 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) through 28 games. His 0.39 goals per game were second most on a Pioneers team that was ranked sixth nationally, while his 0.86 points per game were eighth best among all freshmen in the country.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Bobby Brink is a smooth operator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PioneerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PioneerTogether<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/S0hnLYrGDo\">pic.twitter.com\/S0hnLYrGDo<\/a><\/p>— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey\/status\/1223444278287847425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 1, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nBrink thrives on guile, skill and outwitting the opposition. With those characteristics, he has scored proficiently at every step of the way, especially in the USHL during his draft year.<\/p>\nBut Brink has found himself doubted often by others, going back to his high school days. He played at Minnetonka in Minnesota, a hockey hotbed of a state. Still, invites and interest never poured in \u2014 and maybe that's a good thing. Brink has become accustomed to earning everything, which should only help when he eventually aims to prove himself at the pro level.<\/p>\nHe'll have to continue to fight the whole undersized stigma as a 5-foot-8, 164-pound winger.<\/p>\nWhat about the skating? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bobby-brink-should-ease-pain-over-flyers-passing-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">The Flyers' scouting report was fine<\/a> and Carle would sign off on it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>I\u2019ve been asked that before by media and for me, it\u2019s an easy answer \u2014 I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any issue with his skating. You could watch clips of him this year against some pretty good hockey players and his skating is just fine \u2014 and it\u2019s only going to get better as he increases his range of motion and his ankle flexion and his hip drop and those are the types of things that he\u2019s working on with our strength and conditioning coach Matt Shaw. For me, skating, not an issue. Brain is too good.<\/p>\nI think Bob has always been motivated. Obviously at the time of us recruiting him, I think we were the only school talking to him. There are five schools in the state of Minnesota, right? I think Bob has always, for whatever reason, been doubted a little bit. He didn\u2019t make the Hlinka team, he didn\u2019t get invited to the USA 49 camp \u2014 Bob always has a burning fire inside of him that maybe doesn\u2019t come across when you\u2019re meeting him off the ice, but when it\u2019s time to get on the ice, he\u2019s a gamer and I\u2019d bet on him all day long.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2277841--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/shannonvaleriodenverathleticsbobbybrinkflyersprospectjpg\">shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"http:\/\/philly.nbcs.docksal\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"840\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAs a determined 15-year-old high school freshman battling the flu, Brink won over Carle, who was an assistant coach at the time under Jim Montgomery.<\/p>\n\"Actually watched him play Prior Lake on the Olympic sheet and sick and a freshman \u2014 and felt like he was the best player on the ice,\" Carle said. \"I loved his ability to win battles, his vision, his poise, just his overall sense of knowing where everyone on the ice is.\"<\/p>\nBrink committed to Denver about a month later.<\/p>\n\"Obviously we were really excited,\" Carle said. \"He had a dominant sophomore campaign at Minnetonka, made the transition to the USHL in his junior year, accelerated and then came to Denver.\" <\/p>\nWith the Pioneers, Brink finished his freshman season on a six-game point streak but didn't play after mid-February because of three different injuries, all of which were minor, Carle said.<\/p>\nDespite some fewer games because of the injuries and playing in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, Brink made another solid transition to a higher level.<\/p>\n\"Typically the kids with the better hockey sense don\u2019t take as long to translate their games,\" Carle said. \"You saw that with Bob \u2014 from Minnesota high school hockey to winning Forward of the Year in the USHL and then coming into our league and into college is no easy feat. And Bob did a great job.<\/p>\n\"I think early on he was adjusting to the level but he was still making plays, not as many finishing plays as you would like. But then once he came back from the world juniors, I thought he was a pretty consistent performer for us in the second half.\"<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TBT<\/a> we feature this snipe from Bobby Brink of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DU_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DU_Hockey<\/a>! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Gu19QLIWKW\">pic.twitter.com\/Gu19QLIWKW<\/a><\/p>— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NCAAIceHockey\/status\/1205208003261206529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \nCarle watched Brink expand his game as a freshman. It wasn't offense or nothing with the playmaking winger.<\/p>\n\u201cWe don\u2019t talk a lot about roles necessarily as much as what we value out of our players, so I can answer it that way,\" Carle said. \"What we really value about Bob first and foremost is his hockey sense, his ability to make plays and generate offense for us on the power play and 5-on-5. I think where he started to add more value was his play without the puck, used him on the penalty kill a little bit and I think for Bob to be a great player at our level, and I believe that he will do it and can do it, with his sense, we\u2019re going to want him on the ice as much as we can get him out there.<\/p>\n\"So I think he can add a lot of value in his play without the puck, his stick details, his angling, his puck pressure and I expect all of those to continue to grow to make him an even more impactful player offensively for us.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Pioneers will \"expect really big things\" from Brink as a sophomore, Carle said. Denver knows the shy but motivated kid from Minnetonka. In 2020-21, the Pioneers hope many others do, as well.<\/p>\n\"I think one thing maybe people wouldn\u2019t know about him or understand is really his joy and his passion for the game,\" Carle said. \"Because when you do just meet him, he is a little boyish, he\u2019s giggling and you don\u2019t really know how to take him \u2014 but, man, the kid loves to be on the ice, he loves to work on his craft and to get better. There\u2019s a true passion and a drive inside of him.<\/p>\n\"Bob relishes the moment of being in the arena and competing. That might be the biggest thing that maybe surprises people when they just meet him or they\u2019re getting to know him.\u201d<\/p>\nWhich is apt for Brink, who doesn't mind surprising.<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/6a5c52e0-aed5-4fde-8370-3d3f63b1e1a4\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/alain-vigneault-one-year-philadelphia-fans-response-hysterical\">Looking back at hysterical responses to Vigneault coming to Philly<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kimmo-timonen-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Timonen's Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/sean-couturier-looming-questions-nhl-2019-20-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Laundry, dishes and good points by Couturier on looming questions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/bill-clement-flyers-talk-podcast-1974-stanley-cup-celebration-philadelphia\">Wait, where did that go? Clement shares story from wild 1974 Cup celebration<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/danny-briere-flyers-hall-of-fame-candidate\">Debating Briere\u2019s Flyers Hall of Fame candidacy <\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"The Flyers are betting on prospect Bobby Brink and Denver head coach David Carle knows why that's a smart move. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-16 03:45:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics","format":null,"safe_value":"Shannon Valerio\/Denver Athletics"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2277836","uid":"156","filename":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/15\/shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1113819","status":"1","timestamp":"1586983716","origname":"shannon_valerio_denver_athletics_bobby_brink_philadelphia_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":829,"width":1500},"height":"829","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect","format":null,"safe_value":"An 'elite' quality makes for a smart bet on this Flyers prospect"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31056"},{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"33381"},{"tid":"33386"},{"tid":"33391"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"793596"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Bobby Brink, Jordan Hall, Flyers prospects, Philadelphia Flyers, University of Denver, Denver hockey, David Carle"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"794531","entity":{"vid":"843416","uid":"156","title":"An opponent's perspective on Flyers' resurgent prospect Jay O'Brien","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"794531","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1586373546","changed":"1586534886","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1586394000","revision_timestamp":"1586534886","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>He was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>From Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>O'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273621\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>The 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>O'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>With the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>O'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"2273681\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>Against Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5swnypioDy0&feature=youtu.be&t=146<\/a><\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SDLQBPS8k8Q&feature=youtu.be&t=371<\/a><\/p>O'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>Clark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>O'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Jay O'Brien had a BCHL mission in 2019-20.<\/p>\nHe was out to regain the bravado that he lost as a freshman at Providence, the get-after-you mindset that made him so appealing to the Flyers in the first round of the 2018 draft.<\/p>\nFrom Chris Clark's standpoint, the mission was completed. The interim head coach and assistant GM of the Wenatchee Wild saw O'Brien's Penticton Vees plenty during the season.<\/p>\nO'Brien, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound forward rebuilding his brand and penchant for scoring, put up 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in seven games against Penticton's rival Wenatchee.<\/p>\n\u201cOther than the offense, the biggest thing you notice about that kid is that he has a ton of swagger and a ton of confidence,\" Clark said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He plays on the edge, he likes to get into the verbal battles, he has a ton of swagger. You respect that. Obviously you don\u2019t like to see him do well against you when they have that much swagger but you\u2019ve got to respect a kid that knows what he wants.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273621--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienflyersprospectjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"868\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nThe 20-year-old looked like himself again after a difficult transition to the Division I level in 2018-19. With the Friars, O'Brien suffered upper-body injuries and scored five points over 25 games. He had trouble with the strength, pace and lack of space in the college game.<\/p>\n\"You never want a year like that,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/what-flyers-prospect-jay-obrien-cant-wait-prove-has-him-charging-ahead\" target=\"_blank\">O'Brien said last June<\/a>, \"but in a way, it was helpful for me to light the fire even more.\"<\/p>\nO'Brien transferred and took his fuel to the BCHL, a junior A league and solid stepping-stone for college-bound players. Yes, it's a different level, but O'Brien went to the BCHL with expectations and met them, a major plus for his development as he heads to Boston University in 2020-21.<\/p>\nWith the Vees, O'Brien scored 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists) in 46 games and 10 (five goals, five assists) through five playoff contests before the coronavirus outbreak cut the BCHL season short. O'Brien's nine game-winning goals led the league and his 1.43 points per game ranked third, behind only Kent Johnson (projected 2021 first-round pick) at 1.94 and Philippe Lapointe (Michigan commit) with 1.53.<\/p>\nO'Brien established himself among the BCHL's elite, confidence he'll take to the Terriers.<\/p>\n\u201cOh without a doubt, him and Kent Johnson, who will be a first-round pick next year,\" Clark said. \"I\u2019m not taking anything away from anybody else. I thought there was a ton of talent in the BCHL this year, but he was definitely one of the top three or four players in the entire league ... not even close.<\/p>\n\"He carries a ton of confidence and tremendous amount of swagger \u2014 which is good, you need that, you\u2019re an offensive player, you know that every night people know who you are, you\u2019ve got to be able to have that swagger. He definitely did this year. Hopefully for his career moving forward, he continues to develop that and have that \u2014 because there\u2019s no doubt when he has the puck on his stick, good things are going to happen nine times out of 10.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-2273681--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/jackmurrayjayobrienpentictonjpg\">jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_penticton.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"847\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Jack Murray)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nAgainst Wenatchee, a playoff team itself, O'Brien recorded four multi-point games, including a four-point outburst and an overtime winner. The Wild also held O'Brien to only one assist on three different occasions.<\/p>\n\"Extremely talented,\" Clark said. \"He had a large number of points against us unfortunately, scored some big goals against us, just dating back to the last regular-season game, getting the OT winner. He\u2019s just one of those players when he has the puck on his stick, you take notice \u2014 you know that he\u2019s got a chance to make something special happen, whether it\u2019s scoring or setting up a guy for an unbelievable look. He\u2019s very gifted offensively, there\u2019s no doubt about that.<\/p>\n\"I don\u2019t remember firsthand those games where he only had one assist, but I would be willing to bet he probably had some quality chances. ... I don\u2019t know if we can say we shut him down necessarily, but our guys took a lot of a pride, you want to play against those guys. He comes with a lot of notoriety and well deserved \u2014 he\u2019s an unbelievable hockey player.\"<\/p>\n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5swnypioDy0?start=146&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \n<iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SDLQBPS8k8Q?start=371&feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> \nO'Brien will head to B.U. much more prepared for the Division I competition at 20 years old compared to when he was 18 coming right out of high school.<\/p>\nClark, who has been with Wenatchee since 2008 and was a graduate assistant for Minnesota State (where he also played), sees a player ready for his second D-I shot.<\/p>\nO'Brien made sure everyone saw that.<\/p>\n\u201cIn college hockey, you\u2019re playing against men, you\u2019re playing 24-year-old men,\" Clark said. \"A lot of times in junior hockey, you\u2019re playing against 18-, 19-year-olds, 20-year-olds \u2014 we have a limit on 20-year-olds in our league, you can have only six or less. A lot of those kids are still developing, they\u2019re still growing into their bodies, they\u2019re still putting on weight. But when you get to college and you\u2019re playing against a 24-year-old senior, that\u2019s a man, that\u2019s a guy who\u2019s probably ready, given the opportunity, to step in and play professional hockey at a high level.<\/p>\n\"So I think that\u2019s a big difference, but I just think with his ability to skate, his ability to think the game at a very quick pace, it\u2019s going to translate. I don\u2019t know the ins and outs of what happened his first year at college, but everybody has their ups and downs throughout life \u2014 if he considers that a down, I don\u2019t know if he does or not.<\/p>\n\"But I would say that he\u2019s going to have no problem when next year he gets to college, he\u2019s going to be a heck of a hockey player.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/bf933d23-a656-4bc2-bdd8-792bdd016f61\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coyotes-head-coach-rick-tocchet-talks-nhl-suspension-coronavirus-outbreak\">Former Flyer Tocchet knows NHL is in difficult spot for different reasons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/gary-bettman-latest-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak-flyers-good-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers are in good spot after Bettman's latest on NHL season<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/pushing-olympics-2021-makes-brian-boucher-optimistic-nhl-finish-season\">Why Boucher is optimistic NHL can finish season, but will Flyers keep rolling?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-flyers-talk-podcast-facing-sidney-crosby-nathan-mackinnon\">Toughest player he has faced? Farabee has shown he's ready for his answers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-prospect-cam-york-michigan-hockey-john-wroblewski-scouting-report\">One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"From verbal battles to swagger, an opponent's look at resurgent Flyers prospect Jay O'Brien. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-09 01:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Jack Murray","format":null,"safe_value":"Jack Murray"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2273621","uid":"156","filename":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/08\/jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1101700","status":"1","timestamp":"1586374824","origname":"jack_murray_jay_obrien_flyers_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":[],"metadata":{"height":868,"width":1500},"height":"868","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder","format":null,"safe_value":"From verbal battles to swagger, opponent's look at Flyers' resurgent 1st-rounder"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"506"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27161"},{"tid":"8466"},{"tid":"33286"},{"tid":"33291"},{"tid":"33296"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"646966"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Jay O'Brien, Philadelphia Flyers, Flyers prospects, Jordan Hall, BCHL, Chris Clark, Wenatchee Wild, Penticton Vees"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"793111","entity":{"vid":"841991","uid":"156","title":"How Flyers prospect Cam York can help and torture goalies","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"793111","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1585772099","changed":"1586464216","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1585998000","revision_timestamp":"1586464216","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>The catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>For John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>He emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1670981\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"2\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"2\"}}]](Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>York is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>In 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>York, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>Just how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>As a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>[[{\"fid\":\"1648931\",\"view_mode\":\"default\",\"fields\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false},\"type\":\"media\",\"field_deltas\":{\"1\":{\"format\":\"default\",\"field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]\":false,\"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]\":false}},\"attributes\":{\"class\":\"media-element file-default\",\"data-delta\":\"1\"}}]](Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>In his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>A healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?s=20<\/p>York's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>But Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>Subscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"NHL talent evaluators couldn't miss Cam York's offensive exploits.<\/p>\nThe catch-me-if-you-can defenseman lit up score sheets and caught all eyes during his draft year. When a teenage blueliner skates as smoothly and handles the puck as dynamically as York does, pro clubs watch in bunches and envision big things for the future.<\/p>\nFlyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the team's entire scouting staff had seen York 10 to 15 times during the 2018-19 season. The Flyers then drafted York at No. 14 overall last summer after he set a U.S. national team development program single-season record with 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) in 63 games.<\/p>\nFor John Wroblewski, the head coach of the loaded USNTDP under-18 squad that year, he didn't want NHL suitors hypnotized by just the offensive gifts.<\/p>\nHe emphasized York's defensive strengths.<\/p>\n\"One of the things I kept telling scouts that I was so impressed with Cam was how the game was always in front of him,\" Wroblewski said last month in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"The puck hardly ever advanced behind him, you couldn\u2019t beat him 1-on-1 \u2014 I could probably count on one hand how many times he got actually beat 1-on-1 over two years \u2014 and his strength around the net; he just understands.<\/p>\n\"He has innate defensive ability, it\u2019s natural. It seems effortless. Some guys you know<\/em> they\u2019re competing in their defensive zone and they have to, they scratch and claw \u2014 he just always has the right spots. His gap control, his stick detail, it\u2019s all organic.<\/p>\n\"I think he\u2019s going to be rock-solid offensively in the NHL, but his prowess will be how reliable he is defensively. Working around him and watching his video on a daily basis, he never got beat.\" <\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1670981--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/zackhillflyersalainvigneault-camyorkjpg\">zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/zack_hill_flyers_alain_vigneault-cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"874\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nYork is now with Michigan and his upcoming sophomore year could be his last at the collegiate level. Because of two impressive years in the USNTDP, he went to the draft and Ann Arbor with hype.<\/p>\n\"I think if you asked him, he would want to turn pro tomorrow,\" <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-picked-cam-york-over-cole-caufield-2019-nhl-draft\" target=\"_blank\">Flahr said after the Flyers drafted York<\/a>. \"He's going to a good program at Michigan, we'll take it year by year. I don't see him as a four-year guy, let's put it that way.\"<\/p>\nIn 2018-19, York was the go-to defenseman on a U.S. team that produced eight first-round draft picks last June \u2014 Jack Hughes (No. 1), Alex Turcotte (No. 5), Trevor Zegras (No. 9), Matthew Boldy (No. 12), Spencer Knight (No. 13), York (No. 14), Cole Caufield (No. 15) and John Beecher (No. 30).<\/p>\nYork, a 5-foot-11, 174-pound lefty shot, was third on the U.S. in assists (behind only Hughes and Zegras), fifth in points and sported a team-best plus-56 rating.<\/p>\n\"He just hit the ground running at the program, he was such a student of the game, he\u2019s smart in practice, his instincts were outstanding,\" Wroblewski, who led the U-17 team this season, said. \"He never really hit any type of a speed bump throughout his two years with the program. He seamlessly went from being our top defenseman to running the power play for the U-18 team in February and beyond, and then of course he set defensive scoring records at the program.<\/p>\n\"Really kind of a seamless two years, but a kid that never really took it for granted, either. He always showed up, he had a workmanlike attitude in regard to practice. He was like a pro from a young age \u2014 he showed up, did his job, low maintenance, but a fiery competitor at the same time.\"<\/p>\nJust how skilled and electric is he with the puck on his stick?<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s interesting, for as much talent as we had on that team, I think Cam might have been our best shootout guy,\" Wroblewski said. \"We didn\u2019t utilize him because of the star power that you had with those top-five scorers \u2014 Boldy, Zegras, Cole, Jack and Alex Turcotte. We never utilized him because this just doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense when you\u2019ve got that firepower up front, but he was probably our best shootout guy.\"<\/p>\nAs a defenseman<\/em> on that<\/em> team.<\/p>\n\"The things that he would do to our goalies and Spencer Knight, he would make them look silly with the edgework,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looked like a video game the way that he could come in, carve his edges and then just like sling it underneath the crossbar. It was really cool to watch. I\u2019d never seen anybody be able to create on the shootout like he did.\"<\/p>\n<div class=\"media media-element-container media-default\"><div id=\"file-1648931--4\" class=\"file file-image file-image-jpeg\">\r\n\r\n <h2 class=\"element-invisible\"><a href=\"\/files\/renalavertyusahockeycamyorkjpg\">rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg<\/a><\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n <div class=\"content\">\r\n <img class=\"media-element file-default\" data-delta=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/sites\/csnphilly\/files\/2019\/06\/13\/rena_laverty_usa_hockey_cam_york.jpg\" width=\"1500\" height=\"825\" alt=\"\" \/> <\/div>\r\n\r\n \r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>(Rena Laverty\/USA Hockey)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nIn his freshman season at Michigan, York dealt with a pair of injuries but still put up 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) and a plus-9 mark through 30 games. The 19-year-old led the Wolverines in secondary assists (eight) and was third in blocked shots (54).<\/p>\nA healthy and stronger York as a sophomore will bring him closer to the Flyers. He'll play a ton of minutes \u2014 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/meet-flyers-first-round-pick-cam-york-cali-kid-philly-mentality\" target=\"_blank\">which is what he's shooting for at the pro ranks, as well<\/a> \u2014 and an even bigger role on what should be a formidable 2020-21 Michigan team.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Welcome, Cam York <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a>! \ud83d\ude32 Catch Cam in action Friday night at Yost! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw\">https:\/\/t.co\/EmvErICOFw<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/71zIeP3ZSg\">pic.twitter.com\/71zIeP3ZSg<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1181555282805186560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 8, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5CLIP: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/camyork2?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@camyork2<\/a> scores his first career goal with a wrap around shot \u303d\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GoBlue<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UJEAqVxmxj\">pic.twitter.com\/UJEAqVxmxj<\/a><\/p>— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/umichhockey\/status\/1190772099444609024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 2, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nYork's strength and developmental curve at the Division I level, especially next season, will determine how quickly he signs his entry-level contract.<\/p>\n\u201cDefensemen are always going to take a little bit longer,\" Wroblewski said. \"Goalies take the longest, defensemen are the next, you look at the middle of the ice, centermen, that\u2019s next and then wingers transition the quickest to the NHL obviously.<\/p>\n\u201cI think any opportunity, as long as he\u2019s being challenged at the college level, he should stay. But I also appreciate the challenge of the American Hockey League. I know a lot of guys don\u2019t want to go there, ride the bus, but after having worked in that league, that buffer zone between there and the NHL is very important and can be pivotal for defensemen and young players.<\/p>\n\"You look at [Casey] Mittelstadt in Buffalo as an example of how college wasn\u2019t challenging enough for him, the NHL might have been too much \u2014 that American League is a really, really, really pivotal spot for a lot of young players. ... It can be a huge tool and not one that prospects should be scared of or feel slighted if they end up there.\u201d<\/p>\nBut Wroblewski doesn't see York far down the ladder.<\/p>\n\"Just from his past, the way that he came into the program, U-17 and was able to fit right in, and then really thrive at the U-18 level as an underager and then set the scoring records that he did,\" Wroblewski said. \"He looks at home in the college game and displays the same offensive characteristics. A kid that truly appreciates keeping the puck out of his net first and then letting the offense come to him \u2014 those are characteristics that should prove worthy of him making a quick climb to the NHL.\u201d<\/p>\nSubscribe and rate Flyers Talk: <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/id1497383342\" target=\"_blank\">Apple Podcasts<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/play.google.com\/music\/listen?u=0#\/ps\/I4q7bjepqw6wbbaca4ezrva264e\" target=\"_blank\">Google Play<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/60iLyWd51VnD7JP7F459sw\" target=\"_blank\">Spotify<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Stitcher<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\" target=\"_blank\">Art19<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCXenWaHGZz4Ey4BObUUIyZQ\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/0757eceb-de3a-4b38-aa21-388207fed2f1\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-flyers-2019-20-gene-hart-memorial-award-predictions\">Predictions for who wins Flyers' 2019-20 Gene Hart Memorial Award<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-kevin-hayes-talks-2019-20-flyers-season\">Hayes offers the quarantine goods \u2014 and misses what Flyers had cooking<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-nhl-suspension-james-van-riemsdyk-stanley-cup-playoffs-format\">'Outside the box' playoff format? JVR sees possible 'unique opportunity'<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/coronavirus-outbreak-nhl-season-2019-20-chuck-fletcher-flyers-plans\" target=\"_self\">'Different times' create different challenges for Flyers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/scott-laughton-thanks-workers-coronavirus-outbreak-2019-20-nhl-suspension\" target=\"_self\">Laughton keeping busy, says thank you to those 'putting their lives on the line'<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"John Wroblewski, from the U.S. national team development program, has seen Flyers prospect Cam York save and torture goalies. He also sees the potential for a quick climb. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-04-04 11:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1683641","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/04\/01\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1282924","status":"1","timestamp":"1585772099","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_cam_york.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Cam York","format":null,"safe_value":"Cam York"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Cam York","metadata":{"height":830,"width":1500},"height":"830","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies","format":null,"safe_value":"One of Flyers' top prospects can help and torture goalies"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"8411"},{"tid":"20456"},{"tid":"29716"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31051"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"729656"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Cam York, Flyers prospects, John Wroblewski, Michigan hockey, Jordan Hall"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"791006","entity":{"vid":"839876","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Wyatt Kalynuk has developed into 'elite offensive defenseman' at Wisconsin","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"791006","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1584814822","changed":"1586464283","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1584904800","revision_timestamp":"1586464283","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>The towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>And it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>Over 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?s=20<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?s=20<\/p>\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>On a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?s=20<\/p>Kalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>Kalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>Granato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Kjell Samuelsson had just finished watching a bunch of slick-skating defensemen compete in a 5-on-5 scrimmage at Flyers development camp.<\/p>\nThe towering Swede, a 6-foot-6 blueliner during his playing days from 1985 to 1999, was fully aware of the game's trends.<\/p>\n\"Mobile defensemen,\" the Flyers' player development coach said last summer, \"that's today's hockey.\"<\/p>\nAnd it's right up Wyatt Kalynuk's alley, a reason why there's excitement brewing about the prospect's ceiling at the pro level.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the right way to think because he\u2019s got special offensive ability that other defensemen don\u2019t have,\" Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato said March 13 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. \"He\u2019s confident, his skating ability allows him to be able to have opportunities offensively that other players won\u2019t have and he can beat the first forechecker.\"<\/p>\nOver 36 games this season as a junior captain for the Badgers, Kalynuk led the team in assists (21) and unassisted goals (three), was second in points (28) and shots (112), and fifth in blocked shots (46). At development camp last summer, the 6-foot-1, 189-pound Kalynuk said skating was his biggest strength. He is advanced in that area and possesses the puck-moving skills the Flyers covet for their hard-on-the-attack, pin-you-in-deep system.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk can really skate, he said that's his biggest strength. He's an impressive seventh-rounder. Expect a big junior year for him with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lqyGSKLtJz\">pic.twitter.com\/lqyGSKLtJz<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1144715136772509696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 28, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Wyatt Kalynuk against Joel Farabee, 2018 development camp (for purpose of a story). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vVXGUM1Q6m\">pic.twitter.com\/vVXGUM1Q6m<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1241804250717577223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 22, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\"Great skating ability and he's a young player that looks like he's got a real good pro career,\" Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Jan. 14.<\/p>\nOn a young but talented Wisconsin team, Kalynuk was given hefty responsibilities by Granato.<\/p>\n\u201cHe was our go-to offensive defenseman, he got the most minutes on the power play, he was the guy we wanted the puck to go through,\" Granato said. \"He\u2019s an elite offensive defenseman that has the ability to run a power play. We asked a lot of him.<\/p>\n\"The good thing about him is he knows his responsibilities defensively to take care of that end. So you don\u2019t like saying offensive defenseman because a lot of times you say that and you think players that don\u2019t take pride in the defensive part of the game. That\u2019s certainly not the case with him.<\/p>\n\"Defensively, his game was very solid, very responsible. He\u2019s not an overpowering defenseman that\u2019s going to run people over, but positionally, he\u2019s going to be in great position, he\u2019s smart, he makes a great first pass and I think he\u2019s got great potential for a real high-exciting NHL career.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">How did you do this <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Wkalynuk17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Wkalynuk17<\/a>?! Any ideas <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BadgerMHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BadgerMHockey<\/a>? \ud83d\ude33<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SlowMoMonday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SlowMoMonday<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1mDm9ixbrc\">pic.twitter.com\/1mDm9ixbrc<\/a><\/p>— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WisconsinOnBTN\/status\/1069701741896187905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 3, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nKalynuk, who was selected during the seventh round of the 2017 draft as a USHL product, is now considered a top-20 prospect within the Flyers' system.<\/p>\n\"I think the dropping so far in the draft had a lot to do with physically he just hadn\u2019t grown into his body yet, so he looked weaker against players his age in his first year,\" Granato said. \"The commitment and work he puts into it is of a professional status, he trains like a professional and puts the work in. It was just a matter of time before he caught up physically with the skill that he has.\u201d<\/p>\nKalynuk turns 23 years old in April. He has a decision to make of whether he wants to return to Madison for his senior season or sign his entry-level contract with the Flyers and turn pro in 2020-21 with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. As of right now, Kalynuk is still in school and undecided, according to Granato. For the Flyers, Kalynuk's rights don't expire until the summer of 2021. They'll be open to either choice.<\/p>\n\u201cKjell Samuelsson has been around a lot, Chuck Fletcher I talk to quite a bit,\" Granato said of his communication with the Flyers during the season. \"Philly has had lots of people here and been very instrumental in his growth as a player. I think when they drafted him, they recognized out of the gate that this guy could be a big part of their organization moving forward. They\u2019ve been hands on, they\u2019ve been here a lot, they\u2019ve done it respectfully in a way that they\u2019ve helped him a ton in preparing to get ready for the next step.\u201d<\/p>\nGranato, who has played and coached in the NHL, knows both sides of the coin with his gig and Kalynuk's decision.<\/p>\n\"It\u2019s your job to hopefully present them or give them opportunities to be ready for a chance to play in the NHL,\" Granato said. \"And when they are ready, you certainly don\u2019t want to hold them back.<\/p>\n\"He has positioned himself to be very, very close to being ready for that opportunity. I\u2019m one to understand that situation and respect it and not try to interfere with it. If he made the decision to come back to go to school, it would obviously be great for our program and it\u2019s not going to hurt his development. Also, on the other side of things, if the situation is right for him to leave, I think he\u2019s in a really good spot to have a chance for a long career. I respect that and whichever way it turns out, I will be a big fan of Wyatt Kalynuk.\"<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/a10cc909-061b-4f6e-a3b9-91629523a30a\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-gritty-without-flyers-hockey\">What in the world is Gritty up to without Flyers hockey?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-lockouts-chris-therien-2019-20-stoppage-different\">After seeing 3 lockouts, Therien explains how 2019-20 stoppage is different<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-coronavirus-suspension-biggest-surprise-2019-20-flyers-season\">Debating biggest surprise so far of 2019-20 Flyers season, good or bad<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/nhl-tv-streaming-free-2019-20-season-flyers-best-games\">Best Flyers games to rewatch from 2019-20 season now that NHL.tv is free<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/kevin-hayes-gritty-playing-it-safe-2019-20-nhl-season-coronavirus-outbreak\">Hayes, Gritty playing it safe but sticking together during hiatus<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"At Wisconsin, head coach Tony Granato has an \"elite offensive defenseman\" in Wyatt Kalynuk, a Flyers prospect who is getting closer to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-03-22 19:20:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images\/Winslow Townson"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2228681","uid":"156","filename":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/03\/21\/ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1039556","status":"1","timestamp":"1584814822","origname":"ap_wyatt_kalynuk.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk","format":null,"safe_value":"Wyatt Kalynuk"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"alt":"Wyatt Kalynuk","metadata":{"height":811,"width":1500},"height":"811","width":"1500","title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers","format":null,"safe_value":"'Elite offensive defenseman' getting closer to Flyers"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"32981"},{"tid":"13816"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"27556"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"792246"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Wyatt Kalynuk, Tony Granato, Flyers prospects, Wisconsin hockey, Jordan Hall, Philadelphia Flyers"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"0"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"779301","entity":{"vid":"827991","uid":"156","title":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula can 'do things that not many players can'","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"779301","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1580240174","changed":"1586464346","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1580299200","revision_timestamp":"1586464346","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>Two years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>That player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>The incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>While the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>In 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?s=20<\/p>At Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>After drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?s=20<\/p><blockquote>What I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>He was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p><\/blockquote>Zamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>The Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>Chynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>Zamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>Zamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>Chynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>Not as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>[embed]<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>[\/embed]<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Back in January 2018, Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth saw a slender 17-year-old defenseman and thought <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">\u201chuge upside.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\nTwo years later, Chynoweth has watched the once raw and cocooned prospect play his final WHL game. The GM no longer sees potential \u2014 he sees a player.<\/p>\nThat player is Egor Zamula, now 19 years old and hunting down the NHL, a prospect who has gone from diaphanous to dynamite within the Flyers\u2019 farm system.<\/p>\n\u201cThe incline has been very high,\u201d Chynoweth said last Saturday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\nThe incline is at a halt \u2014 for now. Zamula, an undrafted product who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers in September 2018, had his 2019-20 season cut short because of a back injury. Zamula has been in the Philadelphia area since mid-January and was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday, according to Chynoweth.<\/p>\nWhile the incline has been put on hiatus, the excitement about it has not.<\/p>\nIn 2017-18, Zamula scored 18 points over 69 games between the Regina Pats and Hitmen. In 2018-19, after the Flyers signed Zamula <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-flyers-found-calgary-hitmen-prospect-yegor-zamula-and-his-huge-upside\" target=\"_blank\">thanks to the diligence of amateur scout Mark Greig<\/a>, the lanky blueliner recorded 56 points (10 goals, 46 assists) through 61 games for Calgary.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83c\udfa5 WHL Highlight of the Night \ud83c\udfa5 December 14, 2018<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> prospect <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/egor_zamula?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@egor_zamula<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WHLHitmen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WHLHitmen<\/a> \ud83d\ude01\ud83d\udc42\ud83d\udc4b<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WHLHoN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WHLHoN<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8rVBNojXmb\">pic.twitter.com\/8rVBNojXmb<\/a><\/p>— The WHL (@TheWHL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheWHL\/status\/1073829915391275008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAt Flyers development camp in the summer and training camp during the fall, Zamula showed his smooth skating stride, disruptive length and confidence with the puck. His strengths are particularly appealing when accentuated in an Alain Vigneault type of system, which encourages defensemen to push pace, pin the opposition and make plays.<\/p>\nAfter drawing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/morgan-frost-showing-his-hands-chuck-fletcher-praises-egor-zamula-more-flyers-rookie-camp\" target=\"_blank\">high praise from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher<\/a>, Zamula put up 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists) and a plus-19 rating in 28 games this season, his third junior hockey campaign. There won\u2019t be a fourth and final one.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Yegor Zamula, pretty fluid. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/IwN5RIZGb9\">pic.twitter.com\/IwN5RIZGb9<\/a><\/p>— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JHallNBCS\/status\/1143538954739826689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 25, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<blockquote>\nWhat I liked about his game was he could see the ice very well, he had a long, active stick,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cBeing a 6-foot-4 guy anyways and with a long stick, he was good at getting pucks away from opposing players, he could slow the game down. For a big man, he could thread the pass like a needle in a haystack. He could do things that not many players can. He had a bomb from the point.<\/p>\nHe was almost a point-a-game player last year, you look at the numbers he put up last year as an 18-year-old, and then he just continued right into this year, point-a-game player and unfortunately got hurt at the world juniors. But he was having a great season, he had a great world juniors, named one of the top three players for Russia at the world juniors. I mean, the sky was the limit, and then unfortunately he has a back injury.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nZamula\u2019s season came to an end at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship where he went down swinging. He helped lead Russia to a silver medal with five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games, playing through the injured back.<\/p>\n\"He's been playing in pain for a while and playing remarkably well, but not at 100 percent,\" Fletcher said two weeks ago.<\/p>\nThe Hitmen stated the injury was a result of a degenerative condition that intensified at the world juniors tournament. Could a degenerative issue be a concern moving forward?<\/p>\nChynoweth didn\u2019t believe so.<\/p>\n\u201cI just think that this is something that he\u2019s had and it just got progressively worse,\u201d he said. \u201cJust to tell you, to speak about his pain threshold, we never once heard about it when he was here. He played and it just got worse as he got more in the last little bit. It just got to a point where they had to have something to do about it. He\u2019s going to have surgery, he\u2019s going to be out three to four months but he should be ready for the start of development camp for the Flyers after the draft.\u201d<\/p>\nZamula will most likely open the 2020-21 season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, but you never know. With the Feb. 24 trade deadline and a whole offseason ahead before next training camp, things can change.<\/p>\nZamula will continue to change as he recovers and gears up for pro hockey. Gaining more strength will be a focus during the offseason. Zamula was listed at 6-foot-3, 160 pounds to start the 2018-19 season. This season, he was 6-foot-4, 170.<\/p>\n\u201cI think that\u2019s the biggest thing, he\u2019s going to have to get stronger,\u201d Chynoweth said. \u201cYou can never stop working on your skating, you see how fast the NHL game is, it\u2019s getting faster all the time. But the things he does well, you can\u2019t teach. Most guys put on weight as they get older and get stronger. Obviously now being with the Flyers in Philadelphia for the surgery, he\u2019ll be there under their watchful eye through the rehab process. And I\u2019m sure that once he\u2019s cleared to start working out, they\u2019ll do a great job.\u201d<\/p>\nChynoweth is looking forward to seeing Zamula in Calgary again.<\/p>\nNot as a prospect, but as an NHL player.<\/p>\n\u201cThe next time we watch him, hopefully it will be on Saddledome ice when the Flyers come to town,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\u201cThe Flyers have a good one there. \u2026 I think the sky\u2019s the limit for Egor.\u201d<\/p>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/flyers-talk-a-philadelphia-flyers-podcast\/episodes\/1f617056-e47b-4a9b-8532-652aceaf014c\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-concerned-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be concerned about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-game-flyers-travis-konecny-shows-his-career-high-stuff-metropolitan-division\">Konecny shows off career-high stuff in All-Star Game \u2014 and surprises mom<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/why-flyers-fans-should-be-hopeful-about-post-nhl-all-star-break-playoff-chances\">Why Flyers fans should be hopeful about playoff push<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/2020-nhl-all-star-skills-travis-konecny-fastest-skater-mathew-barzal-beats-connor-mcdavid\">Konecny all smiles at All-Star Skills, while upset goes down in fastest skater<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/top-10-moments-makes-travis-konecny-well-travis-konecny\">Top 10 moments that make Konecny, well, Konecny<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Flyers prospect Egor Zamula's 2019-20 season is over but his \"incline has been very high\" \u2014 and now it points to the pro level. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":{"und":[{"target_id":"3681"}]},"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2020-01-29 12:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"AP Images","format":null,"safe_value":"AP Images"}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"2124956","uid":"156","filename":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2020\/01\/28\/ap_egor_zamula.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1329702","status":"1","timestamp":"1580240174","origname":"ap_egor_zamula.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":[],"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value":""},"twitter:data2":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.articleSection":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.headline":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.datePublished":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.dateModified":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.image":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.mainEntityOfPage":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.about":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_article.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.thumbnailUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.embedUrl":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.duration":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.uploadDate":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.expires":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.interactionCount":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.transcript":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.aggregateRating":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_video_object.review":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.description":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.author":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.breadcrumb":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.hasPart":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_page.isAccessibleForFree":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@type":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.@id":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.name":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.url":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.sameAs":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.publisher":{"value":""},"nbcs_schema_web_site.potentialAction":{"value":""}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"metadata":{"height":784,"width":1500},"height":"784","width":"1500","alt":null,"title":null}]},"field_league":{"und":[{"tid":"196"}]},"field_section":{"und":[{"tid":"201"}]},"field_short_title":{"und":[{"value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level","format":null,"safe_value":"Flyers prospect who does what 'not many players can' shifts focus to pro level"}]},"field_sponsor":[],"field_sport":{"und":[{"tid":"191"}]},"field_tags":{"und":[{"tid":"4631"},{"tid":"28816"},{"tid":"25111"},{"tid":"31671"},{"tid":"466"},{"tid":"506"}]},"field_team":{"und":[{"tid":"141"}]},"field_top_story":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_video_autoplay":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_videos":{"und":[{"target_id":"680511"}]},"field_tags_hide":[],"field_video_automute":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_editorial_category":{"und":[{"value":"analysis"}]},"field_allow_lld_domains":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_enable_stanza":{"und":[{"value":"1"}]},"field_exclude_from_yahoo":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"robots":{"value":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":"Flyers prospects, Egor Zamula, Philadelphia Flyers, Jordan Hall, Calgary Hitmen"}}},"path":{"pathauto":"1"},"name":"JHall","picture":"0","data":"b:0;"},"access":true},{"target_id":"739401","entity":{"vid":"787726","uid":"31941","title":"Eric Wellwood gives opponent's perspective on 'rare' Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe","log":"","status":"1","comment":"0","promote":"0","sticky":"0","nid":"739401","type":"article","language":"und","created":"1564944327","changed":"1567529617","tnid":"0","translate":"0","published":"1565010000","revision_timestamp":"1567529617","revision_uid":"156","body":{"und":[{"value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>Then again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>From surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>Eleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p><a href=\"%22\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?s=20<\/a><\/p>\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>Ratcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>But, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p><blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>He almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p><\/blockquote>- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?s=20<\/p>As a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>In Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>And everyone knows to watch him.<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3><ul><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/b><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>","format":"filtered_html","safe_value":"Eric Wellwood remembers watching film of Isaac Ratcliffe and somehow losing him. Even the thought seems hard to believe. After all, Ratcliffe is a 6-foot-6 winger \u2014 it's tough to miss that large of a player in a junior hockey setting.<\/p>\nThen again, Ratcliffe is far from just sheer size. Wellwood quickly realized that once the lean, smooth-skating, goal-scoring force popped back into the frame.<\/p>\n\"Sometimes the TV doesn't catch where he just moved and all of a sudden he has a partial breakaway,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nFrom surprising camera operators to doing things uncommon for players of his physical stature, Ratcliffe became a terror over the course of his final Ontario Hockey League season. The Flyers' 2017 second-round draft pick scored 50 goals and 82 points in 65 regular-season games for the Guelph Storm. He added 30 more points (15 goals, 15 assists) in 24 playoff games to lead the Storm to an OHL title.<\/p>\nEleven of Ratcliffe's points came against Wellwood and the Flint Firebirds during the regular season. Ratcliffe put up six goals and five assists in four meetings with the Firebirds. Wellwood, the former Flyer and now 29-year-old head coach of Flint, drew a clear conclusion about Ratcliffe after those four matchups.<\/p>\n\"It seemed like he was out of his league playing in the OHL last year,\" Wellwood said a week and a half ago in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\"He's got an asset that not many players get \u2014 that's how big and strong he is for his age. Being that big at this level, he can clearly dominate by using his size. I think that's the easiest thing to pick out, but it's his offensive instincts, he knows how to play the game, he can read when a defense breaks down.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe is not your typical big winger. He doesn't just wreak havoc with his size in front of the net. The 6-foot-6, 204-pound frame is noteworthy, but it's Ratcliffe's ability to dangle the puck, flash skill and score with finesse that has many intrigued by his NHL upside.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\ud83d\udea8 CAPTAIN DANGLES OH MY! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLFlyers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NHLFlyers<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Prospect?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Prospect<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/isaacratcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@isaacratcliffe<\/a> puts on a show and ties up the game at 2-2! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/GUEvsOTT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#GUEvsOTT<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1QU5ZTyW4x\">pic.twitter.com\/1QU5ZTyW4x<\/a><\/p>— Guelph Storm (@Storm_City) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Storm_City\/status\/1127654336727851010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 12, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n\"His overall game but especially his skating \u2014 it stands out when you're a 6-6 guy that has skill and hands like he does,\" fellow Flyers prospect and OHL product Morgan Frost said in June. \"As he's gotten older, he has really developed his skating part \u2014 that's been huge for him. He's just putting it all together now.\"<\/p>\nRatcliffe went from a minus-28 in 2017-18 to a plus-36 last season. Over the past three years, his goal production climbed from 28 to 41 to 50. Off the ice, he is mature and well-spoken, sounding more and more like a pro.<\/p>\nBut, on the ice, just how skilled and dynamic is the 20-year-old?<\/p>\n<blockquote>If he was a normal, typical-build hockey player, he would still be a very good hockey player and sought-after prospect. Then you add the element of how good he is, you combine the two \u2014 it's truly rare to have somebody at that age that physically mature already.<\/p>\nHe almost has like a sling shot for a shot. He just whips it in the corner and the goalies don't even go down, they don't even see it some of the times because of a screen. Being that big, you get the flexibility of having a bigger stick, so you get more whip and he can usually shoot it pretty hard. He's got a lethal shot.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n- Wellwood<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">Flyers prospect Isaac Ratcliffe's shorthanded goal from a few days ago <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/FdPEYvjtgg\">pic.twitter.com\/FdPEYvjtgg<\/a><\/p>— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/coreypronman\/status\/933413209821806592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\nAs a forward, Wellwood made the transition from the OHL to the AHL and NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick played 164 career games with the Phantoms and 31 with the Flyers. He said the biggest difference from junior to pro isn't always speed. For Ratcliffe, Wellwood said, it can be \"playing against guys that are relatively his size.\"<\/p>\n\"He's just got to make sure he's working on his skating and continually getting stronger,\" Wellwood said.<\/p>\nIn Ratcliffe, the coach sees some Pat Maroon.<\/p>\n\"He kind of reminds me of that type of player,\" Wellwood said. \"No offense to Patty but he might be a little bit better of a skater. You add that and he's got a lot of potential as a player in the NHL.\"<\/p>\nAnd everyone knows to watch him.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb788a3d5b83?site_id=Web_NBCS_Philly&creative_id=nbcsphi1356&cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&cp_1=washington&cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&cp_3=nbcsphi1356\">Click here<\/a> to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 dir=\"ltr\">More on the Flyers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/how-should-flyers-utilize-carter-hart-and-brian-elliott-2019-20-season\">How will Flyers' 2019-20 goaltending tandem play out?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predictions-who-wins-flyers-3rd-line-roster-spot-2019-20\">A prospect? A veteran? Predicting who wins 3rd-line winger job<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/flyers-announce-new-jersey-numbers-2019-20-season\">Hey, look, the Flyers have new jersey numbers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/joel-farabee-showing-highlight-reel-stuff-2019-world-junior-summer-showcase-what-must-he-show\">Farabee showing highlight-reel stuff, but what must he show Flyers?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/flyers\/predicting-travis-konecnys-contract-flyers\">Predicting Konecny's contract with Flyers<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","safe_summary":"Former Flyer Eric Wellwood coached against Isaac Ratcliffe during the 2018-19 season and here's what he saw from the prospect with \"rare\" qualities. By Jordan Hall<\/p>\n"}]},"field_author_reference":{"und":[{"tid":"1056"}]},"field_bean_single_col":[],"field_chrome_page":{"und":[{"value":"0"}]},"field_date_published":{"und":[{"value":"2019-08-05 13:00:00","timezone":"America\/New_York","timezone_db":"UTC","date_type":"datetime"}]},"field_hero_image_credit":{"und":[{"value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers ","format":null,"safe_value":"Zack Hill\/Philadelphia Flyers "}]},"field_image":{"und":[{"fid":"1756311","uid":"156","filename":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","uri":"public:\/\/2019\/08\/04\/zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","filemime":"image\/jpeg","filesize":"1200698","status":"1","timestamp":"1564944327","origname":"zack_hill_philadelphia_flyers_isaac_ratcliffe_prospect.jpg","type":"image","field_file_image_alt_text":{"und":[{"value":"Isaac Ratcliffe","format":null,"safe_value":"Isaac Ratcliffe"}]},"field_file_image_title_text":[],"_drafty_revision_requested":"FIELD_LOAD_CURRENT","metatags":{"und":{"title":{"value":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]","default":"[current-page:title] | [current-page:pager][site:name]"},"description":{"value":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!","default":"NBC Sports Philadelphia, your source for all Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers news, updates and more!"},"abstract":{"value":""},"keywords":{"value":""},"robots":{"value":{"index":0,"follow":0,"noindex":0,"nofollow":0,"noarchive":0,"nosnippet":0,"noodp":0,"noydir":0,"noimageindex":0,"notranslate":0}},"news_keywords":{"value":""},"standout":{"value":""},"rating":{"value":""},"referrer":{"value":""},"rights":{"value":""},"image_src":{"value":""},"canonical":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"set_cookie":{"value":""},"shortlink":{"value":"[current-page:url:unaliased]","default":"[current-page:url:unaliased]"},"original-source":{"value":""},"prev":{"value":""},"next":{"value":""},"content-language":{"value":""},"geo.position":{"value":""},"geo.placename":{"value":""},"geo.region":{"value":""},"icbm":{"value":""},"refresh":{"value":""},"revisit-after":{"value":"","period":""},"pragma":{"value":""},"cache-control":{"value":""},"expires":{"value":""},"theme-color":{"value":""},"MobileOptimized":{"value":""},"HandheldFriendly":{"value":""},"viewport":{"value":""},"cleartype":{"value":""},"amphtml":{"value":""},"alternate_handheld":{"value":""},"apple-itunes-app":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-capable":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style":{"value":""},"apple-mobile-web-app-title":{"value":""},"format-detection":{"value":""},"ios-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-app-link-alternative":{"value":""},"android-manifest":{"value":""},"x-ua-compatible":{"value":""},"application-name":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainApiCalls":{"value":""},"msapplication-allowDomainMetaTags":{"value":""},"msapplication-badge":{"value":""},"msapplication-config":{"value":""},"msapplication-navbutton-color":{"value":""},"msapplication-notification":{"value":""},"msapplication-square150x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square310x310logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-square70x70logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-wide310x150logo":{"value":""},"msapplication-starturl":{"value":""},"msapplication-task":{"value":""},"msapplication-task-separator":{"value":""},"msapplication-tilecolor":{"value":""},"msapplication-tileimage":{"value":""},"msapplication-tooltip":{"value":""},"msapplication-window":{"value":""},"og:type":{"value":"article","default":"article"},"og:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"og:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"og:determiner":{"value":""},"og:description":{"value":""},"og:updated_time":{"value":""},"og:see_also":{"value":""},"og:image":{"value":""},"og:image:url":{"value":""},"og:image:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:image:type":{"value":""},"og:image:width":{"value":""},"og:image:height":{"value":""},"og:latitude":{"value":""},"og:longitude":{"value":""},"og:street_address":{"value":""},"og:locality":{"value":""},"og:region":{"value":""},"og:postal_code":{"value":""},"og:country_name":{"value":""},"og:email":{"value":""},"og:phone_number":{"value":""},"og:fax_number":{"value":""},"og:locale":{"value":""},"og:locale:alternate":{"value":""},"article:author":{"value":""},"article:publisher":{"value":""},"article:section":{"value":""},"article:tag":{"value":""},"article:published_time":{"value":""},"article:modified_time":{"value":""},"article:expiration_time":{"value":""},"profile:first_name":{"value":""},"profile:last_name":{"value":""},"profile:username":{"value":""},"profile:gender":{"value":""},"og:audio":{"value":""},"og:audio:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:audio:type":{"value":""},"book:author":{"value":""},"book:isbn":{"value":""},"book:release_date":{"value":""},"book:tag":{"value":""},"og:video:url":{"value":""},"og:video:secure_url":{"value":""},"og:video:width":{"value":""},"og:video:height":{"value":""},"og:video:type":{"value":""},"video:actor":{"value":""},"video:actor:role":{"value":""},"video:director":{"value":""},"video:writer":{"value":""},"video:duration":{"value":""},"video:release_date":{"value":""},"video:tag":{"value":""},"video:series":{"value":""},"twitter:card":{"value":"summary","default":"summary"},"twitter:creator":{"value":""},"twitter:creator:id":{"value":""},"twitter:url":{"value":"[current-page:url:absolute]","default":"[current-page:url:absolute]"},"twitter:title":{"value":"[current-page:title]","default":"[current-page:title]"},"twitter:description":{"value":""},"twitter:dnt":{"value":""},"twitter:image":{"value":""},"twitter:image:width":{"value":""},"twitter:image:height":{"value":""},"twitter:image:alt":{"value":""},"twitter:image0":{"value":""},"twitter:image1":{"value":""},"twitter:image2":{"value":""},"twitter:image3":{"value":""},"twitter:player":{"value":""},"twitter:player:width":{"value":""},"twitter:player:height":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream":{"value":""},"twitter:player:stream:content_type":{"value":""},"twitter:app:country":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:iphone":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:ipad":{"value":""},"twitter:app:name:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:id:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:app:url:googleplay":{"value":""},"twitter:label1":{"value":""},"twitter:data1":{"value":""},"twitter:label2":{"value&q