We continue our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects currently playing in the AHL, overseas or at the junior and college levels.
Let’s get to it!
Travis Sanheim, D, Calgary Hitmen
Good news, Flyers fans. Sanheim returned from an upper-body injury in Calgary's 4-3 overtime loss to Regina and didn't miss a beat. The 19-year-old blueliner earned an assist in the second period and scored with just 15 seconds remaining in regulation to force OT. Sanheim, the Flyers' first-round pick in 2014, has seven goals and 24 points in 19 games this season.
Anthony Stolarz, G, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
The Phantoms had a bit of a scare on Wednesday. Stolarz, who has been red-hot between the pipes, made eight saves on nine shots in the first period against Utica but suffered a lower-body injury and did not return. Fortunately, an MRI revealed no serious damage and Stolarz is considered day to day. Whew. The towering netminder has been arguably Lehigh Valley's best player in the early going. He's 7-4-1 with a .930 save percentage and 1.96 goals-against average in 13 starts.
Travis Konecny, C/RW, Ottawa 67's
It seems like every game Konecny plays in, he does something to make you say, "Wow." The kid is incredible with the puck on his stick. He's a human highlight reel. The 18-year-old captain of the 67's helped his club to three victories last week, piling up five assists and a nifty goal in the process. He's now up to six markers and 33 helpers for an insane 39 points in 25 games this season for Ottawa. Talk about a special talent.
Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon Wheat Kings
Provorov, the No. 7 pick in the 2015 NHL draft, was held off the scoresheet and was minus-2 in Brandon's 4-2 loss to Lethbridge but rebounded with a two-assist performance in Saturday's 4-3 victory over Medicine Hat. The 18-year-old Russian has five goals, 17 assists and a plus-16 rating in 25 games in 2015-16.
Taylor Leier, LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Leier handled his demotion quite well. After a six-game tour with the Flyers, the 21-year-old recorded a goal and an assist in his first game back with the Phantoms -- a 6-5 win over Hershey on Friday. Leier will see a lot more minutes in the AHL, so don't be surprised if he continues to produce at a regular clip. He has five goals and six assists in the 16 games he's played for Lehigh Valley in 2015-16.
NHL
Radel Fazleev, LW, Calgary Hitmen
Calgary, which has been inconsistent offensively, needed someone to take charge with Sanheim sidelined and the guy who answered the bell was Fazleev. The 19-year-old Russian leads the Hitmen in goals (13), assists (22), points (35) and plus/minus (plus-7) through 28 games. He was on the ice for all of his team's goals -- earning two assists -- in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Prince Albert, he tallied a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over Saskatoon on Wednesday and picked up two more helpers in a losing effort against Regina on Friday. Nobody expected this type of production from Fazleev when the season began but you won't hear the Flyers complaining. GM Ron Hextall inked the forward to an entry-level contract in May to help out the organization's depth. Smart move.
Merrick Madsen, G, Harvard Crimson
Madsen was instrumental in helping Harvard skate away champions of the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend, Indiana. The sophomore goalie earned tourney MVP honors after stopping 29 of 30 shots in a 4-1 win over Notre Dame on Friday and recording a 31-save shutout in Saturday's 4-0 victory over Rensselaer. The 2013 sixth-round has been lights out all season really. He's 5-0-0 with three shutouts, a .979 save percentage and 0.60 goals-against average. Those are video-game numbers. Excellent stuff from the 20-year-old.
Petr Straka, RW/LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
This isn't what Hextall wanted to see from Straka. Sure, he scored twice in Friday's win over Hershey and ranks second in the AHL with 14 goals this season, but the 23-year-old was invisible in his other two appearances last week -- both games in which the Phantoms struggled to get anything going offensively. The Flyers didn't call up Straka because they want to see him produce consistently. That's something he'll need to improve on if he wants to remain in the organization. His contract expires this summer, so now's the time to show he belongs.
Mark Friedman, D, Bowling Green Falcons
After a slow start to the season offensively, Friedman is beginning to catch fire. The sophomore defenseman scored his first goal of 2015-16 in a 2-1 win over Northern Michigan University on Friday and recorded another goal, along with an assist, in Saturday's 4-3 victory. During his current five-game point streak, the 19-year-old has two markers and five assists overall. Bowling Green is rolling, too. The Falcons have won five straight and are 9-3-3 this season.
Felix Sandstrom, G, Sweden Brynäs IF
Sandstrom made 20 saves in his only start last week -- a 3-2 loss to Skellefteå AIK. The 18-year-old Swede is 5-3-1 with a .904 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average for Brynäs IF in 2015-16.
Fellow Flyers prospect Oskar Lindblom scored his fifth goal of the season in a 3-0 win over Färjestad BK on Wednesday. Lindblom, a fifth-round pick in 2014, has 16 points and a plus-13 rating in 23 games this season.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, C/RW, Val-d'Or Foreurs
Aube-Kubel continued to impress for Val-d'Or last week. The 19-year-old scored twice and had an assist in the Foreurs' 9-2 rout of Drummondville on Friday and added another helper in a 4-0 win over Acadie-Bathurst on Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 196-pounder has racked up 16 goals and 28 points in 22 games overall this season.
Cooper Marody, C/RW, University of Michigan Wolverines
Marody, the Wolverines' leading scorer, extended his goal streak to four games after finding the back of the net in Friday's 7-0 rout of Dartmouth. The freshman forward, however, was held off the scoresheet in the rematch on Saturday -- a 1-1 draw. Marody has been spectacular, potting seven goals and assisting five more in 11 games for 7-2-2 Michigan this season.
Sam Morin/Robert Hagg, D, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
An injury to Mark Alt saw Hagg and Morin play as a pair for the first time in Saturday's 3-0 loss to Providence. Morin, who destroyed Utica's Joseph LaBate in a fight on Wednesday, was one of the few standouts against the Bruins, often using his size, reach and defensive smarts to his advantage. He's making good progress in his first year as a professional and is starting to look more and more confident each game. Hagg is coming along nicely, too. He missed some time with an injury this year but is beginning to assert himself. He has two assists in his last four games and has been one of Lehigh Valley's most reliable blueliners in the defensive zone.
Ivan Fedotov, G, Reaktor Nizhnekamsk
The seventh-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft picked up a win in his lone start last week. Fedotov allowed two goals on just 18 shots but it proved to be enough in a 3-2 overtime win for Reaktor Nizhnekamsk. The 19-year-old Russian is an impressive 11-3-1 with a .921 save percentage, 1.92 goals-against average and two shutouts this season.
Tyrell Goulbourne, LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Goulbourne, a third-round pick in 2013, has been a pleasant surprise. Who knew he had a scoring touch? The first-year AHLer has six goals after finding the back of the net twice against Hershey and also has three assists in 21 games. He got into his third scrap of the season, as well, taking down Tyler Lewington of the Bears. Don't call him a goon just yet, either. His only penalty minutes (15) have come from his fighting majors.
Mikhail Vorobyov, C, Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Vorobyov, who has found great success with his junior team, Tolpar Ufa, is back with Salavat Yulaev Ufa for his second stint in the KHL this season. The 18-year-old Russian appeared in three games last week but was used sparingly, much like his first call-up. In seven total games in the KHL, Vorobyov has gone scoreless with just two shots on goal while averaging 7:13 of ice time. He has, however, won 49 of the 72 faceoffs he's taken.
Philippe Myers, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Myers snapped a five-game scoring drought on Friday, when he recorded an assist in the Huskies' 4-1 win over Acadie-Bathurst. Though he's known as a shutdown defender, Myers has been strong on both sides of the puck so far in 2015-16. He has eight goals, 10 assists and a plus-21 rating in 26 games for Rouyn-Noranda.