We continue our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects currently playing in the AHL, overseas or at the junior/collegiate levels.
With junior seasons already underway and the AHL and select NCAA clubs opening play this past week, we have a lot to cover.
In this week’s report, we’ll lead with a pair of defensemen tearing up the WHL.
Travis Sanheim, D, Calgary Hitmen
Sanheim led all WHL defensemen in scoring last season and doesn’t appear ready to relinquish his throne. The 19-year-old collected a goal and five assists in two games for Calgary last week and has played a hand in 12 of the team's 22 goals through seven games. What’s more impressive is that eight of Sanheim’s nine assists have been the primary helper. He’s creating offense for himself (three power-play goals) and his teammates. Dangerous combination.
Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon Wheat Kings
Not far behind Sanheim is Provorov, the Flyers’ seventh-overall pick at this summer’s NHL draft. The Russian blue liner racked up a goal, six assists and a plus-7 rating in three games for the Wheat Kings last week. He’s now one point behind Sanheim for the WHL points lead among defensemen, so this should be a fun competition to follow.
Shayne Gostisbehere, D, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
The Phantoms opened their season with a 4-3 loss to the Syracuse Crunch at PPL Center on Saturday night. Several prospects stood out — including forwards Danick Martel (one goal), Taylor Leier (one assist), Nick Cousins (one assist) and Michael Parks (one assist) — but we're going to focus on Gostisbehere, who is coming off an impressive training camp/preseason with the Flyers. The second-year pro was paired on Lehigh Valley's top defensive unit with recently-demoted veteran Andrew MacDonald and picked up an assist on Aaron Palushaj's power-play marker. Gostisbehere was limited to just seven games last season because of an ACL injury but has looked dynamic as ever. His skating has returned to form after a tedious recovery process and he's in top condition. He could be back up with the Flyers in no time.
Travis Konecny, C/RW, Ottawa 67's
When we last checked in on Konecny, the promising young forward was mired in a bit of a scoring slump. Consider it over. The 18-year-old picked up five assists in three games this weekend to help the 67’s to victories over Oshawa, Barrie and Owen Sound.
NHL
Nicolas Aube-Kubel, C/RW, Val-d'Or Foreurs
Aube-Kubel is showing no ill effects to the illegal blindside hit he took two weeks ago. The 19-year-old tallied three goals and two assists in three games for Val-d'Or last week. Despite missing four games because of an injury, the 2014 second-round pick still ranks second on his team in scoring with seven goals and seven assists in eight tilts.
Radel Fazleev, LW, Calgary Hitmen
Fazleev, a 19-year-old winger who signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers a few months ago, is benefiting greatly from playing on a high-scoring Calgary team with Sanheim. The 2014 sixth-round pick potted a goal and assisted four more in Calgary's home-and-home split with Red Deer last week. He's up to four tallies and six helpers in 10 games this season for the Hitmen.
Mark Friedman, D, Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green got off to a great start to the season, sweeping a home-and-home series against Ohio State. Friedman, a third-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft, didn’t register a point in either game but finished a plus-1 as the Falcons outscored the Buckeyes 8-3. At Flyers development camp this summer, the 19-year-old said he was going to use this season, his second at Bowling Green, to fine tune his two-way game. He hasn’t drawn much attention, but he’s developing at a nice rate. Flying under the radar could be the best thing for him with a crowded crop of defensive prospects in front of him.
Philippe Myers, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Myers, who turned heads at Flyers camp and earned himself an entry-level contract for his efforts, is widely recognized as a mobile defensive defenseman. He had just two goals and six assists in 60 games for Rouyn-Noranda in 2014-15, but the towering blue liner returned to the QMJHL ready to expand his role and take on more offensive responsibilities. He scored twice for the Huskies in three games this week and has four goals and four assists to go along with his plus-7 rating in 10 contests overall.
Mikhail Vorobyov, C, Tolpar Ufa
After a six-game scoring drought, Vorobyov has caught fire. The 18-year-old, who plays in the MHL junior league in Russia, posted five helpers for Tolpar on Tuesday and followed that performance up with two goals and an assist on Saturday. The 2015 fourth-round pick has 15 points (three goals) in 12 games overall this season.
Felix Sandstrom, G, Sweden Brynäs IF
Sandstrom, a third-round pick this past summer, has appeared in just four games for Brynas of the Swedish Hockey League but has been sharp between the pipes. He's 3-1-0 with a 1.93 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in those games. Fellow Flyers prospect Oskar Lindblom, a fifth-round pick in 2014, also plays for Brynas and has picked up four points — all assists — in eight games.