2017-18 Preview Part 2: Phantoms Forwards
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms are set to begin their fourth season as an American Hockey League (AHL) franchise in downtown Allentown this weekend, hosting Atlantic Division rival Hershey on Saturday night.
With the regular season right around the corner, it's time again to break out our team previews for the Phantoms.
In Part 2, we'll take a look at the forwards on Lehigh Valley's opening night roster as well as make mention of some of the depth players the Phantoms have under contract beginning the season with their ECHL affiliate Reading Royals.
Forwards
#9 Cole Bardreau (injured) - 24 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 72GP, 9G-15A, -4, 85 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Just when it seemed that Bardreau had put his lengthy injury history behind him, the feisty forward broke his hand in a Flyers preseason game in Brooklyn against the Islanders. He's expected back soon, but he really needs to stay healthy if he wants to be an impact player for the Phantoms this season.
EXTRA READING: Prospect Profile - Cole Bardreau
#10 Greg Carey - 27 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 74GP, 28G-23A, -9, 17 PIM Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Carey is the pure shooter on this team, and needs a playmaker with good vision to maximize his offensive potential. The combination of Carey-Vorobyev-AubeKubel was an intriguing one in the Phantoms' pair of preseason games, and they set up Carey for one hell of a shot in last Saturday's game against Charlotte.
It'll be interesting to see how the lines shake out, but one thing is for sure. Carey is here to shoot the puck, and hopefully score quite a bit of goals.
#11 Steven Swavely - 25 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 16GP, 0G-0A, -3, 0 PIM Contract Status: AHL Free Agent after 2017-18 season
Swavely is well-liked by Scott Gordon. The Phantoms' head coach trusted Swavely enough to put him in the Phantoms' postseason lineup despite Swavely being on an AHL-only contract over NHL contracted players like Radel Fazleev
Swavely plays a reliable defensive game as a 4th line center, and will need to continue being strong on pucks, good in the face-off circle and strong on the penalty kill if he wants to carve out an AHL role this season.
#12 Tyrell Goulbourne - 23 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: GP, G-A, -, PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2017-18 season
In the final year of his entry-level deal, this is basically a last hurrah for Goulbourne to make a name for himself with the Flyers organization.
The physical, aggressive forward must play to his strengths and be a reliable penalty killer if he wants to remain a regular in the Phantoms' lineup this season.
#13 Colin McDonald (injured) - 33 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 72GP, 25G-19A, +6, 27 PIM Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent after 2017-18 season
The captain will begin the season on the injured list, but he'll be back before the end of the month.
McDonald is no stranger to the AHL. He knows his role, he plays it very well and he leads by example. This season should be no different.
#14 Corban Knight - 27 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 72GP, 11G-29A, +8, 44 PIM Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
A Swiss army knife so to speak, Knight can do it all - playing up and down the lineup last season for Scott Gordon on the wing and in the middle.
Power play, penalty kill, last minute of a game - it doesn't matter the situation. Knight is a valuable asset for the Phantoms.
EXTRA READING: Knight Eyes Return to NHL
#15 Mikhail Vorobyev - 20 years old 2016-17 KHL Stats: 44GP, 3G-8A, Even, 18 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2019-20 season
The incoming rookie center has shown flashes of brilliance on the ice with his vision and playmaking ability. He'll need to adjust to the smaller rink surface the North American pro game has to offer, but Vorobyev has the potential to put up some great numbers dependent upon how quickly he transitions.
#16 Nicolas Aube-Kubel - 21 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 71GP, 9G-9A, +10, 55 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Aube-Kubel is looking to take his game to the next level in his 2nd pro season, and will be aiming for more offensive production than his () goals he managed last year.
With a plethora of young talent added to the forward prospect pool, NAK needs to stand out this season if he wishes to remain relevant in the Flyers organization.
EXTRA READING: Prospect Profile - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
#18 Danick Martel - 22 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 67GP, 20G-20A, +15, 67 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2017-18 season
Like Aube-Kubel, Martel needs a standout season in his 3rd year as a pro to avoid being lost in the shuffle.
The speedy, agitating forward has proven he can score goals at the AHL level and he's improved his play away from the puck. It's now time for him to put it all together and prove he's a complete player.
#19 Radel Fazleev - 21 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 65GP, 6G-10A, -2, 26 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Fazleev admitted this summer that he needs to be better. He'll have a chance early this season, with some injuries to the forward core, to make his case for a larger role this year in his sophomore campaign at the pro level.
EXTRA READING: Prospect Profile - Radel Fazleev
#21 Mike Vecchione - 24 years old 2016-17 ECAC Stats: 38GP, 29G-34A, +19, 45 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Obviously disappointed with the lack of a chance to prove he's an NHL player, Vecchione begins the year with a definite chip on his shoulder in the AHL.
Really not sure what to expect from him to start the season. Will he be dialed in with his Phantoms' teammates, or will his frustrations with the organization's decision to bounce him from the NHL roster have a negative effect on his play?
#22 Chris Conner - 33 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 70GP, 22G-34A, -4, 10 PIM Contract Status: AHL Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Conner, interestingly enough, opted for a two-year AHL contract with the Phantoms instead of an NHL deal this summer which leads to speculation that perhaps he's eying a chance to represent Team USA in the Olympics this year.
The small, speedy veteran forward was able to make good use of his skill set in the AHL last season, topping the 50-point mark for the third consecutive season. He should be a top-six staple again this year, and continue mentoring the younger players as one of the veterans on the forward unit.
#24 Matt Read - 31 years old 2016-17 NHL Stats: 63GP, 10G-9A, +3, 8 PIM Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent after 2017-18 season
Read played only 10 AHL games in his pro career and that came back in 2010-11. After being waived by the Flyers, he'll join the Phantoms with a chip on his shoulder and obvious disappointment/frustration.
His stay with Lehigh Valley may be short-lived, as it appeared a minor injury to Shayne Gostisbehere forced GM Ron Hextall to begin the year with eight defensemen, but we shouldn't expect anything less than a dominant AHL player from Read while he's in the minors.
#26 Phil Varone - 26 years old 2016-17 AHL Stats: 65GP, 15G-36A, -14, 22 PIM Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent after 2018-19 season
Varone joins the Flyers organization after spending last season in the AHL with the Binghamton Senators and previously five years with the Buffalo Sabres organization where he accumulated 42 NHL games.
He's proven he can be a 50-point player in the AHL over his career, but he's also been the lone wolf on some putrid AHL squads in recent years. How much of his success came with an unfavorable scoreboard? How will he fit into the Phantoms' forward lines? Time will tell, but Lehigh Valley may have found a good replacement to help some with secondary scoring lost with the departures of Andy Miele, Scott Laughton Taylor Leier, Jordan Weal and Mark Zengerle.
#28 Oskar Lindblom - 21 years old 2016-17 SHL Stats: 52GP, 22G-25A, +16, 18 PIM Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent after 2019-20 season*
Lindblom had a breakout year in Sweden last season, nearly doubling his offensive output and working on all the aspects of his game he needed to in order to prepare himself for a transition to North American pro hockey full-time in 2017-18.
He almost made the Flyers' roster out of camp, being the final cut (along with Matt Read) and on the cusp of being an NHL player. Expectations will be high, but Lindblom should be a force while he's in the AHL once he gets fully adjusted to the smaller rink.
EXTRA READING: Tim Riday's monthly Flyers prospect report had plenty of nice things written about Lindblom.
Honorable Mention
The Phantoms have a few forwards under AHL contract beginning the season in the ECHL with the Reading Royals.
Alex Krushelnyski, 26, finished his third pro season last year - his first extended AHL play as he appeared in a career-high 43 games with the Binghamton Senators last season.
Chris McCarthy, 26, split last season between Lehigh Valley and Reading. While in the ECHL, he was more than a point-per-game player with 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 43 games.
Matt Willows, 26, spent time with Reading and Allen in the ECHL last season - putting up 58 points (22 goals, 36 assists) in 63 games.
Forwards Outlook/Insights
The Phantoms strength is in the depth of their forward core. They have speedy scorers, playmakers, power forwards, penalty-killing specialists, high-end talent and highly-touted prospects.
The key will be putting it all together on ice. The Phantoms have another strong roster on paper, much like they did last year. It's up to the coaches - Scott Gordon and Kerry Huffman - to not only get the most out of their players, but to also put the right combinations together to maximize this unit's potential.
