Initial Outlook At The Phantoms Roster

The Philadelphia Flyers finalized their 23-man roster & six-player taxi squad Tuesday afternoon, after all seven players that placed on waivers Monday - goaltender Alex Lyon, defensemen: Chris Bigras, Derrick Pouliot, Nate Prosser and Tyler Wotherspoon and forwards Andy Andreoff and Sam Morin - made it through unclaimed.

Bigras, Pouliot and Wotherspoon were officially assigned to the Phantoms Tuesday, along with 11 other players.

### Current Look at the 2020-21 Lehigh Valley Phantoms Roster

Goalies (2): Roddy Ross (unsigned) & Felix Sandstrom

Defensemen (7): Chris Bigras, Logan Day (AHL contract), Mason Millman (19-yr-old CHL player under contract), Derrick Pouliot, Tyler Wotherspoon, Wyatte Wylie & Egor Zamula

Forwards (9): Ralph Cuddemi (AHL contract), Tyson Foerster (18-yr-old CHL player under contract), Pascal Laberge, Cal O'Reilly (AHL contract), Linus Sandin, Brennan Saulnier (AHL contract), Matthew Strome, Max Willman (AHL contract) & Zayde Wisdom (18-yr-old CHL player under contract)

Under contract loaned overseas (4): D Linus Hogberg and F's David Kase, German Rubtsov & Maksim Sushko

Injured/Non-Roster (4): G Kirill Ustimenko (out for season) and F's Wade Allison, Isaac Ratcliffe (rib) & Tanner Laczynski

Goalie(s) Needed

It's pretty clear at first glance that the Phantoms will need at least one, if not two goaltenders signed before the AHL's regular season begins on February 5th.

The injury to Kirill Ustimenko leaves Felix Sandstrom as the lone goalie under contract on the Phantoms' roster, though Roddy Ross (an unsigned Flyers prospect) is able to join the Phantoms while Canadian junior hockey leagues settle their return to play plans.

The same goes for defenseman Mason Millman and forwards Tyson Foerster and Zayde Wisdom, who all begin the season on the AHL roster for the time being.

Back to the clear need for help in net.

According to CapFriendly.com, the Flyers are currently at the maximum amount of NHL contracts (50) while details surrounding CHL players on AHL rosters and whether or not the contract for those players will or will not count against that 50-contract maximum. So simply signing a free agent goalie to a one-year, two-way NHL contract might not be an option currently.

It might be possible for the Phantoms to add a free agent goaltender on an AHL contract for this season (they're are plenty of available AHL-level goalies), but with every penny being pinched in an AHL season that will begin without fans at least to start in 2020-21 there's an alternative solution that could prove beneficial for all parties involved - allowing another NHL team to loan one of their goalies to the Phantoms.

It's been done before, and a good recent example is none other than Jordan Binnington - who St. Louis loaned to Boston Bruins AHL affiliate Providence during the 2017-18 season, the year prior to his emergence at the NHL level and eventual Stanley Cup run.

With the AHL affiliates of the Florida Panthers (Charlotte), Nashville Predators (Milwaukee) and St. Louis Blues (Springfield) opting out of this year's shortened season, where do the goalies of those three teams end up that aren't on the NHL roster or taxi squad?

With Nashville sharing AHL-Chicago with the Carolina Hurricanes this season, and the Canes currently having six goalies in the organization after claiming Anton Forsberg on waivers Tuesday, it begs the question of where Kasimir Kaskisuo will go now that he was placed on - and cleared - waivers over the weekend.

The Predators could carry four goalies and keep both Kaskisuo and Connor Ingram on the taxi squad, but perhaps loaning Kaskisuo to play in the AHL and keeping him in game shape is best for now. The player could always be recalled back to Nashville at any time in any such loan arrangement with another NHL team's AHL affiliate.

Phantoms' co-owner Jim Brooks recently told InsideAHLHockey that they would be open to hosting another NHL team's players, if needed.

The good news that they have just over three weeks before the AHL's 2020-21 season gets underway, with games scheduled beginning on February 5th. Those close to the situation tell InsideAHLHockey that Lehigh Valley isn't expected to officially open AHL training camp until January 26th, though informal skates will likely occur in the days leading up to that now that the Flyers' opening night roster + taxi squad is set.