What Do Veterans Froese, Schlemko Provide Phantoms?
EDITOR'S NOTE: A special thanks to Scott Matla of SB Nation's Montreal Canadiens 'Habs Eyes on the Prize' for providing Inside AHL Hockey's Lehigh Valley Phantoms reporter Tony Androckitis with some insights on new Phantoms Byron Froese and David Schlemko.
ALLENTOWN, PA -- Lehigh Valley Phantoms fans have yet to see what the two newest additions to the roster have to offer, but after getting past what was likely visa issues that kept Byron Froese and David Schlemko in Canada over the weekend and unable to participate in the Phantoms' home games Saturday and Sunday both players could play pivotal - and very different - roles on the Philadelphia Flyers' AHL affiliate as they head down the stretch toward aiming for another run at the Calder Cup.
Froese, who will turn 28 one month from today, captained the Canadiens' AHL affiliate in Laval during his AHL time in the organization both last season and this season prior to being traded Saturday. The 6-0, 201 pound forward spent the majority of last season in the NHL with Montreal, tallying 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 48 NHL games with the Canadiens while also tallying the same exact offensive stat line in 13 AHL games with Laval in 2017-18.
This year, Froese has spent the entirety of the season to date in the AHL with Laval - recording 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 46 games. Two years ago, Froese's most recent year with extended AHL playing time, saw him tally 27 goals in 54 regular season games before being a big part of the Syracuse Crunch's run to the 2017 Calder Cup Finals with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 22 playoff games that postseason.
To give an insight into each player and what to expect, we reached out to Scott Matla - senior writer for SB Nation's Habs Eyes on the Prize (Montreal Canadiens) - and he provided some great details about both Froese and Schlemko and what their skill sets are best sutied for with Lehigh Valley.
"For Froese, he's going to be a point getter. Great skills, good hands and a knowledge of where to be to help set up or finish plays. He'll be a great linemate anywhere in the lineup for the Phantoms, especially with younger players," Matla said of Froese, adding, "He's got the AHL experience that makes him invaluable on and off the ice for teams, and signing him was a big deal for the Rocket last year, and while he was in the AHL he's played just below a point per game pace."
Schlemko, 31, also joins the Phantoms after parts of two seasons in the AHL with Montreal's affiliate Laval - though Schlemko has appeared in just 16 AHL games since the 2010-11 season. A veteran with over 400 games of NHL experience as a member of Arizona, Calgary, Dallas, Montreal, New Jersey and San Jose, Schlemko has all the tools to be a calming presence on the Phantoms' blue line for as long as his current stay in the AHL with Lehigh Valley lasts.
"As for Schlemko, he's never going to wow you with his play, he's a steady defensive hand with some offensive upside," Matla told Inside AHL Hockey of Schlemko. "Joel Bouchard had no issue using him at even strength, wave two of the power play, and as a premier penalty killer. Pairing him with a prospect defender to give them a veteran partner is likely the smartest move."
It remains to be seen if Phil Myers' stay with the Flyers will be short-lived or perhaps they'll keep him in the NHL for the remainder of the regular season, but Schlemko certainly fits the bill as a 7th defenseman you wouldn't be afraid to sit as a healthy scratch for an extended period. At 31, he's more than capable of handling that situation and it avoids having a younger prospect sitting in that position of watching rather than playing in the AHL and developing.
"While the Flyers seem to be set on NHL talent, Schlemko was a very good player by all advanced metrics, just with the habit of a few untimely brain farts as well," Matla added of Schlemko. "He's a good luxury to have in the AHL, but could just as easily contribute to the NHL club if called upon as well."
