Quick Hits: October 15, 2020
1) The Flyers have signed left winger Tyson Foerster, the club's first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft to an entry-level contract. The slide-rule eligible deal follows the normal pattern for first-round picks in his range, carrying annual $92,500 signing bonus installments for three years on top of an NHL base salary of $832,500 and an American Hockey League salary of $80,000 per Capfriendly.
Foerster became the second member of the Flyers 2020 Draft crop to sign an ELC, joining fourth-round pick Zayde Wisdom ($700,000 NHL base salary in year one, $750,000 in years two and three, three annual $92,500 signing bonus installments, $70,000 AHL salary). The other three Flyers picks this year, Swedish defenseman Emil Andrae, QMJHL center/winger Elliot Desnoyers, and WHL winger Connor McClennon are unlikely to be signed right away.
2) Yesterday, Tim Saunders, Jim Jackson, Steve Coates, Chris Therien and I recorded a new edition of Broadcasters' Roundtable for the Flyers Broadcast Network. Jim, being the true professional that he is, never let on that he had just received bad news about his longtime baseball season broadcasting work with the Phillies coming to an end as a cost-cutting measure by the MLB organization or that he'd just gotten back to the area from a funeral for a longtime friend. In this edition, the panel discusses the Flyers' signing of Erik Gustafsson, what it could mean for Shayne Gostisbehere, and what else the Flyers may do before or during the season. We also briefly discussed the Flyers' picks in the 2020 NHL Draft.
For the full rundown of Flyers Broadcast Network programs, visit the Multimedia section of the Flyers official website and then subcribe to the programs at delivery platforms of your choice (Apple, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Tune In).
2) Flyers center Nolan Patrick is slated to participate today in another scrimmage being run in Manitoba by former Flyers forward Ryan White.
3) The Western Hockey League announced on Wednesday that their 2020-21 regular season (actually just a 2021 season) is slated to start on January 8. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has been underway for a couple weeks. The Ontario Hockey League has not, as of yet, announced a start date for next season.
4) Flyers Swedish loaned players and unsigned prospects updates:
* Goaltending prospect Samuel Ersson is the likely starting goaltender today for Brynà¤s IF Gà¤vle as they host Rögle BK at 1 p.m. eastern US time. RBK is off to a great start this season, winning five of their first six games and 3.50 goals per game in the process.
* Incoming Flyers rookie forward Linus Sandin (7 GP, 2G, 3A) and 2020 second round pick Emil Andrae (7 GP, 1A, 13:55 TOI) are also in action today as HV71 Jönköping plays host to Malmö. Game time is 1 p.m. eastern U.S. time.
* In Skellefteà¥, SAIK hosts Fà¤rjestads BK, featuring Flyers prospect winger Olle Lycksell (7 GP, 1G, 2A) and defenseman Adam Ginning (5 GP, 1A, 7:34 TOI) this afternoon. Game time is 1 p.m. eastern U.S. time.
* All teams in Allsvenskan (Sweden's top minor league level) are idle today. To date, incoming Phantoms rookie defenseman Linus Högberg has one assist in four games for HC Vita Hà¤sten. Second-year Phantoms/Royals goaltender Felix Sandström has yet to make his first appearance for Và¤sterviks IK and his teammate, prospect center/winger Marcus Westfà¤lt has scored one goal in three games played to date this season.
5) Today in Flyers History: October 15 edition:
* 1971: The Flyers traded fan favorite center Andre Lacroix (the leading scorer early in franchise history before Bob Clarke came along) and later the all-time leading scorer in the World Hockey Association to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Rick Foley.
* 1997: The Flyers traded defenseman/winger Jason Bowen, originally a 1992 first-round pick who struggled to find consistency or a regular position at the NHL level, to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for tough guy winger Brantt Myhres. Little-known fact: The 169 penalty minutes that Myhres racked up in just 23 games for the Flyers in 1997-98 was the highest PIMs-per-game (7.35) in franchise history. Prorated over a full season, he'd have broken the NHL single-season record 472 penalty minutes that Dave Schultz (6.21 PIM per game) compiled over 76 games in 1974-75.
* 1999: At the insistence of head coach Roger Neilson, the Flyers purchased the contract of checking winger Jody Hull from the Atlanta Thrashers, bringing him back to the Flyers a few months after Atlanta claimed Hull from Philadelphia in the 1999 Expansion Draft. Neilson inquired to general manager Bob Clarke several times before the season about the possibility of bringing Hull back, and the GM finally relented.
Clarke then delegated to assistant general manager Paul Holmgren the task of informing team chairman Ed Snider that Hull was coming back.
"Wait!" Snider exclaimed. "Is it too late? Can't we just tell Roger to forget about it?!"
Snider had nothing at all against Hull as a person but was not a fan of his ultra-defensive style of play. Oddly enough, Hull collected double-digit goals (10) for Philly that season; the first time in several years the former 20-goal-scorer (1995-96 for the Florida Panthers) had reached even five goals.
Going back to their time together with the New York Rangers and Panthers, Neilson had long valued Hull because he was a good penalty killer, adhered well to structure and always made safe plays with the puck. Snider and Clarke both felt Hull was a little TOO safe and defensive-minded, but were ultimately on board with giving their head coach a role player in whom he had the utmost confidence.