Quick Hits: February 12, 2021
1) Yesterday, the National Hockey League added Flyers right wing Jakub Voracek and center Morgan Frost to the COVID-19 protocol list. This brings the total number of Philadelphia players on the current list to five: Travis Sanheim (added Feb. 7), Claude Giroux (added Feb. 9), Justin Braun (added Feb. 9), Voracek, and Frost.
The current plan is still for the Flyers to return to practice on Monday -- following four postponed games -- to begin preparations to play the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday. The Flyers would then depart on Friday for Lake Tahoe before playing an outdoor game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 21.
It was reported yesterday, but not confirmed by the NHL, that the Rangers are the "Plan B" option to play the Bruins in the event the Flyers' Covid situation worsens. As it is now, the Flyers are down four regulars in the starting lineup.
Frost, the organization's top forward prospect and an AHL All-Star as a rookie last season, has been on injured reserve since sustaining a dislocated shoulder on Jan. 19. The injury required surgery, and the player was likely lost for the season. As such, it is believed that Frost has not been around his Flyers teammates recently, and his addition to the protocol is due to a separate exposure or contraction source than the other players on the list.
2) The additions of Voracek and Frost to the COVID-19 protocol were announced about 15 minutes after Jason Myrtetus and I wrapped up recording the February 12 edition of the Flyers Daily podcast for the Flyers Broadcast Network.
In this edition, we take stock of the club's play up up until this unexpected shift back to a short-term "pause" to the season. Are there any players who could benefit from the "reset" opportunity? Spoiler: Travis Konecny is at the top of our list of three. Is there any chance of a Matt Niskanen return? How much could the additional protocols that have been added by the NHL and NHLPA help? With a limited number of fans soon to return to games in New York, what are the prospects for doing so soon in Philadelphia, too?
3) Later today, Brian Smith and I will record the February edition the Prospect Pipeline podcast. This will primarily be a Lehigh Valley Phantoms focused version of the show, but we will also have some discussion on the NCAA, CHL and Europe.
4) The Phantoms (1-0-1) are idle tonight and Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, they will visit Hershey again for a 1:00 p.m. ET tilt. It will be Lehigh Valley's second of 14 total games against the Bears this season. The Phantoms earned a 2-1 overtime win on opening night against Hershey as rookie defenseman Wyatte Wylie scored in the final minute of regulation to force OT and then assisted on Ryan Fitzgerald's game-winner in 3-on-3 sudden death.
5) Flyers goaltending prospect Samuel Ersson recorded a 26-save shutout on Thursday in Brynà¤s IF Gà¤vle's 2-0 victory against Malmö in SHL action. BIF is a weak team this year, sitting in 11th place in the 14th team league. Ersson hasn't had much help around him either in goal support or defensive assistance. Nonetheless, despite winning just 13 of the 31 games in which he's appeared this season, Ersson has posted a .914 save percentage and three shutouts.
6) February 12 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Frederic Chabot (1968), Martin Houle (1985), Michel Petit (1964), Chris Winnes (1968).