In this edition of our Philadelphia Flyers player grading series, we take a gander at what 24-year-old defenseman Egor Zamula had in store for his first full season in the NHL. An undrafted free agent from the 2018 class, he has already exceeded expectations and become one of the better defenders in the class. What grade did he get for his 2023-24 campaign?
Zamula Becomes a Solid Depth Piece
Before his 2023-24 campaign, Zamula frequented the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Orange and Black. His promise was always apparent, he just could never quite get a consistent look in the NHL. Head coach John Tortorella gave him that opportunity this season, and the defender had no plans of giving it away.
Related: Flyers’ Depth Defensemen Will Be Crucial for Playoff Push
Zamula played in 66 games for the Flyers, scoring five goals and 16 assists for 21 points (nine on the power play) and finishing with a plus-3 rating. He had to compete with Marc Staal, Erik Johnson, Ronnie Attard, Adam Ginning, Emil Andrae, and Louie Belpedio for a depth spot throughout the season, so he had to be fairly sharp to never be sent down to the AHL.
Zamula’s even-strength on-ice stats weren’t the greatest with a 47.1 expected goals percentage (xGF%), but he had a solid 2.45 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). He was a low-event defender for the Flyers’ third pair, having better individual results considering his 21 points but worse team-wide numbers.
Zamula was yet another victim of the Flyers’ struggling depth players, though. In his 614 even-strength minutes without either Scott Laughton or Nicolas Deslauriers on the ice with him, he had a 1.99 xGA/60 and a very impressive 55.0 xGF%.
The Flyers actually had some great on-ice stats in 2023-24, but their fourth line skewed that in the wrong direction. When looking a little deeper at where Zamula’s issues came from, his play was actually fairly decent. He worked well with some of the better players on the team, and fit in well on a strong defense.
How Zamula Fit on the Flyers’ Defense
Though Zamula’s numbers were subpar to pretty great depending on how you look at it, how the young defender actually fit on the team is what really matters. The Flyers valued quick exits out of the defensive zone, strong plays in the neutral zone, and the ability to prevent shots as often as possible to win games through their defense. Suppressing opponents’ offense and creating rush plays the other way was the Flyers’ main goal.
Just based on the eye test, Zamula did these things well. He was by no means the best player on the team in any of these areas, but he was competent enough to not cost the Flyers. At even strength, he had a 54.6 percent shots for percentage (SF%), so he was preventing shots as often as possible.
Zamula was one of the slower skaters for the Flyers, so he wasn’t exactly the most lethal player for rush situations. He had most of his impacts in the offensive and defensive zones. He definitely had some bad mistakes on defense, but the positives outweighed most of the negatives.
As for the offense, he showcased a solid shot and had an excellent shooting percentage for a defenseman at 8.2 percent versus the average of 4.3 percent. He caught a few netminders by surprise with his accurate shot from long-range.
Zamula was utilized on the power play quite often, but he probably won’t see much time there next season despite his success points-wise. With Jamie Drysdale, Cam York, and Travis Sanheim being three defensemen who should be decent options there, he is the odd man out.
Zamula’s Final Grade
For a depth player, Zamula had a fairly decent season. He didn’t go above and beyond, but he didn’t cost the team, either. Ultimately, he earns a C-minus grade.
Zamula is eligible for an extension this offseason as he is a restricted free agent. Considering how he played, he is a likely candidate to receive a contract. He could have a lengthy future for the Orange and Black as a sixth or seventh defenseman as long as he keeps up his play, and that might be a positive for their rebuild.
Playoff teams always want seven or eight bodies on their back end in case injuries or simply poor performance occurs. There is a path for Zamula to be a part of the future in Philadelphia.