With some Philadelphia Flyers’ action being on the horizon this month, it’s time to start transitioning from the offseason into the start of the regular season. With that comes the beginning of rookie camp for the club starting on Sept. 13, some on-ice action the following day, and a couple of scrimmages taking place on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. In the four-day process, who are some young players who could stand out?
JR Avon
Center Jon-Randall (JR) Avon is a commonly overlooked Flyers’ prospect who is just 20 years of age. After showing some flashes in the team’s scrimmages in July, he should be an intriguing player to look out for in camp.
Avon’s speed is a defining factor of his game. When he is given space, that becomes pretty obvious. Playing his last two seasons after being drafted in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), he has put up consecutive 29-goal seasons with a combined 128 points across them for the Peterborough Petes. While he might not have the most blistering shot, his skill helps combat that.
At this point, Avon seems a bit too raw to be a candidate to make the Flyers’ roster on opening day, or even by the end of the season for that matter. Slated to be with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms for his 2023-24 campaign according to Jamey Baskow, he can start to climb up the ranks that way. Transitioning from juniors to the AHL is never an easy task, but his performances at rookie camp could be indicative of whether he can make it work.
Bobby Brink
After missing last season’s rookie camp with a torn labrum, winger Bobby Brink will return this season with something to prove. Out of all the players on this list, he has the most NHL experience; albeit for just 10 games. With some legit NHL upside, he will have to battle hard starting with rookie camp in order to earn a final roster spot.
Before his setback from injury before the start of last season, Brink was projected to be a roster player for the Flyers, immediately after being a finalist for the 2022 Hobey Baker Award. At 22 years old, he will have some time to not only show he is worthy of playing in the NHL but also become a reliable player as well. With four assists in his lone 10 games in the NHL in 2021-22, he has shown the potential to do this. It is likely that he is one of the more noticeable players in rookie camp given his very apparent talents.
Elliot Desnoyers
Forward Elliot Desnoyers, just 21 years old, has already become a player that Flyers’ head coach John Tortorella has praised. Even though he did not register any points in his four games with the club last season, he was still a solid depth piece in spite of his age. He will do more to solidify being a regular NHL player.
Related: Flyers’ Prospect Elliot Desnoyers Loves Beating the Odds
While Desnoyers might not be a flashy player at this stage, he can still be an active one. It is definitely a bit cliché, but he has to do the small things right to garner the trust of his coaches. Having already played in the NHL, this camp might be less important to him than it has been in previous years. We should expect to see something resembling NHL-caliber characteristics by the time it begins.
Emil Andrae
Defenseman Emil Andrae is a player who has all the tools to succeed in the NHL. With elite offensive skills and instincts combined with some good defensive abilities and a booming body-checking presence, he is one of the more mature prospects who will play in the Flyers’ rookie camp.
Andrae, playing most of his recent season in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), had 26 points in 51 games in the professional league. Considering the competition, this is fairly impressive. Moving over to the AHL for 10 games in the regular season, he had a pair of goals and four assists for a total of six points. For the first time in his career, he will likely spend the entire season in North America as opposed to Europe considering his SHL club, HV71, thanked him for his time with the team. With not many fans of the Flyers having seen him in much action, he will bring some attention to himself in camp.
Alexis Gendron
Last season, winger Alexis Gendron was the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s most efficient scorer, scoring a total of 55 goals in just 63 games. Even if the league is known for its high goal-scoring output, this is still very impressive for a 19-year-old, especially one drafted with a seventh-round selection.
Playing for the Flyers is still something very much down the road for him, but the team can gauge just how far along he is in the development process by playing against some competition a bit better than he is used to. This definitely won’t be a “prove it” showcase for Gendron, but he could help the Flyers know where he stands at this point.
After a four-month hiatus of Flyers’ hockey against other teams, the month of September is sure a welcome one. For now, the major focus will be on some of the kids as they work their way up the Flyers’ prospect ranks.