The Flyers trimmed their camp roster again Friday, sending forwards Cole Knuble, Jacob Gaucher and Jett Luchanko, along with defenseman Oliver Bonk, to the AHL as they move closer to opening night.
The club announced the moves after Thursday night’s strong showing against the Bruins, with one exhibition game left on the schedule. The four players are unlikely to reach Lehigh Valley in time for the Phantoms’ preseason opener Friday evening, but they should still be available for the Phantoms’ final two tuneups on Saturday and Tuesday.
For this group, the decision comes down to development. All four had done enough in preseason to keep themselves in the conversation, and the Flyers clearly valued what they showed.
But with young players like these, the organization appears to believe the best move is to get them back into regular work with the Phantoms instead of leaving them in a limited NHL holding pattern. That means more minutes, more reps, and a quicker return to the development staff.
Knuble, in particular, leaves camp with real momentum. He was one of the biggest standouts in the preseason, and Rick Tocchet said as recently as Thursday night that Knuble was legitimately putting some pressure on more established players in the training camp mix.
He made the most of his opportunity against NHL competition, and the Flyers now expect him to take on a major role with Lehigh Valley while continuing to build toward the next step. It stings to start the season this way, but the organization seems convinced his path leads back up before long.
After Friday’s moves, the Flyers are down to 26 players. The remaining extras include Carl Grundstrom, who cleared waivers on Thursday but has not yet been assigned to Lehigh Valley, Garrett Wilson, who is not on an NHL contract, David Jiricek, Helge Grans, who was injured in Thursday’s game, and Aleksei Kolosov.
That gives the Flyers some cover at forward and in goal if Denver Barkey or Dan Vladar aren’t ready for Game 1 next Wednesday. It also leaves one last camp battle in place, with Jiricek and Simon Benoit competing for the sixth defenseman job.
At this point, the major roster decisions appear to be done, and Saturday’s game should serve as the closest thing to a dress rehearsal before the opener.
In Other News...
Flyers Have One Big Christian Dvorak Decision Still To Make
Christian Dvorak gave the Flyers exactly what they needed last season, settling in as the top-line center for much of the year and turning in the kind of all-around production that made him look like a fit for a bigger role. His first year in Philadelphia ended with a career season across the board, and the team responded by committing to him long term as it starts sorting out what the center depth chart is supposed to look like next.
The bigger question now is how the Flyers want to arrange the middle of the ice around him. Dvorak is in place, but the club still has to decide which combinations give it the best balance, and whether his most natural usage is still at the top of the lineup or in a different setup as camp and the season approach. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Are Finally About To Learn What David Jiricek Really Is
The Flyers are at the point where camp decisions start turning into actual lineup reality, and David Jiricek is already part of it. General manager Daniel Briere confirmed the defense prospect has made Philadelphias opening night roster, a notable step for a player the organization wants to evaluate in a meaningful role rather than stash on the sidelines. With injuries affecting some of the competition around him, the Flyers still have two roster cuts to make before Mondays deadline.
For Jiricek, the first glimpse of that evaluation looks fairly defined. He is expected to begin on the third defensive pairing and handle the second-unit power-play quarterback duties, giving the Flyers a chance to see how his skill set translates when the games count. It is a useful landing spot for a player whose next stretch should tell Philadelphia a lot about where he fits, and the clubs final moves over the next few days should only sharpen the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Opener Confidence May Hinge On Dan Vladar
The Flyers got a little more clarity on Dan Vladar as the regular season draws closer, with the goaltender taking part in a skate while continuing to recover from an upper-body injury. Rick Tocchet said Vladar is progressing daily and described him as day to day, a sign the team has at least some optimism around the crease as opening night approaches.
Philadelphia still has a wait-and-see feel to it with a few pieces of the roster, and Vladars status is one of the bigger ones given how much the Flyers want stability in goal to start the season. Forward Denver Barkey is also day to day with a lower-body injury and could be in the mix as well, but for now the focus is on whether Vladar can keep trending the right way in time for the opener. [Read more 🡒]