Noah Powell arrives at the professional level with more questions than answers, and that’s exactly what makes him one of the more interesting names in the Phantoms’ rookie mix.
The organization has added more veteran help to its projected roster this season, but there’s still room for younger players to break through. Powell is trying to be one of them after a development path that has been anything but straight. He’s now with the Phantoms looking for a clearer version of his game, and for the first time, a staff can spend real time shaping what that looks like.
His 2025-26 season before this latest step didn’t give him a clean launch point. After a half-season detour through the OHL the year before, he returned to ASU with some hope of getting things moving again.
Instead, the fit was uneven. He posted 12 points in 34 games, but his role bounced around and he never really built much momentum.
Even so, the Flyers still saw enough to sign him at the end of that college season and get him started with the Phantoms, where the hope was that more stability could help him settle in.
His first run with the Phantoms was uneven too, though it had enough bright spots to keep things intriguing. He appeared in 16 games and, even with some limited minutes, showed stretches where he looked engaged and assertive.
He played with edge, carried the puck with confidence, drove toward the net, and created chances. That work translated into two goals and two assists, which is a solid early return for a player still learning the pro game.
But there were just as many nights when he blended in. He wasn’t necessarily overwhelmed or making a mess of possessions; he just disappeared for long stretches and didn’t impose himself the way he did in his better games. That kind of swing is hardly shocking for a young player getting used to a new level, but it does underline how much remains to be sorted out.
And that’s the central issue with Powell right now: his role is still undefined. His path to this point has been so uneven that the team is basically starting with a blank slate.
That can be a good thing, because the Phantoms’ development staff can work directly with him and try to shape his game into something more useful. It can also be a grind, because nothing about his profile says the answers will come quickly.
This season, the main job is simple to say and hard to do. Powell has to get comfortable with the pace and physicality of the AHL, and he has to start figuring out what he is.
Maybe that becomes a checking role. Maybe more offense comes out of him.
Maybe the answer lands somewhere in the middle. What matters is that progress shows up over time, from the opening weeks to the finish.
That won’t be easy in the middle of a crowded forward group. The Phantoms’ projected roster is packed, especially with veterans and more seasoned younger players, which means every rookie is going to have to fight for ice time.
For Powell, that challenge is even steeper because his game isn’t fully defined yet. The coaching staff will still try to keep him in the mix, but earning a steady lineup spot will require real, visible growth.
It’s not impossible. It just doesn’t look like something that happens overnight.
For now, the most realistic path is for Powell to make himself useful in a rotation role and build from there. That would be a start, and for a player still trying to find his game, a start is exactly what he needs.
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Barkey already got some time there during the regular season and carried that role into the playoffs, giving the staff another look at how he handles the demands of the position. For a Flyers team trying to build depth without blocking its younger talent, the question now is less about whether Barkey has enough skill to be considered and more about how far the team is willing to push him into a more crucial role. [Read more 🡒]
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Boston, meanwhile, did what the Bruins often do by adding scoring and reinforcing the blue line, but there were also departures that complicate the picture. The matchup between these two Original Six rivals still figures to be close, and the edge may be thinner than it has been in years, but for once the Flyers can at least make a legitimate case that the offseason nudged the balance their way. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Leave One Small Training Camp Battle Quietly Unsettled
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Philadelphia could still alter course if the right opportunity surfaces, but for now the camp plan is centered on what the Flyers already have in house. Around the league, there has also been no shortage of unresolved business elsewhere, from Shane Wrights trade-request situation in Seattle to the surprise that Jake DeBrusk stayed put in Vancouver, reminders that this time of year often leaves just as many questions as answers. [Read more 🡒]