As the Flyers brace for a potential extension of their season into the playoffs, their affiliate in Allentown, Pa. won't meet the same fate.
With a 31-32-4-3 record, 69 points and seventh-place standing in the American League's Atlantic Division, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms will be watching from the outside as the Calder Cup Playoffs begin. It extends the Phantoms' playoff drought to seven seasons — with them last making the playoffs in 2008-09, their final year as the Philadelphia Phantoms.
But as the number of Phantoms games this season reaches the single-digits — they have just six games remaining in the 2015-16 campaign — they will still provide fans with something worth watching. They brought up Travis Sanheim on Sunday on an amateur try-out, and announced Monday that Radel Fazleev and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel have been added to the mix as well.
Sanheim and Fazleev join the Phantoms after their Calgary Hitmen were jettisoned in the first round of the Western League playoffs, falling in five games to the Red Deer Rebels. Sanheim's one goal and six points led the team in the playoffs, while Fazleev was held off the scoresheet entirely. Both players led the Hitmen in points this season, with Fazleev scoring 19 goals and 71 points in 59 games and Sanheim following with 15 goals and 68 points in 52 games.
Aubé-Kubel joins the Phantoms after his Val-d'Or Foreurs were eliminated in six games at the hands of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He recorded three points in the playoffs — all goals — and was third in scoring with 38 goals and 84 points in 61 games.
All three players have been taken by the Orange and Black in the 2014 Draft (Sanheim at 17th overall, Aubé-Kubel in the second round at 48th overall and Fazleev in the sixth round at 168th overall), and have been considered to be integral to the team's budding prospect core. Sanheim and Fazleev (20-years-old) have concluded their third junior seasons, while the 19-year-old Aubé-Kubel wrapped up his fourth season in the Q.
Essentially, all three players may very well find themselves in the Phantoms uniform at the beginning of next season. The end of the Phantoms' season will give fans their first glimpses of them in their professional debuts. Many fans have had the chance to see them in Flyers preseason games and development camps, and some savvier fans have been able to follow along with their junior careers, but now, they'll get to see three impactful prospects make their pro debuts and gain valuable experience.
Aubé-Kubel, Sanheim and Fazleev also become the latest prospects to make the end-of-season jump for the Phantoms, after a season that has seen prospects develop for extended stretches. Fans have gotten to watch players like Nick Cousins and Anthony Stolarz parlay their AHL successes into NHL call-ups, while also watching Samuel Morin, Tyrell Goulbourne and Danick Martel develop in their first professional seasons. Established AHLers like Petr Straka, Taylor Leier, Mark Alt, Jesper Pettersson and Robert Hagg have continued to grow (though it can be argued that Hagg has regressed in his second season in North America), and younger players such as Oskar Lindblom and Reece Wilcox have been called into the fray as well.
Of the six games left in the Phantoms season, three are taking place at Allentown's PPL Center, giving fans several opportunities to see Aubé-Kubel, Fazleev and Sanheim on home ice. With nothing else to play for, and nothing to lose, coach Scott Gordon may as well slot these younger players into the lineup, and see what they can offer for next year.
Throughout the past two seasons, one of the biggest things that Flyers fans have had to look forward to was the team's bright future and stacked prospect cupboard, and the progress they were making in their respective junior leagues seemed indicative of the big things that were coming. Sanheim, Fazleev and Aubé-Kubel are all significant parts of that prospect core, and will get to make the next step going forward. Six games may not be a significant sample size by any means, but it still represents a milestone for the Orange and Black going forward and gives fans a quick glimpse at what they have to offer.
By now, we're all very much aware of the patient approach that Ron Hextall has emphasized on developing the Flyers' young nucleus, and letting prospects grow as much as possible. Making the jump to the AHL is the next phase of that process, and will continue to set up for another big year next season.
Bringing prospects up to get a taste of AHL action after their junior seasons is nothing ground-breaking by any means — it's something you see every team do towards the end of every season. But for the Flyers, it represents the very beginning of the next phase of their rebuild.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
