Starting sometime this week, the Flyers will have a new piece to lineup. Jordan Weal, acquired in the trade that sent Vincent Lecavalier and Luke Schenn to Los Angeles on Wednesday, is the newest member of the Flyers.
Ron Hextall confirmed following the trade that Weal will stay with the Flyers. He would have to clear waivers if he was moved to the minors.
Weal has played in 10 games with the Kings this season, making his NHL debut. He has yet to record a point. Weal will wear No. 19 for the Flyers.
Here is everything you need to know about Weal.
Weal, a 5'10", 179-pound forward, certainly fits the bill of the undersized players who don't get much of a chance at first glance. His size is certainly something that was held against him early in his career.
He was selected in the fourth round of the WHL Draft in 2007, going to the Regina Pats. In his next four seasons, he would become a star in the WHL, producing 384 points, including 135 goals, in 279 games. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft.
With the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, Weal again turned heads. He got limited looks in the AHL in 2010-11 and 2011-12 because he was still playing in the WHL, but once he made the transition to the pros full-time, he again started to pick up points.
In his first full season with Manchester in 2012-13, Weal scored 15 goals and had 33 points in 63 games. Weal set career-highs with Manchester in 2013-14, scoring 23 goals and picking up 70 points in 76 games. Last season, in 73 games, Weal scored 20 goals and had 69 points. But it was in the playoffs, where Manchester would claim the Calder Cup, that Weal truly shined. In 19 games, Weal scored 10 goals and had 22 points and was named Calder Cup MVP.
While he has been with the Kings for the entire 2015-16 season, he has only seen action in 10 games, giving him a chance to earn consistent playing time with the Flyers.
His scouting reports say that he is a playmaking forward with good vision and has been a prolific scorer throughout his career. He definitely possesses a lot of skill in addition to quick hands and a high offensive IQ. He is also said to be a reliable defensive forward that plays with a high intensity and does the little things well.
Below is a prospect profile on Weal from the 2014-15 season.
Also below is the Monarchs 2015 Calder Cup highlight video, featuring several clips of Weal's MVP performance.
The Flyers will resume play on Thursday night when the Flyers take on the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. Weal likely will not play tomorrow, but should be available by the team's next game on Saturday at home against the New York Islanders.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
