By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
While waiting for the Flyers to return from their bye week, which they will do on Saturday night amid a 3-8-3 record in 14 games, a little good news is welcome.
As has been the case in previous years, the good news comes on the subject of Flyers prospects, who continue to shine in their respective leagues.
ESPN’s Corey Pronman released his Midseason Top 50 prospects, and also Top 10 goaltending prospects, earlier this week, and the Flyers were well represented.
While the Flyers didn’t have any prospects in the Top 15, Philippe Myers made a huge jump, going from 84th to 18th.
“He has been everything the Flyers could have hoped he’d be when they brought him into camp on a tryout two seasons ago — and more,” Pronman wrote in the ESPN Insider piece. “Defensemen who are 6-foot-5 and can skate at a pro level are hard to find, and when you combine that with above-average hockey IQ, it makes one heckuva player. Staying healthy will be key for Myers, as he has already sustained multiple injuries this season, including a concussion at World Juniors.”
Another prospect on the rise is forward Oskar Lindblom. Lindblom has been among the leading scorers in the SHL as a 20-year-old, with 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 34 games.
“Lindblom has been one of the top scorers in the SHL in his 20-year-old season, putting him on track to potentially push for ice time with the Flyers next season,” Pronman wrote. “There’s a lot of reason to have optimism with Lindblom. He’s a big forward with good hands and overall hockey intelligence. He can battle for pucks, make a nice touch play or finish a tough scoring chance. He’s not really a game-breaker, though; he isn’t going to burst down the wing or generate offense out of nowhere. But he produces everywhere he goes, and after a while, that’s hard to ignore.”
The Flyers third and final entry on the Top-50 skaters is Travis Sanheim, who comes in at 49th, up from 71st. In his first season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Sanheim has seven goals and 11 assists in 37 games.
“Sanheim has been very good as a rookie pro in Lehigh Valley,” Pronman wrote. “There are times where he makes ‘wow’ plays, and there are stretches where I wish the potential would really flow through more consistently. However, the total package is still quite good; he’s a big defender with excellent speed for a player his size, good hands and ability to break a game open. His defense has been, and continues to be, sub-optimal, but he shows competence versus pros, even if i wouldn’t refer to it as ‘excellence’ in that area.”
In addition to three players in the Top 50, the Flyers had three more entries in the Top-10 goaltenders, including two in the Top 5.
Carter Hart, the Flyers second-round pick in 2016, came in at No. 3 on that list.
“Hart has continued to excel at the Major Junior level, following up his CHL Goalie of the Year accolades from last season with another quality campaign,” Pronman wrote. “Hart’s game is quiet because he’s such a smart player. His angles and depth in the net are sharp, he reads shooters well, and squares everything up. He needs to bulk up a lot, but his frame round out he could be scary good.”
Fifth on the list is Swedish goalie Felix Sandstrom, drafted in the third round by the Flyers in 2015.
“Sandstrom was named the top goalie at the World Juniors,” Pronman wrote. “‘He’s athletic, he’s poised, he’s structured. There is a lot there to like.’ an NHL scout observed at the tournament. He also has been a very solid regular in the SHL for a teenager (as he just turned 20 on Jan. 12). He has the look of an NHL goalie with his size, the way he reads the game and the plays he can make.”
Phantoms goalie Anthony Stolarz also made the list as the eighth-ranked goalie.
Rubtsov Debuts in QMJHL
The long-awaited North American debut of Flyers 2016 first-round pick German Rubtsov took place on Thursday night for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the QMJHL. Rubtsov, wearing No. 17, played on the top-line with Nicolas Roy, a Carolina Hurricanes prospect and Team Canada standout at World Juniors, and performed well in his debut.
Rubtsov had two assists, both on the power play, took a holding penalty and fired six shots in Chicoutimi’s 4-3 shootout win over Halifax and was named the game’s third star.
Robert Hagg ‘Near NHL-Ready?’
A lot has been and will continue to be made about the Flyers wealth of prospects, particularly on the blue line, especially as defensive play remains suspect at the NHL level. But one defenseman we don’t hear too much about is Robert Hagg.
Hagg is in his third full season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Though not particularly known for his offense — Hagg has 11 goals in his AHL career — assistant GM Chris Pryor thinks Hagg is nearly NHL ready.
Pryor told ESPN’s Craig Custance that Hagg has “made big strides” and is “just about NHL ready.” GM Ron Hextall had said earlier this season that Hagg’s progress was “the kind of step we were hoping he’d take last year.”
Hagg has two goals and four assists in 31 games with the Phantoms this season, but is also a plus-two and has done a good job staying out of the penalty box this season.
