(Kevin Durso/Sports Talk Philly)
By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
There was a time recently when the Flyers didn’t have much of a prospect pool. Now, it feels like they have an overflow.
That’s certainly a good problem for Ron Hextall to have, and that was on full display as some familiar faces and some new ones took to the ice at Development Camp over the past few days. The camp wraps on Wednesday with the annual Trial on the Isle.
Here are a few notes on some of the top prospects and others who turned heads.
Travis Sanheim – As a 2014 draft pick, this isn’t Sanheim’s first rodeo. What’s become noticeable at each passing camp that Sanheim has attended is how each year, he’s consistently gotten bigger. This year, he looks stronger, but also is displaying the tools honed in his first full professional season. Sanheim has clearly made strides as one of the best prospects the Flyers have at the moment. Whether that is enough to carve out a roster spot for him remains to be seen.
Oskar Lindblom – It’s a similar story with Oskar Lindblom. Drills aren’t going to be able to tell you much, but Lindblom looks comfortable. I’ve never seen a player smile more during drills and practice than Lindblom, and the skill set is there for him to make the transition to the NHL. The ball is in his court, it seems, he just has to take advantage of the opportunity.
Isaac Ratcliffe – In a word: tall. The 6’6” size is certainly no stretch and it’s intimidating. He’s a presence on the ice and has a great shot. The skating is average, but not as bad as some made it out to be. But for the Flyers to add a player of his size and stature to their pipeline is going to be beneficially if he continues to progress.
Morgan Frost – There were many different views on the Frost pick. In some draft guides, he was a second or third-round pick. To others, he was a first that could have gone in the Top 20 or 25. Early consensus from watching Frost is a player with tremendous hockey sense and compete. Again, it’s hard to tell from drills, but he seems like a tenacious player. He’s not the tallest player on the ice by any stretch, but his IQ has him ahead of the curve amongst several of the other prospects. Watching him skate, you can see why the Flyers liked him so much.
German Rubtsov – Given his status in Russia, Rubtsov didn’t attend camp last year. It made him look so much more impressive in his first real exposure to Flyers fans in this year’s camp. Rubtsov has all of the all-around tools. Good skater, quality shot, good hands, knows where to go, he’s got it all. He’s certainly raw, and that will require him to spend another year in juniors, but he’ll be a pro before you know it.
Felix Sandstrom – He may be the best goalie the Flyers have at moving laterally in the crease. His post-to-post motion is incredibly precise and he does it easily. Sandstrom is good at tracking the puck and doesn’t show any glaring weaknesses.
Carter Hart – It’s hard to believe this kid is 19, because he carries himself so well. The skills are there and have been on display at juniors for several seasons, but more than anything, this is a mature kid. As a goalie, that can only help progress what is typically a long development process at the goaltending position.
Ivan Kosorenkov – Kosorenkov was an invite to camp and his play at camp has brought on one question: how did this guy go undrafted? Consider Kosorenkov this year’s Philippe Myers. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if he got a contract from the Flyers to join the system. Kosorenkov has played with high energy, good smarts and has a great shot.
Wade Allison – At his first camp last year, Wade Allison had a “deer in the headlights” look to him, as if he was trying to take it all in but was also getting used to his first weeks as a recent draft pick. In his second camp, he looked calm, composed and stood out a lot more. He was a high-energy player in his first camp, but his skill set looked way more polished this time around.
Pascal Laberge – The same could be said for Pascal Laberge. He made a good first impression at camp, but was much more noticeable this time around. Laberge suffered a concussion on a vicious hit last season and spent most of the time between that incident and camp trying to return to being himself. He’s certainly making progress there.
Mikhail Vorobyev – Like Rubtsov, this was the first chance to see Vorobyev up close. If you’re looking for grit, Vorobyev has it. This was the guy willing to throw it around a little bit, but also one of the more energetic players who looked very good skating. Getting some extended playing time in the AHL is going to benefit him greatly.
Philippe Myers – As an undrafted free agent, it’s clear the Flyers got a great prospect here. I wouldn’t expect to see him in the running for a roster spot this season like Sanheim. Myers is a strong skater and plays his position well, but just isn’t as polished as Sanheim is and it’s tough to see him somehow leapfrog over Sam Morin and Robert Hagg as well. There just aren’t enough spaces and for Myers, that’s ok. He’ll get his first chance at pro play as well with the Phantoms.
Connor Bunnaman – Bunnaman’s progress has been impressive. He’s been a prospect very much off the radar at times, but had a very good season with Kitchener last year and looked strong offensively in camp. He’s not going to factor into team plans this season by any stretch, but keep an eye on him.
David Kase – There is so much to like about Kase’s game. He’s a high-energy type of player with some offensive upside and he shows with his work ethic and compete level. He’s a veteran of these camps and seems to just keep getting better. Kase is another under the radar type of prospect, but he’s got some strong potential.
