Prospect Report: Start of a New Season

Find out why Derek Mathers has "Broad Street" written all over him. | Mike Davies/Peterborough Examiner, via www.gopetesgo.com

By: Tyler J. Altemose (@HockeyGuyTy)

Starting today I’ll be publishing a prospect report every Friday on those players within the Flyers farm system. I’ll be taking a look at the kids in the CHL (QMJHL/OHL/WHL), Europe, the ECHL and the AHL. Of course, stats only tell part of the story. But these postings will be a convenient way to get a streamlined feel about the potential future talent for the Philadelphia Flyers.

As I gain an opportunity to get in touch with those who are more familiar with seeing these players in action I’ll be able to elaborate a little bit more. And while this weekly report will discuss all of the Flyers prospects, I will only be recognizing a few players from the Phantoms on a weekly basis, not all of them. If you have questions about the happenings with the Phantoms I highly suggest you seek out Tim McManus. He has his own blog and can also be found on twitter.

Western Hockey League [WHL]

LW Brendan Ranford, Kamloops Blazers (2010 NHL Entry Draft: 7th Round, 209th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 68GP | 33G | 53A | 86P

Brendan Ranford got off to a quick start this season. He started things off with a three-point effort (1G 2A) against the Spokane Chiefs after missing the first three games of the season. Randord opened up the scoring with the first goal of the game and contributed on three of the first four Blazers goals. Although he was held pointless against the Everett Silvertips he did manage an assist against the Medicine Hat Tigers. He has 4 points in 3 games so far this season. [1G 3A]

RW Marcel Noebels, Seattle Thunderbirds (2011 NHL Entry Draft: 4th Round, 118th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 66GP | 28G | 26A | 54P

Marcel Noebels has contributed in both the home and road openers for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He notched a tally in both games of the home-and-home against the Portland Winterhawks despite being held scoreless since. He has 2 points in 3 games so far this season. [2G 0A]

D Ricard Blidstrand, Regina Pats (2010 NHL Entry Draft: 7th Round, 206th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 70GP | 3G | 14A | 17P

Ricard Blidstrand, the Swedish defenseman drafted just three players ahead of fellow WHL-er Brendan Ranford, has 1 point in 6 games so far for the Regina Pats. [0G 1A]

Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult to gain insight into defensive prospects because they aren’t the players responsible for scoring most of the goals. But again, as I find out more information about the defensive prospects I’ll be sure to pass the word along.

Ontario Hockey League [OHL]

C Nick Cousins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (2011 NHL Entry Draft: 3rd Round, 68th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 68GP | 29G | 39A | 68P

Centerman Nick Cousins continues to be a roughly point-per-game player so far this season as he has notched 9 points in his first 8 games with the Greyhounds. After a slow start with just 1A against fellow Flyers prospect Colin Sullentrop and the Oshawa Generals, he posted two 2-goal games against both the Kitchener Rangers and the Windsor Spitfires. He continued his dominance against the Rangers with a separate 2A effort and also performed as well against the Sudbury Wolves. [4G 5A]

RW Derek Mathers, Peterborough Petes (2011 NHL Entry Draft: 7th Round, 206th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 55GP | 1G | 4A | 5P

When you look at the line for Derek Mathers’s season last year, one can’t help but ask what would spark the Flyers interest in him. The answer lies all the way on the right-hand column of the stats sheet. Last year as a rookie in the OHL (also with the Petes) Derek Mathers led the league in penalty minutes. 171 of them to be exact. What’s even more interesting than that perhaps is the fact that in just 8 games so far this season he has matched his points total from all of last season. That’s quite an improvement.

However, it seems as if Mathers either has really quiet nights or really “productive” nights. In the Petes’ opening game against the Niagara Ice Dogs he put forth a two-point effort (1G 1A) and racked up 9 PIM–5 for fighting (two minutes into the game), 2 for a check from behind, and 2 for elbowing. Against the Belleville Bulls he had yet another 5-minute major for fighting and another minor for a check to the head. Against the Owen Sound Attack he was already in the box 8 seconds into the game for fighting. In the other 5 games of the season one would hardly know he played judging by the stat sheet.

It’s important to note here too that he’s not just getting penalties. It’s the kind of penalties he is receiving that is noteworthy. He’s got Broad Street in his blood.

Unfortunately, he is down to 8th in the league in PIM so far this season. [2G 3A]

D Colin Sullentrop, Oshawa Generals (2011 NHL Entry Draft: 4th Round, 116th Overall)

2010-11 Regular Season: 29GP | 0G | 14A | 14P

Colin Sullentrop played in 29 games last year and didn’t manage a single goal. It only took him four this year and he’s already on the board as he notched his first goal in 33 regular season games against the Erie Otters. He also recorded two assists, one each against both the Windsor Spitfires and the Kingston Frontenacs.

I was fortunate enough to come across this prospect report for Sullentrop via the Oshawa Generals website:

“Now a veteran on the Generals blueline, Colin Suellentrop has developed into one of the premier shut-down defenceman in all of the OHL.  The tough, physical native of Plantation, Florida was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 4th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft this past summer and also has experience internationally after playing for the United States Under-18 team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the summer of 2010.  Suellentrop led the Generals blueline in plus/minus rankings last season with a solid +21.”

With a continued solid work ethic Sullentrop may one day find himself on the Flyers blue line. Healthy aspirations for a kid who’s favorite player is Chris Pronger. [1G 2A]

Europe

The Flyers have two goaltending prospects in Europe. Niko Hovinen is a member of the Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. Jakub Kovar is a member of HC Ceske Budejovice (also known as HC Mountfield) of the Czech Extraliga. For more in-depth news about these two I suggest following Teemu Hytonen on twitter.

G Jakub Kovář, HC České Budějovice (2006 NHL Entry Draft: 4th Round, 109th Overall)

Kovar was a work horse last season, appearing in every one of Budejovice’s games. The fourth-round draft pick for the Flyers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft has a 2.45GAA and .917SV% in 10 appearances this season.

G Niko Hovinen, Lahti Pelicans

Niko Hovinen was signed by the Flyers back in May but will spend the entirety of the 2011-12 season with the Pelicans. In 12 games so far this season he has a 1.67GAA and a .935Sv%.

East Coast Hockey League [ECHL]

The Flyers have a new ECHL affiliate this season. They are the Trenton Titans. Last season they shared the Greenville Road Warriors with the New York Rangers. As of right now there are only two Flyers prospects to watch in the ECHL; D Tyler Hostetter and G Brad Phillips. Unfortunately, their season has yet to start at the time of this posting (technically it has because their first game was Friday night and this report was published afterward, but it only takes into consideration prospect action through every Thursday of the week).

Both Hostetter and Phillips are new to the ECHL this season. During the 2010-11 season, Hostetter recorded 6G and 17A with the Erie Otters of the OHL before playing in a few games with the Phantoms in which he was scoreless. Last year, as a member of the Bloomington Prariethunder of the CHL (that’s Central Hockey League), Brad Phillips posted a 2.38GAA and a .914SV%.

More to come on these two as the Titans season progresses.

American Hockey League [AHL]

Again I want to emphasize that as far as the Phantoms are concerned, I’m only going to focus on a few guys from week to week. So far the Phantoms have played just one game (again, the report runs through Thursday). And while the stats sheet doesn’t say much yet, here are a few players to watch out for.

C Brayden Schenn | 2010 Regular Season: 44GP | 25G | 41A | 66P [Between the WHL, AHL, and NHL]

LW Harry Zolnierczyk | 2010 Regular Season: 46GP | 19G | 17A | 36P [Between the NCAA and AHL]

LW Eric Wellwood | 2010 Regular Season: 73GP | 16G | 12A | 28P [AHL only]

D Oskars Bartulis | 2010 Regular Season: 17GP | 0G | 1A | 1P [Between the AHL and NHL]

D Erik Gustafsson | 2010 Regular Season: 72GP | 5G | 44A | 49P [AHL only]

D Kevin Marshall | 2010 Regular Season: 78GP |  3G | 11A | 14P

Tune in next Friday for another edition of The Hockey Guys Flyers Prospect Report...