Flyers Prospects Weekly: Peaking in College

In college football and college basketball, it is a commonplace to identify players who experience success at the collegiate level with an unlikelihood of translating to the professional ranks. Tim Tebow and Tyler Hansbrough enter my mind, but there are many more. I bring this up mainly because you rarely hear about these players in hockey. It is not due to their lack of existence. We just do not talk about them as frequently. For me, 2019 third-round selection Ronnie Attard fits that bill to a tee.

Hop onto Attard’s Elite Prospects page, and the numbers quickly jump out at you. It is rare for defensemen to put up that type of offensive production without attracting a certain level of positive vibes. However, being one of Attard’s more harsh critics, a lot is missing from his game that leaves me questioning whether he can succeed as an NHL blueline one day.

As involved as Ronnie Attard is in the offensive zone, he leaves much to be desired defensively. Yes, plenty of defensemen make a living serving as offensive defensemen. However, I’d argue that Attard’s defensive ineptitude reaches new lows. His positioning is also flawed in both zones, ending up in head-scratching areas, sometimes leading to costly errors.

Attard’s singular strength is his shot, and although it’s proving to be enough at Western Michigan, I cannot see that being the case in the NHL, or AHL for that matter. Do I want to be proven wrong? Of course, I do. Believe it or not, my hope is success for every prospect, even though my realism prevents me from believing that possible. When I look at players like Ronnie Attard, I see someone who can mask his deficiencies through one superior strength. Often, those cases rarely translate into NHL success stories.

Okay, let’s move on.

Flyers Prospects Weekly: Volume Five

What is happening in Lehigh Valley?

The Phantoms, believe it or not, are a very talented team on paper. The team’s 0-5-2 record through seven games tells a very different story. From a prospect perspective, this is incredibly discouraging to witness. Of course, it starts with Morgan Frost, but we want to see all of the youth within the Flyers system in a position to achieve success. So far, that is not coming to fruition both at a team or individual level.

Although players certainly play a role in Lehigh Valley’s early failures, I cannot help but place most of the blame on the coaching staff’s shoulders. As a coach, Ian Laperriere failed mightily in Philadelphia, demonstrating to no one that he deserved a position behind the bench as an assistant on the Flyers staff. Even though the NHL team did remove him, he still ended up Head Coach of Lehigh Valley. A position that should not have gone to him under any circumstance. He does not know how to utilize his young talent well, potentially tarnishing a crucial period in their development.

Yes, I may come off slightly overdramatic. However, when Samu Tuomaala and Mason Millman have only seen ice time in two games, it is an issue even with the current roster not working. I had my worries about some players remaining in the AHL this season when they typically would be sent back to their junior teams during “more normal” times. Now, I wish we could have a mulligan on that decision.

Okay, excitement is allowed

If you follow anything I do in the prospect world, you know that “temper your excitement” should be tattooed on my forehead. Rarely, I allow myself to get overly enthused by a prospect’s performance because it rarely translates to the pros.

So, I mean it when I say that I’m about to veer away from my typical mindset when I tell you it is acceptable to get excited about 2020 fifth-round pick Elliot Desnoyers.

Do I think he is going to produce at the pace he is currently in Halifax? No chance. I’d be shocked if he records half of that in the NHL. Still, there is so much else to like about his game. In a sport where it’s challenging to identify easily transferable assets, Desnoyers possesses a few. Expect his professional journey to include some extended time in Lehigh Valley. Still, when Desnoyers does arrive in Philadelphia, I believe they have a legitimate bottom-six forward in their hands.

How about Matthew Strome?

I bet you weren’t expecting to read Matthew Strome’s name in this week’s edition of “Flyers Prospects Weekly.” Once a promising sharpshooter in the Flyers farm system, the 2017 fourth-round pick is buried in the ECHL playing for the Reading Royals. Likey never sniffing the NHL roster, Strome is still off to a productive season in Reading, recording seven points in four games.

With Lehigh Valley struggling to win a single game, why not try out Strome in the AHL? There truly is no harm in doing so. While the AHL likely is his eventual ceiling, it is better to provide the young players with every opportunity instead of flooding the roster with veteran minor-leaguers. Yes, Strome falls into the
“currently irrelevant” category within the organization. Still, a promotion to the Phantoms at some point soon appears deserved.

Some Owen McLaughlin love

A 2021 seventh-round pick, Owen McLaughlin, will not join the collegiate ranks with Penn State until next season. Playing in the USHL as an 18-year-old, chances of McLaughlin reaching the NHL someday are slim-to-none. Still, to this point, he is on fire with Sioux City.

Recording seven goals and six assists in 10 games, McLaughlin ranks second among Musketeers in points and first in goals. What stands out most is his ability to produce in bunches. With three two-goal games under his belt, McLaughlin has four multi-point games this season. Two, of which, he produced more than two.

No, this is not a call to get stoked about a potential draft steal. It’s just an opportunity to give a little attention to a prospect that won’t likely receive a lot throughout his career.

John Gove is the Head of Prospects and Draft Coverage for HW Hockey.
Follow John on Twitter.
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