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Joel Farabee

Carter Hart Out With Abdominal Strain

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The Philadelphia Flyers will be without their young goaltender for the next several weeks, as Carter Hart has been ruled out with an abdominal strain. Hart suffered the injury yesterday at practice and will be out for two to three weeks. The team has recalled Alex Lyon from the minor leagues, while also sending Joel Farabee down to the AHL (though Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer still expects him to play for the Flyers on Thursday). Chris Stewart has also been placed on waivers.

Hart, 21, holds the future of the Flyers in his hands as the goaltender expected to hold the net in Philadelphia for the next decade. One of the most decorated goaltenders in CHL history, the young netminder quickly made his ascension to NHL starter in his first professional season and returned this year with high expectations. Those may have been a bit premature given his age, as Hart has been inconsistent throughout the year and currently carries a .905 save percentage.

Still, without him things look even bleaker in Philadelphia. Brian Elliott, brought in to take some of the pressure off of Hart, has been close to dreadful with an .896 save percentage and 9-5-3 record. Lyon, himself once a promising goaltending prospect has been average in the minor leagues and doesn’t appear to have the skill to start on a regular basis in the NHL. That leaves a question mark in goal for the next few weeks, though it may be coming at the perfect time.

After tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues, the Flyers have just three games remaining before their bye week and All-Star break festivities. That means Hart will have some time to recover in time for a stretch run that could come right down to the wire. Philadelphia sits six points behind the New York Islanders for a divisional playoff spot, but still slightly ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the wild card race.

Metropolitan Notes: Andersson, Crosby, Devils Injuries, Farabee

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New York Rangers team president John Davidson emphasized to reporters Friday that the team has not begun divorce proceedings with prospect Lias Andersson, who has been suspended after requesting a trade on Dec. 21 and leaving the team, and now is sitting in Sweden. In fact Davidson said he wants to speak to him one-on-one to see what the real issue is that he opted to leave the team, according to Newsday’s Denis Gorman.

“It’s a really hard one to figure out until you really end up talking to Lias,” Davidson said before practice at the MSG Training Facility on Friday. “I’ve gone and done a lot of research. I can’t figure out exactly what the issue is other than disappointment.”

Davidson said he has already tried to reach out to Andersson personally, but the prospect has chosen to allow his agents to handle things and he has failed to speak to him up until now. He hopes to get an opportunity to talk to him soon, but also noted that a trip to Sweden won’t be happening any time soon.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins may be playing well, but the team might be getting a big boost as star Sidney Crosby could be ready to go on Sunday against Arizona, although it still remains up in the air, according to TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh. Crosby practiced Saturday without limitations and participated in line rushes alongside right wing Patric Hornqvist and both Jared McCann and Dominik Simon on the left wing. He also practiced on the top power play unit. Crosby, however, was noncommittal about returning on Sunday. “I haven’t ruled out anything,” Crosby said. “But I haven’t really discussed it that much. I just got off the ice here.” Crosby has been out since Nov. 9 after having core muscle surgery.
  • NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who isn’t starting Saturday due to an upper-body injury, shouldn’t be out long-term, according to head coach Alain Nasreddine. “We don’t have a concern that it will be long term,” Nasreddine said. “So it’s just precautionary and is getting evaluated.” The team also hopes that rookie Jack Hughes is skating again, but isn’t just ready to return, meaning he will miss his fifth-straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. However, Ryan adds that forward Jesper Bratt, who has missed three games after blocking a shot with his foot, is ready to return Saturday.
  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said that while rookie forward Joel Farabee has struggled for a while now, it doesn’t look like the team intends to return the 19-year-old to the AHL any time soon. Farabee, who has tallied just one goal in his last 27 games and has been demoted to the fourth line, will likely stay due to his penalty killing abilities. “I’d like him to score [more] and get a little more confidence, but he’s got a lot of attributes,” Vigneault said. “There are a lot of things he does with the puck and without the puck that we like, so we’re going to stick with him.”

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Philadelphia Flyers

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As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Philadelphia Flyers.

What are the Flyers most thankful for?

It’s been an up and down season for Philadelphia this year under head coach Alain Vigneault, yet the team remains right in the middle of the playoff race in the Metropolitan Division. Philadelphia is in fifth place in the division, but are just three points out of second place. The team currently boasts a 21-12-5 record and should be right in there.

The team is a mixture of veterans and quite a bit of young talent the team is trying to integrate into the team. In many ways, it’s been a success, but with young players also comes inconsistency. If the Flyers can find some consistency, the team should be a top candidate to make the playoffs this year.

Who are the Flyers most thankful for?

The team has seen quite a few players step up this year, but the team has seen forward Travis Konecny that that next step in his development. The 22-year-old forward has scored 24 goals for two straight years and he’s heading for a similar number, but the rest of his game has opened up as he is two assists shy of his career high already after just 35 games and is heading for a career year. Konecny leads the team in scoring with 34 points as he is on a point-a-game pace, which could lead him to an 80-point season, which is critical for a team that is seeing some of their veterans take a step back in their production.

What would the Flyers be even more thankful for?

The continued improvement of their young players.

The team is loaded with young players, who Vigneault has worked hard to mix in with the team’s core of veterans. Several of them have performed well. Second-year goaltender Carter Hart has seen some of his numbers get better this year. His GAA has improved from a 2.83 to a 2.43, while his save percentage has dropped from a .917 to a .910. Regardless, Hart is continuing to develop his game. Rookie Joel Farabee hasn’t made the impact many were hoping for with just three goals and 12 points in 29 games, but has seen to settled in as a regular in the lineup. The team has gotten flashes from Morgan Frost as well, who has two goals and seven points in 18 contests, although he was recently assigned to Lehigh Valley. Even on defense, the team is getting solid play from Ivan Provorov and many of the young blueliners.

If they can continue to improve on their games, it could set Philadelphia to have a strong second half going into the playoffs.

What should be on the Flyers’ Holiday Wish List?

The health of forward Oskar Lindblom. The 23-year-old was having a promising breakout season for the Flyers until he was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and will not return this season. The team hopes that he can get the proper treatment as quickly as possible and return to full health, regardless whether he ever takes the ice for the team again. However, consider his young age and recent success, the team is hoping that Lindblom can make a full recovery and be back on the ice, perhaps as soon as next season. However, the team has rallied around their young forward and put him and his health in the forefront.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Joel Farabee Suspended Three Games

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The Department of Player Safety has handed out another punishment, this time suspending Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee three games. Farabee delivered a late hit on Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault over the weekend. As the accompanying video explains:

What causes this incident to rise to the level of supplemental discipline, is the considerable lateness and force of a hit delivered to a vulnerable opponent. While we acknowledge Farabee’s assertion that he attempts to hit Perreault in a legal fashion, he fails to do so under the interference rule. Perreault is left unprepared for the impending contact, and unable to adequately protect himself, resulting in an injury.

The Jets have put Perreault in the concussion protocol after he left the game following the check. Farabee has never been suspended or fined before in his NHL career, though that only encompasses 27 games.

The 19-year old Farabee has become quite a revelation for the Flyers, scoring 11 points in 27 games after stepping almost directly into the NHL. The 14th overall pick from 2018 has become a regular in the Philadelphia lineup and looks like a core piece for the team to build around moving forward. He’ll have to watch that he doesn’t get a reputation for things like this however, as the DoPS will only hand out increasing punishments for each future incident.

Flyers’ Joel Farabee To Face Player Safety Hearing

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When you hit a player as late as Joel Farabee did on Sunday night, you should expect a call from the NHL Department of Player Safety. The Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie delivered a high hit on Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault several seconds after he had passed the puck away, resulting in the unsuspecting veteran being knocked out of the game. Farabee received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the check, but that is unlikely to be the end of his discipline. The league was quick to announce that Farabee will have a hearing on Monday to discuss the incident.

The hit in question took place midway through the second period of what was a blowout 7- win for Winnipeg (video). Perreault held the puck in the corner behind his own net, eventually making a pass down the boards. As Perreault turned his head to follow the play, Farabee skated toward him from behind the net and delivered a hard shoulder check to the chest, at least two seconds after the pass. The check blindsided Perreault, who was not looking in Farabee’s direction and was not possessing the puck. Perreault had to be helped off the ice and did not return, though head coach Paul Maurice noted after the game that he was moving without assistance and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

This will be a phone hearing for Farabee, meaning any suspension cannot exceed five games. This is understandable seeing as the 19-year-old first-year pro has hardly had the time to establish a record as a repeat offender with Player Safety. However, a multi-game suspension is still a very real possibility given the timing and obvious intent of the hit, as well as the resulting injury.

Minor Transactions: 11/25/19

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A new week is upon us in the NHL and nine games will kick things off tonight. That schedule includes the struggling Calgary Flames heading to Pittsburgh to try and get another win to slow the bleeding, while the super-hot Dallas Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into their arena. With plenty of action on the schedule we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to prepare.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Matthew Highmore from the minor leagues, his first opportunity at the NHL level since the 2017-18 season. That year Highmore played in 13 games for the Blackhawks and scored two goals, but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
  • Riley Stillman has been sent back to the AHL by the Florida Panthers, while the team takes a few days off. Florida doesn’t play again until Wednesday, when they will try to stop their short two-game losing streak in its tracks.
  • After just a couple of days in the minors for cap reasons, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee have been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers. Both players were in the lineup when the Flyers took on the Calgary Flames on Saturday and were sent down just to bank some cap space on the off day.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the AHL, giving them another option with Evan Rodrigues unavailable for tonight. While Dea gives the Sabres a fine option, the team is really testing their organizational depth with all the recent injuries.
  • Daniel Carr has been recalled by the Nashville Predators, a little more than a month after he cleared waivers and was sent down. Carr absolutely tore up the AHL during that time, posting 21 points in 16 games. The 28-year old is an elite AHL offensive weapon, but has just 103 NHL games under his belt.
  • Jack Studnicka and Brendan Gaunce have both been recalled by the Boston Bruins. The team will not have Patrice Bergeron, Brett Ritchie or Par Lindholm for their two-game road trip that starts tomorrow in Montreal.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Michael Hutchinson, sending Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues. The backup goaltender usage under new head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t clear, but the Maple Leafs do have a back-to-back situation coming up this weekend.

Metropolitan Notes: Farabee, Zibanejad, Haula

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The Philadelphia Flyers have been aided by the impressive play of 2018 first-rounder Joel Farabee, who has two goals in his first nine games. And when the puck drops Saturday in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, Farabee would play his 10th game and burn the first-year of his entry-level deal, according to the Courier Post’s Dave Isaac.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the 19-year-old is now a permanent member of the Flyers. He could still be sent to Lehigh Valley in the AHL if he struggles or hits that rookie wall. However, it’s an important step for Farabee with the next step being that general manager and president Chuck Fletcher telling Farabee that he can find his own place in Philadelphia.

“I’m still in the hotel,” he said after Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens. “It’s not bad now. We’ve got Carsen (Twarynski), Phil (Myers) and (Mikhail Vorobyev) Misha’s there now so at least I’ve got guys to go have dinner with, which is good … It’s still in the back of my head that I can go down at any time. I think just trying to enjoy it while I’m here and help the team win.”

  • New York Rangers head coach David Quinn said that Mika Zibanejad, who has been out with an upper body injury since Oct. 27, remains day-to-day and will not play on Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Zibanejad skated Friday, but Quinn said that every time he takes a step forward, he takes a step back. New York Post’s Mollie Walker reports that Quinn doesn’t have any definitive answers surrounding Zibanejad’s injury and the team opted to hold him off the ice today after Friday’s skate.
  • Despite reporting earlier this week that Carolina Hurricanes forward Erik Haula was “day-to-day,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that Haula is currently not with the team and is no longer “day-to-day,” according to News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. That could be bad news for the Hurricanes, who have depended on Haula for offense this year. The 28-year-old leads the team with eight goals this season. If he is out for an extended period of time, the team would lose an invaluable piece.

Philadelpia Flyers Recall Joel Farabee

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Less than a week after the division rival New York Islanders recalled Oliver Wahlstrom, the Philadelphia Flyers have called up his former teammate, collegiate foe, and fellow 2018 first-round pick, Joel Farabee. The team announced that Farabee, as well as Mikhail Vorobyev, has been promoted, while Carsen Twarynski has been reassigned to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It is the first career recall for the Flyers’ top forward prospect.

This is the first career recall for Farabee, who like Wahlstrom, played in the NCAA last season before turning pro after just one year. A U.S. National Team Development Program product, Farabee is dynamic forward who can shoot as well as he can pass and defensive instincts to match his offensive instincts. A truly well-rounded player, Farabee was a force at the college level, recording a near-even 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 37 games with Boston University. Farabee was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year and it was little surprise that he departed for the NHL after his freshman campaign.

So far, the transition to the pro level has been seamless for Farabee. He has four points in four games with the Phantoms and has drawn rave reviews early on in his pro career. Farabee’s mature game and high hockey IQ should help find a fit in the NHL if the Flyers plan to keep him on a long-term basis this season. Philadelphia ranks seventh-worst in the NHL thus far in per game scoring and Farabee could provide a needed boost on the offensive front.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals Goalies, Kempny, Farabee, Holmstrom

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The Washington Capitals may have the ability to keep three goaltenders on their roster with the suspension of forward Evgeny Kuzetsov being off the books for the next few games. However, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said keeping three goaltenders on the roster is not the plan, according to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.

The team intends to start Braden Holtby in net on Sunday, but the real question is who might be his backup. Last year’s backup, Pheonix Copley remains in the mix and isn’t waiver-exempt, which could be an issue if the team attempts to pass him through waivers. However, the team also has their goaltender-of-the future in Ilya Samsonov close to ready as well and the team may want to see what they have in him sooner than later.

Regardless, it looks like the team intends to make a decision on their goaltending situation before the start of the regular season.

  • Sticking with the Capitals, the good news for the team is that defenseman Michal Kempny, who has been out with a hamstring injury, passed his conditioning skating test, but isn’t likely to be ready for the season opener and is currently listed as doubtful, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. While he still could miss some time as he tries to catch up after missing most of training camp, it’s also just as unlikely that the team will place the veteran defenseman on LTIR either. The team has options to replace him in the lineup, including Martin Fehervary, Jonas Siegenthaler and Christian Djoos.
  • The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that it looks like Philadelphia Flyers rookie Joel Farabee may have wrapped up a roster spot with the Flyers after an impressive performance on the ice Thursday. While Farabee, who has been competing with fellow rookies Morgan Frost and German Rubtsov (as well as a host of veterans), hasn’t put up much offense on the scoreboard, he has performed impressively well as he was all over the ice and created many opportunities for the team. While it was his best game, nothing is written in stone. “You know what, if he’s not in the lineup that first game (of the regular season), it’ll be a surprise,” head coach Alain Vigneault said.
  • The New York Islanders surprised many at the draft earlier this summer when they nabbed forward prospect Simon Holmstrom with the 23rd-overall pick with many believing he should have gone in the second or third round. Homstrom, however, remains in the Islanders camp and now may decide to stay in North America this season afterall with his performance in camp so far. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that Holmstrom may stay in North America and play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers as opposed to playing in the SHL. “That is what we’re preparing for, my wife and I,” Jonas Holmstrom, Simon’s father, said in a phone conversation on Thursday. “He can play in the AHL and in his mind, he’s willing to stay.”

Metropolitan Notes: Konecny, Kuznetsov, Rust, Van Riemsdyk

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There was some hope that after Ivan Provorov signed, the Philadelphia Flyers would put all their attention to their other unsigned restricted free agent, Travis Konecny with the hopes of getting him to training camp as quickly as possible. Instead, that hasn’t happened yet with Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reporting today that no progress was made between the two sides on Saturday.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault expressed his disappointment that Konecny isn’t in camp yet as he will be missing valuable time learning the new coach’s system.

“I’m very disappointed that T.K. is not here,” Vigneault said after his first practice leading the Flyers (via NBC Sports’ Jordan Hall). “It’s the start of a new era, a new group, I felt that it was very important for everybody to be here.  With my time in the NHL, my experience, anybody that falls behind — whether it’s injury or in T.K.’s situation not coming to camp — usually it takes them a little bit of time to get back at it, especially at this time with a new coaching staff and new way of doing things. It’s unfortunate, but I’m going to work with the players that are here and going to work extremely hard with those players.”

Konecny could also find himself sliding down the lineup if he can’t get back to camp quickly. On day two of training camp, Vigneault used rookie Joel Farabee (in place of Konecny) with first-liners Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux, with the rookie faring quite well and getting praise from Vigneault.

“He showed that he belonged there,” said Vigneault.

  • With a three-game suspension hanging over Evgeny Kuznetsov to start the season for inappropriate behavior, Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden suggested that Kuznetsov is likely to get a lot of exhibition action during the preseason to make up for the three suspended games, according to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. NHL.com’s Tom Gulliti adds that Kuznetsov’s $7.8MM AAV will not against the Washington Capitals salary cap during the suspension, which could be a benefit to the team, which is currently over the cap.
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) writes in his most recent mailbag column that the Pittsburgh Penguins most valuable and likely trade chip is forward Bryan Rust. The 27-year-old scored 18 goals and 35 points last season and is a key depth option, but at $3.5MM per season, Rust is the perfect candidate to solve some of the team’s cap issues, although the Penguins’ preference is to find a team that would be willing to take on Jack Johnson and his four years at $3.25MM AAV contract.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes revealed that they don’t expect defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to be ready for the start of the season, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. The 28-year-old van Riemsdyk underwent surgery on his left shoulder in May and has been cleared to begin skating without contact after team practices. “I don’t expect him to be ready for the start of the season,” Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell said. “It just depends on how things go for him. There’s no reason to rush him back in game one or game two. It’s a long season. If we’re going to go deep, we’re going to need him. We’ll be very patient.”

 

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