Up next in 10
The Philadelphia Flyers Top 25 Under 25 rolls on with a pair of players who could be wild cards on the NHL roster this season.
We've already seen what forward Nikita Grebenkin can do, but how will he rebound from a season-ending injury? And how will David Jiricek fit into the Flyers' lineup?
Ryan Gilbert, Steve Jacot, and Jacob Russell discuss all of that and more.
#nhl #hockey #flyers #letsgoflyers #philadelphia #sports #philadelphiaflyers
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0:00
Hello and welcome back to the Flyers 25
0:04
under 25 for summer 2026. And we're
0:07
getting into the NHL ranks now with two
0:10
guys that will be on the Flyers roster
0:12
here in training camp. I am Ryan
0:15
Gilbert, joined by two guys I'd love to
0:17
have on our roster any day of the week,
0:19
Steve Jacot and Jacob Russell. How are
0:21
you doing today, boys?
0:23
>> Oh, you. I I'm doing good. I'm excited,
0:26
kind of, to talk about two guys who are,
0:30
you know, bottom of the lineup guys. One
0:32
could even say we're talking about
0:33
bottom of the barrel right here.
0:35
But, you know, that's the pessimist way
0:37
of thinking about it.
0:38
>> Much like myself, I consider these guys
0:41
roster depth. If we are we are in an
0:44
organization, you know, you need them
0:45
around. You need a couple of them
0:47
around.
0:48
>> It's true.
0:48
>> Yeah, absolutely do.
0:50
>> Yes, so, uh, one of these guys I I
0:52
consider to have a much higher ceiling
0:54
than the other one.
0:55
>> [laughter]
0:55
>> That's fair.
0:56
>> Yes. Uh, yeah, let's make sure you of
0:57
course, uh, check out the Broad Street
0:59
Hockey YouTube channel. We got a
1:00
playlist up there with all of our 25
1:02
under 25 videos. Evergreen stuff there,
1:05
go back and watch them if you haven't
1:06
already. And of course, today we are
1:08
talking about, uh, 13th ranked Nikita
1:11
Grebyonkin and 12th, uh, David Jiricek
1:14
there.
1:15
Um,
1:17
Yeah, thanks thanks to FanDuel for
1:18
sponsoring the show here. Let's start
1:19
with Grebyonkin here at lucky number 13.
1:22
Um, in the winter 25 under 25, he was at
1:25
13th as well. I had him ranked 11th in
1:29
my ballot here. Uh,
1:31
yeah, Grebyonkin, it looks like Charlie
1:33
O'Connor, PHLY, reported a few weeks ago
1:36
that he's going to be ready to go for
1:38
training camp.
1:39
And we're recording this just, uh, a few
1:41
days after he signed his two-year, uh,
1:45
deal with a 1.1 million AAV here. So,
1:48
Grebyonkin, just some some good
1:49
bottom-six depth here for the Flyers.
1:52
>> Yeah, he was a really nice throw-in with
1:54
the Scott Laughton deal. Like, we were
1:56
all just happy to get the first round
1:58
pick. So, when we found out that there
2:00
was a player coming back, let alone like
2:03
a guy who's half decent, that was pretty
2:05
exciting. Rubankin is a fun player. I
2:07
I'm not sure what his long-term fit with
2:10
the organization is, but he's a fun
2:13
fourth liner. He's a guy who can scrap a
2:15
little bit. He's a guy you can hit a
2:16
little bit. He's a guy who can score a
2:18
little bit. He's got to get that
2:20
discipline a little bit under wraps, but
2:22
overall like I like his energy. I like
2:24
what he brings to the game. And I I look
2:26
forward to seeing what he could
2:27
potentially bring to the fourth line
2:29
this year. One of the things we've
2:30
talked about in a few of these videos
2:31
right now is the Flyers have a lot of
2:33
mouths to feed at wing, which is going
2:34
to be I think the biggest hurdle for
2:36
Rubankin. And right now it's like who
2:39
makes that fourth line? Because it's
2:40
probably going to be Sean Couturier at
2:42
center, but is it going to be Barkey? Is
2:44
it going to be Bump? Is it going to be
2:45
Rubankin? And then of course, you know,
2:48
we got that guy we signed, who cares?
2:51
>> Well, you know, you can't say that about
2:53
Noel Acciari. I mean, that's just a
2:54
little
2:55
>> Who is that?
2:55
>> Noel Acciari's pretty
2:57
>> He's a good fourth liner. He's just like
2:59
not He's not an exciting player to talk
3:01
about,
3:02
especially compared to even like
3:03
Rubankin is
3:05
Rubankin's not His ceiling's very low.
3:08
Like his ceiling is third line player,
3:11
and that's if you're being generous. But
3:13
he is at least very fun when he's in
3:15
there. Noel Acciari's not fun. He's just
3:17
>> Yeah.
3:18
>> He's prominent. He's a perfect He's a
3:20
He's a hard worker. He wins the
3:22
face-offs. He He does the He does the
3:23
dirty things that don't show up on the
3:25
box score, okay?
3:25
>> He's also I don't want to do your dirty
3:27
work no more.
3:30
Anyways, the
3:33
when you look at the Flyers fourth line,
3:34
projected fourth line, you got Barkey,
3:36
Couturier, Acciari. I don't know where
3:38
Rubankin is going to
3:40
fit in there, you know? Uh I don't think
3:43
he's better than any of those guys at
3:45
the role he's going to be asked to play.
3:47
And when you look at his numbers, um did
3:50
he score a lot of points? No.
3:53
Uh, did he stay healthy the entire
3:54
season? No, not really, he didn't.
3:57
Uh, were advanced stats good though? No,
3:59
they're also not good. He was also
4:01
[laughter] not a good puck possession
4:02
guy either at all. He's a fourth line
4:04
player through and through. Um, but his
4:07
vibe
4:07
>> he keep his penalties minutes down?
4:09
>> Not really. Not particularly, no.
4:11
>> 46 in 55 games.
4:13
>> Was he Was his plus-minus good? No. Uh,
4:16
so you know, it's kind of just the thing
4:17
where like
4:18
>> This is too much for Grbachev.
4:20
>> No, no, but like he is He's probably
4:22
the guy
4:23
>> He's probably the the hockey player I'd
4:25
like to like interview the most. Um, he
4:28
is just a great vibes guy. Um, he does
4:32
do everything for the team. He's really
4:33
willing to throw his body on the line.
4:36
He was really well-liked in Toronto.
4:37
They were really upset when they let him
4:39
go. And for the Leafs, he played seven
4:41
games total and had no points. It was a
4:42
minus three. So like that shows you like
4:45
that he is just kind of an intangibles
4:47
guy, he's a character guy. He's good to
4:49
have AHL depth. He goes to the AHL, he
4:52
scores, right? So he's he's a good
4:54
player in the AHL. So it's hard to
4:56
justify keeping him down there.
4:58
But at the same time, I don't know where
4:59
he's going to fit in unless there's an
5:01
injury, right?
5:02
>> I
5:03
I think he fits in. I think they're
5:04
going to This is kind of getting off
5:06
topic, but I think they could start Alex
5:08
Bump with the Phantoms, put Barkov on
5:10
the third line, Grbachev on the fourth
5:11
line.
5:12
>> That That is if Grbachev is healthy cuz
5:14
he suffered I don't even know if they
5:15
ever disclosed it, but it seemed like an
5:17
upper body injury, potentially like a
5:20
concussion. He was back on the ice
5:22
around development camp time. Like I
5:24
said, Charlie reported that he should be
5:25
good for training camp, signed the
5:27
contract.
5:28
He He's like a Russian Michael Raffl to
5:30
me. And like maybe if he can play top
5:32
line minutes and shoot 16% he'll score
5:35
20 goals like Raffl did.
5:37
>> Michael Raffl should not have been
5:39
playing first line minutes.
5:40
>> Well, no, he shouldn't have. He
5:41
shouldn't have. But like And Raffl
5:43
didn't come over to North America until
5:44
he He 25 and Grbachev's already over
5:47
here, still only 23, turned 23 in May,
5:50
so he has a few more years before he
5:52
really hits his prime. And I like
5:55
Grebinkin. I I think Grebinkin is better
5:57
to have out there
5:59
not only for hockey skill, but just as a
6:02
potential fighter than like a Nic
6:04
Deslauriers. Like you know Nic
6:05
Deslauriers is a great fighter, but no
6:07
one's dropping the gloves with Nic
6:08
Deslauriers.
6:09
People are going to drop the gloves with
6:10
Grebinkin, and he'll laugh the whole
6:12
time. He'll He'll get his his face caved
6:14
in, and he'll be smiling afterwards.
6:16
That's what what what I love about him,
6:17
and I think he's the perfect energy guy
6:20
for the fourth line.
6:21
>> And he definitely has that chaotic Joker
6:23
Green Goblin energy to him where you're
6:25
punching him in the face and he's
6:26
laughing at you and spitting blood back
6:27
at you, which I do like a lot, but
6:30
ultimately like I I like seeing him in
6:32
there. I think he's very fun. He's kind
6:33
of like seeing a junkyard dog on the
6:35
loose on the ice, but I just don't know
6:38
what his long-term role is with this
6:39
team. But having a guy like that to
6:42
be in and out of the fourth line, I
6:44
think that's a really good thing to
6:45
have. Occasionally he can moonlight on
6:46
the third line. I think he's fun. I just
6:49
again, I don't know if we'll be talking
6:51
about I think Grebinkin in 5 years is
6:53
going to be one of those like, "Hey,
6:55
remember that guy from the Flyers?"
6:57
>> I think I think Grebinkin is firmly on
7:00
his way to Andrei Kuzmenko land
7:02
where like he just kind of
7:04
Well, yeah, he can't score as much as
7:06
Andrei Kuzmenko does.
7:07
>> [laughter]
7:07
>> But like you look at Carl Grundstrom, I
7:09
think he's better than Nic Deslauriers
7:10
Grebinkin. I mean, maybe in the future
7:13
Grebinkin, you know, he's going to be
7:15
better than Grundstrom, but it's not
7:17
really a high bar, and that's also a guy
7:19
who is getting squeezed out of the
7:20
lineup. Where does Jet Grebinkin fit in?
7:23
They signed Zach Aston-Reese, too. I bet
7:26
that Zach Aston-Reese is going to play
7:28
some NHL games. If I've seen this team
7:31
for a long enough portion of my life, I
7:33
think Zach Aston-Reese will play at
7:35
least 10 NHL games somehow, someway.
7:38
We're going to make it up out this life.
7:40
Um
7:41
Shout out to the I is a Jay-Z song.
7:43
Anyways,
7:44
>> [laughter]
7:45
>> like it just I don't know. He
7:46
I can take it or leave it with with
7:48
Grubauer at this point. I and I I have
7:50
to stress that he is probably my
7:52
favorite hockey player to like just
7:53
listen to speak. Um I think he's
7:56
absolutely hilarious. I love having him
7:58
in the organization, but
8:01
I I I even understand if you if you
8:03
start bonking
8:05
not bonk but bonk probably start in the
8:06
AHL too. But
8:07
bump in the AHL.
8:09
I think they probably end up putting
8:11
another vet guy on the on the fourth
8:13
line like a Luke Glendening sort of
8:15
situation again rather than put, you
8:18
know, Grubauer down there
8:19
>> That's a charmer. Victoria and Ukhovich
8:22
and Grubauer has shown he can play
8:24
fourth line.
8:25
>> But like Grubauer still needs to kind of
8:28
get back into the swing of things, too.
8:29
We just disappeared at the end of last
8:30
season. We didn't see him for the entire
8:32
He didn't come out of his his little
8:34
groundhog burrow until like 3 weeks ago.
8:38
>> Yeah.
8:39
>> Yeah.
8:39
>> And and helping It's not helping him
8:41
right now. Also, why did that contract
8:43
take so long considering it was a 1.1
8:45
million? But it's also not helping that
8:47
he's not a favorite of the coach. The
8:49
coach maybe doesn't love North non-North
8:52
American players. Who's to say? That's
8:54
not the topic for today. But it does not
8:57
seem like he was a favorite. Every time
8:58
he made a mistake, straight to the
9:00
doghouse. Same as with Matvei Michkov.
9:02
So, I don't love that aspect of
9:05
everything. But again, I think he's a
9:07
lot of fun. I do want to see him in the
9:09
lineup. I just don't know how regularly
9:11
that's going to be.
9:13
>> I don't know. I feel like Torts kind of
9:14
kind of like Grubauer. Like Grubauer can
9:16
go in the corner, win those battles, you
9:18
know, he can play wherever in the lineup
9:21
for better or worse. You know, he played
9:23
some time with Devorak and and Konecny
9:26
last year. He played some time with
9:28
Kates and Brink on the third line.
9:30
Played some time with Zegras and Tippett
9:31
when they first moved Zegras back to
9:33
center there. So, I think he trusts
9:35
Grubauer to make the right play no
9:38
matter what. And I at the very least,
9:40
he's the 13th forward. He's the guy that
9:43
if there's an injury for a game or two,
9:45
or they want to sit somebody to get a
9:47
reset, you get Grebennikov in there, you
9:49
can plug and play wherever. And maybe I
9:52
don't think he killed penalties too
9:53
much, but maybe he's a guy that can can
9:55
learn to kill penalties and and find
9:56
some more utility there.
9:59
>> Yeah, he's not anybody I want to look
10:01
put some stock into or anything like
10:03
that. I'm not buying the Nikita
10:04
Grebennikov stock going into this year
10:06
necessarily, but I I I think that you
10:08
could
10:10
reasonably like I would love to have him
10:12
as the 13th forward. I'd I'd take him
10:13
over Grungstrom.
10:14
>> I was going to say is he the 13th
10:16
forward over Grungstrom though?
10:17
>> thing.
10:18
Off of the base of play,
10:20
Grungstrom was good whenever he played.
10:22
He had moments that looked really good.
10:25
I don't think Grebennikov looked amazing
10:27
when he played. And I want to like him.
10:29
Like I want to like him as an NHLer and
10:32
have him in the lineup. It's just I
10:34
think he's kind of getting outplayed by
10:36
certain guys. And if you want to play
10:37
Luchenko at some point and and you want
10:41
to play Bump again um consistently,
10:44
which I I think there's probably like
10:47
that the playoff games will probably
10:49
stick in Todd's mind a little bit when
10:51
you're considering Alex Bump as well. Um
10:53
Grebennikov could have got that too. He
10:54
just unfortunately wasn't there and
10:55
that's going to probably hinder him.
10:58
Just a little bit.
10:58
>> It's it's an interesting question and I
11:01
I just don't know. I just don't know
11:03
right now. This is going to be one of
11:04
the intriguing questions heading into
11:06
training camp though.
11:07
>> Yeah. Where would you guys have ranked
11:09
Grebennikov in your in your rankings?
11:11
Like like like he's an NHLer. You know
11:14
he's going to be an NHLer. He doesn't
11:16
have the high upset, but you you know
11:18
what he is. I had him 11th, which is you
11:21
know just behind Nesbitt, Zavgorodniy. I
11:24
got Luchenko up there, Bump Bump Bonk.
11:26
And below him I had
11:29
uh Berglund, Yeryomenko, Sokolov,
11:31
Ruohonen, Yeryomenko, Vinny Saggio. Like
11:34
where where do you value Grebennikov in
11:38
this in this sort of ranking system?
11:41
>> This is about right for me just because
11:43
I don't think he has the upside of any
11:46
of the other players to come on the
11:47
list. Like I think any of the other
11:50
players on the list could end up being a
11:52
second, third line player in the NHL or
11:54
higher obviously in [laughter] certain
11:57
cases, but I just don't see it with
11:59
Grebennikov. I just don't know
12:00
unfortunately.
12:03
>> I'd probably yeah, I guess he's probably
12:05
around this spot just because the guys
12:07
behind him
12:09
like the Ruohomaas of the world, the
12:10
Vinny Lettieris of the world
12:12
uh they're just not really
12:15
locked in NHLers like Grebennikov could
12:17
play in the NHL.
12:18
Um so I guess he's got to be there. It
12:20
really depends on how you factor the
12:22
list. Like if you're factoring ceilings
12:25
yeah, he's going to fall down the board
12:26
I think closer to 20.
12:28
But at the same time he he is in the NHL
12:31
and it's not as if all of these guys,
12:34
you know, even the guys in front of them
12:36
like I don't know if Jack Nesbitt's
12:37
going to be a stud anytime soon. You
12:39
know, I'm not going to put a ton of
12:42
faith into that right off the bat. Um
12:46
yeah, I I guess this is where he has to
12:47
go, but
12:49
it's just not he's not really a guy who
12:51
I think is necessarily going to make it
12:53
a difference one way or the other for
12:55
the team whether be this year or next
12:56
year. I just
12:58
he'll be there. He'll be around.
12:59
Hopefully just brings good vibe. That's
13:00
about it. I mean, I'm going to need to
13:02
see more scoring out of him to
13:04
realistically
13:06
you know, he's got to he's got to score
13:07
more
13:08
uh to some extent or at least show that
13:10
he can drive play a little bit or or get
13:12
a bit more hectic in the O-zone without
13:14
getting injured.
13:16
>> Yeah, he's kind of a no man's land right
13:17
now.
13:18
>> Mhm.
13:18
>> Yeah, and and another big question and
13:21
someone that might, you know, have a big
13:22
impact on on this roster next season is
13:25
uh David Jiricek. Flyers acquired him of
13:27
course at the deadline for Bobby Brink,
13:29
former first round pick, formerly traded
13:31
from the Blue Jackets to the Wild for
13:34
multiple picks including at at least one
13:36
first rounder, possibly two.
13:38
He's He's uh waivers eligible, so you
13:41
can't send him down.
13:43
So, you have him penciled in as your
13:45
sixth, maybe seventh defenseman here?
13:47
Like what do you guys think about about
13:49
Jiricek?
13:50
>> Jiricek's I think my most intriguing
13:53
player going into next season outside of
13:55
obviously Matvei Michkov. Matvei Michkov
13:58
and Cutter Gauthier are in their own
13:59
category of player here, but Jiricek is
14:03
just fascinating. He's a guy who was
14:06
drafted very high, one of the highest
14:08
[laughter] draft picks on this team
14:10
overall, and has already He's already on
14:13
what, his third NHL team now? He's been
14:16
traded already a couple times, has not
14:19
traded twice, has not really stuck
14:21
anywhere, and this is with a really big
14:24
pedigree. I You know, one of the
14:26
rankings, I think it was Scott Wheeler's
14:27
over on The Athletic, had him lower than
14:29
his brother who hasn't played an NHL
14:31
game yet. So, he's really fallen from
14:34
grace, and this is a big project for the
14:36
Flyers, but it's one that's worthwhile
14:38
if they can get it to work out because
14:40
he's a clearly talented guy. He just
14:42
hasn't been able to put it together. The
14:44
biggest thing for Jiricek is obviously
14:46
the power play. The Flyers desperately
14:48
need a power play quarterback. If I had
14:50
to see Rasmus Ristolainen quarterback
14:52
the power play one more goddamn time, I
14:55
am going to lose my mind. He is horrible
14:58
at it, and he was a real liability in
15:00
playoffs. If the Flyers had a
15:01
functioning power play, they finish off
15:03
the Penguins in five, and they probably
15:06
win a game or two against Carolina
15:08
because they just gave up so many
15:10
opportunities on the power play. I think
15:12
it's specifically I think it was game
15:13
three against the Hurricanes where they
15:15
just squandered a ton of power play
15:17
opportunities, and it killed them in
15:19
that game. So, if he can help the power
15:21
play, great, but the Flyers going to
15:23
have to work that magic that they've
15:25
worked with Jamie Drysdale on Yurovchek.
15:27
So, he is, I think, one of my most
15:30
interesting players for this coming
15:31
season, no doubt about it.
15:33
>> Yeah, Yurovchek, I'd I'd be lying if I
15:35
said that I liked Yurovchek when he was
15:37
on the Wild.
15:39
Um and but that's why you get him for
15:40
Bobby Brink, you know, who gets
15:41
scratched immediately as soon as he gets
15:43
to Minnesota. You know, that's that's
15:45
kind of how far he's fallen since his,
15:48
you know, days in Columbus where
15:49
everyone was looking at him as like this
15:51
sort of
15:52
big hybrid uh
15:55
heavy physical defender who could also
15:57
play on the power-play, you know,
15:59
almost a P.K. Subban type guy, just like
16:02
chaotic, all over the place, nailing
16:04
guys, pass the puck around, big shot. Um
16:09
it's it's really just not materialized
16:11
for him anywhere he's went. And like
16:13
even when you look at the Phantoms, you
16:14
know, he has a a streak late March,
16:16
early April where six games he has seven
16:19
points, he has a six-game point streak,
16:21
all assists.
16:23
That should get you excited about him,
16:25
but there's just something about the way
16:27
he plays.
16:29
It's just not it makes you tense. It's
16:32
not calming. It's not a, you know, for
16:35
coaches especially, I can see it would
16:37
be very stressful to have David
16:39
Yurovchek
16:40
out there in any face-off of
16:42
any face-off of consequence, right? In
16:44
in the neutral zone, in in the D-zone
16:46
especially. Um he's just shown to have
16:50
momentary lapses of judgment, even when
16:52
he's playing at his best, you know, bad
16:54
giveaways, bad turnovers. Um he picks
16:57
the wrong pass, he overshoots it, and
16:59
and it goes for an icing.
17:02
He's just one of those guys who it
17:03
hasn't clicked for him yet. And
17:05
realistically now, the Flyers are one of
17:07
the better places that he could end up,
17:09
just given the fact that like
17:12
they have done a really good job with
17:14
these guys, you know, the the Drysdale,
17:16
like you mentioned, even Cam York
17:18
turning into a lot more of a defensive
17:20
stalwart than I think people thought.
17:22
Nick Seeler had his career revived in
17:24
Philly. Like Nick Seeler was floating
17:26
around in the abyss for quite a while,
17:28
but
17:29
even with Yurchuk, I look at him and I'm
17:30
like,
17:32
is he going to beat out Simon Benoit for
17:35
minutes? Like is Tocchet really going to
17:37
play David Yurchuk over Benoit? Or is he
17:40
just going to put him on the bench?
17:41
Because I
17:43
obviously want to see Yurchuk on there,
17:45
and he does fill a need, and you don't
17:46
need to at least try him as a power
17:48
play-ish adjacent guy. Uh, but
17:52
if he's not playing well, he is just a
17:54
nightmare to watch. And he's an
17:57
anti-Rick Tocchet sort of guy on the
17:59
back end, especially in big moments.
18:02
Um, he's filling the role of Noah
18:03
Juulsen. So like that shows you
18:06
a little bit better different of an
18:08
archetype that they're bringing in to
18:10
replace him. So I
18:11
He does have that high ceiling. It's
18:13
still there.
18:15
It really, really hasn't materialized as
18:17
of yet, and I just I don't know.
18:20
>> Yeah.
18:20
>> He's still only 22, though.
18:22
>> That that's the thing. Like you would
18:24
love if you could put him on the
18:26
Phantoms for a first season, and and
18:27
maybe they find a way to sneak him
18:29
through waivers or whatever, but I I I
18:31
don't know if they want to risk that.
18:33
Like they want him to be on the roster.
18:34
They want him to be the power play
18:36
quarterback.
18:38
I I wonder if they go more 11-7 this
18:41
season. I don't think Tocchet likes to
18:43
do that. But cuz otherwise you're hoping
18:46
that your top four of Sanheim,
18:48
Ristolainen, York, and Drysdale can all
18:51
play 20-22 minutes a night. And then you
18:54
shelter Yurchuk with Seeler, which I
18:57
don't necessarily love the idea of. I
18:58
also don't love the idea of playing
19:00
Benoit in the lineup every night. So
19:02
>> I hate the idea of Benoit. I've never
19:04
seen Benoit, but I mean, I've probably
19:06
seen him. I just haven't really noticed
19:08
him, cuz who cares? But, you know,
19:10
Thomas has told us that Benoit is just a
19:12
hot right ass and he's watched him a
19:14
lot. So I I don't mind the idea of him
19:17
with Seeler cuz Seeler's very
19:18
defensively responsible. I'm okay with
19:20
that. I hate 11-7 though. I don't want
19:22
to see 11-7 at all. Don't even talk to
19:24
me about 11-7.
19:25
>> 11-7 is almost like playing five at the
19:27
back in soccer with like three holding
19:30
midfielders, you know? And my
19:32
cross-sport analogies again, you know I
19:33
love my cross-sport analogies. It's just
19:35
like parking the bus. I I just
19:37
>> we love some soccer, too.
19:38
>> Yeah, yeah, I know I know you guys
19:40
No, Philadelphia is a soccer town.
19:42
>> Oh, yeah.
19:43
>> It it's a football town.
19:44
>> Oh, you might know the most about about
19:46
footy of anybody in
19:48
>> Yeah, Calvin Solar or whatever, right?
19:49
Is that his name? Calvin?
19:51
>> Yeah, I think it's one of
19:52
>> Yeah, the blonde guy, the blonde guy
19:53
with a buzz cut. Hell yeah.
19:55
>> So we get Cole on. Cole can talk about
19:56
this.
19:57
>> Yeah, we get Cole on. Can me me Cole
19:59
Evan do a soccer podcast about street
20:01
hockey to six people.
20:02
Um
20:03
that's the thing. I just like, you know,
20:04
I I
20:06
I wonder if they find it easier to rehab
20:10
a guy like Ben Waas who's just a
20:12
physical, no-nonsense, I'm getting the
20:15
puck across the red line, dumping it in
20:17
and play him with Seeler and you got
20:18
your old man shut down pair rather than
20:21
like we have this massive like we got a
20:24
bazooka
20:25
that one out of five times it explodes
20:27
when you press the trigger, right? Like
20:30
it is he he is potentially very good. It
20:34
just has not materialized anywhere in
20:36
the league and he's been traded twice
20:38
um with the Wild in 25 games in 25-26.
20:41
He had zero points in 25 games.
20:44
And you know, he was also even, which is
20:47
very funny. In 25 games he just
20:49
no goals were scored while he was on the
20:50
ice.
20:51
It honestly is probably, you know, both
20:53
ways cuz he'll give a couple up now and
20:56
then, but
20:57
when he goes down to the AHL you look at
20:59
the fan the numbers with the Phantoms is
21:00
nearly a damn point per game, right? So
21:04
it's hard. He's not he's too good for
21:06
the AHL and the
21:09
warts in his game, they're not
21:11
necessarily even something that would be
21:12
developed in the AHL. He just needs to
21:14
learn not to [ __ ] do it.
21:16
>> Right. Right. And a lot of that is just
21:18
I'm I'm hoping it can be common sense
21:21
after the coaching staff can drill it
21:23
into him. And this is where again you're
21:25
hoping for what they did with Jamie
21:27
Drysdale to be able to work here with
21:30
Yerechek. And this is a really big get
21:32
for the Flyers if they can get this to
21:33
work out. And frankly, if it doesn't
21:35
work out, sucks, but not a huge loss.
21:38
And I love Bobby Brink. Bobby Brink is a
21:40
really solid hockey player. I'd love to
21:42
have him back. But ultimately, we talk
21:45
about this with Vansager, they have too
21:47
much winger depth and somebody had to go
21:49
anyway. You might as well get a lotto
21:51
ticket with a guy like Yerechek who
21:53
could potentially fix your power play
21:55
and maybe be a really solid second pair
21:57
defender moving forward, especially once
22:00
Ristolainen goes his merry way.
22:02
>> Yeah, Yerechek it's weird cuz like
22:04
looking at him he's played 85 NHL games
22:06
now. He's averaged 13:37 a night. That
22:09
is nothing for for a defenseman. Like
22:11
even when he played 43 games with the
22:14
Blue Jackets when he was 20 years old,
22:16
averaged 14:36.
22:18
Looking at the Blue Jackets power play
22:19
last that year, they had Werenski as the
22:22
quarterback. Provorov played over 100
22:24
minutes, but then you had Damon
22:25
Severson, Adam Boqvist both playing 70
22:28
minutes. Uh you had Jake Bean play 3:51,
22:31
Erik Brannstrom 3:43. Yerechek got 25
22:35
seconds probably at the end of some
22:36
power play sometime. Like it's just he
22:38
hasn't been trusted anywhere he's gone
22:40
and
22:42
with the Flyers trying to take a step
22:44
forward this season, I don't I don't
22:45
know how much trust they can put in
22:47
Yerechek.
22:49
>> I'm not sure about how much trust, but I
22:51
think they got to give him a fair shake
22:52
or else what's the point of that trade?
22:54
>> Yeah. Yeah.
22:55
>> I think there's so little, you know, it
22:58
kind of works both ways. There's so
22:59
little that was involved with that deal.
23:01
Like Brinck.
23:03
If it wasn't Brinck, it was somebody
23:04
else in the emergence of Barkey and Bump
23:07
immediately makes it so, like, okay,
23:08
well,
23:10
Denver Barkey is already what Bobby
23:12
Brinck is, like, immediately. Like,
23:13
that's it's the same guy, realistically,
23:15
except I think Barkey's got a bit more
23:16
of a ceiling, and he's obviously
23:18
shorter.
23:19
Um
23:21
It like maybe it's just like we didn't
23:23
give anything up for him, so give it a
23:25
shot, throw him on waivers. I don't know
23:27
if anyone's going to be jumping to claim
23:29
him on waivers at this point. He's
23:30
bounced around forever. So,
23:33
maybe they just think, you know, this is
23:35
what it is. We'll get I think he gets a
23:37
shot. He's got to get a a legitimate
23:40
shot if he earns it, but like if he has
23:42
a bad camp,
23:44
I don't think they're going to be
23:45
clamoring to put Yeryk Check in the
23:47
lineup. I think I think they like their
23:49
chances more with just giving Draisaitl
23:52
PP1. It's PP2 that you're going to have
23:54
a problem with because who's going to do
23:56
that? Is this going to be Cam York? Cuz
23:58
I don't want to see Cam York or Risto,
24:00
realistically, or even Severson at this
24:02
point on PP2. You could probably do
24:04
Severson, but it's not Are you waiting
24:06
for Bouchard to come up?
24:08
>> Right. I mean, I'm okay Well, I think
24:10
they are waiting for Bouchard to come up
24:11
in general because I think they feel
24:12
really good about Bouchard. But, I think
24:15
ultimately with this team, they can
24:17
afford to have him in the press box
24:19
sometimes with Bouchard and just switch
24:21
in and out with him. And that's okay.
24:23
That's actually like not the worst place
24:25
to be in. I don't want to see Bouchard
24:27
out there, but if you're just
24:29
flip-flopping them certain nights
24:30
without Andre in there,
24:32
listen, you can afford to do this with
24:34
Yeryk Check without having to throw him
24:35
through waivers, okay? Uh if there's an
24:37
injury, you can call up Bouchard. So, I
24:40
think you give him this year, see where
24:42
he's at at the end of the year, and then
24:43
make a decision on where you want to
24:44
move forward, but he better be in that
24:46
damn lineup enough times to get a proper
24:48
evaluation. I don't want to see any of
24:49
that Rick Tacket crap that we saw last
24:52
year.
24:53
>> Yeah, I mean, we we watched Igor
24:55
Samoilov, we watched Adam Larsson, we
24:56
watched all these guys on the blue line
24:58
just just really suck it up. So like
25:01
even if like Yerechuk is going to have
25:03
his moments where you're like, oh god,
25:05
what is he doing? But as long as he can
25:07
show off that that rocket of a shot on
25:09
the power play and give the Flyers power
25:11
play some life, you can take the
25:13
downside of the mistakes he makes. It's
25:15
just a matter of doing that and I think
25:17
great point like they they're not going
25:18
to mind putting him in the press box.
25:20
Simon Benoit is going to play. He played
25:22
73 games last year. He he's played the
25:25
majority of the games in every season in
25:27
his career. He's going to get minutes.
25:29
It's just hopefully Yerechuk can prove
25:32
that he's better than him sooner rather
25:34
than later. Or or that he's not in the
25:36
Flyers then know what they have.
25:37
>> And it'll be good for Yerechuk to sit in
25:39
the press box and watch the game
25:40
sometimes just to study it and see what
25:42
certain guys are doing. Hopefully the
25:44
coaches are guiding him and telling him
25:45
what to watch for. This is going to be I
25:48
think the truest test of Rich Rick
25:51
Tocchet and the entire coaching staff to
25:53
this point.
25:54
>> Yeah, this is if you can rehab David
25:56
Yerechuk, you're doing something that
25:58
two teams just couldn't, right? And two
26:00
AHL teams just couldn't. And it's not
26:02
even the fact that like they couldn't as
26:03
in like
26:04
they were in
26:06
great position to do so. The Wild it was
26:08
a numbers game like you look at the Wild
26:10
defense the Wild's defense right now,
26:12
they're not going to have
26:14
uh they're not going to have any spots
26:15
for for a guy like him with with you
26:17
know, Faber and and and those guys there
26:19
who are all just fantastic. They got a
26:22
loaded D core. Uh Columbus can't do
26:24
anything right. So I don't take any
26:25
stock in anything they do.
26:27
Um
26:28
the Flyers will have
26:29
you know, they've they've done it with a
26:30
bunch of guys and they'll have another
26:32
chance to do it here with probably the
26:34
most raw skill of anyone that they've
26:37
gotten, you know, at least at that size,
26:39
you know, I liken him right now to a the
26:42
the sentry gun. It's basically a sentry
26:44
gun from COD, you know, it's just put
26:46
him down on the blue line and just let
26:47
him just whenever anything gets in his
26:49
path, it just got that red laser
26:51
sweeping and zzz.
26:53
Um, you got to make him a little bit
26:55
more than that because
26:57
sometimes when he's playing on the back
26:59
check and and there's someone skating at
27:00
him, you're just like
27:02
he doesn't look like a defenseman.
27:04
He looks like a forward like who got
27:06
caught. Like a a bruising power forward
27:08
got caught skating backwards, you know.
27:10
And um
27:11
>> I know the strategy. You just do
27:13
breakfast for breakfast lunch Sam Morand
27:16
and you change him to forward. Easy,
27:18
done.
27:18
>> Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
27:19
>> There you go. Screen the goalie.
27:21
>> And then you get him to be a pro scout
27:23
later on when he retires.
27:24
>> Yeah, exactly. In two years.
27:26
>> Yeah.
27:27
>> I I It's exciting though to to to kind
27:29
of get to the point of the 25 under 25
27:31
where we're talking about the Flyers.
27:32
We're talking about the NHL roster.
27:34
We're talking about players that we're
27:35
going to see. So it it's good here to
27:37
wrap up wrap up a recording today doing
27:39
multiple videos in one talking about the
27:41
Flyers and and looking forward to the
27:43
season.
27:44
Yeah.
27:45
>> It'll be fun. It's going to be a fun
27:47
year. There's a lot of moving parts this
27:48
year. Like there's a lot of guys in the
27:50
outside looking in. I mean, think about
27:52
where Denver Barkey was at the start of
27:54
last season. That's the guy I like to
27:55
think about when we when we do this sort
27:57
of list. Like he was nowhere near the
28:00
NHL picture and then suddenly you flash
28:02
forward to the playoffs and he's in the
28:03
second round playing center.
28:05
It's like I you know, anything. Konecny
28:07
could be a top line guy, you know. A
28:10
This is what it is, you know. If he if
28:12
he finds chemistry with somebody
28:14
we've seen it with with, you know, the
28:16
af-
28:17
mentioned before, Bobby Brink. And Noah
28:20
Cates Tyson Foerster line was the best
28:22
line in hockey for like a month and a
28:23
half that one time.
28:25
Um, they'll keep those guys together and
28:27
there's really you're just looking for
28:28
combos that'll work. You're looking for
28:30
guys who will fit in the roles and and
28:32
and plug holes for you and
28:34
these two guys can definitely do that.
28:35
It's just up to if they can kind of sift
28:38
through all the noise around them in
28:40
enough time before the rest of the
28:42
prospects behind them start to make
28:45
waves in the pro in the pro game.
28:47
>> I know people were disappointed with the
28:48
off season cuz they didn't get Leo
28:50
Carlson and all that, but it is a really
28:52
an exciting time to be a Flyers fan and
28:54
a great time to jump on board the
28:55
bandwagon. So, come on in, folks. The
28:57
water is fine.
28:59
>> Yeah.
29:00
Uh subscribe to Broad Street Hockey on
29:02
YouTube. Check out the 25 under 25
29:04
playlist as we as we run through these
29:06
rankings here. Going to be uh getting
29:08
into the top 10 shortly. So, make sure
29:10
you check that out. Once again, thanks
29:11
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