Flyers bringing Egor Zamula to Toronto as Phase 4 roster is announced
Oskar Linblom was officially placed on the active roster as one of 17 forwards the Flyers can use during the playoffs.
Oskar Lindblom’s place on the Flyers’ postseason roster was nice to see, but it was expected.
Egor Zamula, on the other hand ... that was a surprise.
The Flyers announced their 31-member roster for the fourth and final phase of the NHL’s return-to-play plan. They are bringing 17 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goaltenders, including 21-year-old Kirill Ustimenko.
Zamula, 20, put up 28 points in 28 games for Calgary in the Western Hockey League before his season was cut short by a back injury. He had surgery in January, and his invitation to the recently-completed training camp was considered a positive step. Obviously, he just kept walking right on up the depth chart.
The Flyers’ brass was not available for comment on Sunday, but prior to the recently-completed training camp, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Zamula was there to do more than fill out the roster.
“We’re certainly cognizant that he’s coming off a tough surgery, and he’s 20 years old,” Fletcher said on July 13. “We thought it would be good for him, long-term, to come back and participate and skate with our group - and over the next two weeks, the coaches will have to make that decision as to whether he’d be a factor for Phase 4.”
” ... make no mistake about it, this kid is a top prospect and he’s going to have a very good career for us.”
Zamula likely won’t play in meaningful games, but he could be in the lineup for Tuesday’s exhibition against Pittsburgh when the teams will be permitted to carry 13 forwards and seven defensemen.
Tyler Wotherspoon and Nate Prosser are among the AHL veterans beaten out by Zamula, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and who is rated by the Inquirer as the Flyers third-best prospect behind center Morgan Frost and defenseman Bobby Brink.
He’s listed by the Flyers as 6-3, which gives the club five defensemen who are 6-2 or taller.
Frost also is on the Phase 4 roster, and will be among the first called in case of injury or (gasp) illness. Brink is going into his sophomore year (maybe) at the University of Denver.
Carsen Twarynski and German Rubtsov were among the notable forwards left behind. Ustimenko joins Alex Lyon as the other reserve goaltender behind Carter Hart and Brian Elliott.
Rosters are now closed for the remainder of the postseason. Teams will be in virtual bubbles (the NHL hopes) in Toronto and Edmonton as the league tries to crown a champion over the next two months in the midst of an historic pandemic.
Lindblom did not participate in the Phase 3 training camp with the Flyers, but he finished chemotherapy treatments on July 2 and is fit enough to rejoin the club less than seven months after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. He’ll turn 24 on Aug. 15 and will join the team in Toronto from Sweden shortly.
Lindblom was on his way to the best season of his young career when December’s diagnosis was made. He was headed toward restricted free agency before the Flyers gave him a 3-year, $9 million contract recently.
The Flyers flew to Toronto on Sunday morning where they will quarantine at a downtown hotel. After the exhibition against the Penguins, they’ll start round-robin play Sunday, Aug. 2 against Boston (3 p.m., NBC). to determine the first four seeds for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Playoff roster
Primary forwards (13): Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Sean Couturier, Joel Farabee, Claude Giroux, Derek Grant, Kevin Hayes, Travis Konecny, Scott Laughton, Tyler Pitlick, Michael Raffl, Nate Thompson, James van Riemsdyk, Jake Voracek
Reserve forwards (4): Andy Andreoff, Connor Bunnaman, Morgan Frost, Oskar Lindblom
Primary defensemen (7): Justin Braun, Shayne Gostisbehere, Robert Hagg, Phil Myers, Matt Niskanen, Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim
Reserve defensemen (3): Mark Friedman, Andy Welinski, Egor Zamula
Primary goaltenders (2): Brian Elliott, Carter Hart
Reserve goaltenders (2): Alex Lyon, Kirill Ustimenko
Note: The Flyers likely will use 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies for their 20-man game lineup. For Tuesday’s exhibition against Pittsburgh, they may dress 13 forwards and seven defensemen.