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Quick Hits: Stewart ATO, NAK, Systems, and More

July 17, 2019, 11:42 AM ET [147 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Quick Hits: July 17, 2019

1) The Flyers have invited 31-year-old Chris Stewart to training camp on a pro tryout basis. The huge-framed power forward knows Chuck Fletcher from their time together in Minnesota, and is a very close friend of now-former Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds. Stewart spent last season in the UK, playing for the Nottingham Panthers. He was last an NHL regular in 2016-17 but did dress in 47 games for the Wild in 2017-18. Stewart faces an uphill climb to earn an NHL contract out of camp this September.

2) Yesterday morning, I spent roughly 20 minutes apiece talking to new Flyers assistant coaches Mike Yeo and Michel Therrien about their hiring in Philadelphia under new head coach Alain Vigneault and their respective philosophies relative to what their main areas of coaching focus will be (Therrien with the forwards and power play, Yeo with the defensemen and penalty kill).

Thus far, the Flyers new coaching staff, which also includes holdovers Ian Laperriere in a reconfigured role (an eye-in-the-sky assistant on game nights, a communicator with players, etc. rather than his former PK coaching responsibility) and goaltender coach Kim Dillabaugh, have have a few conversations on the roster and general areas of focus. Come August, the staff will assemble for much more intensive group meetings about systems and training camp preparation.

This week on the Flyers website, with input from Yeo and Therrien on the directions where the staff may strive to move in terms of improved 5-on-5 play and special teams, there will be deep-dive articles on each assistant's philosophies. The Yeo article will run first, then Therrien. The final article in the series, as currently planned, will be a big-picture focus on systems based on a one-on-one interview with Vigneault.

3) Yesterday, the Flyers signed restricted free agent winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year, two way contract worth $700,000 on the NHL side. No longer waiver exempt, Aube-Kubel will have to clear waivers if he does not make the NHL roster out of training camp before he can be reassigned to the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

4) July 17 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Tommy Söderström (1969), Valeri Zelepukin (1968).
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