THURSDAY QUICK HITS
* Several people have asked if Michael Del Zotto will be a restricted or unrestricted free agent next summer. The 24-year-old defenseman became a UFA this summer when the Nashville Predators declined to present him a qualifying offer. The same situation would apply with the Flyers next summer. If the team makes a qualifying offer, he will be a restricted free agent. Otherwise, he would become a UFA again. For both the player's sake and the team's, the best case scenario would be if Del Zotto plays well enough next season to make a contract extension a no-brainer.
* Fairly or unfairly, one of the criticisms levied at Del Zotto when he played in New York was that he had to play left defense in order to be effective, and lacked adaptability to playing the right side. Depending on his partner with the Flyers, he may or may not at some point be called upon to play right defense (although he can play his preferred side with either Luke Schenn or Braydon Coburn as his partner). I was unable to ask him that question during yesterday's media conference call, so I plan to ask him at training camp.
* It is always fun to look back at things that were said of prospects leading up to the NHL Draft. Here was my HockeyBuzz preview of the
top 10 defensemen heading into the 2008 NHL Draft. Players on the list include Luke Schenn, Del Zotto, Luca Sbisa, Erik Karlsson, Tyler Myers as well as the consensus top three of Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo.
* Team USA got a measure of revenge for its split-squad losses to Sweden at the National Team Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY. With the American roster pared down to a single squad, Team USA hammered the Junior Crowns by a 7-1 count. A four-goal outburst in the second period blew the game wide open for the Americans. Flyers prospects Robert Hägg and Oskar Lindblom were in the Swedish lineup. Neither figured in the scoring, although Lindblom was denied by Thatcher Demko on a prime scoring chance. Alex Tuch led the way for Team USA with a hat trick. The Americans take on Finland today.
* In the first of back-to-back National Team Evaluation games in Sherbrook, Que., pitting Team Canada against Team Russia, the Canadian side prevailed by a 5-2 count. After a scoreless first period, the Canadians exploded for four goals in the middle stanza. Flyers defense prospect Travis Sanheim skated on Canada's third pairing along with Ben Harpur. Sanheim played well but did not figure in the scoring. The game can be
viewed in its entirety at the official Hockey Canada site.
* Neither Samuel Morin (Canada) nor Radel Fazleev (Russia) dressed in last night's game in Sherbooke. One or of both could appear for their respective teams in tonight's rematch. Sanheim did not play in Canada's opening win against the Czech Republic, while Morin did. Likewise, Fazleev dressed for the Russians in their opening win over the Czechs.
* The Lehigh Valley Phantoms signed two players yesterday to AHL contracts: goaltender Connor Knapp and defenseman Brett Flemming. There is a good chance both players will spend time in the ECHL this season with the Reading Royals.
Knapp, 24, is a third-year pro out of Miami (Ohio) University. He has spent most of his pro career to date at the ECHL level. A hulking specimen at 6-foot-6, 222 pounds, Knapp has also appeared in the NHL and AHL.
Last season, Knapp made two late-season NHL appearances for the Buffalo Sabres (becoming the ninth different goalie to appear in a game for Buffalo last season). Knapp made his NHL debut in a relief appearance in Boston on April 12, 2014. He then made his first NHL start the following day in the regular-season finale; a 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders.
The 2013-14 season was quite a wild ride for Knapp, as he played for three ECHL teams, the Rochester Americans in the AHL and the Sabres in the NHL.
At the AHL level, Knapp has only played in 10 career games to date. His most notable appearance was a 41-save effort against the Phantoms during the 2012-13 season. In the ECHL, Knapp appeared in 29 games in 2013-14, posting a combined record of 11-12-5 with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
As of now, the Phantoms are likely to have veteran Rob Zepp and rookie Anthony Stolarz as their goaltending tandem in 2014-15. However, there is a chance that Knapp could work his way into the equation.
Flemming, 23, was previously a member of the Washington Capitals organization. He has split the first three seasons of his career between the ECHL's Reading Royals and the AHL's Hershey Bears. With the Royals affiliating with the Flyers and Phantoms beginning this season, Flemming may be staying put. He was a regular on Reading's 2012-13 Kelly Cup championship team. The Phantoms blueline is a crowded one and this is a depth signing.
Including yesterday's signings, the Phantoms now have five players on AHL-only contracts. The others are defenseman Steven Delisle and forwards Kevin Goumas and Matt Hatch.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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