Philadelphia Flyers Preseason Matchup
In their recent preseason matchup on Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers faced off against the New York Islanders and emerged with a disappointing result. However, the greater concern for the team remains their defensive play, which has been underwhelming as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Defensive Pairing Concerns
With key prospects like Emil Andrae and Helge Grans sidelined for the time being, the Flyers’ options for their third defensive pairing are limited to Egor Zamula, Adam Ginning, Dennis Gilbert, and Noah Juulsen.
Head coach Rick Tocchet is expected to keep eight defensemen in the mix, meaning all four of these players could be retained on the roster. Currently, 25-year-old Zamula is seen as the front-runner among this group, although his position is precarious following a series of lackluster performances throughout the preseason.
Zamula’s Performance Under Scrutiny
Most recently, during the game against the Islanders, he struggled significantly, recording an unfavorable 5-1 scoring chance differential along with a concerning 17-8 deficit in shot attempts while on the ice at even strength, as reported by Natural Stat Trick.
Both Zamula and Ginning are also on expiring contracts, yet their trajectories are notably different, with Ginning showing improvement, unlike Zamula, whose play has raised alarms. Coach Tocchet did not shy away from critiquing Zamula’s efforts after the loss, stating,
“Yeah, he’s gotta pick it up. Yup, definitely.”
This stark comment highlights the pressure Zamula faces amidst competition from his teammates.
Emerging Prospects and Future Considerations
In a silver lining for the Flyers, they seem to have unearthed a promising prospect in winger Nikita Grebenkin, who has been turning heads during training camp and preseason. Meanwhile, the team finds itself in a bit of a dilemma regarding Andrae’s status, seemingly making a definitive call on his future until conditions change.
Questions linger about how a fully fit Oliver Bonk would have contributed to this defensive competition, had he been able to play. Notably, Ethan Samson’s recovery poses another question, as he was seen with a brace on his right hand and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, as announced by the team last week.
With their current defensive lineup set, the Flyers need Zamula to step up his game quickly, or risk losing his spot in favor of more reliable options.
