PHILADELPHIA – On the Flyers’ most successful line last season, Tyson Foerster was the most successful player.
While Noah Cates and Bobby Brink established new career highs for goals, so did Foerster. And he came within one goal of catching Matvei Michkov’s 26 markers for the team lead.
So it was understandable when a loud groan boomed out of Voorhees, N.J. last July 1 when it was announced Foerster would need surgery to address an elbow infection as the result of an injury suffered in the World Championships.
At the time, there was the possibility Foerster would miss the start of this season. Thankfully for the Flyers, the timeline moved along quite well and he was able to play in Monday night’s 4-3 shootout win at Boston.
Regardless of the projected down time, it was still tough to sit and watch when training camp opened in Voorhees a couple weeks ago.
“That was the worst part, just waiting,” he said. “But I mean we’re in a good spot now so that’s what I’m happy for.”
Foerster closed last season on a positive note and no doubt wanted to carry that momentum into this year.
“I’m just happy to see how it (the surgery) all reacted,” he said. “It was better news than we thought it was. I was happy to get out here and hopefully carry that momentum over.”
If the Boston game was sort of a breakthrough, Foerster should be ready for the Oct. 9 opener at Florida.
“It felt good,” he said of the game vs. the Bruins. “It was my first real action. I really didn’t scrimmage or do anything in camp. My arm felt good so I’m happy with where I’m at.”
>Line needs some defense
Michkov and Trevor Zegras have been playing quite a bit together and often their other wing has been Owen Tippett.
Coach Rick Tocchet was asked if he’s made up his mind yet about that third position.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Tocchet told the attending media at the Flyers Training Center. “The other guy has to be a responsible guy. I don’t want to take the stick out of those guys’ hands. I want them to be creative guys. It’s fun to watch them play.”
The Flyers were a rather nasty minus-48 last season and the coach knows that’s a number which needs to be fixed.
“We don’t need Selke (the trophy given to the NHL’s best defensive forward) winners,” Tocchet said. “But they have to have a little bit of a conscience. It’s going to be a work in progress. It’s going to be our responsibility as coaches to teach them that.”
>Abols on the bubble
Although he performed well in last season’s callup, Rodgrigo Abols apparently is still on the bubble as far as the opening night roster goes.
“He wants to be an NHL player,” Tocchet said. “My job is to give him feedback how to be an NHL player. I think for him, he’s a pretty good skater, heck of a shot and I think there’s more there. I like his frame, I like his thinking. Right now it’s ‘can he put together a game consistently?’
“When you’re on the bubble, you’ve got to do something every day. He’s got to have that uncomfortable feeling, like if I want to make the NHL, it’s got to be hard everyday. Can we get him to there? I don’t know. But I do like his camp so far.”
>Two headed to Phantoms
The Flyers reduced their roster to 27 players on Thursday by sending forwards Karsen Dorwart and Lane Pederson to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. As of Thursday night, the roster stands at 27 players.
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