The Flyers are mercifully on their league-mandated five-day bye week after dropping back-to-back games last weekend by a combined score, 11-3. They need the time off.
As the bye week begins, it's time for our weekly check-in on the Flyers' prospects playing in the AHL, overseas and at the junior and college levels.
In this edition, we highlight a 2013 second-round pick whom the Flyers believe is on the brink of reaching the NHL and much more in this week's Future Flyers Report.
Robert Hagg, D, 6-1/191, Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Hagg has been an interesting prospect to follow this season, especially considering the down year he had last season in Lehigh Valley and that he often gets lost in the conversation when discussing Flyers' defensive prospects. That should change.
The 21-year-old has "made big strides," Flyers assistant general manager Chris Pryor told ESPN.com's Craig Custance last week. Pryor had been the Flyers' director of scouting since 2006 before earning the promotion to AGM this year and has been with the team since 1999. Pryor also told ESPN the Flyers believe Hagg is "just about NHL-ready."
Pryor's comments fall in line with what general manager Ron Hextall told Phantoms broadcaster Bob Rotruck Dec. 14 that Hagg has taken "the kind of step we were hoping he'd take last year." The Flyers are high on the 2013 second-round draft pick.
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In his third professional year, Hagg's two-way style doesn't garner much flash, but he does a lot of things well when he keeps his game simple and asserts himself. That has been the case this season, and his development has caught the eyes of Flyers' front office.
During the Phantoms' 6-4 loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday night, Hagg snapped a five-game pointless streak in picking up his third assist of the season - fifth point. Hagg made a quick pass in the neutral zone to Greg Carey to keep the Phantoms' pressure going, and Carey eventually deposited the puck into the Hershey net.
Often the forgotten defensive prospect, Hagg appears to pushing hard for an NHL spot sooner rather than later. With a few blueliners coming off the books after this season, Hagg is a legitimate candidate to be apart of the Flyers' top-six in 2017-18.
Alex Lyon, G, 6-1/201, Lehigh Valley (AHL)
With Anthony Stolarz back in the mix, Lyon understands it's back to a healthy competition between the pipes for the Phantoms and he's welcomed the battle.
Lyon told Highland Park Hockey last week that the playing time he's acquired in the last month when Stolarz was with the Flyers gave him "a little bit of fuel for the fire." Lyon went on to say the competition between the two will allow them to "push each other."
Last week, the Phantoms decided to split the weekend with Lyon and Stolarz, who stopped 15 of 17 shots in Lehigh Valley's 6-2 win over Hershey on Friday. Lyon got the nod Saturday, and the Bears scored five goals on 26 shots on the first-year pro.
Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon has a good problem to have - two strong goalies at the AHL level in Lyon and Stolarz. It's similar to what the Flyers have at the NHL level with Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth, except the NHL goalies are struggling right now.
With Mason and Neuvirth both on the final years of their contracts, Stolarz figures to have a spot on the Flyers' roster next season after he showed enough in his call-up last month. But don't overlook Lyon, who is on a one-year contract and the Flyers like him.
Samuel Dove-McFalls, C, 6-2/207, Saint John's (QMJHL)
A 2015 fourth-round pick, Dove-McFalls has been centering the Sea Dogs' third line, and last week, in a 7-6 loss to Cape Breton, he picked up his ninth goal of the year, which knotted the game at five in the third period. Dove-McFalls won 15 of his 20 faceoffs against the Screaming Eagles. He has four points in his last six games, and goals in three of those six games. Overall, he has 31 points in 40 games for Saint John's.
Quick hits
• Phantoms defenseman Travis Sanheim continues to tear apart the AHL, picking up two more goals in Lehigh Valley's 6-4 loss to Hershey on Saturday. Sanheim has three goals in his last three games, and seven goals in his last 13 games.
• It might be time for AHL players to stop trying to pick fights with Sam Morin, who bloodied Hershey's Garrett Mitchell in a fight on Saturday night.
• Rouyn-Noranda's Philippe Myers remains out with a concussion, but did enough at the world juniors to impress TSN's Bob McKenzie, who think Myers is NHL ready.
• German Rubtsov has yet to suit up for a game with Chicoutimi. Rubtsov got out of his KHL contract last week, but did undergo surgery to repair a broken nose last Monday.
• Victoriaville's Pascal Laberge had a goal and an assist in the Tigres' 3-2 win over Halifax on Sunday. Laberge, who has dealt with some head injuries this season, has five goals and 17 points in 23 games with Victoriaville.
• In two games since returning to Everett from the world juniors, Carter Hart has pitched a shutout and was plastered for four goals. He made 22 saves in blanking Kamloops, 4-0, on Friday, but gave up four goals on 38 shots in a 4-3 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
• Calgary traded Carsen Twarynski to the Kelowna Rockets at last week's WHL trade deadline. Twarynski picked up an assist Friday, his second game with the Rockets.
• Felix Sandstrom made 15 saves and yielded two goals in his first game with Brynäs IF since returning from the world juniors, a 3-0 loss to Djurgårdens IF on Saturday.
• Michigan center Cooper Marody centered the Wolverines' top line last week in back-to-back weekend losses No. 9 Minnesota. Marody was held pointless.
• Tanner Laczynski picked up an assist in No. 10 Ohio State's 6-1 win over Arizona State on Friday, his first game back since the world juniors. He was pointless Saturday.
• Clarkson defenseman Terrance Amorosa had his first two-assist game since the season opener in the Golden Knights' 7-2 rout of Brown on Saturday night.
• Not the best week for Merrick Madsen, who was pulled in No. 2 Harvard's 4-0 loss to Rensselaer on Friday after allowing four goals on 20 shots. He picked up another loss Saturday, when Harvard fell, 2-1, to No. 11 Union, but he was stronger with 20 saves.
• Western Michigan's Wade Allison picked up his 10th collegiate goal in the No. 14-ranked Broncos' 7-2 loss to No. Denver on Saturday night.
