Flyers prospect report: Brink and Cates start their seasons piling up points

Welcome to BSH’s weekly prospect update, where we will be serving up stats and insight on what our homegrown players have been up to. This will include prospects in Canadian Juniors (BCHL, OHL, QMJHL & WHL), Europe (SHL, KHL), and NCAA college hockey. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

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Prospects playing in Canadian junior

Elliot Desnoyers (LW), Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)
2020 5th Round Pick, 135th overall

Yegor Serdyuk (RW), Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)
2019 6th Round Pick, 165th overall

Both Desnoyers and Serdyuk won’t be seeing game action for over a month, as the QMJHL stated on Tuesday that it has cleared the league’s entire schedule from December 1st to January 3rd. Desnoyers and the Halifax Mooseheads’ next game is on January 6th against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, while Serdyuk and the Victoriaville Tigres’ next tilt is on January 8th against Rimouski Oceanic.

Prospects playing in Europe

Emil Andrae (LHD), HV71 (SHL)
2020 2nd Round Pick, 54th overall

• 12/1 - 1 shot on goal, 2 hits
• 12/3 - 1 assist
• 12/5 - 1 hit, 2 penalty minutes

Andrae snapped a 10-game point drought this week with an assist in HV71’s 5-1 victory over Djurgardens IF. The blue liner is up to three assists in 20 games this season, as he is still looking for his first goal in 2020-21 while averaging 11:48 of ice time a night. Andrae has also been named to Team Sweden’s preliminary World Junior Championship roster.

Adam Ginning (LHD), Farjestad BK (SHL)
2018 2nd Round Pick, 50th overall

• 12/3 - 2 hits

The second-rounder put in 9:21 of work in Farjestad BK’s 4-3 shootout win over Skelleftea AIK this week, as he increased his hit total on the season to five. Ginning has four points in 18 contests in 2020-21 averaging 7:06 of ice time a game.

Olle Lycksell (F), Farjestad BK (SHL)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall

• 12/3 - 1 shot on goal

Lycksell saw 13:45 of work in his lone game this week, which is the most ice time he’s received in a single game since he played 15:15 on October 22nd. He’s up to three goals on 15 shots on net and two helpers through 18 appearances.

Samuel Ersson (G), Brynas IF (SHL)
2018 5th Round Pick, 143rd overall

• 12/3 - 41 saves on 44 shots against, loss
• 12/5 - Did not play

Despite posting his second 40-plus save performance of the season Ersson dropped his only decision this week. His 41 saves in Brynas IF’s 3-1 defeat to Leksands IF is the second-most stops he’s provided in a single outing in 2020-21 and the most he’s denied in a loss this year. Ersson is now 4-9-1 with an .899 save percentage and 3.31 goals against average.

German Rubtsov (C), HK Sochi (KHL)
2016 1st Round Pick, 22nd overall

• 12/1 - 1 shot on goal, 1 hit, 6/9 on faceoffs
• 12/3 - 7/8 on faceoffs
• 12/5 - 5/16 on faceoffs

Rubtsov only mustered one shot on net this week, as his point drought stands at 10 games and his goal drought stands at 21 games. He has one goal on 26 shots and five points in 27 contests this season.

Maxim Sushko (RW), Dinamo Minsk (KHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall

• 12/1 - 1 assist, 2 shots on goal
• 12/3 - 1 hit

Sushko put up points in back-to-back games before failing to record a tally or shot in Dinamo Minsk’s most recent tilt. He’s lit the lamp once on 14 shots this season and has three points in 23 contests.

Ivan Fedotov (G), Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall

• 12/1 - Did not play
• 12/3 - Did not play
• 12/5 - 15 saves on 19 shots against, loss

Fedotov ended up being pulled in his lone appearance this week, as he allowed four goals on 19 shots against in 33:38 of work. The seventh-rounder is 8-4-1 this season with a .926 save percentage, 1.98 GAA, and one shutout.

Matej Tomek (G), SaiPa (Liiga)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall

The Liiga announced on Tuesday that all games from December 3rd to December 19th will be postponed. Tomek and SaiPa’s next contest is scheduled for December 28th against HPK.

David Kase (LW/RW), HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czech Tipsport Extraliga)
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall

• 12/1 - 1 assist, 3 shots on goal, 6/13 on faceoffs
• 12/4 - 1 goal, 3 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 2 penalty minutes, 6/22 on faceoffs
• 12/6 - 2 shots on goal, 6/18 on faceoffs

Kase has been killing it over in the Czech Tipsport Extraliga, as he saw a five-game point streak come to an end yesterday. He has 13 points (four goals) through 15 contests with HC Energie Karlovy Vary this season.

Felix Sandstrom (G), Vasterviks IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall

Sandstrom has been training with Brynas IF, his former club and Ersson’s current team, since the middle of November. He has yet to sign a deal with the SHL squad, but it hasn’t been ruled out yet. The 2015 pick was 1-4-0 with a .921 save percentage and 2.74 GAA in the Hockey Allsvenskan this season.

Marcus Westfalt (C), Vasterviks IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
2018 7th Round Pick, 205th overall

• 12/3 - 4 penalty minutes, 9/16 on faceoffs
• 12/5 - 1 shot on goal, 10/21 on faceoffs
• 12/6 - 1 shot on goal, 7/22 on faceoffs

Westfalt had another quiet week as he failed to record a point in three games. He has two goals and two assists in 20 games this year while averaging 14:58 of work a night.

Linus Hogberg (LHD), HC Vita Hasten (HockeyAllsvenkan)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall

• 12/2 - 1 shot on goal
• 12/4 - 1 assist, 5 shots on goal

Hogberg pumped another five shots on net in HC Vita Hasten’s latest game to up his season total to 38, which is good enough for fourth on the team. He has one goal and 10 helpers through 20 appearances while logging 21:22 of action a night.

Kirill Ustimenko (G), HK Gomel (Belarusian Extraleague A)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall

According to The Athletic’s Alexander Appleyard Ustimenko is already back in North America. He had a .910 save percentage in a pair of games with HK Gomel.

Prospects playing in NCAA

Cam York (LHD), University of Michigan (Big Ten)
2019 1st Round Pick, 14th overall

• 12/2 - 4 blocked shots, 2 penalty minutes
• 12/3 - 1 goal, 1 shot on goal, 1 blocked shot

York snapped a four-game point drought and potted his second goal of the season with an absolutely disgusting backhander in a 9-5 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday. The defenseman is up to two goals and three assists this year through eight tilts. He has also been named to the preliminary roster for Team U.S.A. at the WJC.

Bobby Brink (RW), University of Denver (NCHC)
2019 2nd Round Pick, 34th overall

• 12/2 - 1 shot on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/4 - 2 assists, 1 shot on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/5 - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal

Thanks to a pair of great plays in his second game of the season, Brink has accumulated three assists in his first three contests of his second collegiate campaign. The Flyers’ prospect also has three shots on net, as the Pioneers sit 0-2-1 after their first week of action. Brink will be joining York on the preliminary roster for Team U.S.A.

Ronnie Attard (RHD), Western Michigan University (NCHC)
2019 3rd Round Pick, 72nd overall

• 12/1 - 5 shots on goal, 2 blocked shots
• 12/3 - 3 shots on goal, 2 blocked shots
• 12/6 - 1 assist, 5 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 4 penalty minutes

Attard and the Broncos had a rough start to their 2020-21 season as they dropped their first three games while being outscored 18-4 overall in their two most recent defeats. Although the blue liner only recorded one point he tossed 13 shots on net and had 20 shot attempts while also denying five shots from the opposition.

Bryce Brodzinski (RW), University of Minnesota (Big Ten)
2019 7th Round Pick, 196th overall

• 12/3 - 1 shot on goal, 1 blocked shot
• 12/4 - 1 assist, 2 penalty minutes

Brodzinski recorded an assist in the Golden Gophers’ most recent outing to up his point total to two through six games. He’s also thrown seven pucks on net.

Jay O’Brien (C), Boston University (Hockey East)
2018 1st Round Pick, 19th overall

O’Brien and the Terriers were slated to play in their first game of the season this past weekend against the University of Connecticut Huskies, but thanks to a positive COVID-19 test the game was cancelled. The school’s next game is on December 11th against the University of Massachusetts Minutemen.

Gavin Hain (C), University of North Dakota (NCHC)
2018 6th Round Pick, 174th overall

• 12/2 - 3 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 0/1 on faceoffs
• 12/4 - 2 shots on goal, 2 blocked shots
• 12/6 - 1 goal, 1 shot on goal, 1/2 on faceoffs

Hain was on the other side of Western Michigan University’s shellacking, as he registered his first goal of 2020-21 in the Fighting Hawks’ 8-2 victory yesterday against Attard’s team. The sixth-rounder has one shorthanded goal on six shots so far.

Noah Cates (LW), University of Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall

• 12/1 - 1 goal, 2 shots on goal, 1 blocked shot, 13/24 on faceoffs
• 12/2 - 2 assists, 2 shots, 2 blocked shots, 10/18 on faceoffs
• 12/6 - 1 assist, 1 shot on goal, 2 blocked shots, 13/22 on faceoffs

As captain of the Bulldogs in his junior season, Cates has led the team to three straight wins to open their season. He’s third on the team with four points and has a total of five shots on net.