Notable Phantoms performers this week:
Philippe Myers (D): 3 GP, 1 assist, 6 shots, 6 PIM
Undrafted Free Agent
The Phantoms didn’t score many points this weekend, so standout performances on the scoresheet won’t be in abundance. Myers tallied an assist on Wednesday, giving him 15 points (5 G, 10 A) in 24 games.
Mark Friedman (D): 3 GP, 6 shots
2014 3rd Round Pick, 86th overall
Things have been quiet for Friedman. He has just 3 points (all assists) in his last 14 games. The second year AHLer has 11 points (1 G, 10 A) overall in 24 games this season.
Nicholas Aube-Kubel (RW): 3 GP, 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots, 14 PIM
2014 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
The offensive contributions keep coming for NAK. He notched his seventh goal and sixth assist. He also fought in both Friday and Saturday’s games.
Mikhail Vorobyev (C), 1 GP, 0 shots
2015 4th Round Pick, 104th overall
Vorobyev didn’t play in either Friday or Saturday’s game because of an undisclosed injury.
Carsen Twarynski (LW): 3 GP, 3 shots
2016 3rd Round Pick, 82nd overall
With injuries to Vorobyev and Rubstov, we should be seeing Twarynski move to a bigger role. Whether he performs in that role is another story. He has 4 points (1 G, 3 A) in 20 games.
David Kaše (RW): 2 GP, 1 assist, 3 shots, 2 PIM
2015 5th Round Pick, 128th overall
Another injured Phantom it appears. Kase sat out Saturday’s game with an injury. He’s been very effective when healthy, picking up 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 20 games.
Connor Bunnaman (C): 2 GP, 2 goals, 3 shots
2016 4th Round Pick, 109th overall
Bunnaman comes alive! He’s another forward who should see time if guys like Vorobyev and Kase are out for an extended period of time. He scored a goal in each game Friday and Saturday. The Bun Man has 4 goals and 1 assist in 15 games this season.
Carter Hart (G): 1 GP, 0 GA, 26 saves
2016 2nd Round Pick, 48th overall
Hart pitches his first professional shutout! Lyon took the two losses this week (both against Cleveland no less). Hart now has 3 games with a save percentage above .900. I think we would like this trend to continue. The rookie has a .899 SV% through 15 games.
Notable Canadian junior performers this week:
Morgan Frost (C), Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
2017 1st Round Pick, 27th overall
- 12/5 – 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 shots, 4 PIM, 12 for 23 FOW
- 12/7 – 1 assist, 2 shots, 18 for 35 FOW
- 12/9 – 3 shots, 2 PIM, 18 for 32 FOW/
Just a point-per-game week for Frost. He fell a point behind in the OHL scoring race. Frost has 58 points (20 G, 38 A) in 32 games.
Isaac Ratcliffe (LW), Guelph Storm (OHL)
2017 2nd Round Pick, 35th overall
Ratcliffe scored his 20th goal in his 29th game this season. He had 41 in 67 last year, so perhaps expect that amount to be broken by March.
Matthew Strome (LW), Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 106th overall
- 12/6 – 5 shots, 3 for 9 FOW
- 12/8 – 2 assists, 1 shot, 2 for 4 FOW
- 12/9 – 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 shots, 2 PIM, 3 for 5 FOW/
Strome is well above his point-per-game pace (1.19) from last season (1.05). This is coming largely from the jump in assists this season. Strome has 25 through the first 31 games of the season and had just 31 all of last year.
Maksim Sushko (RW), Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
2017 4th Round Pick, 107th overall
Sushko didn’t play for Owen Sound this week because he was selected to Team Belarus for the U20 Division 1 WJC tournament. He’ll be trying to help Team Belarus make the tournament after a strong showing last season. He picked up an assist in a 5-3 win over Norway on Sunday.
Wyatte Wylie (D), Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2018 5th Round Pick, 127th overall
Wylie experiencing his longest scoring drought of the season thus far at four games. Despite the lack of points this week he has 26 points (6 G, 20 A) in 33 games on 113 shots on goal. His 26 points rank seventh among WHL defensemen.
Egor Zamula (D), Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Undrafted Free Agent
Why aren’t we talking about Zamula more. The previous administration brought in Zamula into this year’s training camp as an undrafted free agent. He impresses enough to force them to sign him to a contract and has promptly been tearing up the WHL in recent weeks. After not recording a point in his first eight games, he now has 24 (7 G, 17 A) in his last 23. This could be another Phil Myers-eque steal.
Notable European performers this week
Linus Högberg (D), Växjö Lakers HC (SHL)
2016 5th Round Pick, 139th overall
The Hog got a surprisingly low amount of ice time on Saturday. He rarely takes penalties, so I’m wondering if that was a factor.
David Bernhardt (D), Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
2016 7th Round Pick, 199th overall
Bernhardt has now been out of the lineup for a couple weeks now. It’s shaping up to be a lost season.
Adam Ginning (D), Linköping HC (SHL)
2018 2nd Round Pick, 50th overall
No points, but plenty of ice-time for the young Swede. He’ll be leaving the SHL shortly to represent Team Sweden in the U20 WJC Tournament.
Olle Lycksell (RW/C), Linköping HC (SHL)
2017 6th Round Pick, 168th overall
Lycksell with no points this week and was surprisingly left off the Team Sweden roster for the WJC.
Marcus Westfält (C), Brynäs IF (SHL)
2018 7th Round Pick, 205th overall
After a brief demotion to the J20 team, Westfält is back with the big club and picked up his first point of the season in the SHL (through 14 games).
Felix Sandström (G), HV71 (SHL)
2015 3rd Round Pick, 70th overall
Sandström didn’t get in any games this week and has only played in nine this season to the tune of a .897 SV%. It’s been over two weeks since he’s gotten into a game.
Samuel Ersson (G), Västerås IK (Allsvenskan)
2018 5th Round Pick, 143rd overall
Ersson has been spectacular enough to also earn an invite to the Team Sweden roster for the WJC. He has .944 SV% in 16 games.
Ivan Fedotov (G), HC Toros (VHL)
2015 7th Round Pick, 188th overall
Fedotov actually got into a game this past week, helping Toros win in a 6-2 victory. Toros recently changed their site and it’s difficult to see how many saves he made. Overall on the season, Fedotov has a .924 SV% in 14 games.
Kirill Ustimenko (G), MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
2017 3rd Round Pick, 80th overall
The situation surrounding Ustimenko isn’t sounding good. It’s likely stemming from being frustrated in remaining in the MHL after his masterful 2017-18 campaign (not actually a fact, just me hypothesizing). He hasn’t appeared in a game in weeks.
Notable collegiate performers this week
Wade Allison (RW), Western Michigan University
2016 2nd Round Pick, 52nd overall
Not the Wade Allison we are used to from last season. Despite the high expectations, perhaps we’ll need to taper those down given his recovery isn’t likely yet 100%.
Joel Farabee (LW), Boston University
2018 1st Round Pick, 14th overall
A big three-point game for the freshman on Friday. It gives him 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in 15 games.
Tanner Laczynski (C/W), Ohio State University
2016 6th Round Pick, 169th overall
No games for Laczynski and OSU until after the holidays.
Gavin Hain (C/W), University of North Dakota
2018 6th Round Pick, 174th overall
Gavin Hain scores his first collegiate goal this weekend! It’s been slow going for the freshman, so hopefully this kicks things off.
Jay O’Brien (C), Providence College
2018 1st Round Pick, 19th overall
Jay O’Brien and Providence are off until after the holidays.
Brendan Warren (LW), University of Michigan
2015 3rd Round Pick, 81st overall
According to The Stats, Warren has 3 points (1 G, 2 A) on 30 shots in 16 games.
Noah Cates (LW), University of Minnesota-Duluth
2017 5th Round Pick, 137th overall
Cates was squaring off against Wade Allison and Western Michigan this week. Cates’ goal on Saturday was his fourth of the season. The freshman has 7 points in 16 games.
Wyatt Kalynuk (D), University of Wisconsin
2017 7th Round Pick, 196th overall
Kalnyuk remains a lot of fun to follow in his second collegiate season. He has 14 points (7 G, 7 A) in 18 games. It’s likely he eclipses his point total from last season (25).
Jack St. Ivany (D), Yale University
2018 4th Round Pick, 112th overall
St. Ivany was very involved in Saturday’s game! He has 8 points (2 G, 6 A) in 11 games this season. Yes, it’s the Ivy League, but impressive nonetheless.
Matej Tomek (G), University of Nebraska-Omaha
2015 3rd Round Pick, 90th overall
No appearances from Tomek this week. In mop-up duty this season he has a .828 SV% in four games.
