VOORHEES, New Jersey — Alex Bump’s initial disappointment of not making the Philadelphia Flyers’ opening night roster was showing in his first few games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It prompted an early-season meeting with John Snowden, the first-year coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate.
In what Snowden called a “healthy conversation,” he detailed to Bump some of the improvements he wanted to see.
Play more abrasively. Initiate contact on puck retrievals and use his six-foot-two, 202-pound frame to ward off the opponent. Compete a bit harder. Go through guys to get to loose pucks, instead of around them. Get to the interior.
“(I) challenged him to add some layers to his game that he’s going to have to have in order to play at the NHL level,” Snowden recalled in a phone conversation Tuesday. “And, he’s responded. He’s been really, really good. … And, obviously, all these things have lended to him having an offensive outburst now. He’s getting the puck because of the way he’s playing.”
Getting it, and doing something with it.
Bump, 21, now sits atop the Phantoms’ scoring leaderboard, with 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 15 games. He’s tied for third in the AHL in rookie scoring, tied for first in assists and leads all first-year players with 45 shots. In the four games before Sunday’s 2-1 Phantoms loss, in which he was held off the scoresheet, Bump posted two goals and six assists for eight points. Over the last three weeks or so, Bump has found chemistry on a line with Lane Pederson and Denver Barkey.
And while Snowden has been stressing Bump play with a bit more physicality and hostility, that’s not something he has to worry about with the forward when the Phantoms have possession in the offensive zone. Bump has always shown the courage necessary to get to the scoring areas on the ice.
“The one thing that he has in spades is when he has the puck, he’s never afraid to go inside,” Snowden said. “And, he’s good at doing that.”
That’s something the Flyers’ 29th-ranked offense has been lacking this season. To that end, on Monday, coach Rick Tocchet ran a noticeably intense and physical practice. It even got chippy at times. “I think we needed a good pushing and shoving practice,” Tocchet said afterwards.
The question — particularly for a player that Flyers management strongly suggested would make the NHL right away after wrapping up a successful two-year stint at Western Michigan — is when might the big club allow Bump to make his NHL debut?
As the roster currently stands and with the Flyers being healthy up front, it’s difficult to see where the 21-year-old would fit.
At the same time, the Flyers have gotten next to nothing from their fourth line, which Tocchet labeled a “mixed bag” on Monday. Nikita Grebenkin has one goal and two assists, but those points have come when he’s been skating up in the lineup. None of Nic Deslauriers, Rodrigo Abols or Garnet Hathaway have even been on the ice for a five-on-five goal, let alone scored one.
Considering Grebenkin has yet to fully earn Tocchet’s trust — he was a healthy scratch in the Flyers’ previous two games before Saturday’s loss in Dallas — and Deslauriers will never be relied upon for offense, might it be time to recall Bump and give him an opportunity?
According to a team source, nothing is imminent on that front, and Bump is likely to remain in the AHL for now, barring any unforeseen circumstances. However, he’s also not the only one who has put himself in a good position for a recall. In net, Aleksei Kolosov has apparently acclimated himself to the AHL club, perhaps finally realizing that it’s his only path to becoming an NHL regular.
About a month ago, Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong sang Kolosov’s praises, while adding that “he feels like he’s home now.”
Snowden echoed that. And, Kolosov’s play has reflected it. In eight games, Kolosov is 5-2-1 with a .916 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average.
While Kolosov has been playing well for the Flyers’ farm team, don’t expect a call-up in the immediate future. (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today via Imagn Images)
“He’s a lot more comfortable, I guess I’d say, when it comes to off the ice,” Snowden said. “He’s smiling, he’s laughing. Obviously, the language barrier is a challenge. He doesn’t speak English very well. But he speaks enough to where he’s having fun with the guys, he’s having fun in practice.”
While that’s been vital for a player that previously showed little interest in living in Allentown, it’s a change in Kolosov’s practice habits that has been particularly noteworthy to Snowden, who was an assistant coach with the Phantoms for the previous two seasons before assuming the head role.
“The biggest thing that has been a change for Koly this year… he competes in practice, and he finishes practices,” Snowden said. “Start to finish, he never quits on pucks. He’s trying to make every save.”
From a Flyers perspective, they’re obviously set with the impressive Dan Vladar as their No. 1. The offseason addition has arguably been their most important player this season, along with forward Trevor Zegras.
But Sam Ersson has struggled. He was particularly leaky in the Flyers’ 6-5 shootout win over the Blues, and has just a .846 save percentage and 3.30 goals-against average in six games.
Tocchet, though, defended Ersson on Monday. To him, the Flyers simply gave up too many high-danger chances to the Blues. One of his aims in practice this week, before the Flyers play the Blues again at home on Thursday, is to reverse what he believes is a “bit of a trend of backing in. … It’s not just the defense, it’s a five-man thing,” Tocchet said. As a result, Ersson’s lackluster numbers have been “a little bit of the product of the way we’ve played, backing up.”
Further, according to a Flyers team source, they still have faith in Ersson, who only recently turned 26 and has helped the Flyers record points in the standings in five of his six starts (3-1-2).
Kolosov has already made one start this season when Ersson had a groin injury, stopping 19 of 21 shots in a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Nov. 2 in what was a low-event, and, frankly, hideous game by both teams. Judging from what Tocchet had to say about Ersson this week, Kolosov will probably have to wait a bit longer before he’s a consideration again, provided the two Flyers goalies remain healthy.
But after two years of a rebuild under general manager Daniel Briere, the Flyers may finally have some young AHL players pushing for NHL jobs. At some point, whether that’s sooner or later, difficult decisions may have to be made as to when they’ll get a chance.