Down on the farm: Checking in on Flyers prospects Tyson Foerster, Ronnie Attard, and more

After making it through a difficult season marred by injuries and COVID-19, Ian Laperrière is really enjoying the start to his second season as head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The 9-8-1 Phantoms have had some tough stretches, but Laperrière has appreciated his team’s ability to bounce back. And he’s having fun working with this group of young and exciting players.

» READ MORE: Ranking the Flyers’ top 10 prospects: Where does Cutter Gauthier fit?

Meanwhile, the Flyers are struggling mightily (8-12-5) and have been decimated by even more injuries than last season. Assistant general manager Brent Flahr said that despite the growing number of injuries at the NHL level, the organization is committed to making sure Laperrière continues working with those young players instead of losing them to call-ups.

“It’s been a challenge, last year and this year, too — it’s been a gong show with injuries,” Flahr said. “We’re doing the best we can to keep those young guys down there playing. … It’s best to just let them play and protect them from us. Let them play and get going, and when they’re ready, they’re ready.”

While Flyers fans might not see them for a while, there are a number of players they can get excited about.

In addition to 21-year-old defenseman Cam York, whom we profiled last week, here are some of the players Flahr and Laperrière have been impressed with:

Tyson Foerster, the Flyers’ first-round pick in 2020, leads the Phantoms in scoring with 14 points (six goals, eight assists). The winger had abbreviated stints with the Phantoms both in 2021 and 2022, but he has spent most of the last two years rehabbing, first from a shin fracture, and last year from a shoulder injury. His biggest improvement has simply been being healthy, Laperrière said.

“Because the injuries he had last year, the year before, are two big injuries,” Laperrière said. “If you miss at that age especially, you miss a lot of practice time, a lot of game time. ... It’s big that he’s here and he plays between 16-18 minutes a night. It’s what he needs.”

» READ MORE: Scouting the four Flyers prospects playing at this month’s World Juniors

Playing at this summer’s World Juniors helped make up some of the difference, Flahr said, especially because it helped build back Foerster’s confidence. However, the 20-year-old will have to continue to “grow through his struggles,” Laperrière said, and that’s what he has been doing as he plays on the Phantoms’ top line. Foerster said he has learned a lot and continues to absorb more about the professional game while also scoring and making plays.

“I think just the confidence,” Foerster said of his biggest improvement. “Obviously, I missed a lot of time last year. So just getting the feel for the game again and playing with older guys and making that big step from junior, and I feel pretty good in my confidence growing each game.”

Flahr said Foerster has adjusted to the speed of the game impressively fast, but there are still a lot of little details he needs to master. For example, Foerster has an excellent shot, and he’s used to trying to pick corners. This season, he has had a lot of shot attempts but few shots on goal. At the pro level, he needs to identify when to simply put a shot on net so a teammate can potentially capitalize on a rebound.

Defenseman Ronnie Attard, 23, is the oldest of the young standouts mentioned by Laperrière, but he’s new to the Phantoms after playing college hockey and then 15 games with the Flyers last season. Laperrière has enjoyed welcoming Attard’s big smile and positive attitude.

Attard boasts good size (6-foot-4, 221 pounds) despite being what Flahr called a “late bloomer.” But like York, he has to be more assertive and put that size to good use. York said it’s something the two of them talk about daily, and they’ve been doing a lot of work with assistant coach Jason Smith, who played more than 1,000 games as an NHL defenseman.

Attard is also an offensive-minded defenseman (four goals, seven assists), and his No. 1 focus will be figuring out the balance between risk and reward at this level.

“Because he was so successful in college, he’s going to move, he’s going to let the puck do the work for him, and sometimes he gets himself into trouble,” Laperrière said. “To win in both leagues, you’ve got to have guys who are committed to defending.”

Flahr said Attard has the green light to “learn when to go and when to not.” He’s managed to create good scoring chances for himself every night, but he still has to fine tune the defensive side of things, since he won’t be able to get away with as many things. Another big difference from college, Flahr added, is that the team will not rely on Attard to play half the game, so he doesn’t have to pace himself for that much ice time.

Attard believes he is making progress on balancing his offensive skills with his defensive responsibilities.

“I feel that I’m starting to understand more when to jump in, when not to jump in,” Attard said. “I’ve had a couple of close calls, but overall, starting to figure it out and feel more comfortable getting involved in the play.”

If the Phantoms were to give out a “most improved” award, Zayde Wisdom would earn the honor, Laperrière said. The offseason work he put in was evident with one glance at camp, but despite his revamped body, Wisdom’s performance was “just OK.” Laperrière could tell that Wisdom was nervous in camp and that he wasn’t pleased with his play.

Even though his new frame carries more muscle, Wisdom (four assists in 19 games) seemed to approach battles with less confidence now that he’s slimmer (206 pounds), Flahr said. But he has gotten used to his body and is back playing his game as a power forward.

“I think he’s going to have to continue to work on his strength and quickness like any young player,” Flahr said. “But he’s on the right side of it now.”

The Phantoms started out with Wisdom on the fourth line, but as his confidence grew, his performance improved. He has quickly earned more responsibilities now that he has lost his shyness.

“He’s just playing like a big boy,” York said. “He’s playing like a beast. … When he plays strong and heavy, he’s a really effective player out there. He’s been fun to watch progress.”

Wisdom believes his newfound “discipline” will prepare him for a future role with the Flyers.

“It’s always discipline, something that doesn’t just show on the ice — it shows in your everyday life, with whatever you do,” said Wisdom, 20. “But I’ve just been trying to, like I said, prove [Laperrière] right, and show them that I do have more and keep them happy.”

It takes one look at Elliot Desnoyers, 20, to know what he needs to work on. He’s small and he’s young. But one conversation with Desnoyers reveals why the Flyers see potential. He already carries himself like a pro.

According to Laperrière, there’s no one focus for Desnoyers when it comes to his game. He’s great with the little details and plays a solid two-way game.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect profile: Scouting 19-year-old ‘Swiss Army knife’ Elliot Desnoyers

“He’s the kid that came in and didn’t have a big jump — because he didn’t need to,” Laperrière said. “He played well right from the get-go and was just a reliable kid.”

Already, he has earned Laperrière’s trust and has been used in all situations, which is rare for such a young player. He also has impressed York.

“He’s always playing with skill, which I enjoy as an offensive defenseman,” York said. “He’s always ready to make plays, and if a play’s not there, he’s smart about it. He doesn’t have really bad turnovers.”

This season, Desnoyers has nine goals and two assists in 19 games. The winger continues to study the game, which Laperrière said means he’ll give himself the best chance possible at the next level.