The Flyers’ Nate Prosser, from taxi squad to the big team and back | On the Fly

The look on Joel Farabee’s face after the Flyers’ third goal Sunday night was priceless.

Phil Myers fired a shot from the blue line through a screen that included Farabee, who had scored the Flyers’ first two goals. If the puck hit Farabee it would give the 20-year-old his first career hat trick. If it didn’t, the goal belonged to Myers.

Farabee, 20, is a likable young man. The last thing he’d want to do is prematurely celebrate a hat trick only for the goal to be awarded to Myers. That’s a bad look, and one Kevin Hayes wouldn’t let him live down in the locker room.

As they hugged following the goal, Farabee seemed to ask Myers if Myers thought it hit Farabee or if it went right in. Myers shrugged, seeming to give a Sgt. Schultz-like response.

Farabee eventually was given credit for deflecting the puck and thus had his first hatty.

You’re signed up to get this newsletter Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Flyers season. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. We want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send feedback by email or on Twitter (@EdBarkowitz or @BroadStBull). Thanks for reading.

— Ed Barkowitz (flyers@inquirer.com)

You’re darn right Nate Prosser wants to see Joel Embiid. Trust the Process? How about Trust the Processessor?

That’s one of the nicknames Prosser has picked up since he broke into the NHL more than a decade ago. He’s also ‘‘The Prosssenator” and “The Prossecutor.”

But he’s had these nicknames long before Embiid arrived from the University of Kansas and Sixers’ brass asked its fans to “Trust the Process.”

“Maybe I’ll have to meet Joel Embiid and discuss who the REAL Processor is,” Prosser laughed.

Prosser has been in a good mood lately, which hasn’t been easy. He signed here in 2019, and is one of the six players on the Flyers’ taxi squad. He only gets to play in case of emergency or poor performance from the fellas in front of him on the varsity squad.

Prosser was tapped on the shoulder last week when Alain Vigneault wanted to shake up his third pairing. He played 13 minutes, blocked three shots and even scored a goal in a Flyers win over the Devils. His teammates might have been happier than he was.

“That’s kind of been my career in a nutshell,” said Prosser, who hadn’t played an NHL game in two years and hadn’t scored in three. “I’ve always been the extra defenseman. I’ve always been prepared for whenever my number’s called.”

Prosser has 10 goals in 11 seasons. The next day, he was sent back down to the reserves.

“It’s a little different this year being on the taxi squad,” he said, “but I’m trying to enjoy my time. I don’t have many years left in me. I’m 34, turn 35 soon [in May]. I’m just trying to have some fun with it.”

Players on the taxi squad practice and travel with the varsity, watching the games from suites inside the empty arenas. Otherwise, Prosser sits in his Voorhees apartment, avoids restaurants, bars and crowds, and FaceTimes every day with his wife and four children, who are back in Minnesota.

His 18-month-old daughter lent him her favorite blanket, which is acting more like a lifeline. We all need a connection, even journeymen hockey players.

“It’s not the most fun being away from them for a season,” Prosser said. “We’ve never done this before. It’s just kind of a different year. ... We’re just trying to make our way through this. It’s hard.”

Perhaps you saw that Shayne Gostisbehere became the sixth defenseman to register 200 points in his Flyers career. Two things jumped out when I dug a little deeper on the list.

One, Mark Howe, the all-time leader among Flyers D-men with 480 points, was plus-351 in his 10 seasons with the Flyers. PLUS-351!

Yeah, it’s a different game than it was in the ‘80s, but Howe was plus-87 in 1985-86. Last year’s NHL leader was Colorado’s Ryan Graves, who was plus-40. The year before that, it was Calgary’s Mark Giordano at plus-39.

Two, how does six defensemen reaching 200 points compare to the rest of the league? In a word, mediocre.

Since 1967-68, the year the Flyers entered the league, the Rangers have had an NHL-best 12 defensemen reach 200 points. That’s only since ‘67-68, and includes Brian Leetch (981 points), the legendary Carol Vadnais (246) and James Patrick (467), Nolan’s uncle.

Five franchises entered the league with the Flyers in 1967-68. Pittsburgh also has had six D reach 200 points, St. Louis has seven, Los Angeles eight and Dallas 10. The Oakland Seals were the sixth team, but they merged with the North Stars after 11 seasons. Long live the Seals.

Here’s the list of teams with defensemen to reach 200 points since 1967-68:

Wednesday: Boston at Flyers, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)

Friday: Boston at Flyers, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

Sunday: Flyers at Washington, 12 p.m. (NBC)

Tuesday, Feb. 9: Flyers at Washington, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

Thursday, Feb. 11: New Jersey at Flyers, 7 p.m. (NBCSP)

“As far as TK, it’s like a mother or father sometimes making tough decisions with their children. It’s not that they don’t love their children, they’re trying to get them to do the right things. That is what I am doing with TK.”

— Flyers coach Alain Vigneault on Travis Konecny, an All-Star last season who was a healthy scratch on Saturday, but back in the lineup the following night.