Flyers Tap Exciting Forward Prospects with Injuries Mounting

With injuries quickly beginning to pile up, the Philadelphia Flyers have turned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, tapping two exciting forward prospects for NHL call-ups ahead of Monday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche.

On Sunday, the Flyers made an interesting roster move, shorting themselves a healthy forward by sending center Jack Studnicka down to the AHL and re-calling defenseman Hunter McDonald, rather than another forward, while also placing Cam York on injured reserve and assigning Helge Grans to the Phantoms.

To solve the puzzle, though, the Flyers made the state of the roster clearer on Monday, as they re-called wingers Alex Bump and Cole Knuble from the Phantoms, filling the two vacant roster spots left by the demotions of Studnicka and Grans.

Bump and Knuble are both expected to play against the Avalanche on Monday night, with the latter in line to make his NHL debut having just over a dozen games of professional experience.

Knuble, 22, has a goal, three assists, and four points in six AHL games this season, featuring as a top-line winger for John Snowden's Phantoms.

Bump, who started the season on the Flyers' roster, has scored a goal in each of the five AHL games he's played this season, erupting for a total of seven goals, an assist, and eight points.

The 22-year-old last played for the Flyers in their third game of the season, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 3. Prior to that, though, Bump had been benched by Tocchet in a 3-2 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 1.

But, with Travis Konecny still on injured reserve and Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster nursing upper-body injuries, the Flyers are in desperate need of healthy wingers with scoring talent, and they've made their moves, replacing Studnicka.

It is also currently unclear if Sean Couturier will play against Colorado on Monday, which could make for even more opportunities for Bump and Knuble if the Flyers' captain has to sit out.