Young Flyers Forward Making Statement in AHL
Bobby Brink is already showing why the Flyers will want to recall him soon.
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports - Young Flyers Forward Making Statement in AHLOn Jan. 22, the Flyers officially announced that they were sending forward Bobby Brink down to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and calling up another young forward in Olle Lycksell.
It wasn't much of a surprise to Flyers fans. Brink had been healthy scratched for five games—including one in his home state of Minnesota—and didn't seem like he would be breaking back into the team anytime soon. It was disappointing to see one of the Flyers' most promising young talents, still in his first full NHL season, get demoted, but fans were hopeful that getting more minutes in the AHL would reignite Brink's confidence.
So far, that's looking to be the case.
Brink didn't have to wait very long to show that he had not lost any of his playing abilities despite his limited ice time. The Phantoms played back-to-back games on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, and even though they ended up losing both games, all anyone could talk about was Bobby Brink.
In the first game against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins, Brink netted a goal, then scored two more in the next game against the Toronto Marlies. (It should also be mentioned that two of those three goals happened on the power play.)
It was a refreshing sight. Brink had played less than 10 total minutes in three of his last five games before being sent down, along with a seven-game point drought.
Brink will most likely need several more games to prove himself enough to get back up to the Flyers, but should he find himself back on their NHL roster, it probably won't be smooth sailing. Although the Flyers are currently on a five-game losing streak, they are still stacked with forwards that will prove to be serious competition for Brink.
His situation is even further complicated by the fact that the Flyers' roster is currently quite congested. Per Jon Bailey of Philly Hockey Now, the current roster lists eight defensemen and three goalies (despite his indefinite leave of absence, "Carter Hart has not been designated 'non-roster' status"). It will be even more difficult once Owen Tippett returns from an unspecified lower body injury, although the organization has not given a clear-cut timeline on when that may be.
Although it'll be an uphill battle for the University of Denver alum, it's all part of Tortorella's notorious "process" for developing young players to be able to handle playing at the NHL level, and the front office agrees with his method.
"We don't want [Brink] in this stage of his career to be playing eight minutes a night," Flyers GM Danny Briere said in a press conference. "We want him playing 20 minutes a night."