The Flyers made a big move on Monday by calling up Helge Grans from AHL Lehigh Valley for his NHL debut against the Avalanche. This decision comes after Emil Andrae suffered an injury in a game with the Sabres, and Samuel Ersson was placed on injured reserve to make room.
Grans joined the Flyers through a trade involving the Kings and Blue Jackets that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus. Drafted 35th by Los Angeles in 2020, Grans stands tall at 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. With experience in Sweden’s Hockey League and North America, he has gathered 11 goals, 33 assists, and 58 penalty minutes in his career so far. Although once seen as a promising puck-mover, his recent stats suggest he might focus more on defense if he secures a spot in the NHL lineup.
Game Day Strategy:
Grans will pair up with Yegor Zamula on defense for Monday’s game. However, Coach John Tortorella plans to heavily rely on Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen as they aim for their fourth consecutive win. Fans might wonder how this new pairing will perform under pressure .
Unfortunately for Andrae, his injury is a setback after showing promise alongside Jamie Drysdale and Cameron York. Despite being smaller at 5-foot-9, Andrae has been physically active with blocks and hits while maintaining strong possession play.
Fans probably feel curious about how Grans will fit into the team’s strategy moving forward. Will he become an essential part of their defense?
Ersson’s placement on injured reserve is temporary due to re-aggravating an old injury but should not delay his return past Saturday’s match against the Blackhawks.
What do you think about these changes? Are they good moves for the Flyers?
