Future Flyers Report: Ivan Provorov erupts offensively

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We continue our weekly check-in on the Flyers’ prospects currently playing in the AHL, overseas or at the junior and college levels.

Ivan Provorov, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Nicolas Aube-Kubel are giving fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future.

We’ll tackle that and much more in this week’s report. 

Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon Wheat Kings
Not a bad week for the Russian blueliner. Provorov went off for two goals and seven assists as Brandon piled up three decisive victories over Moose Jaw, Prince George and Medicine Hat. The 2015 first-round pick registered five of those seven helpers in Friday's 8-3 rout of the Cougars alone. Provorov, at times, looks like a man playing amongst boys in the WHL. His superb skating ability and tremendous two-way ability is on display every game, and it's impossible to ignore his potential. In 43 games for the Wheat Kings, he's potted 12 goals and 50 points to go along with a stellar plus-39 rating. Scary good.

Travis Konecny, C/RW, Sarnia Sting
Three more games for Konecny, six more points. It's hard not to get excited about the 18-year-old when you see him continue to dominate the OHL on a nightly basis. He's currently riding a six-game point streak in which he's recorded four goals and eight assists. Since arriving in Sarnia, the 5-foot-10 forward has posted 27 points and a plus-10 rating in just 15 games. And if you include his time with Ottawa, he has 18 goals and 54 assists in 44 total outings this season. Easy to see why Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was quick to trade up for him in the draft last summer, right?

Travis Sanheim, D, Calgary Hitmen
Sanheim saw his 14-game point streak come to an end in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Kelowna. He had two goals and 18 assists during that hot stretch. The 19-year-old tends to be criticized for his play in his own end but he shouldn't. Just because he's more inclined to roam freely and pinch often doesn't mean he's a poor defender. He knows how to use his 6-foot-4 frame in front of the net and in the corners and has the speed to erase odd-man rushes. And offense? Well that comes easy for Sanheim. He has eight goals and 34 assists in 33 games for the Hitmen.

Taylor Leier, LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
With Nick Cousins and Anthony Stolarz, the Phantoms' two All-Star representatives, with the Flyers for the time being, a lot of responsibility will fall on Leier's shoulders. The speedy winger entered last week with a five-game point streak but couldn't find his way on the scoresheet in a pair of losses over the weekend. He still managed to fire five shots on target and was arguably the team's top forward. Still, the Phantoms are going to need him to play a significant role moving forward if they want to make a push for the playoffs.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel, C/RW, Val-d'Or Foreurs
It's always interesting to see how a youngster responds after having a significant point streak snapped. In Aube-Kubel's case, it couldn't have gone better. He tallied two goals in a 5-4 win over Blainville-Boisbriand on Saturday and collected two assists in Sunday's 4-1 victory over Quebec. The 19-year-old, a second-round pick in 2014, has 32 goals, 37 assists and a plus-44 rating in 45 games for Val-d'Or this season. The Flyers are in need of some depth on the wing, and there's no reason to believe Aube-Kubel won't be able to provide it in a few years.

Mark Alt/Sam Morin, D, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
The duo has been a solid second pair all year long. Alt has really made a positive impact on Morin, who is in his first professional season. They both play big minutes on the penalty kill and at even-strength and often times match up against the opposition's most skilled forwards. Morin is still learning how to use his frame, but for the most part has kept things simple, largely because he can rely on Alt to cover for him.

Philippe Myers, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Myers, one of the biggest surprises among Flyers prospects this season, is a difference-maker for Rouyn-Noranda. He's a key fixture on the blue line, providing a calming influence in all three zones. The 6-foot-4, 206-pounder has also added an offensive element to his game and picked up his 14th marker of the season in Thursday's 2-1 win over Chicoutimi. In the rematch on Friday, he was a plus-4 in a 5-1 victory and a force on the back end. Myers now has 35 points in 49 games for the Huskies.

Robert Hagg, D, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
As we mentioned last week, Hagg's play has dropped off. Phantoms coach Scott Gordon recently scratched the Swede because of inconsistent play, perhaps as a motivational tool to get him back on track. Hagg didn't respond well Friday. He was on the ice for four of Bridgeport's six goals and finished the game a minus-3. The silver lining? He was much better Saturday in Hershey. The Bears cruised to a 5-1 win, but Hagg wasn't on the ice for a single goal against. Barely getting by isn't going to cut it, however. Hagg needs to start standing out.

Ivan Fedotov, G, Reaktor Nizhnekamsk
Fedotov had a rough outing on Tuesday. He gave up four goals on 17 shots but turned aside all three attempts in the shootout to help his club claim a 5-4 win. Fedotov bounced back with an 18-save shoutout in a 3-0 win over Avto on Thursday and even assisted Reaktor's second goal. The 19-year-old made a relief appearance on Sunday and was lit up for three goals on just 13 shots in in over 27 minutes of action, though his teammates more than made up for his shortcomings in a 9-4 rout of Tyumensky. The Russian netminder is 15-4-2 with a .909 save percentage, 2.23 goals-against average and three shutouts in 25 games this season.

Danick Martel, LW, Lehigh Valley Phantoms
Martel was spectacular in a losing effort on Friday night. He scored all three of Lehigh Valley's goals and now has 17 total in 40 games this season. Though undersized (5-foot-8, 166), Martel is not overmatched at the AHL level. He's a feisty winger who has provided a spark on the team's second line. He'll never let his small frame prevent him from crashing the net hard, either.

Quick hits
• Forward Cooper Marody, who recently hit the freshman wall after a strong start to the season, is battling mono and missed the University of Michigan's back-to-back set with Michigan State on Friday and Saturday. He could be out another week or so.

• Sophomore goalie Merrick Madsen made two starts for Harvard over the weekend. He made 27 saves in a 3-2 win over Brown on Friday but took the loss after allowing two goals on 22 shots against Yale on Saturday. Madsen is 12-3-2 with a 1.94 goals-against average and .933 save percentage in 18 appearances this season.

• Winger Radel Fazleev was a factor in all three of Calgary's goals in Friday's 3-2 win over Vancouver, collecting the game-winning goal and two assists. He leads the Hitmen with 49 points.

• Sophomore defenseman Mark Friedman was held pointless as Bowling Green split its back-to-back at Minnesota State over the weekend. He had five blocks and two shots on goal in the tilts.

• Goalie Felix Sandstrom earned two victories for Brynäs IF last week. He made 29 saves in a 5-3 win over MODO Hockey on Tuesday before turning aside 23 of 24 shots in a 2-1 win over Karlskrona HK on Thursday. The 19-year-old Swede is 9-5-2 with a .912 save percentage and 2.48 goals-against average in 16 appearances in 2015-16.

• Center Samuel Dove-McFalls made his return to the Saint John lineup last week, appearing in two games for the Sea Dogs. He has one goal and two assists in 11 tilts this season but has also dealt with a serious knee injury that required surgery.

• Winger Oskar Lindblom earned a primary assist on what turned out to be Brynäs' game-winning goal against Karlskrona HK on Thursday. He has six goals and 22 points in 38 games this season.

• Sophomore defenseman Terrance Amorosa registered his fourth goal of 2015-16 in Saturday's 4-2 win over Rensselaer. He now has 11 points in 17 games for Clarkson.

• Senior defenseman Reece Willcox helped Cornell to a 2-2 tie with Quinnipiac and a 1-0 win over Princeton last week. He didn't earn a point but had six blocked shots.

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