In Thursday’s edition of Bailey’s Daily, we’ll be talking the latest Philadelphia Flyers news, NHL news, stories, highlights, and more from the last day.
Flyers News
So, the Philadelphia Flyers took a lot of flak for some of the selections and decisions they made during the 2024 NHL Draft. I think some felt it was a drastic step back from the high-upside 2023 draft they had, perhaps with the exception of opting for defenseman Oliver Bonk ahead of high-flying forward Gabe Perreault.
The good news is that a few Flyers prospects were balling out at the World Junior Summer Showcase last week in Plymouth, Michigan, so there’s plenty of reasons to have some hope for the future. Young centers like Jack Berglund and Heikki Ruohonen really stole the show in the camp, while goaltender Carson Bjarnason was able to make some noise with a few really strong outings for Canada between the pipes.
We still have a little over four months until these young Flyers compete against each other again in the 2025 World Junior Championship, and we still can’t say for sure who makes the final cut for their respective nations, but there’s a lot of hockey to look forward to this year.
NHL News
Out west, there’s some hope that Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog finally returns to the ice and plays an NHL game again after undergoing a grueling knee cartilage transplant in May 2023.
Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who had the same procedure two months prior in March 2023, has reportedly advanced to playing 5-on-5 scrimmages with full contact. Basketball is obviously far less physically taxing than hockey, but it’s a sign that there is some hope for Landeskog.
The Swede hasn’t played an NHL game for the Avalanche since June 26, 2022; Landeskog had an assist in Colorado’s Game 6 win–and Stanley Cup-clinching win–over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 31-year-old didn’t really show signs of slowing down before that fateful last game, as he piled up 22 points in 20 games that postseason. Landeskog did, however, miss 31 games in the 2021-22 regular season leading up to the Stanley Cup run.
