The Philadelphia Flyers are struggling through another season and hoping to rebuild the roster to become a contender in the National Hockey League. Goaltender Carter Hart and winger Travis Konecny have been the bright spots for John Tortorella’s club. The Flyers are currently seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points and are 6-4-0 in their last ten games with a point differential of minus-19.
The Flyers need good young talent to help turn the roster over. Developing prospects is a top priority for a team that has only finished as high as second in the division once, losing to the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2010-11. In a 4-0 win over Buffalo, Monday, 2018, fifth-round draft pick Samuel Ersson shut out the Sabres. The 23-year-old goaltender has played five games for Philadelphia and is 4-0-0 on the season. The Flyers might have a promising netminder to go with Carter Hart.
But the top prospect on Broad Street might be the 2022 first-round pick (5th overall) Cutter Gauthier, who is currently playing his freshman season at Boston College. Gauthier is off to a great start with 11 goals and seven assists in 18 games for the Eagles. In his return from the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, freshman Cutter Gauthier played in the Eagles’ 4-2 win over UMass-Amherst at Frozen Fenway Park. He wasted no time making his presence felt. Just over two minutes into the start of regulation, Gauthier glided over to the right hash mark untouched and sent a shot on the net that beat UMass goaltender Luke Pavicich. Gauthier’s offensive talent, which made him the fifth overall pick, was on display.
The 19-year-old left-wing was terrific in the 2023 World Junior Championships for the United States, with four goals and six assists in the tournament as the US grabbed the Bronze Medal. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward was second in shots on goal with 31. The Scottsdale, Arizona native played 54 games for USA Hockey’s National Development Program and scored 34 goals with 31 assists.
Gauthier will continue his first season with BC, who is 8-6-4 with a young roster, and Gauthier is a key piece. For the Flyers’ sake, the organization is hoping Cutter Gauthier will be a key piece at the NHL level sooner than later.
