Flyers lines: Tanner Laczynski debuts, other changes vs. Islanders

Welcome to the show, Tanner Laczynski.

Laczynski will make his NHL debut tonight against the Islanders, Alain Vigneault confirmed on Saturday afternoon. Laczynski was recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to the Taxi Squad on Thursday and practiced with the team on Friday.

Per AV, Tanner Laczynski will make his @NHL debut tonight against the Islanders! pic.twitter.com/drm9iVa4A3

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 3, 2021

The sixth-round pick (169th overall) from the 2016 NHL Draft has worked his way up the prospect pipeline. He spent four years at Ohio State and ended up with a career points-per-game over one. Laczynski had 143 points (48 goals, 95 assists) in 138 NCAA games.

On top of his time at Ohio State, Laczynski was on Team USA at the World Junior Championships in 2017. He had two points (one goal, one assist) in seven games as USA went undefeated to win gold.

Laczynski is a hard-working, versatile player. He plays a strong 200-foot game and can chip in offensively as well. He is a center, but is just as comfortable on the wing.

The 23-year-old Laczynski has a little more seasoning than some other players who make their NHL debut. Four years of college hockey have prepared him well for the pro game.

In his rookie season with the Phantoms, Laczynski had 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 14 games before being called up. He had a hat trick capped off by a shorthanded between-the-legs goal on March 26th.

Laczynski was driving play with the Phantoms, too. Per Brad Keffer’s tracking at PhancyStats, Laczynski has a 58.49% Corsi For (+12.01 CF% Relative) in the AHL. He has an on-ice scoring chances for of 68.37% (+19.50 SCF% Relative). That essentially means that the Phantoms had two scoring chances for every one scoring chance against with him on the ice.

The Flyers have been rotating players into the lineup with regularity this season and Laczynski should be one that has a chance to stick.

The Flyers will also get Shayne Gostisbehere, Carter Hart, Oskar Lindblom, and Nolan Patrick back into the lineup tonight.

Carter Hart, Oskar Lindblom, and Nolan Patrick to return against Islanders

Here is the Flyers lineup against the Islanders:

Flyers forward lines

James van Riemsdyk – Sean Couturier – Joel Farabee
Scott Laughton – Kevin Hayes – Nolan Patrick
Travis Konecny – Claude Giroux – Jakub Voracek
Oskar Lindblom – Tanner Laczynski – Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Michael Raffl is a healthy scratch.

On paper, those are four pretty good lines. However, the Flyers haven’t played up to their on-paper potential this season.

Flyers defensive pairs

Ivan Provorov – Justin Braun
Travis Sanheim – Philippe Myers
Samuel Morin – Shayne Gostisbehere

It’s good to get Gostisbehere back in the lineup after Erik Gustafsson‘s poor performance against the Sabres.

Flyers starting goalie

Carter Hart
Brian Elliott

Vigneault said that Hart is ready to go after a two-game break: “He looked me right in the eye and told me he was ready to go.”

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. ET on Long Island.