Flyers Prospects
Flyers Finally Sign Top Prospect; What it Means
Completing a highly-anticipated signing, the Philadelphia Flyers announced on Wednesday morning that they had signed University of Denver star Massimo Rizzo to a two-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2024-25 season.
Rizzo, 22, just finished his third season with Denver where he scored 10 goals, 34 assists, and 44 points in just 30 games. Acquired by the Flyers in a trade with Carolina over the summer, Rizzo led Denver to their NCAA-leading 10th national title over former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier on Saturday night.
It’s worth noting that the Flyers did not announce any kind of tryout agreement with Rizzo yet, so, at the time of this writing, the youngster is not AHL-bound joining the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for their playoff push.
The Phantoms have three games left in their 2023-24 regular season, and all three games are played on consecutive days. Unless Rizzo signs a tryout and becomes acclimated in Lehigh Valley before Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s games, his pro debut in the Flyers organization will have to wait until the Calder Cup playoffs or even next season.
Flyers forward Bobby Brink, who was once teammates with Rizzo in Denver, was happy to see his old friend join the organization officially.
“He’s a good player and a good person,” Brink said. “He’s skilled and can make a difference offensively.”
Ahead of signing his first pro contract with the Flyers, Rizzo finished his NCAA career with Denver with 39 goals, 87 assists, and 126 points in 107 games played. Despite his seventh-round draft status, Rizzo boasts plenty of offensive skills, though his skating has at times been called into question.
With his production, though, it was hard for the Flyers and fans to deny Rizzo’s potential, and especially at the cost they paid Carolina to acquire him in the first place. The AHL seems to be the likely first step with Rizzo, with more to follow soon after.
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That’s a first step, if he cannot play on the power play can he at least be one of the youngest coaches ever to coach a power play.I know the team wasn’t going to win the cup this year,but can you imagine how many more games the team could have won with even 10 or 15 more man advantage goals in the regular season.They seem to have the pk figured out for the most part,but were last on the pp.I have been a flyer’s fan for over 35 years and can never remember one being that good and one being that bad,that certainly won’t do when it’s playoff hockey.
I would say buy-out Cam Atkinson @ $3.9M…..move Risto in trade and half his salary of $5.5M, and then sign free agent Sam Rinehart and his league leading power play goals of 27.
But knowing Philadelphia’s sport luck…Rinehart would have his lowest power play goals in his career if he were wearing the orange and black next season.
Moving Risto would be a mistake. You know the team was substantially better with him in the lineup versus him not in the lineup.They were 17-9-5 with him in the lineup.
If he were a $3M AAV guy…I’d say keep him….but a player who mysteriously misses 50 games with an injury that cannot heal I’d say let him go onto another team. The Flyers are in rebuild mode as they keep saying…..he will be 30 years old on a LTC. Let some of the Phantoms get their chance…ie Attard, Ginning (if he stays in North America), Andrae, Grans and then there is Bonk next year from the OHL.
Plus I would want Drysdale to develop and get playng time when he is healthy,along with Zamula….and with York, Sanheim and Seeler already cemented back there the open slots for ice-time are down to a minimum. And then you know they will sign on a one -year deal next year’s version of a Marc Staal or Erik Johnson for veteran leadership back there
And he’d be injured as soon as he got here.
Why buy out Cam and have him count against the cap for 2 years? We ain’t winning the cup next year so best to just bite the bullet for one year then maybe the mad Russian will arrive in 2 years and we won’t be stuck with dead cap money.
Why is he considered a top prospect? He was a 6th round draft pick and his college stats are just okay.
He’s been one of the most productive players in the NCAA the last few years