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The Philadelphia Flyers badly need adequate reinforcements on defense, and what better way to get them than for free from the NHL waiver wire?

After passing on Victor Soderstrom towards the end of training camp and the preseason, the Flyers again will have an opportunity to claim a young player with some pedigree and throw a dart at the void that is their defense.

On Sunday, it was announced that the San Jose Sharks had placed defenseman Jack Thompson on waivers, exposing him to the Flyers and the other 30 NHL teams.

Yes, he was just cut from the Sharks, of all teams, but at just 23 years old, there's plenty to like about Thompson and what he could potentially bring to the table, even for a brief cameo.

After appearing in just three NHL games prior, Thompson broke through for the Sharks last season, playing 31 games in San Jose and scoring four goals, six assists, and 10 points while bouncing around between the Sharks and the AHL Barracuda.

Between the AHL and the NHL, the former third-round pick scored a total of seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in 58 games.

In the 2023-24 season, playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning AHL affiliate Syracuse Crunch, Thompson produced a solid five goals, 27 assists, and 32 points in 46 games.

At 6-foot-2, Thompson is neither particularly nimble nor physical; his skating metrics from last season rank below the 50th percentile in nearly every category, according to NHL EDGE, while he made just 12 hits in 31 games with the Sharks.

What Thompson can bring the Flyers, however, is the ability to move the puck and defend at a level that was high enough to look decent on a team like San Jose.

The right-shot blueliner could conceivably carve out an NHL career as a bottom-four defenseman with some improvements to skating and/or the addition of a physical element, which the Flyers were looking for and haven't gotten from Helge Grans yet.

The Egor Zamula, Adam Ginning, and Noah Juulsen experiments haven't worked out at all so far, and the Flyers have already decided they'd rather see Emil Andrae than Dennis Gilbert on the NHL roster after the first two games of the year.

Should the Flyers successfully claim Thompson off waivers from the Sharks, they add another young and fairly experienced player to the fold with some semblance of offensive upside.

That's more than what they can say about most other internal options at the position at the moment.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan has been keeping tabs on good friend Fraser Minten.

Minten, who was the Maple Leafs' second-round (38th overall) pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, joined the Boston Bruins after being traded with a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick for defenseman Brandon Carlo.

The 21-year-old was drafted a year before Cowan, who was a first-round (28th overall) pick by Toronto in 2023. Minten and Cowan developed a strong relationship off the ice as two of the Maple Leafs' top prospects in the system.

Cowan, set to make his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday afternoon, revealed ahead of rookie camp that he's renting Minten's place. Minten had bought a place in Toronto while splitting last season between the AHL and NHL before being traded to Boston in March.

Minten got off to a strong start with the Bruins, scoring the overtime-winner against the Chicago Blackhawks in the second game of the season. It was his second goal with Boston after scoring one in six games last year.

"I watched (the overtime-winner) live, actually," Cowan smiled. "Then we FaceTimed the next night, so it was good. Obviously, such a great player and just really good to see that he's succeeding over there."

FRASER SAYS: DOWN GOES CHICAGO 🥊 pic.twitter.com/eFOqTbsnQu

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 10, 2025

It's Minten's fourth goal through 28 career NHL games split between the Maple Leafs and Bruins. Minten is currently occupying the third-line center spot on the Bruins, a spot in the lineup that people had him projected to play during his years as a prospect in the Maple Leafs organization.

As Cowan prepares for his NHL debut, what has he learned from Minten over the years about being a consistent player at the pro level?

"Just details. Like everyone says, you got to be good on the boards and stuff like that, and I feel like I've done a great job of that so far," Cowan said. "So just gotta keep going, like I said, and I'll give him a call, let him know I'm in (Toronto's lineup), so he'll be pumped."

Cowan is set to make his NHL debut on the Maple Leafs' top line with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews. The Bruins and Maple Leafs will play their first game of the season against each other on Nov. 8 in Toronto.

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Sam Rinzel, a 2022 first-round pick, is developing into one of the best young defensemen in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Blackhawks. Even Kyle Davidson would admit that Rinzel has exceeded all expectations up to this point. 

On Saturday night, Rinzel scored his first career NHL goal. It was an impressive goal as he was the recipient of a good play made by Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen before he skated through a lane to the net and sniped it. It’s the type of goal that serves as evidence that he could be a dynamic star on the back-end. 

"To get the first one, it feels good," Rinzel said after the game. "It definitely gives you some confidence for sure."

With this goal, Rinzel has 6 points (1-5–6) in 12 career games. That type of production, if kept up or even built on, would make him one of the best offensive defensemen in the world. However, his positioning and defense have been special, too.

Rinzel is an all-purpose player. He plays well at even strength, he is the quarterback of the top power play unit, and he can kill penalties. With an average of 23:26, he leads the Blackhawks in time on ice by almost two minutes. For being 12 games into his career, it is impressive to see how quickly he has earned the trust of the coaching staff.  

The organization has made it obvious that Rinzel is in the long-term plans. His first career NHL goal was just a small milestone compared to the expectations that are on him as a defenseman in the long term. He is now in the conversation with guys like Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, Anton Frondell, and Alex Vlasic, amongst others, as a core piece. 

Vlasic, whom the Blackhawks also really like and is second on the team in average time on ice, is Rinzel's defense partner to start the year. With Vlasic, who also has the capabilities of a two-way player despite leaning towards a defensive mindset, Rinzel is free to play the position how he feels comfortable. It is apparent early that they feed off each other. 

If Rinzel continues to stack up points, lead Chicago in ice time, and prove himself as a great player in his own end, the NHL may begin to talk about him in the Calder Trophy conversation.

Now, Rinzel can completely focus on playing hockey the right way while continuing to get better. With that mentality, goals, assists, and so much more will come. 

It must be remembered that he is still very young and inexperienced. There will be rookie mistakes that make you wonder. However, the process is correct, and he is already well beyond his years. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Fresh off a strong three-game homestand in which the Florida Panthers collected all six possible points in the standings, the Cats are hitting the pavement for an extended road trip.

The first stop for Florida will be on Monday night in the City of Brotherly Love as the Panthers will face the Philadelphia Flyers for the second time in the young season.

It was Thursday night when the Cats defeated Philly in what was the season opener for the visiting squad, a 3-2 victory that saw Florida dominate in several areas.

If not for an outstanding effort in goal by Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar, the score would have been much more lopsided.

In the time since, Philly made a stop in Carolina, dropping a 4-3 effort in overtime against the Hurricanes on Saturday night, before arriving back in Philadelphia for their home opener.

Now they’ll have to face the defending champs again.

Florida has done well in recently against their friends from Philly, with wins in four of the past five meetings.

The Cats also appeared to adjust well to their first game without defenseman Dmitry Kulokov.

Uvis Balinskis seamlessly slid into Florida’s lineup, playing on a pairing with Jeff Petry and gobbling up 17:40 of ice time that included a shift on the penalty kill.

One thing that will be interesting to keep an eye on this week, as the Cats will play four games over the next six days, is how they manage their goaltenders.

Sergei Bobrovsky has played each of Florida’s first three games, skating to a sparking 1.67 goals against average and .925 save percentage while allowing only five goals over the three wins.

At some point, and likely soon, new backup Daniil Tarasov will see his first action in a Panthers sweater, but Florida may want to hold off at least one more game.

That’s because Bobrovsky, who broke into the NHL with the Flyers all the way back in 2010, has an excellent record against his former club.

Bob owns a 21-8-1 record when facing the Flyers, along with a 2.37 goals against average and .920 save percentage.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s matchup in Philly:

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart

Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – Jesper Boqvist

A.J. Greer – Luke Kunin – Jonah Gadjovich

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Uvis Balinskis – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Oct 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes a save against Philadelphia Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (39) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

In the modern NHL, a player’s career is often defined as much by perception as performance. Egor Zamula’s case may be the perfect storm of both—regarded by some as a talented, technically sound defenseman, but whose overall fit in Philadelphia remains perpetually unresolved.

This week, Zamula’s agent, Shumi Babayev, voiced public frustration over his client’s lack of opportunity. Translated from Russian, Babayev’s comments painted a picture of a player being held back rather than outperformed.

“I’m looking forward to Yegor being given the chance to blossom and play at his level, the way he’s capable of playing. He can’t fully realize his potential because he’s not given the opportunity; he’s forced into a box,” Babayev said. “We always look forward to that opportunity... He’s quite a good power play player and a good puck handler. It’s tough when he’s limited tactically. We’ll see. He’s a team player, so he always does what his coach tells him to do. The main thing is for him to play at a good level.”

The comments are hardly inflammatory—measured, even—but they reflect a frustration that has quietly simmered for years: Zamula, in his camp’s view, has been boxed in by deployment and circumstance, never truly allowed to be what he could be.

It’s a fair grievance on one level. But in the ecosystem of a Flyers blue line that is simultaneously young, crowded, and evolving, it’s also fair to ask: What, exactly, has he done to demand more?

The Agent’s Argument: Untapped Skill Meets Limited Role

Babayev’s assessment of Zamula isn’t unfounded. At his best, Zamula is smooth, deliberate, and intelligent with the puck. He reads lanes well, has a natural sense of spacing, and can act as a reliable first-pass outlet under pressure. When given time and space—notably at the AHL level or in lower-leverage NHL minutes—he’s shown glimpses of that composure translating upward.

He’s not necessarily reckless or unaware; his game is just understated. In a system like Philadelphia’s, where head coach Rick Tocchet’s defensive structure prizes accountability, simplicity, and pace, that understated style can get lost in the noise.

Rick Tocchet was asked if there was any concern with Egor Zamula’s game and he said the defenseman needs to pick it up.

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) October 3, 2025

Babayev’s claim that Zamula has been “forced into a box” might resonate with anyone who’s watched him try to balance his puck-moving instincts with the team's insistence on defensive structure. But it’s also a reflection of a broader truth: players who don’t assert their identity tend to get defined by others.

The Counterpoint: The Clock Has Been Ticking

The opposing argument—and one that’s shared widely among fans and media alike—is that Zamula has indeed been given chances. Plenty of them. He’s appeared in over 157 NHL games across six seasons (including 2025-26), often getting looks in the third pair or as a rotating seventh defenseman.

The issue isn’t that he hasn’t been on the ice—it’s that, when he has been, the results have been middling.

Arguably, Zamula’s biggest flaw is pace. Not speed in the traditional sense, but tempo—the instinctive ability to anticipate how a play is unfolding and make a decision a half-second sooner than the opposition. At the NHL level, where time collapses faster than in any other hockey environment on earth, that missing half-second can turn into a turnover, a missed angle, or a scramble back toward your own net.

Don't need NHL Edge data to tell you that Egor Zamula is slow https://t.co/a2Am99ZrgV

— Brock Seguin (@Brock_Seguin) September 26, 2025

He has size at 6’3”, but little bite. He doesn’t leverage his reach to impose himself physically or disrupt plays with authority. He’s not punishing in front of the net, and he doesn’t consistently win battles along the boards. Meanwhile, when he’s tried to lean into his offensive instincts, he’s lacked the creativity or dynamic skating that defines Philadelphia’s higher-upside puck movers, like Cam York and Jamie Drysdale.

That leaves him in an awkward middle ground: not enough offense to be trusted on the power play, and not enough sandpaper or urgency to be trusted in the trenches.

To simply say he's just a bad defenseman is a bit of a lazy overgeneralization, but there is truth to the fact that his particular toolkit hasn’t proven sharp enough to carve a defined niche in a defense corps that already has specialists in every other area.

The Organizational Context: Opportunity Is Earned, Not Inherited

It’s worth remembering that this Flyers regime—from general manager Danny Brière to Tocchet’s bench—has been clear about its meritocratic ethos. Every roster spot is earned. Every night. Adam Ginning played his way onto the roster out of camp when few even had him on the radar. Emil Andrae, still on the bubble, keeps knocking on the NHL door through work ethic and growth.

In that context, Zamula’s stagnation reads less like a lack of opportunity and more like a failure to seize it. Tocchet has made no secret of the fact that he wants defenders who dictate pace and take initiative. Zamula, for all his steadiness, remains reactive—and at this level, being reactive is a liability.

Babayev is right to note that Zamula “always does what his coach tells him to do.” The problem may be that, in doing so, he’s never quite done what only he can do. The Flyers aren’t short on systems players. What they need is difference-makers. 

And the thing is, Zamula doesn't need to all of a sudden turn into some flashy showman to make his mark. Sometimes, not drawing attention to oneself is a good thing. The focus should be on doing the little things right, building confidence in his identity as a player, and not overcompensating his play in order to prove the doubters wrong.

The Fan Perception Problem

Publicly, Zamula has become a lightning rod—one of those players whose every mistake is amplified, whose every shift becomes a referendum on whether he still belongs. Social media’s quick-draw impatience hasn’t done him any favors, and the eye test can be unkind to subtle defensemen.

But there’s also a fatigue factor. Fans have seen him before. They know what he is—and more importantly, what he isn’t. For an organization selling a vision of progression, patience runs thin for players who feel like they’re treading water.

That doesn’t mean the agent’s frustration is misplaced; it means the environment may simply no longer be conducive to redemption. A change of scenery might benefit everyone.

Egor Zamula should play better if he wants more opportunities. https://t.co/DT7VdN0J8A

— Ryan Hodge (@hodgeee413) October 12, 2025

The Bottom Line: Talent, Timing, and the Unforgiving Nature of NHL Development

Egor Zamula isn’t done as a player. He’s just at a crossroads. The Flyers have given him looks, but not trust. His agent sees a capable puck mover buried beneath tactical constraints; the organization likely sees a player who’s been given rope and hasn’t yet built a bridge out of it.

Both can be true.

Zamula’s skillset isn’t obsolete—it’s just unanchored in Philadelphia’s current makeup. The Flyers have clearly defined defensive roles, and Zamula hasn’t staked a clear claim to any of them. If he finds that role elsewhere—perhaps in a system that allows more free-flowing puck play or pairs him with a more defensive partner—his game might flourish the way Babayev insists it can.

But in Philadelphia, where every minute is a competition and every roster spot a statement, the window is narrowing. And unless he forces the team’s hand soon, the “what if” label might be the last one he wears in orange and black.