Flyers Rookie Camp: Now or Never for These Players

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Flyers Rookie Camp gets underway this week in Voorhees. For some players, camp presents a developmental litmus test. For others, there’s not much left to prove during this phase. Rather, it’s a precursor to a make-or-break NHL training camp. Here are three players who’ve reached the make-or-break point of their NHL aspirations.

Samu Tuomaala (RW)

The Flyers 2021 second-round pick seemed to a turn a developmental corner two years ago. He entered the 2024-25 campaign coming off a promising AHL rookie campaign the previous year. In 2023-24, Tuomaala showed considerable first-half promise. He earned a spot in the AHL All-Star Game and showed a sniper’s scoring touch on occasion. Additionally, he settled in off the ice. Tuomaala now felt comfortable enough to do interviews in English.

Unfortunately, injuries sidelined the Finnish forward late in the season. He missed Lehigh Valley’s 2024 playoff run.

Nevertheless, Tuomaala seemed poised to take the next step in 2024-25. If he continued to make progress, he was in the mix for his first NHL recall. Instead, Tuomaala regressed. He also continued to fight the injury bug.

Tuomaala fell out of favor with former Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere. The player’s off-puck game took a step backward. Meanwhile, he remained a little too streaky offensively, particularly at 5-on-5. At age 22, the smallish winger enters the third and final season of his entry-level contract. He needs to hit the ground running if he’s to be part of the Flyers’ future.

Hunter McDonald (D)

The 23-year-old blueliner has been a favorite of Flyers hockey operations staff for a few years. He keeps himself in outstanding physical condition, He’s emerged as a young leader in the Phantoms dressing room. Moreover, the 6-foot-4 defenseman brings the sort of physical game that endears role-playing defenders to their coaches. McDonald hits. He blocks shots. He’ll drop the gloves occasionally, too.

Nevertheless, McDonald has yet to play a single NHL regular season game. The Flyers signed Dennis Gilbert as a free agent this summer. The 28-year-old has 111 games of NHL experience including 29 matches with the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators this past season. Until McDonald proves otherwise, Gilbert is ahead of him on the depth chart pecking order.

Meanwhile, the Flyers added Noah Juulsen this summer . That doesn’t bode well for Helge Grans’ big for an imminent NHL promotion. It’s also an added obstacle for McDonald. Egor Zamula is still on the NHL roster, too.

Flyers director of hockey ops Keith Jones has always been a believer in McDonald’s potential. Meanwhile, general manager Daniel Briere speaks highly of the player’s character and straightforward style. However, something has to give soon. Is McDonald a recall candidate for a role similar to the one Nick Seeler plays? Conversely, is he a player destined for “good AHLer, not quite an NHLer” status?

Alexis Gendron (RW)

Gendron has proven he can score goals. He’s shown finishing ability both at the junior and AHL levels. Gendron has a combined 25 goals in 80 career games with the Phantoms.He’s not a deficient skater, either.

Why can’t Gendron seem to stay in the Phantoms lineup on a full-time basis? The winger is small (listed at 5-foot-10, 187 pounds). His overall game, while developing, is still somewhat one-dimensional. He has to score if he’s to make a contribution. When he’s scored in bunches, Gendron has stayed in the lineup for a while. When the offense wanes a bit, he sits. Gendron will turn 22 on December 30.

The 2025-26 season marked a crucial campaign in Gendron’s development. As of now, he’s not a likely recall candidate. However, if he put together a strong camp and regular season. he could become a dark horse candidate for NHL action.

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