Anyone know/have an idea on this upcoming season Reading Royals roster?
It is unlikely that anyone you see discussed here on the Flyers board will play in Reading, except if it is someone complaining that a non-prospect is getting playing time in the AHL over someone with an NHL future. We won't know which AHL contracted players are going to be sent down to Reading until just before the season starts.
So far the Royals have announced the following ECHL contracts:
F: Adam Schmidt, Jack Riley Schmidt is a solid ECHL player, Riley played a few games at the end of the season after graduating from Mercyhurst College.
D: Charlie Vasaturo, Nick Neville - Vasaturo and Neville are depth defenseman. They can be scratched when the Royals have players down from LV, but fill in OK when needed. Vasaturo will play ahead of Neville - he was a teammate of Shayne Gostisbehere at Union College.
They also extended the following qualifying offers (which means they hold these players ECHL rights for the upcoming season - equivalent of an NHL restricted free agent, except no arbitration. Take the offer, get traded, or don't play in the ECHL)
Forwards (6): Michael Huntebrinker, Mark Naclerio, Brian Morgan, Viktor Liljegren, Brayden Low, Dillan Fox
Defenseman (1): Sam Posa
Goaltender (1): Branden Komm
Posa left the team to go overseas last year mid season, Low was the future considerations in a mid season trade, so hasn't played for the Royals. Komm filled in for a few games when the Flyers had some injuries and then got hurt himself and ended the year on IR. Unlikely that those three actually play here. Of the rest Huntebrinker is the best player, and hopefully has another solid year. Liljegren played ten games after graduating from RPI. He's a big body, but didn't show too much. Royals coach Kirk MacDonald went to RPI and was an asst coach there for a year, so that's probably what got him the tryout. Naclerio, Morgan and Fox will likely return, although an ECHL contract isn't guaranteed, so even if they sign, they could get cut after training camp, depending on who gets sent down.
None of these guys will be discussed on this board beyond today, as they are not NHL prospects, or even real AHL prospects. Hopefully the Phantoms will resign a few of the AHL contracted players that were in Reading last year, and they make their way back down to the ECHL for a while. Chris McCarthy, Alex Krushelnyski, James DeHaas, Nick Luukko, Steven Swavely, etc. Would love to see Goulbourne back in Reading too, but his NHL cameo and the fact that they gave him an NHL qualifying offer probably means he isn't coming this way again.
Certainly there will be two goalies from the Flyers/Phantoms in Reading. Hopefully they re-sign John Muse from last year, and if we are really lucky we might see Lyon, Stolarz, or Hart to start the year, at least until someone gets hurt.
This thread
https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/2018-19-ahl-contracts.2471803/ lists all the AHL contracted players for the upcoming season. It is a good bet that some of these players start the year in the ECHL. The Phantoms tend to announce their signings later in the summer compared to other AHL teams.