Carter Hart (G, Everett Silvertips, WHL)

Despite losing the first six weeks of the season to a bout with mononucleosis, the Flyers' 2016 second-round pick (48th overall) never skipped a beat in enjoying one of the best junior hockey goaltending seasons in recent history. Along the way, Hart also starred for Team Canada in winning the gold medal at the 2017-18 World Junior Championships.

With Everett this season, Hart's goals against average (1.60) and save percentage (.947) not only topped the Western Hockey League by a country mile, they were tops across all three CHL leagues. Hart led the WHL with seven shutouts. Due to his early season illness and WJC commitments for Team Canada, Hart's 31 wins ranked "only" fourth in the league but his overall 31-6-3 record ranked atop the league in terms of points percentage earned by his team when he was in net.

While Hart's stats would be impressive in any era, they are astounding by today's standards in the Western League. Back in the early-to-mid 2000s, the WHL was the lowest-scoring of the three CHL leagues, with the Quebec League by far the highest (at it had been for many years) and the Ontario League in the middle. For example, during the 2005-06 season in the Western League, there were three goalies with sub 2.00 GAAs (and seven with sub 2.50 GAAs) along with six goals with save percentages of .915 or higher (topping out with Leland Irving's .929 for Everett). Offensively, no player in the league had more than 93 points.

Nowadays, however, the Western League has become by far the highest-scoring CHL league and the Quebec League is the lowest with the Ontario League in the middle. During the 2017-18 regular season, the Western League had nine players with 100-plus points (topping out at 129) and 11 with at least 95 points. A whopping 18 players hit the 40-goal mark this season, with four reaching 50, two topping 60 and the league leader (San Jose Sharks prospect Jayden Halbgewachs of the Moose Jaw Warriors) notching 72 goals.

The Western League's video-game like scoring rates nowadays are reflected in the league's goaltending stats for every qualifying netminder except one: Carter Hart. The circuit's goals against average runner-up, LA Kings prospect Cole Kehler (Portland Winterhawks), posted a 2.77 GAA; a full 1.17 goals per game more than Hart yielded on average. Likewise, the next-best save percentage after Hart's astonishing .947 save percentage (which was at .950 or higher until the final week of the season), was Victoria Royals' overager Griffen Outhouse's .914 save percentage.

Like virtually every goaltender, Hart is going to need time in the American Hockey League to adapt to the differences between junior hockey and the professional ranks. By today's standards, Hart (listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds) is strictly of average size. There is always room for a young goalie, even a dominant one at the junior level, to further sharpen his puck-tracking skills and in staying up longer before dropping to the ice. However, in terms of positioning, reflexes and calm under pressure, Hart is exceptionally mature and a student of the game.

Everett won the Western League's U.S. Division by five points over Portland and posted the league's third-best record overall (47-20-5). Making the playoffs for the 15th straight year - the league's longest current streak - the Silvertips will open their first round series on Friday with the Western Conference's lower wildcard team, the Seattle Thunderbirds (34-28-10).

Morgan Frost (C, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL)

The 18-year-old Frost became the first Flyers draft-plus-one prospect since Claude Giroux in 2006-07 (112 points) to finish a CHL regular with more than 110 points in a CHL season. Frost recorded a goal and an assist in the Greyhounds' regular season finale to finish the 2017-18 regular season with 42 goals and 70 assists for 112 points. The last Flyers draft-one prospect to record 100 points in an OHL season was Travis Konecny (101 points in 2015-16).

Frost's 112 points ranked second in the OHL scoring race, trailing Barrie Colts overage forward Aaron Luchuk by three points. Ottawa Senators prospect Luchuk will turn 21 on April 5, whereas Frost will not celebrate his 19th birthday until May 15. There were only four players in the Ontario League who reached the 100-point mark this season.

The Flyers 2017 first-round pick's 42 goals ranked in a tie for third in the league with Vegas Golden Knights 2017 first round selection Nick Suzuki (Owen Sound Attack). Luchuk and his Colts teammate, 19-year-old Minnesota Wild left wing prospect Dmitry Sokolov, tied for the league lead with 50 goals.

Frost's 70 assists tied him with Sarnia Sting right wing Jordan Kyrou for the league lead. It was the most assists in a season by a Flyers' CHL prospect since Konecny had 71 with the Ottawa 67's and Sarnia during the 2015-16 season.

To break down Frost's production into smaller segments, the player led the entire Ontario Hockey League in all of the following categories: primary assists (45), goals plus primary assists (87), five-on-five points (74), primary assists plus goals at 5-on-5 (57). Frost's eight shorthanded points (four shorthanded goals including a penalty shot conversion, four shorthanded assists) ranked in a tie for third in the league.

Additionally, Frost's eye-popping +70 rating for the season topped all three CHL circuits. The next-closest player in the OHL was his Greyhounds linemate Boris Katchouk (+53). Glenn Gawdin's +61 led the WHL, while Vitalii Abramov paced the QMJHL with a +52 rating.

In the recent OHL Coaches' Poll, Frost won Best Playmaker and Smartest Player honors for his conference. He tied with Kyrou in the Best Stickhandler category.

Overall, Frost's season was a model of consistency after posting just one goal and five points through the first seven games of the regular season. Thereafter, he had 107 points in his next 60 games. Frost had at least one point in 39 of his final 42 games; and one of the three pointless games was one in which he was initially credited with a primary assist in a game against Hamilton but a post-game scoring change was made after replays showed the puck went off a defenseman to the stick of the goal scorer without Frost's (who stick was in the same vicinity) touching the first.

The Greyhounds team established a new Ontario Hockey League record for fewest regulation losses in a season. The club rattled off a 55-7-6 record (three losses were via shootout) and ran away with the top record in any of the CHL leagues. While the Soo team is loaded with talent up and down the lineup, Frost's most dominant stretch of the season came when several of his Greyhounds teammates were playing at the World Junior Championships.

It would be unfair to compare Frost's game or upside to any current NHL player. He will have to be judged on his own merits. However, he is compare to Giroux in two notable aspects apart from both having 112 points in their draft-plus-one season.

As with the 18-year-old Frost this season, an 18-year-old Giroux was bypassed by Hockey Canada for consideration for the 2006-07 World Junior Championships despite having a stellar campaign for the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques. Giroux played in the WJC the following year, and there was never any doubt of his candidacy the second time around. Likewise, Frost would be a virtual shoo-in come next year.

Secondly, a big part of the reason why Giroux needed an additional year of junior seasoning was that he was still not physically matured yet although his skill development and hockey smarts were already clearly of NHL caliber. Although the Ontario Hockey League's official website now lists Frost at 6-feet and 180 pounds, he looked smaller and frailer than that during NHL training camp with the Flyers in September. Thus, while it is not impossible to entertain the notion of Frost impressing enough in camp to play pro hockey at age 19 (as the small, feisty Konecny did as a Flyers rookie last season), it would not be surprising if Frost is given one additional year of seasoning to play in the World Juniors plus two summers (2018 and 2019) to continue to fill out his frame.

In the immediate future, Frost's Greyhounds are the prohibitive favorite entering the Ontario Hockey League playoffs to win the OHL championship and possibly win the Memorial Cup beyond that. However, those honors will have to be earned on the ice, not on paper. Sault Ste. Marie opens its first-round series with the Saginaw Spirit on Friday.

Isaac Ratcliffe (LW, Guelph Storm, OHL)

There were nine members in the OHL's 40-goal club this season. Closing the season on an offensive tear, the Flyers 2017 second-round pick (35th overall) finished with 41 goals to rank seventh in the league. Ratcliffe closed out the regular season with nine goals and 14 points in the final nine games to move above the 40-goal mark and finish with 68 points in 67 games. He had seven multi-goal outings including a pair hat tricks.

The 6-foot-6, 205-pound Ratcliffe has developed a fearsome snap-shot and an ability to get to the scoring areas inside and below the dots but, just as important, also now has a shoot-first mentality to go with it. His 282 shots on goal ranked fourth overall in the league and Ratcliffe was second the league in that category over the second half of the season. Although he's typically slow to anger, Ratcliffe is not someone whom many opponents want to get riled up against them.

The 41-goal campaign posted by Ratcliffe in his draft-plus-year is an encouraging sign of his offensive development. Unlike Katchouk (who has Frost as his center) or Calgary Flames prospect Adam Ruzicka (36 goals for Sarnia, with Kyrou as a frequent linemate), Ratcliffe does not currently have the benefit of playing with a top-notch playmaker.

Ratcliffe is no lumbering oaf or one-trick pony. He's naturally athletic, especially for such a huge-framed player, and has barely scratched the surface of his hockey potential. The player, who turned 19 on Feb. 15, is still learning how to smooth out some of the rough edges in his game and improve his all-around consistency. This is not unusual, and it's a process that could take a few more years.

Guelph finished the regular season with a 30-29-9 record; good enough to be the seventh-seed in the Western Conference. The good news for the team is that it finished high enough to avoid the Greyhounds in the first round. The bad news is that the Storm will still be marked underdogs against the second-place Kitchener Rangers (43-21-4).

As a team, the defensively challenged Storm yielded 263 goals while scoring 228. Most of the team's key players were double-digit minus-rated at even strength. Ratcliffe was no exception, finishing at -28 (tied for the 14th-lowest mark leaguewide). However, he did play in a variety of game situations and managed to score a pair of shorthanded goals. Twenty-four of the teenager's 68 points came on the power play, including a dozen power play goals.

Maksim Sushko (RW, Owen Sound Attack, OHL)

The Flyers recently rewarded the Belarusian forward with an entry level contract in recognition of steady development and a very strong WJC performance for an otherwise overmatched Team Belarus. By far, Philadelphia's 2017 fourth-round pick (107th overall) led the Belarusian squad in ice time and held his own against high-grade competition.

Serving as team captain despite being a few weeks shy of his 19th birthday (Sushko turned 19 on Feb. 10), the player posted a pair of goals and eight points overall in six games.

At the OHL level, Sushko also thrived this season for the Attack. A bit streaky offensively, Suskho nevertheless managed to post 30 goals and 60 points in 60 regular season games highlighted by a four-goal outburst on Oct. 14 against the Oshawa Generals. He's not the most dynamic of skaters but Sushko is shifty with the puck and has good hands. His five game-winning goals paced his team.

Just as important for a player whose projected future pro rule is likely as a versatile role player who primarily plays in the bottom six of the lineup, Sushko has made progress over the last year in developing his overall game. This season, he emerged as one of the Ontario League's prime shorthanded scoring threats, tying for the league lead with six shorthanded tallies. He had seven shorthanded points overall.

A +13 for the season, Sushko's shorthanded and even-strength contributions were supplemented by 10 power play points (four goals, six assists). Power play goals do not figure in plus-minus totals. Sushko also converted two of his three shootout attempts on the season.

With a 38-22-8 record, the Attack finished fourth in the Western Conference. The team will have home-ice advantage in its first-round playoff series with the London Knights (39-25-4). The series starts on Thursday.

Matthew Strome (LW, Hamilton Bulldogs, OHL)

It is no secret that significantly improving his skating and developing a pro-level conditioning regimen to sustain a high level of performance throughout marathon-like seasons are the keys to Strome someday working his way up to the NHL level. Well aware of his challenges, Strome has taken steps in the right direction over to past year and will face an important offseason this summer.

First, however, Strome and the Eastern Conference champion Bulldogs (43-18-7) have OHL playoff hockey to attend to. Last year, Strome had eight points (one goal, seven assists) in seven playoff games. This year, the Bulldogs are aiming for a deep playoff run. The club opens its first round series on Thursday against the eighth-seeded Ottawa 67's (30-29-9).

Strome, who posted 34 goals and 62 points as a draft-eligible player last season before the Flyers selected him in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2017 Draft, had a similarly solid offensive campaign in his draft-plus-one regular season year. Strome posted 37 goals, 31 assists and 68 points in 65 games that included a lacrosse-style goal that quickly went viral in highlight videos and social media GIFS. His goal total ranked 13th in the league, and he was tied with Ratcliffe for 35th in overall scoring.

There has never been a question about whether Strome has hands or pro-caliber hockey sense. Those traits were on display last season and continued to be demonstrated this year.

Strome's most productive stretch of the season from an offensive standpoint came from mid-December to mid-January. He had a dry spell during late January to early February but busted out of a slump with a four-point outburst in a 5-2 home win over the Greyhounds. One week later, however, the Greyhounds paid the visiting Bulldogs back with interest in a 10-0 drubbing. Apart from the latter game, during which Hamilton rarely got the puck over the attacking blueline, Strome had a surge of five goals and 11 points in six games.

Apart from a seven-shot game against Barrie and a two-goal outburst against the Niagara Ice Dogs (March 10), Strome was relatively quiet offensively late in the regular season. He was held without a point in five of the final eight games on the slate but picked up five points (three goals, two assists) overall in that span.

German Rubtsov (F, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL)

For the second straight year, the Flyers' 2016 first-round pick (22nd overall) had his season interrupted multiple times.

This year, paperwork issues delayed the start of the season for the talented Russian forward after he was reassigned by the Flyers to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens amid rampant trade rumors. After 11 games (three goals, eight assists, 11 points) with Chicoutimi a trade finally came down as he was dealt to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

As the season progressed, Rubtsov was in and out of the Titan lineup due to injuries as well as World Junior Championship (one goal, three assists, four points in five games) obligations for Team Russia. On a deep Acadie-Bathurst team, Rubtsov played more right than his accustomed center position. Ultimately, he finished the regular season with 12 goals and 32 points in 38 games for Acadie-Bathurst along with a plus-11 rating.

The primary allure of Rubtsov to NHL scouts has always been his combination of a well-rounded two-way game and smooth skating. Those traits were on display again this season both in the Quebec League and the World Junior Championships. The offensive part of his game has developed a little more slowly than other facets of his game but he nevertheless remains a highly regarded NHL prospect.

Rubtsov's draft-plus-two offensive totals this season fell shy of what was hoped after he produced 22 points in 16 games during his brief time in the Quebec League last season following his mid-season transfer from Russia (and a broken nose at the WJC, followed by a late season upper-body injury). Nevertheless, the staccato nature of his availability this season likely factored into why he never really got into a groove offensively.

Moreover, the Quebec League as a whole has become the lowest-scoring of three CHL leagues despite the circuit's lingering (but now antiquated) reputation as a stracture-lacking scoring haven. Only two players in the league topped 88 points this season, and one was an overager. Leaguewide, 37 players averaged at least one point per game. Rubtsov finished at 0.88; below his capabilities at that level (as he demonstrated a year ago) but nothing outrageously low in light of the injuries, team change, WJC interruption and positional switching between center and wing.

Pascal Laberge (F, Quebec Remparts, QMJHL)

A concussion-marred down season in his draft-plus-year of 2016-17 and tensions within his Victoriaville Tigres team resulted in the Flyers' 2016 second-round pick (36th overall) being traded mid-season to the Quebec Remparts after playing 31 games this season for Victoriaville (six goals, 20 points). It took awhile for Laberge to get going with his new team but he closed with a rush to post five goals and 14 points over the final 11 games. Laberge finished with 11 goals and 27 points in 33 games for Quebec.

The streak-scoring Laberge is at his best when he plays with some feistiness in his game and gets to the scoring areas with regularity. He has been much less effective when he confines his game to the perimeter. Although he's played more center than wing in junior hockey, he will likely play a wing when he moves up to the professional ranks.

Quebec (40-22-6) will play the Charlottetown Islanders (37-24-7) in the first round of the Quebec League playoffs. The series will open in Quebec City on Saturday.

Laberge, who will turn 20 on April 9, has played four Quebec League seasons. Come next season, he could play for the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms or ECHL's Reading Royals. There is also an option of having him play an overage season in the Quebec League.

Carsen Twarynski (LW, Kelowna Rockets, WHL)

A Western Hockey League overager this season, the 20-year-old enjoyed an excellent season for the Rockets this year and recently parlayed it into an entry-level contract for the Flyers. The keys to Twarynski's game are his combination of good size (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) and skating ability along with a feisty, agitating style of play. He will battle for pucks, crash the net and hustle to support his linemates. The Flyers took an extended look at him in training camp with the Phantoms' squad before electing to send him back to the Western League for one additional season.

Twarynski's previous career highs in goals and points were 20 goals and 45 points for the Calgary Hitmen in 2015-16. His teammates at the time included current Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim and Phantoms forward Radel Fazleev. This season with Kelowna, he broke loose for 45 goals (ninth in the league) and 72 points (45th) in 68 games.

While the offensive totals are a feather in the player's cap, they are not indicative of the role he will play as a pro. Rather, they are more reflective of his physical maturity and experience in the league as well as the high-scoring nature of the league as a whole. If Twarynski can bring an ability to chip in a few greasy goals at the pro level, it will be a nice addition to his game. However, his primary role will be to provide energy and get under opponents' skin while still playing a responsible overall game.

Twarynski played in a variety of different game situations this season, and chipped in five shorthanded points (four goals, one assist) and a pair of overtime goals.

The British Columbia Division champion Rockets (43-22-7) will have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs against the wildcard Tri-City Americans (38-25-9). The series gets underway on Thursday.

Connor Bunnaman (C, Kitchener Rangers, OHL)

The 6-foot-3, 214-pound pivot saw his goal total this season drop from 37 to 27 and his overall points dip slightly from 52 to 50. Part of this had to do with Kitchener's mid-season acquisition of Ottawa Senators 2016 first-round pick Logan Brown, which changed around some of the assignments and line combinations. Bunnaman has always run a bit hot-and-cold offensively during his OHL career but, when he gets hot, can score in bunches for awhile at this level.

The fulcrum of Bunnaman's effectiveness is for him to play a heavy game and to be a presence down low in the offensive zone without taking many penalties. He scored nine power play goals this season among 16 points on the man advantage, His overall game, including his skating, have improved over the course of his junior career but are still works in progress as he prepares for the pro ranks.

Bunnaman was a dominant faceoff man this season, winning 57.2 percent of his draws (348-for-608). He is often the guy tabbed to take crucial faceoffs in late-game situations.

The Rangers (41-23-4) will take on Ratcliffe's Guelph Storm (30-29-9) in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

Anthony Salinitri (F, Sarnia Sting, OHL)

A speedy and elusive skater, Salintri ranked sixth on his team in scoring and played both ends of special teams. His offensive output this season (27 goals, 58 points in 67 games) was almost identical to his production from last year (28 goals, 58 points in 66 games).

The Sting (46-17-5) will play the Windsor Spitfires (32-30-4) in the first round of the OHL playoffs. The series gets underway on Friday.

Salinitri turned 20 years old on March 5. The Flyers drafted him in the sixth round (172nd overall) of the 2016 National Hockey League. The club has until June 1 to sign him to an entry-level contract. If not, he can re-enter the NHL Draft pool or be eligible to sign either an NHL entry-level contract or minor league contract as a free agent.