Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

Next season there will surely be tangible results of general manager Ron Hextall’s long-term plan for the Flyers whether they win or not.

There will be turnover on the roster and, for the first time in a long time, they are able to fill those holes with players who are already in the organization.

No big splash on July 1 for free agency, no trades to address a need and — most importantly — contracts will be relatively cheap.

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Specifically on defense there will likely be two voids with the expected departures of Nick Schultz and Michael Del Zotto, both of whom are free agents.

Two candidates have made their NHL debuts in the past week. Robert Hagg was superb in his debut Sunday night, the Flyers’ season finale, and Sam Morin was good last Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.

“I thought it was solid, strong play,” coach Dave Hakstol said Sunday night. “Confident player. I thought he defended pretty well. It didn’t take him very long to settle in to the hockey game. He defended well. He moved well. I thought he supports the play really well. He showed real good confidence. So overall it was a nice start for him.”

Hagg has more tools than Schultz and Del Zotto. His physicality has improved in the last season, one in which he feared that he might be dropped from the entire organization if he didn’t get his act together in the minors.

His time spent with Lehigh Valley Phantoms assistant coach Kerry Huffman and Flyers development coach Kjell Samuelsson has paid off and put him to the top of the list in terms of Flyers defense prospects that can step in immediately.

Morin, the 6-foot-7 giant, brings an intimidating presence and isn’t flashy with the puck, but makes good decisions and plays calm. He and Hagg were both 2013 draft picks that have waited a long time for their chance.

“I think being patient is great,” Morin said last week. “Look, I got so much better down there. I am going to have the same role right now here, PK, 5-on-5. So I am really confident. We have a great team in the AHL. Just going to keep working hard and doing the same stuff I was doing down there. Just hockey.”

Those two are not alone in the race. Undrafted Phil Myers has turned it way up since the Flyers inked him to a contract after training camp last season. The 6-foot-5, 208-pound Myers averaged more than a point per game in the regular season for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and has eight points in as many playoff games. There are scouts that believe he can make the jump right to the NHL.

“I think I’d be lying if I said we thought he’d develop like this,” Flyers assistant general manager Chris Pryor told the Courier-Post back in December. “He came into camp and had a good showing. Every time we see him it seems like he’s getting better and better. The kid’s really paid attention to his game and worked really hard. It’s paying off. He’s done a really good job.”

Travis Sanheim, the 2014 first-round pick, is in the mix also, but the feeling is that he will need more seasoning in the American Hockey League, where he was a rookie this year.

Hextall has thoughts about where each of those stand but doesn’t want to share them. Those rankings could change in training camp, anyway.

“All three kids are doing very well,” Hextall said of Sanheim, Hagg and Morin specifically. “They’re different players, all three of them and they’ve all come a long ways. I look at Hagger and he’s come a long ways. Travis, from October to now night and day and Big Sam has continually gotten better in his two years. Those kids, we’re thrilled with all three of their development.”

With Chris VandeVelde being so easily replaceable, it’s unlikely he re-signs with the Flyers and Roman Lyubimov may head back to Russia after not getting much opportunity in Hakstol’s lineups. There are options with forward prospects, too.

If it were to strictly fill a fourth-line role, Cole Bardreau would likely be the front-runner. The free agent that the Flyers signed out of Cornell in 2015 might’ve made the Flyers’ roster in training camp this year if he hadn’t gotten hurt. He has nine goals and 15 assists for the Phantoms this season.

Then again, Hextall has voiced his interest in improving the top nine forward spots and that makes Oskar Lindblom a strong possibility. The 2014 fifth-round pick racked up the goals in his native Sweden this season and was one shy of the league lead in goals with 22 and fourth in total points with 47.

“I played eight games (in the AHL) last season but I felt if I was going to make the next step I should play here,” Lindblom told the Courier-Post in December. “It’s a good league to develop in. I felt like that was the right decision for me.”

Lindblom’s contract expires at the end of the season and it’s believed the Flyers will sign him to an entry-level contract when his team in Brynäs is done its playoff run.

In all likelihood, Lindblom won’t be the end of the excitement next season with Flyers prospects making the next step.

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479;disaac@gannett.com