The Philadelphia Flyers are continuing to add young players to their system, this time acclimating some of their own draft picks to the pro level.
Defenseman Matteo Mann, the Flyers’ seventh-round draft choice in 2023 (199th overall), has joined the Reading Royals of the ECHL on an amateur tryout.
Mann, who turned 19 in December, just completed his first season with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, scoring six goals, seven assists, and 13 points in 42 games played. Saint John was recently eliminated in the playoffs, getting swept by the Drummondville Voltigeurs in four games.
The Sea Dogs allowed seven, six, four, and eight goals against in those four games.
If Mann plays some games for the Flyers organization, he’ll be the first player of the 2023 draft class to do so. Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk are still playing for the London Knights, while Matvei Michkov, obviously, hasn’t come over from the KHL yet.
Carson Bjarnason could also be a tryout option, but his season also just recently ended.
Mann will be one of a few new faces joining the Flyers organization in recent weeks, putting his name alongside the likes of Oscar Eklind on Monday, Ivan Fedotov, Alexei Kolosov, and Matt Miller.
The 6-foot-6 defenseman is certainly a work in progress, hence his seventh-round draft status, but Mann is a physical defenseman who does a lot of work in his own zone. It’s worth noting that from 2020 to 2023, Mann produced only three goals and 14 assists in the QMJHL with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, but took a step forward offensively this season.
Now, the next step for Mann is to continue his hard work and development with the Flyers and make good on this tryout with Reading.
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