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Zayde Wisdom, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

What Makes the Lehigh Valley Phantoms a Playoff Caliber Team

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated Apr 5, 2025 10:05 AM ET

One of the biggest mysteries in the American Hockey League (AHL), or at least in the Atlantic Division, is the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. They are closing in on a playoff spot despite not looking like a playoff team. The Phantoms have an offense that averages only 2.95 goals per game and a defense that allows 3.14 goals per game. All this to say, it’s hard to pinpoint what this team does well and why they are 33-27-5-2 and in fifth place in the division.

So, why are the Phantoms playing above their weight? They don’t look like a good team, and it’s often noticeable on the ice as they are outplayed by some of the top teams in the AHL. However, some of the players in this roster and how they play explain why they will sneak into the playoffs and be a tough team to put away. (A casual fan notices the irony of a team called the Phantoms, which are often invisible ghosts, being a mystery, but that’s neither here nor there).

The Youth Movement

One of the first things that stands out with the Phantoms is how young their roster is. They have prospects throughout the lineup and playing key roles, and carrying this team. Zayde Wisdom is a 22-year-old center with 13 goals and 17 assists this season, yet he’s one of the veterans of the group. Samu Tuomaala is a top prospect in the Philadelphia Flyers’ system and an elite playmaker with 11 goals and 21 assists, but he’s been out with an injury since March 1.

The goal the Phantoms scored in their 2-1 April 4 loss to the Hershey Bears came on a snipe from Alexis Gendron, who is playing on the same line as Jett Luchanko, who joined the team on March 27 and is a dynamic 18-year-old forward. Gendron, at 21, feels years ahead of him, as he’s been in the AHL for two seasons compared to Luchanko’s handful of games.

The downside to the youth movement is that the Phantoms don’t have a veteran presence, and it shows. They will miss assignments in their zone, allow opponents to find open looks near the net, or cough up the puck in the defensive zone to allow the opponent to find a quick scoring chance. “I feel like we play our best when we play fast,” Gendron noted after the loss to the Bears, a team known for slowing games down and stepping up defensively, something the Phantoms struggle with. Even a developing and rebuilding team like the Flyers, who have loaded up the AHL team with prospects, can use a mentoring presence on their roster, but they don’t have much of one.

The good news is that with the Flyers picking up the pace on their rebuild, they have a farm system in place to help. They have elite talent in their prospect pool, and some skaters can possibly play alongside Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov in the future. They also have a handful of skaters who can play depth roles at the NHL level and give the Flyers a well-rounded roster. Goaltending is still an issue both at the AHL and NHL level for this organization but otherwise, the pipeline is promising, and in this season particularly, the young talent allows them to take over games here and there.

Phantoms Play the Way Laperriere Did

A head coach sets the tone for how the team plays. Some coaches want their teams playing fast, while others will have their teams playing a physical style. The way a coach played back in the day doesn’t always translate to how they’ll coach, but that’s been the case with Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere.

Laperriere wasn’t a star in the NHL and instead was a depth player. He only exceeded the 30-point mark once, and he centered a bottom-six line for most of his career. However, he always played above his weight and was willing to skate to the dirty areas, block shots, and play the complete 200-foot game. It’s how Laperriere, who played on five teams, lasted in the NHL for 16 seasons.

He doesn’t bring anything special strategically to the Phantoms or have them playing a style of hockey that opponents must prepare to stop. That’s the same sentiment that can be said about Travis Green, who the Ottawa Senators hired in the 2024 offseason to bring out the most in the roster and have them overachieving. It’s how Green made his mark in the NHL, and it is reflected in how the Senators play as they inch closer to a playoff spot. The Flyers want their AHL head coach to get the most out of the young players, and Laperriere’s done that to help prepare them for the NHL.

The Shortcomings

The Phantoms are the definition of a pesky team, one that will give a top team in the AHL fits and possibly pull off the upset in a playoff series. Yet, at the end of the day, they aren’t a good team. It’s why they are clinging to fifth place in the Atlantic Division and will sneak into the playoffs compared to the four teams ahead of them who already clinched their spots.

The Bears are the standard in the AHL, winning the Calder Cup title in back-to-back seasons and boasting the best record in the division in 2024-25. “That’s the team I’ve looked up to since I took the job,” Laperriere noted after the game, one where they fired 33 shots on the net but lost 2-1. “They play the winning way, and that’s what I’m trying to teach here,” he continued.

The difference between them and a top team like the Bears is all in the details. The Bears forecheck with a plan to set up the offense. They move the puck with the intention of generating shots in the high-danger areas and through traffic, which is how they scored their two goals in the victory over the Phantoms. The Phantoms have a lot of intriguing pieces but no plan to go along with it, and it’s why this team will remain a tier below the best teams in their division and the AHL.