Philadelphia Flyers ink forward Alexis Gendron to entry-level contract 

The Philadelphia Flyers and forward Alexis Gendron agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday.

Gendron established himself as one of the QMJHL’s elite goal scorers last season when he deposited 55 goals in 63 games for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and Gatineau Olympiques. His playmaking needs work (his 26 helpers in 2022-2023 were a career-high by 10), but the 19-year-old’s development as a sniper is encouraging.

Philadelphia drafted Gendron in the seventh round of the 2022 draft on the strength of his goal-scoring potential after a 30-goal season for the Armada in 2021-2022. The young Quebecer’s explosion in 2022-2023 proved the team right, and he joins a long list of recent late-round picks to sign an ELC with the Flyers.

Prince George Cougars’ captain Ethan Samson inked his entry-level deal this winter as a 2021 sixth-rounder, while goaltender Sam Ersson and forward Olle Lycksell debuted with the Flyers this season as fifth and sixth-round picks, respectively. Lycksell signed his second contract with Philadelphia earlier this summer.

Gendron’s goal-scoring instincts are impressive and were good enough to lead the ‘Q’ in power-play goals (21) and finish second in total tallies. He was just as good in the postseason, with 14 goals in 13 games before Gatineau fell to the Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts in the semifinal round.

The Flyers, GM Daniel Briere, and scout Martin Gendron, Alexis’s father, will be eager to see if the lefty winger can dominate the QMJHL again in 2023-2024 before presumably making the jump to the AHL Phantoms once he is age-eligible.