Philippe Myers has been waiting a long time for this moment and it couldn't come in a more opportunistic situation.
The Flyers made it clear that the towering defenseman is ready to join their roster when they traded backliner Christian Folin to Montreal on Saturday, opening a spot on the defense corps.
Myers, an undrafted player who signed as a free agent back in 2015, has patiently worked at his craft with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms while enduring some significant injuries over the past few seasons.
Now he skates into a perfect scenario. The Flyers are in the midst of a 10-game streak of at least a point (9-0-1), so there shouldn't be any pressure on the 22-year-old.
Meanwhile, there could be a similar chance for forward Justin Bailey, who was acquired in last month's trade with Buffalo for Taylor Leier.
Bailey was called up from the Phantoms on Sunday basically to replace Jori Lehtera, who cleared waivers the other day and was assigned to the Phantoms.
Adding Myers and the 23-year-old Bailey to replace the 28-year-old Folin and 30-year-old Lehtera gives the Flyers a younger and perhaps more skilled lineup in depth positions.
"For me to finally get the opportunity, to be in the room with the guys, it's just been awesome,'' Myers said after Sunday's optional practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J.
Short of an injury, it would appear the Flyers are not going to crack their top six just to get Myers (who will wear number 61) some playing time.
Yet, it would make sense to have Myers play at least here and there, if nothing more than to get his feet wet. You don't want a 22-year-old just sitting around – it does little to help his development, other than to get a feel for the pro game in practice and off-ice.
Bailey, a second-round pick (52nd overall) of the Sabres in 2013, has played a total of 52 games with Buffalo and has registered five goals and eight points.
He's still young enough to have people say he hasn't necessarily reached his peak yet.
In 10 games with the Phantoms, Bailey compiled five goals and seven points.
He seems to have fit in well under Lehigh Valley coach Kerry Huffman's system.
Is he ready to be an NHL regular?
"I think I've been up and down a bunch in my career,'' said Bailey, who has split the past five years between the Sabres and their AHL affiliate in Rochester. "It's been a long time since I've been up there (the NHL – he played 12 games for the Sabres in the 2017-18 season).
Bailey has been a respectable minus-2 on some bad Buffalo teams, so he appears to be a responsible two-way player.
"I have to make sure I do the things that I know will keep me here,'' Bailey said. "Whatever my role is, making sure that I'm doing that role to the best of my ability. I've been scoring down there and I want to bring some scoring up here.
The Myers and Bailey additions also give coach Scott Gordon some short-term flexibility. The Flyers play a back-to-back, hosting Pittsburgh on Monday night, then flying halfway across the country to play at Minnesota on Tuesday night.
With Pittsburgh losing on Saturday night, the Flyers closed to within six points of a playoff spot again and could cut that to possibly four by taking down the Penguins on Monday.
Gordon will use red-hot rookie goalie Carter Hart against the Pens and then Anthony Stolarz against the Wild.
The game plan against Pittsburgh?