BobbyClarkeFan16

I was hoping that either Gendron or Tuomaala would have gotten the left side assignment on that line. Desnoyers is in a make or break year. This is going to be a big year for him. Maybe put him on the wing with Rizzo and Tuomaala.

You could also say the same for Adam Ginning. He's similar to McDonald and they're going to need to do something with him.

Also a bonus that he's a right handed defenseman. I agree that he'll need to fill out. 210 to 220 should be his ideal weight range.

Gill? No. He was a second round pick this past year who actually had first round grades. He just slipped for no apparent reason. He was a really good draft and trade acquisition (the Flyers traded up with Nashville to get him).

You know who else had a quietly good game last night? Spencer Gill. I know he had a couple of points, but he looked so smooth and calm out there. He made smart plays and didn't let anything fluster him. If he adds a few more pounds and continues down a good development path, he could be something really good. That's a guy that Brad Shaw could do a lot of good things with.

Tuomaala also had a great game last night. He was absolutely flying out there last night and his wrist shot is lethal. I hope he gets a chance in Philadelphia, but I think he's going to be a trade candidate.

Hey, I get the skate issue might not be a big deal to some, but for a club who's development process is SOOOOOO horrible, this is a big step forward. With regards to nutrition, the Flyers actually had one of the best nutrition courses and plans for prospects. They did that really well.

They should. They should all know what proper fitting equipment is and how to properly fit equipment. Everything about this could have been avoided by simply knowing how to properly measure and then fit a skate. I'm glad the Flyers detected the skate issue and corrected the issue. That's what you want from the club. I'll give credit where credit is due and they potentially fixed a major flaw. I rip quite a bit on the club and their horrendous development plans, but this is big. Good for them for identifying a potentially major development flaw and correcting it ASAP.

I'm surprised that his coaches and team management didn't check. That just seems like failure all across the board.

The IQ was never a problem with Berglund. It's always been the skating. And now that the two sizes too big skates are being addressed, that should help immensely. However, I expect that he's going to have issues with his feet for the first little bit. His feet are going to ache as they reacclimate to the property size of skate. It won't help with straight forward speed, but having proper fitting skates will certainly help with edging and turning. We might end up seeing a completely different and better player as a result.

I'm hoping for a better skating Michal Handzus.

Yep. People can hate that program in London, but Dale Hunter products players that can play both ends of the rink. I'd love to get some of the London staff in Lehigh Valley. Enough of this rewarding former players because they're good guys.

See, part of me is thinking that once Laperriere loses the run, that Jason Smith will step in and be the head coach. And I didn't have a problem with that per se, in that he's been a head coach in junior hockey and he's been an assistant at the NHL level. There's experience there. What I'm disappointed in is that the Flyers haven't tried adding a junior or NCAA coach to the ranks to groom them as potential NHL head coaches. It's just the same old recycled garbage. And speaking of coaches, I know this sounds insane, but you know who was a good junior and AHL coach and has a good track record of developing prospects? Rocky Thompson. He can't coach a power play if his life depended on it, but he certainly knows how to develop prospects. This is a franchise that is stuck because as much as they talk about player development, it isn't a priority for them. And that kills. I'm thinking of how many players have come through here in the last 20 years that could have been something if they had proper coaching and development, not "checking" and "play the system" type coaching.

These reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt, especially because there have been teams in the past that have had ridiculous prospect depth that ended up producing nothing while there have been clubs that have had middling prospect depth that have produced players. For me, where a player plays in their development is so important. For instance, when a player comes out of a good junior program or NCAA program, they're coming in with good habits in terms of two-way play, playing compressed schedules and just playing a lot of hockey. Most important, a lot of them come with good habits already established in terms of practice, physical fitness and nutrition (especially the college kids). When a player comes from a poor program, the work required to get them to develop good habits is what takes a lot of time. Of course, having a good farm system and development coach in place is paramount for these kids to succeed. And that's a glaring red flag that the Flyers have. Laperriere might be a good guy and is well liked throughout the organization. But his development coaching skills leaves A LOT to be desired. And if the Flyers are serious about building through the draft, them they need to find their Benoit Groulx (look at the job he did in Tampa Bay when he was their minor affiliate coach). That's what scares me most about the Flyers. The draft seems to be ok, but the development leaves tons to be desired.

I'll answer the Laperriere question. He's horrid. Absolutely horrid. He has no business being a head coach, especially in a league that is all about player development. What's scary is listening to this management group actually praising Laperriere for the job he's done. They need to be thanking Jason Smith for the work HE'S done getting these kids on track. The fact he's been extended should be alarm bells for everyone that this franchise still doesn't get it. Player and skill development matter. Instead, were witnessed a coach who is finding players who fit the system best, not who has the best actual talent that can be harnessed and turned into something.