EDI-Flyer

Per the Calgary Herald http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-flames/First+round+pick+Sean+Monahan+earns+right/8978476/story.html Good for Monahan for making it difficult for the Flames... If (and it's a big if) they keep him I can see him getting plenty of ice time.

That is pretty pathetic... Domi didn't like being checked by McGinn and just decides to deliver a flying elbow to the head. There is no way that this can be spun as anything other than an attempt to injure, you can't say that this is a hockey play gone wrong. Perhaps Branch has an opportunity for a move to the NHL player safety dept... seems he would fit right in... IMO the correct response for Domi there would be if he doesn't like the hit then throw some punches. That is the kind of fight everyone wants to see, born out of emotion and frustration, not staged crap. Ten games for O'Connor for that hit? Seriously??? I don't know what the aftermath of the hit was, IE player injured on the play but either way a BS call IMO. When hard clean hits result in suspensions it makes you wonder what the game is coming to...

This sums it up in a nutshell to me... Ultimately a coach cannot rely on just one style of play. They have to be able to adapt their pattern dependent on A) the players available to them and B) the nature of the opponent. All very well playing run and gun hockey with the Pens, not so much against NJ or NYR. If the coach is unable to adapt his style then IMO he will not be successful in the long term...

Good article by Bill Meltzer today on Hockeybuzz... Couldn't agree with him more. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=54406#.Ukq2_NJjuSp

Why do you think they bought Terry Murray back? Knowing our luck they would promote Chief instead...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/zac-rinaldo-ejected-elbow-mikhail-grabovski-suspension-ahead-033912709--nhl.html

The point with Bylsma is that he essentially is not under threat until the Pen's season ends. Short of them struggling to make the playoffs (and as much as I dislike them I don't see that happening) then he is safe until the playoffs are over. Should they again meet with an early or disappointing (think Boston-like) end to the playoffs then I could totally see him getting canned. IMO the article is talking about coaches who are likely to get fired if their teams don't perform early on.

Oh come on, don't be so stinting in your praise... I would say it is a contender for most thought out post of 2013

@Howie58 3rd in the Metro IS achievable IMO, however there are a lot of variables. With regard to the PP and PK, that is actually one area of the team game that I am comfortable about. My bigger concern is their 5 on 5 play and the offensive struggles they had last year. I still have major concerns over the puck movement out of the zone, even with Streit signed it doesn't appear that anything has changed, albeit there is only a small sample size (pre-season) to work with. Stolarz is at least two years away from being NHL ready IMO, if not more. Heeter... well let's just say that based on last season with the Phantoms he doesn't look ready for a back up role yet either. Mind you, you could probably have the reincarnation of Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy in net for the Phantoms and they wouldn't look good either I do hear that Michael Leighton is looking for a contract... I certainly think G will be a top ten scorer, and quite possibly Jake too. Last year they were 1 and 3 points out of doing just that, the year before G was 3rd overall. Also BSchenn and Simmonds should hopefully see an uptick in their production playing with VLC. I could certainly see Lavi getting canned but I am not sure I would describe it as scapegoating in the traditional sense. Whilst you can argue he has been dealt some bum hands in terms of defensive players, there comes a point when a good coach recognizes that the players he has are not capable of playing the system he wants and amends the system to take account of that, rather than putting square pegs in round holes... I like his offensive instincts but the all out attack, up tempo pressure system does not seem to be working, where is the Plan B???

Per NHL.com. Not a bad price for Hansen but it says a lot that their second line winger is essentially a 40 point guy... Combined with Higgins I would say that there is not a huge amount of offense gonna come from this line IMO. Of course it depends who centres them also... http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684728&navid=nhl:topheads

I never thought it likely that he would stick, given the feedback from you and others prior to the draft. That said I do think he has an opportunity to be a dominant player in the OHL this season. However true (and I am not disputing what you say!) it is ironic your saying he needs to learn to play more aggressively given who his father is And yes, I know you don't mean aggressive in the Tie Domi sense of the word...

While I understand what you are saying, during his time with the Rangers he was always happy to play good young players... Derek Stepan,and Michael Del Zotto for example, albeit Del Zotto had already played 40 odd games for Renney. It didn't happen so much in Tampa which to my mind is more due to their appalling record in the draft...

Totally agree with this sentiment. Kassian deliberately tried to hit him with his stick when there was no reason for contact. He should have got a lot more than 5 games.

Well, Domi was returned to the Knights today so that's another one for you to worry about

Per NHL.com Apparently the NHL can actually admit it made a mistake... who knew??? http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=684662&navid=nhl:topheads

@goalnut3133 One thing you can say about Torts... He has never been afraid to play kids. He certainly subscribes to the if you're good enough you're old enough school of thought. Even if they don't stick it will be good for their development IMO.

I think it depends on A)What happens with the cap (IMO it is likely it will get higher...) B)Whether they resign Phaneuf or let him walk. Even if they resign Phaneuf I cannot see it being at his current $6.5 million Having said that they also have to find cap space to re-sign "The Slasher"

Indeed. I just looked on my streaming service and was pissed they weren't showing it but I'm guessing the cast on the Flyers site means it ain't on TV. Thanks doc.

Good deal indeed for the Rangers. Considering Stepan has a career average 0.66ppg and last season was +25 and near enough a ppg player I would say they got him cheap. You have to think that they are trying to get something sorted out with Hank and Cally before they hit UFA at season end...

Good to see a bit of give and take on both sides. I have liked Franson as a player ever since he played junior with the Giants and think he has turned into a solid 2nd pairing guy. You can bet that next year he signs for at least $3 mill on a multi year deal.

Always a possibility but if it's going to happen it's less likely against a kid of his size and grit than to a high end forward at 5"11" 160lbs... To me it's still the right thing to do. And I say that as someone who is currently watching Morin play against the Shawinigan Cataractes. Just the best thing for their development IMO. EDIT Sadly it doesn't appear that Morin is playing tonight, good game for the Oceanique though, 2-0 up in the first...

TSN's preliminary ranking has him at 8... a few others I have seen have him around 15 so I guess it depends on what kind of season he has (and the Flyers for that matter) as to whether he is available for us or not. I like his all round game but it is difficult to project just yet as to the player he might become in the NHL.

As Signman used to say Kerr-plunk... One of the all time best goal scorers in the NHL, never mind the Flyers. My one regret is that I never saw him play live, only ever seen him on DVD/video.

Spot on. This is the right move for the kid's future, no point in trying to rush things. Go back and really dominate this year in the Q and next year at training camp may be a whole different story...

THN.com predicts the Philadelphia Flyers to finish third in the Metropolitan Division. http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/53333-NHL-Preseason-Predictions-Metropolitan-Division-No-3-Philadelphia-Flyers.html Can't really argue with a lot of what they say, especially the peripheral prediction