Zzeke

Saturday Flyers Mystery Photo Contest Every Saturday at 12 Noon. Standings (of those who have participated) 3 Podein25 1 CoachX 1 flyercanuck 0 pilldoc 12/5/20 CoachX - - - Hexy and Gretzky 12/12/20 Podein25 - - - Behn Wilson 12/12/20 Podein25 - - - Mark Friedman 12/19/20 Podein25 - - - Mike McKenna 12/26/20 flyercanuck - - - Forsberg and Kapanen This Saturday, Jan 2, nobody will get the answer. Not even veteran Flyers fans/members P25 and CX. Guaranteed. It's a Flyers' tough guy. Don't bother to research. You won't get it. It will be the first complete 'strike-out' by all.

The more I read about this, the signs point to - The Flyers depth chart for LW is: Claude Giroux Oskar Lindblom Joel Farabee (can play RW) James van Riemsdyk (for the time he is here) Michael Raffl (final season and UFA) Connor Bunnaman And, as Fletcher said, with the depth on defence, there are no openings for Sam Morin on the long-term Flyers defence: Upcoming Seasons: Provorov - Gustafsson (re-signed after Expansion Draft) Sanheim - Myers (RH) York - Zamula #7 - Hagg or Friedman (RH) (good chance Hagg is lost in Expansion Draft) Fletcher/Flahr/AV most likely are planning for LW Morin to be on the 6-player Taxi Squad that will travel with the team during this 56-game season. Morin could be activated to the Flyers game-day roster if/when needed. Example: playing 8 games vs Pittsburgh and the dirty Malkin. Just ask Giroux and Raffl if they would like Morin selectively on the bench/ice to act as a deterent or punisher. They both have been almost beheaded by Malkin. We saw the YouTube compilation of Malkin's dirty play against the Flyers. And then, there is Crosby. And then, there is the Caps Wilson who runs around smashing Flyers, etc. Our Flyers need some toughness, as Fletcher said. Sam Morin's status can be re-evaluated for the 2021-22 season. This 56-game season - - Morin on the Taxi Squad as a LW, and also as an emergency defenceman if injuries and COVID take their toll on the defencmen on the roster and Taxi Squad. Deterence. Selectively inserted. Anyone agree - or - disagree?

As Fletcher said, with the depth, no openings for Sam Morin on the long-term Flyers defence: Upcoming Seasons: Provorov - Gustafsson (re-signed after Expansion Draft) Sanheim - Myers (RH) York - Zamula #7 - Hagg or Friedman (RH) (good chance Hagg is lost in Expansion Draft)

This afternoon's report by Jordan Hall at NBC Sports is helpful - - After suffering a pair of torn ACLs in a span of 19 months, Samuel Morin put it honestly on Thursday: "I'm fighting for my career right now." He's willing to try anything. Morin, a 6-foot-6 defenseman selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 2013 draft, is attempting to switch his position to left winger. Head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coach Ian Laperriere approached Morin about the idea in the offseason. Morin was initially a little "shocked," he said, but after discussing it with his agent, the two felt it was a good avenue for the 25-year-old to return to the ice and continue his career in Philly. Morin, a happy-go-lucky, persistent player, is excited for the opportunity as the Flyers get set to open training camp Jan. 3. Morin has been working on the position switch for the past couple of months. He said he played forward a few years in minor hockey but quickly switched to defenseman. Vigneault and the Flyers felt they needed more size up front, especially after the team's second-round exit in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. As Morin has endured unfortunate injuries, the club has gotten deeper on defense. Morin's second torn ACL occurred in November 2019. Although he believes he can still have a career as a defenseman, he's heading into January 2021 as a left winger for now. “I think it’s going to be a challenge no matter what we do, he hasn’t played a lot of hockey in the last three years," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said Thursday in a video interview. "We’re pretty deep on defense right now and with the uncertainty surrounding the American Hockey League, we feel this is the best opportunity for Sam to be with our club. [Read Taxi Squad] "Certainly his size, his skating and his physicality are elements that we feel our team could use. In an ideal world, if the American League is going, maybe you could have him getting some reps on defense and growing his game, and at some point that could still become a reality again, but for right now, to have Sam part of our group, and with that size and that physicality; he’s been working hard for a couple of months now on this transition and working at it. We think there’s a realistic chance that he can positively impact our team in that role.” Over the last three seasons, Morin has played a total of 31 pro games — 23 with the Phantoms (three of them in the postseason) and eight with the Flyers.

On the 6-player Taxi Squad, which travels with the team, for this 56-game season. Play Morin situationally if/when needed. Think Malkin. (Re-evaluate Morin for the 2021-22 season.)

Someone said that Morin at 6-7, 227 should be so much fun to watch in the dump and chase game. CRUNCH TIME

Continued - - Aha! Now it's clearer -

Wow! Good find mks. Perhaps a change in perspective by Fletcher/Flahr based on Morin's work at the Flyers Training Center at Voorhees as he has been there for many months being observed by Fletcher and Flahr. Maybe they see the big defenceman as a candidate on the 6-player Taxi Squad as a LW - - - and play him vs Pittsburgh and the dirty Malkin if needed? As we all know, Morin is 6'-7", tough, and a deterent. Yes, he can play a good defensive defenceman role when healthy and back in game shape.

KIRILL USTIMENKO G, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Kirill Ustimenko will be sidelined for approximately four-to-five months after he underwent surgery on his hip. Ustimenko required the procedure to repair a torn labrum. He appeared in just two games with HC Gomel of the Belarusian Extraliga during his loan arrangement. The 21-year-old netminder spent most of the 2019-20 season in the ECHL. SOURCE: Philadelphia Flyers on Twitter Dec 31, 2020, 12:23 PM ET The Flyers goaltending Depth Chart: Carter Hart Brian Elliott Kirill Ustimenko Rookie Alex Lyon Felix Sandstrom Rookie Ivan Fedotov Rookie Samuel Ersson Rookie Matej Tomek Rookie Roddy Ross Rookie Lyon and Ustimenko were anticipated to be the Phantoms goalies for the AHL 2020-21 season starting February 5. Now, perhaps 2 rookies? Lyon is expected to be the 3rd goalie with the Flyers on the 6-player Taxi Squad. So, the Phantoms duo - - Sandstrom and the 6'-8" Fedotov?

Okay guys - - - the ice is ready - - - are we? In only 2 weeks our Flyers will play Pittsburgh on Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET with national TV broadcast on NBCSN in the US. How do you guys in Manitoba and Ontario get to watch the Flyers? TSN with selected games? SportsNet with selected Flyers games? A subscription for all Flyers games? New ice look at the Wells Fargo Center: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJbsyDyJtt9/?utm_source=ig_embed

This will help Fletcher/Flahr plan for the Flyers Taxi-Squad and prospect recalls from the European leagues. The AHL has announced that a "structural framework" has been approved for the 2020-21 season. The AHL plans to start the season on Feb. 5, 2021. "Details are still being worked out, but this step allows our teams and their National Hockey League partners to better determine their plans for the coming season. We look forward to dropping the puck on Feb. 5," said AHL President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson in a statement. SOURCE: TheAHL.com Dec 30, 2020, 3:12 PM ET

Interesting - ZDENO CHARA D, WASHINGTON CAPITALS Zdeno Chara has signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. The deal is worth $795,000. As expected, the news was made official shortly after Chara announced that he wouldn't be back with the Boston Bruins for the 2020-21 season. The team wanted to move forward with younger players and will face their former captain eight times this campaign. "We are extremely pleased to have Zdeno join the Capitals organization," said Capitals GM Brian MacLellan. "We feel his experience and leadership will strengthen our blueline and our team." The 43-year-old blueliner played for the Bruins for the past 14 seasons. Chara doesn't contribute much offensively anymore, but he can still log over 20 minutes per game and provide a physical presence on the back end. In 68 games last season, he registered 60 penalty minutes, 101 blocks and 78 hits. Dec 30, 2020, 4:02 PM ET

For what it is worth, here is what Eklund posted today: Jack Roslovic’s name and trade request has become very public, but behind the scenes I keep hearing Laine and the Flyers/Canadiens... Per one source, “Roslovic is an issue that has muddied the waters a bit on a Laine deal....but that hasn’t stopped the talks...The Flyers and Canadiens are still interested and have the kind of pieces that the Jets want for Patrik.” “Is Montreal still interested after the Perry signing?” I asked. “Absolutely..” my source continued, “The Perry signing barely plays into the much larger deal.”

From Jordan Hall at NBC Sports this morning Dec 30: Sanheim / Patrick When Sanheim wasn't in his home gym this offseason, he got in work alongside Islanders defenseman and Brandon Wheat Kings product Ryan Pulock, who helped end the Flyers' season during the second round of the playoffs. "For on-ice, it was hard at times because Manitoba went through phases of shutdown and code red, so I did as best I could," Sanheim said. "Me and him kind of worked with each other with a skills coach to better our game. Just little things that D-men have to work on, whether it’s little breakouts, puck plays, wheeling with the puck, seeing the ice and making the right decisions. I feel like I got better over the course of the break and looking forward to the upcoming season." Sanheim also saw plenty of Flyers teammate Nolan Patrick. The 2017 second overall pick is a Winnipeg, Manitoba native and played his junior hockey for the Wheat Kings. Training in Brandon this offseason with a group led by former Flyer Ryan White, the 22-year-old Patrick is aiming to return to the lineup after missing 2019-20 because of a migraine disorder. "I’ve been in touch with Patty a lot," Sanheim said. "He lives a couple houses down from where I live, so I saw him a lot, working together and skating together. He’s been awesome, his skill set is next level. We knew that from when the day he got drafted. It’s awesome seeing him back out there skating and looking forward to playing with him again." Podein25, you been to Brandon?

Interesting article tonight out of Boston: Boston Bruins: The Philadelphia Flyers will easily be the toughest challenge of 2021 by Tyler Pierce Bruins Writer Boston Causeway Crowd December 29, 2020 Excerpts: While this new division provides some exciting matchups, it is also arguably the hardest and deepest division following the re-alignment. With up and comers like the Rangers, Flyers, and Sabres in addition to established contenders like the Capitals and Penguins, the Bruins are going to have to battle all year just to make it to the playoffs. While every team in the division is likely to be tough to beat, I think the B’s will have an extra difficult time handling the Philadelphia Flyers. While a few of the other teams in the division have been able to tout Stanley Cup Championship success in prior years, not many of them are as well-positioned for the 2021 season as the Flyers. The Flyers were blazing hot prior to the “halt to play” and were able to capture the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference following the round-robin games at the beginning of the “return to play.” The Flyers’ playoff run got as far as Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals before the New York Islanders were able to send them home. Despite coming up short, the Flyers’ roster is returning a mix of young talent and veteran leadership that has them poised to make another strong run at the Stanley Cup. The Boston Bruins should not take the Flyers’ offense lightly. On the offensive side of things, the Flyers scoring attack was led by 22-year-old Travis Konecny, who set a career-high with 61 points in just 66 games. With the remarkable return of Oskar Lindblom following his battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma and the continued development of young players such as Konecny and 19-year-old Joel Farabee, the Flyers look to be on the up and up and will be tough for the Bruins’ defense to contain, especially with the loss of Torey Krug and likely Zdeno Chara on the blue line. The Boston Bruins will have a tough time getting pucks past Carter Hart. The Flyers have been in the midst of a goalie carousel that some may argue is decades-long. However, it appears that they have found the solution with the 22-year-old Hart. Both the Bruins and the Flyers have Stanley Cup aspirations this year, however, they’ll have to do battle eight times in the regular season and potentially more if the stars align for playoff matchups. With the aforementioned high-powered offense and the talented young defense, the Flyers pose a difficult matchup for the Bruins and will likely be a thorn in their side for the duration of the 2021 season.

It's 3:30 PM ET Tuesday 12/29. Intermission after the 2nd period Between Team USA and Team Czech Republic. 3-0 Our Flyers RW Bobby Brink has 2 goals - - and will be going for a hat trick. Game on the NFL Network in the US and TSN in Canada.

Ivan Provorov Very unusual open interview with Provy. And revealing. Amazing stuff - - gotta love this guy. Nasty Knuckles Podcast: Episode 3 with Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers Star Defenceman Dec 28, 2020

The subject won't go away. Can we help Winnipeg with their Cap problem? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Yeah, I know, I'm opening this can-of-worms again. STATUS QUO FOR LAINE AND JETS DECEMBER 28, 2020 | 9:53AM ET THEFOURTHPERIOD.COM With the Winnipeg Jets set to start their training camp in six days, there does not appear to be any change as it relates to star winger Patrik Laine’s desire for a change of scenery, TFP has learned. As TFP reported in mid-September, the Jets have been taking calls on Laine, who has not formally requested a trade, but his agents told TSN one month later both their client and the Jets would benefit from a move. Several teams have expressed some level of interest in Laine over the last two off-seasons, including the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers. It is unclear if talks with any of those teams are currently ongoing. While a trade out of Winnipeg is preferred, a transaction before the start of the regular-season on January 13 might not be in the cards unless Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff finds a package he deems acceptable. So far, talks have lingered. The Jets are currently almost $700,000 over the $81.5 million salary cap with restricted free agent forward Jack Roslovic still unsigned. Winnipeg can exceed the cap by just over $5.291 million by placing Bryan Little on LTIR on Jan. 13.

I made a mistake in a recent post regarding defenceman Gustafsson and his one season contract. I posted: In reading all the transcripts of Fletcher/Flahr/AV media conferences of the last few months, it seems like they are thinking of a more up-pace defensive corp that is competent in the D-zone but also has speed/quickness/smarts in quickly exiting the D-zone and joining the rush. >> Erik Gustafsson wasn't signed to replace Matt Niskanen, but the Philadelphia Flyers feel the 28-year-old defenseman can give them something they were lacking. "[Gustafsson] has tremendous deception with the puck, tremendous poise," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "We don't have a defenseman that sees the ice like he does, he can play on the power play. It's a different type of skill set than Matt ... there wasn't going to be that ability to replace Matt per se with the same style." << >> "We think his (Gustafsson) skill set meshes really well with what we need," Fletcher said. "We think we have a lot of strong defenders on our team and we're very structured defensively as a group. His skill set, his ability to go back on pucks and make good decisions and transition the puck up the ice, we thought was a very important element to add to our group." << The 'new era NHL' approach to the defence corps - - multiple defencemen who are very mobile, fast/quick, puck-moving out of the D-zone, join-the-rush, and can put up solid offensive numbers (in addition to being competent defensively). We now have 4 of these. Maybe it will work. Provorov - Gustafsson (LH - plays exclusively Right Side) Sanheim - Myers (RH) Hagg - Braun (RH) #7 - Friedman (RH) (Ghost traded soon before the July 21 Expansion Draft since the 3 defencemen protected will be Provorov, Sanheim and Myers.) >> Fletcher played it smart in signing Gus for 1 season. - advantage Flyers - if Gus was signed for multiple years, and assuming Fletcher would opt for the Protected List 7F/3D/1G choice, Provorov/Sanheim/Myers would be set, and Gus would be vulnerable to be selected by Seattle. Not so with Gus on a 1-year contract because Gus would be a UFA at time of the July 21 Expansion Draft (UFA on 7/1/21). And, our Flyers would have a shot at signing him after the Expansion Draft if mutual interest.* - advantage Flyers - it gives Fletcher/AV a chance to evaluate Gus over the 56 game 2020-21 season, plus playoffs, without commiting to a mult-year contract. * There is obvious risk. On 7/1/21 Gus will be a UFA. Illegal 3rd-party tampering could happen with a Seattle represenative contacting Gus' agent prior to 7/1/21 and then have a 'telephone handshake agreement' for a contract. Assuming Gus has played very well for AV's team, and our Flyers want Gus back for a multi-year 'stay' contract, and assuming Gus likes it here, Fletcher could 'pay' Gus with a new contract. All this without losing him in the Expansion Draft. << Actually, with the new NHL dates associated with the 56-game season, the new UFA date is July 28, not June 1. Therefore I should have said: Fletcher was wise with the signing of Gus for 1 season. He will be a UFA on July 28. As a pending UFA, the Kraken will not select him. If it is a successful season for Gus, we can assume Fletcher and Gus' agent will have a 'handshake agreement' to then execute after the Expansion Draft. Instead of looking at losing an excellent defenceman in Niskanen, who complements/protects Provorov, and saying 'Gustafsson doesn't replace Niskenen' - - - can we say that actually now 'Provorov replaces Niskanen and the skilled Gustafsson replaces Provorov' in role for that pair?

Take note of #18 and #19. Just sayin - - NHL Power Rankings: 25 best players under age 25 By Adam Gretz Pro Hockey Talk NBC Sports December 29, 2020 To this week’s NHL Power Rankings! 1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers. Simply the most dominant player in the NHL regardless of age. He has averaged 110 points per 82 games during his career. That number jumps to 120 points over the past four seasons. That sort of production is something out of a different era. 2. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs. He has averaged 45 goals per 82 games since entering the NHL and was going to hit the 50-goal mark this past season had it not been for the shortened season. He seems poised to take over the title of top goal scorer in the league whenever Alex Ovechkin slows down. 3. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning. He was already on the map as one of the league’s best young players, but his playoff performance this year only cemented that status. An elite scorer, an excellent defensive player, and a possession driver. He does it all. 4. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. Already one of the league’s best players and he is just now hitting his peak years. He is now a real threat for 50 goals in a full 82-game season. 5. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks. He is one of the reasons the Canucks’ rebuild has accelerated so much the past couple of years. If you wanted to argue that he should be a spot or two higher I would listen to it. 6. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars. Norris Trophies (multiple) are in his future. Big time offensive ability with shutdown defense. The total package on defense and a franchise-changing player. 7. Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres. His team has stunk, but that is not his fault. He is one of the league’s best players and it is going to be fascinating what he can do with Taylor Hall on his wing this season. 8. Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche. It is easy for him to get overlooked playing in MacKinnon’s shadow, but he is an outstanding player on his own and one of the league’s most productive forwards. 9. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes. If I am working in the Hurricanes front office I am sending Marc Bergevin a holiday card every year for that offer sheet, allowing the Hurricanes to get their franchise player signed to a bargain rate for five years. 10. Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders. He is the one game-breaker the Islanders have, and they have already more playoff success with him as their franchise player than they did over the 30 years — combined! — before that. 11. Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins. If he could ever play a full 82-games he would probably be a 50-point player from the blue line with great defense to go with it. A legit No. 1 defender and the leader of the Bruins’ defense for the foreseeable future. 12. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs. Maybe the Maple Leafs overpaid him, but Marner is already one of the league’s best passers and playmakers and an elite offensive player. 13. Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes. Give it time. It is only a matter of when, and not if, he finds himself higher on a list like this. He plays an advanced all-around game for his age and has 40-goal ability. 14. Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche. The only thing keeping him from being in the top-10 is the fact he has only played one year in the NHL. He will be competing for the Norris Trophy every season. 15. Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks. Take all of those words written in the Cale Makar entry just above and place them right here as well. The Heiskanen, Makar, Hughes Norris races are going to be amazing to watch over the next decade. 16. Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames. The Western Conference version of Brad Marchand and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. 17. Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets. He is right there with Patrik Laine, his Jets teammate, from a goal-scoring perspective and is a better all-around player. 18. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets. Speaking of Laine… he does one thing exceptionally well. He scores goals. A lot of them. 19. Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers. It took them decades but the Flyers finally found their goalie. He is a darn good goalie as well. 20. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets faced criticism when they originally picked him with the No. 3 overall pick, but they were right. He is already a top-line center and his best days are still ahead of him. 21. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs. The criticism that he gets in Toronto is a little much and a little over the top. Is he expensive? Yeah, he is. He is also really good. Better than he gets credit for being at times. 22. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets. He and Seth Jones form one of the league’s best defense pairings. Jones is the better all-around player (and just a little too old for this list!) but Werenski puts up the big numbers offensively. 23. Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres. If he becomes the player everyone thinks he can be that would be massive for a Sabres team that desperately needs a superstar on its blue line. I think he can be that player. 24. Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks. I do not know if he will ever score 40 goals again, but I think he is closer to that player than the player we saw this past season. 25. Mikhail Sergachev, Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning’s talent level is absurd. They have award winners all over the lineup and always seem to have a pipeline of young talent filling out the rest of the roster. Sergachev is still only 22 years old and is already a top-pairing defender. Just missing: Brock Boeser, Vancouver Canucks; Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers; Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers; Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning; Adam Fox, New York Rangers; John Marino, Pittsburgh Penguins; Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers; Mackenzie Blackwood, New Jersey Devils; Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets; Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

KEVIN HAYES C, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Kevin Hayes knows that the Flyers need to get off to a fast start in the tough Eastern Division. That can be said for every team as the NHL has abbreviated its normal 82 game schedule to just 56 contests. “It’s very important for the guys on our team to show up to camp in shape and ready to go,” Hayes said. “I know in the past, the first 10 games is kind of a walk in the park. It’s still tough NHL games, but everyone kind of knows, ‘Oh, he’s not playing very good, but he’ll figure it out come Week 5 or something.’ That’s not the case right now. Everybody needs to be at the top of their game. I know the coaches are working hard. We’re going to have a lot of meetings and a lot of film. There’s going to be a lot of battling in that shortened 10-day camp.” Hayes had 23 goals and 41 points in 69 games with the Flyers last season and then had a great post-season with four goals and 13 points in 16 games. Look for 15-20 goals this season with 35 points for the Flyers winger. SOURCE: Philadelphia Inquirer Dec 28, 2020, 9:51 AM ET

Good stuff LOD. I like Morin also. Hope he returns strong after some time with the Phantoms. Rooting for the guy. I prefer: LD - - - - - RD Provorov - Gustafsson (prefers Right Side) Sanheim - Myers (RH) (don't break them up) Hagg - Braun (RH) #7 - Friedman (RH) Ghost - traded soon - before the Expansion Draft or he will be lost w/o compensation because only 3 defencemen are protected under the preferred Protected List 7F/3D/1G choice: Provorov/Sanheim/Myers. We like Ghost's flash-and-dash and PP work, but actually, Gus is better than Ghost in the defensive zone where Ghost continues to struggle. Another element in playing the right side next to Provorov is that Ghost had extra struggles on the right side. AV and Yeo tried to keep Ghost on the left side. On Gus - some excerpts - Coach Alain Vigneault sounded excited Monday when he talked about a key addition to the lineup this season, defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Gustafsson, a 28-year-old Sweden native, was signed as a free agent in October, inking a one-year deal for $3 million. He will be among a handful of players to get a chance on the top pairing, alongside Ivan Provorov. In a conference call with reporters Monday, Vigneault said he watched lots of video on Gustafsson in the offseason, and he likes the potential the offensive-minded defenseman brings to the lineup. “We’re getting, in today’s game, a very important defenseman in the sense that he’s a puck-mover who can jump into the play and has good ability to make that first good pass out of our [defensive] zone,” Vigneault said. “He’s very motivated. I saw him when I came to Philly a few weeks back. He was excited to be with our group, excited to help us win. We’re looking forward to get to know him a lot more and helping him help our team.” Gustafsson, who has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game in his career (19 minutes, 58 seconds), has his best season two years ago, collecting 17 goals and 60 points in 79 games with Chicago. The Flyers plan to use him as part of their defensive rotation and on the power play. Yes! Hope AV/Yeo insert Gus with Provorov on the #1 pairing. Gus is LH but has played almost exclusevly on the Right Side and prefers it. “I played a couple games on the left with Calgary (recently) but it didn’t feel right,’’ he [Gus] said. “So right now I’m used to playing on the right side. I feel more confident on the right side. Whatever the coaches want me to do, I play there.’’ Being friends with fellow Swedish defenseman Robert Hagg of the Flyers should help Gustafsson with the transition to a new team. In fact, the two are currently practicing together back home in their native country. Gustafsson also is friends with Oskar Lindblom. “They’re two very good guys to know,’’ Gustafsson said. “I’m looking forward to playing with them.’’ If there’s any doubt Flyers’ newly acquired Erik Gustafsson can perform in the bright lights of a top defense pairing role, consider this boldface line on his resume: One of his recent partners has been two-time Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks. That should assuage possible concerns if Gustafsson happens to be placed in a tandem with rising star Ivan Provorov when hockey resumes sometime around Jan. 1, 2021. Although Gustafsson — signed to a one-year, $3-million free-agent contract on Monday — is a left-shooting backliner, he’s been playing mostly on the right side over the past few years. He says he’s comfortable on his “off’’ flank and that could help if Flyers coach Alain Vigneault decides to start him there and fill the vacancy left by the retiring Matt Niskanen. At 28, Gustafsson has been around long enough to know the ropes on a top pairing. And besides playing with Keith, Gustafsson also had a chance to compete with other stars (forwards) such as three-time Stanley Cup champions Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Two seasons ago, Gustafsson slumped a bit until he was paired with Keith on a somewhat regular basis. Then things started to turn around. In reading all the transcripts of Fletcher/Flahr/AV media conferences of the last few months, it seems like they are thinking of a more up-pace defensive corp that is competent in the D-zone but also has speed/quickness/smarts in quickly exiting the D-zone and joining the rush. >> Erik Gustafsson wasn't signed to replace Matt Niskanen, but the Philadelphia Flyers feel the 28-year-old defenseman can give them something they were lacking. "[Gustafsson] has tremendous deception with the puck, tremendous poise," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "We don't have a defenseman that sees the ice like he does, he can play on the power play. It's a different type of skill set than Matt ... there wasn't going to be that ability to replace Matt per se with the same style." << >> "We think his (Gustafsson) skill set meshes really well with what we need," Fletcher said. "We think we have a lot of strong defenders on our team and we're very structured defensively as a group. His skill set, his ability to go back on pucks and make good decisions and transition the puck up the ice, we thought was a very important element to add to our group." << GM Fletcher: >> "Gustafsson’s just got tremendous deception and vision. I think he generates offense a little bit differently than Ghost. I think Provorov’s elite defensively. Sanheim and Myers in my opinion will become elite shutdown defensemen in this league. Justin Braun is an elite defender [defensively]. Hägg is a good defender. So why not have a couple guys that can spring your offense? If we can defend less, that would be a great thing." << The 'new era NHL' approach to the defence corps - - multiple defencemen who are very mobile, fast/quick, puck-moving out of the D-zone, join-the-rush, and can put up solid offensive numbers (in addition to being competent defensively). We now have 4 of these. Maybe it will work. Instead of looking at losing an excellent defenceman in Niskanen, who complements/protects Provorov, and saying 'Gustafsson doesn't replace Niskenen' - - - can we say that actually now 'Provorov replaces Niskanen and the skilled Gustafsson replaces Provorov' in role for that pair? Also, IMO, do not break-up the in-sync, and successful, pair of Sanheim/Myers. We won't be surprised to see AV keep the advantage of having twin towers Sanheim and Myers continued to be paired. They played together with the Phantoms and the Flyers. Knowing your partner well in traits/tendancies/abilities is a big plus. Work in the defensive zone puck retrieval and break-out becomes automatic and efficient. Fletcher played it smart in signing Gus for 1 season. - advantage Flyers - if Gus was signed for multiple years, and assuming Fletcher would opt for the Protected List 7F/3D/1G choice, Provorov/Sanheim/Myers would be set, and Gus would be vulnerable to be selected by Seattle. Not so with Gus on a 1-year contract because Gus would be a UFA at time of the July 21 Expansion Draft (UFA on 7/1/21). And, our Flyers would have a shot at signing him after the Expansion Draft if mutual interest.* - advantage Flyers - it gives Fletcher/AV a chance to evaluate Gus over the 56 game 2020-21 season, plus playoffs, without commiting to a mult-year contract. * There is obvious risk. On 7/1/21 Gus will be a UFA. Illegal 3rd-party tampering could happen with a Seattle represenative contacting Gus' agent prior to 7/1/21 and then have a 'telephone handshake agreement' for a contract. Assuming Gus has played very well for AV's team, and our Flyers want Gus back for a multi-year 'stay' contract, and assuming Gus likes it here, Fletcher could 'pay' Gus with a new contract. All this without losing him in the Expansion Draft. Apologies for a loooong post. I'm high on Gus, low on Ghost who needs to be traded soon before the July Expansion Draft for reasons stated above.

Quote from Couturier in today's media session as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer: Couturier said center Nolan Patrick, who missed last season with a migraine disorder, has been skating well and “looks good” in informal sessions in Voorhees. “We’re excited to have him back and he could be a big asset for us this year.” Also - - - Couturier said defenseman Phil Myers was around 180 pounds when he first met him five years ago. And now? “He’s a monster – 6-5 and 220. He’s grown into becoming a man and he skates well and has a good shot. I think with the year of experience, he’s just going to get better and better and he’s got all the tools to become a pretty special D-man in this league” down the road. Flyers towers in the defensive zone in the future: (Reach, stick-check / poke-check advantages.) Hagg (6'-2") Sanheim (6'-4") Myers (6'-5") Morin (6'-7") Zamula (6'-4") Fedotov (G) (6'-8")

@BobbyClarkeFan16 That is reasonable progressive thinking BCF16. Although the comments on AV - - - "If he can't make that line work, then he shouldn't be a coach. Great coaches adjust their system to the personnel they have. If he's going to run a defensive oriented fourth line that their single goal is to check and prevent goals, then he deserves to be fired." - - - are heavy from a fan to a highly respected coach in the NHL. Many teams, and certainly our Flyers, form the 4th line to fit a specific role - - all out super-energy for about a 45 second shift. It serves to give the top-9 a breather, and has a very important job as defined by AV's 4th line profile. Average game ice time in the NHL: 1st Line 19:20 2nd Line 16:22 3rd Line 13:28 4th Line 12:35 AV's 4th line profile/requirement is hard skating, hard forechecking, pin the other team in their own end, fast/strong backchecking, defensive work, PK duty. When tactfully inserted, this wears down the top lines of the opposition. Valuable. If caught with a 4th line of scoring players against the opposition's top lines, it is a mis-match and potentially leads to goals against. Example: Would we want the NYI Lee-Barzal-Clutterbuck or the Pens Guentzel-Crosby-Kapanen skating vs our 4th line of JVR - Patrick - Laughton - - or vs any of our 4 scoring lines? No! Also, having highly skilled Penalty Killers is very, very, valuable in today's NHL. Having these specialists on the 4th line gives needed rest to the top-9 forwards. Having Giroux, Hayes, etc killing penalties is not ideal. Coaches want them fresh to jump on the ice after the kill. Another issue is Cap Management. Having the specialists on the 4th line saves valuable Cap Space. BCF16, I like your top 2 lines as very viable: Farabee - Couturier - Konecny Lindblom - Hayes - Voracek We disagree with the bottom 9. My take: Lindblom-Couturier-Voracek Farabee-Hayes-Konecny Giroux-Patrick-Sandin (G will settle P and S) Laughton-Bunnaman-Aube Kubel (ideal AV 4th line) #13-Raffl #14-JVR until he can be moved somehow If Patrick not healthy, then Frost at 3C. We would like to see other opinions. This is a great Flyers Forum with very good responsible posters. Good stuff BCF16.