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Wow! LW Desnoyers scored again on Saturday! He now has 12 goals in 16 games for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. Last season with the Moncton Wildcats he scored 11 goals over 61 games. An 18 year old developing Flyers prospect from this year's Draft, 5th Round. A highlight - including a fake between the legs finish -

Our Flyers 1C, Sean Couturier, rated #18 Center in the NHL. Fair?

Our Flyers' 2C Kevin Hayes top-5 plays:

BOBBY BRINKRW, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Bobby Brink's sophomore season with the University of Denver is set to begin on Dec. 2, but he may not be with the team long before joining the U.S. World Junior team. America players are slated to report for camp in Plymouth, Mich., on Dec. 10, so Brink could play in as many as four NCHC games before his focus shifts to the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. The 19-year-old forward had one goal and one assist in five games for the United States at last year's tournament. Brink, who was 34th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, had 11 goals and 24 points over 28 contests for the University of Denver last season. SOURCE: Denver Post Nov 22, 2020, 12:17 PM ET - - - - - - - - SCOUTING REPORT A quick, shifty forward who is quite heady, he has a deadly shot and excellent hockey sense (he knows where to go to score goals). Despite a lack of size and strength, he goes to the tough areas of the ice willingly in order to score. While his heart is big, and he is both feisty and gritty, he will always have to prove himself against bigger opponents as he climbs the ladder. Long Range Potential: Diminutive but smart, sharpshooting winger with good upside.

Thx OR. Getting his team ready for the game, 8 year old goalie does his thing:

Desk-top computer. Thx OR. Btw, cool tweet video of Cam York. Thx.

Me too. Very old and helpless (hopeless?).

As a rookie here, I need help. How do we post a tweet? Thx much.

Wow! LW Desnoyers has scored again! He now has 12 goals in 16 games for the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. Last season with the Moncton Wildcats he scored 11 goals over 61 games. A developing Flyers prospect from this year's Draft, 5th Round.

The optimistic view is: Improvement/growth from last season - 8 young players already on roster who are far from their peak - this is a great point not to be overlooked - >> Fletcher said he and his staff had counted "eight players on the NHL roster that haven't come close to hitting their peak and to having their career seasons." "That's the exciting thing," Fletcher said. "That's our growth." << Hmm - 8 roster players: 1) Myers 2) Sanheim 3) Farabee 4) Konecny 5) Lindblom 6) Patrick (health permitting) 7) Aube-Kubel Hart If Patrick has health issues, Frost goes to his natural Center position. For those who like to say 'Frost hasn't proven', there is only one way to prove he is NHL ready at this point - - play him with NHL skill linemates and get the experience. And, RW Sandin is a real possibility as he is ready for the NHL. This team will score goals. Our Flyers last season were 7th in the 31-team NHL in 'goals scored'. They played 1 and 2 games less than the two teams ahead of them, and could easily have been 5th in the League. As Fletcher said, don't be fooled by the 13 game small sample size of the bubble playoffs. Once Paul Holmgren was relieved of his duties as the General Manager and reassigned in the organization, Ron Hextall was hired and decided it was best to attempt to offload some of the larger contracts and focus on building through the NHL Draft. The good news is, this has yielded some excellent players and has made the future incredibly bright for the Flyers. The bad news? It tested the patience of not only we, the fan base, but also the organization as a whole. Once they committed to a grassroots rebuild, the Flyers’ seemingly hit home run after home run after home run in the NHL Draft 1st Round: Sanheim, Provorov, Konecny, Frost, Farabee have all already contributed for the Flyers (some more than others), and all look set to continue to improve and contribute for many years moving forward. The Flyers’ draft success is not just limited to the 1st Round. NAK (2nd Round) looks like he is set to be a really solid bottom-six forward for this team. And of course, the future (if not current?) face of the franchise, Carter Hart, was selected in the 2nd Round. And, signing undrafted free agents 1) Philippe Myers, who looks set to be a top-pairing defenseman, top-four at worst, for the next 5-10 years at least, and 2) RW Linus Sandin, a goal scoring middle-six forward, have been excellent moves. >> The Flyers have completely altered how they operate as an organization, and it has changed the outlook of this team moving forward. Gone are the days where the Flyers spend in free agency just to spend. The entire ideology of the franchise has changed, and simply put; it is for the better. << We fans, who are upset with how nothing has been accomplished in free agency other than signing defenceman Gustafsson, can now understand the new philosophy approach of building primarily through the Draft, good Cap Management, and signing selected UFAs. Now an excellent crop of young NHLers and prospects: Oskar Lindblom Travis Konecny Joel Farabee Nolan Patrick Morgan Frost Connor Bunnaman Nicolas Aube-Kubel Linus Sandin Wade Allison Ivan Provorov Travis Sanheim Philippe Myers Egor Zamula Wyatte Wylie Cameron York Mark Friedman Carter Hart Kirill Ustimenko Felix Sandstrom 2020-21 and the future is bright.

What do you guys think of this ESPN ranking? - - NHL Power Rankings: Mid-offseason edition ESPN Nov 16, 2020 Welcome to the dead of the offseason. The NHL awarded a Stanley Cup in September after a most unusual 2019-20 season, and the league is hoping to get back on track in January. While GMs have been faced with several challenges -- including managing a flat salary cap, preparing for next season's uncertainty as well as the 2021 expansion draft -- they have stayed busy, with plenty of roster maneuvering. How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits selections ranking teams 1-31 -- taking into account past results and offseason additions -- and those results are tabulated in the list featured here. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning 2. Colorado Avalanche 3. Vegas Golden Knights 4. Dallas Stars 5. Boston Bruins 6. New York Islanders 7. Washington Capitals 8. Philadelphia Flyers 9. St. Louis Blues 10. Carolina Hurricanes 11. Toronto Maple Leafs 12. Pittsburgh Penguins 13. Columbus Blue Jackets 14. Vancouver Canucks 15. Montreal Canadiens 16. Calgary Flames 17. Edmonton Oilers 18. Winnipeg Jets 19. New York Rangers 20. Buffalo Sabres 21. Nashville Predators 22. Arizona Coyotes 23. Florida Panthers 24. Minnesota Wild 25. Chicago Blackhawks 26. New Jersey Devils 27. San Jose Sharks 28. Anaheim Ducks 29. Los Angeles Kings 31. Detroit Red Wings

Good stuff. You are right about Sandin as a scorer. There is room on the 23-man roster for all 3 - Raffl, NAK, Sandin: 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 (JVR out) Sandin is a high-scoring RW. He finished the SHL season tied for third in scoring with 19 goals and 36 points in 51 games. The SHL is a strong pro league and the top pro league in Sweden. Fletcher said the 6-foot-1, 209-pound Sandin will “come into camp and compete for a spot on our team right away. He works extremely hard and we expect him to add size, skill, and tenacity to our forward group.” Flahr said "He works hard, plays a North American-type game, and goes to the net and gets greasy goals. He always seems to be around the puck and has some tenacity. I think it [will] be a big camp for him." The emergence of Sandin (RW), Laczynski (C), and Allison (RW), along with Frost (C), is the reason that Fletcher allowed UFAs Pitlick, Grant, and Thompson to leave. Need to make roster room. We liked Pitlick, but it is time to play some some young, very promising, prospects, and roster space is needed. Our Flyers were rated as #2 in NHL Prospect Pool (Buffalo was #1). Most lilkely one of these 4 players will make the team out of Camp. 3RW is open, and therefore Sandin has the best chance because he is a proven pro (SHL) and is a scorer and is responsible in all 3 zones. Sandin is a middle-6 NHL forward. We like NAK. He has played well when elevated to 3RW. But also, he fits AVs 4th line profile/requirement: - hard skating, hard forechecking, pin the other team in their own end, fast/strong backchecking, defensive work, PK duty. Laughton-Bunnaman-Aube Kubel (ideal AV 4th line) Frost? We all look forward to him and his high skill level. It will be fun watching him play. At some point he will be ready when he adds some weight, strength, and learns the discipline of playing 200'. If Patrick is healthy, he will play 3C. No room for Frost yet. There is no indication that Frost has played wing in Jrs or AHL. Perhaps they may try him at wing with the Phantoms this season (AHL starts in Feb). Anyone see/read that Frost has played wing? If Patrick can't play because of health, it seems that Frost has the best chance to be the 3C.

Bingo! Linus Sandin is the 4th Flyers Swede. OR wins the grand prise - - 2 tics to the Flyers opener at the WFC Sat eve January 2 vs the NJD. RT flight included, Tampa to Philadelphia. All dates are tentative. I have a strong feeling that Sandin makes the team out of the December Camp as the 3RW. 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 (JVR out) * or Frost, if PatricK is not healthy. Linus Sandin (R) of Sweden and goalie Bence Balizs of Hungary

Yes P25. That is why I posted the question. The 4th may be controversial and may need discussion.

Okay guys. Tried to get some conversation going by asking the question: Since Laine is a Finn, and there would be no Finns on our Flyers to help mentor him - - led to a mention of Swedes on our Flyers team - - 4 Swedes - - who are they? This should trigger some interesting conversation.

Yes. In 2011, Fedoruk was named assistant coach of the Flyers' ECHL affiliate, the Trenton Titans and he served in that role for two seasons until 2013. He can be seen at the Flyers SkateZone in Vorhees from time to time because he lives nearby in Mount Laurel.

Not lazy. JVR just does not have the physical tools anymore. He does not have the skating required. Also, his reactions to loose pucks is not good. He lacks the reaction-time and quickness required to pursue. He gets beat to puck scrambles deep in the offensive zone because of his lack of quickness. This is the primary reason he was scratched in multiple playoff games. - At 6-3, 217, age 31, his body has slowed down. His NHL career of 11 years and 802 games has caught up with him. - We wish him well. With Fletcher's need to open up space in the 23-man roster for young players Patrick, Lindblom, and Frost, JVR must be moved as one of several changes IMO. - The challenge for Fletcher is how? JVR's contract has 3 more seasons at a 7M Cap Hit. And, teams have the video of his play. Perhaps the only way is in a package trade where team X, that has big Cap Space, strongly wants something of value from Fletcher, and Fletcher requires them to take JVR as part of the package in order to complete the deal. (CX, somehow require Winnipeg to take JVR, for Flyers Cap Relief, as part of your deal for Laine? Especially if a 1st Rounder is included in the overall package?) As this team gets younger with some of the excellent prospects coming, over the next few seasons JVR, Voracek, and Giroux will be phased out.

Agree. At age 22, he has much room to grow/mature. Surround him with good mentors such as Giroux/Hayes and AV. Sadly, we don't have any Finns on the team for mentorship - - only 4 Swedes (Aha, who are they?). Starting at age 18, Laine's first 4 seasons in the NHL, on a bad team, with average linemates, his goal production: Season - Games - Goals 2016-17 73 36 2017-18 82 44 2018-19 82 30 2019-20 68 28 The key issues that Fletcher is dealing with is 1) trade asset cost, and 2) Cap Management. (Expansion Draft impact should be okay.) Put Laine with quality playmaking linemates, and he may be a 40+ goal scorer for years. Especially considering that at age 22, he has not yet fully matured in committment and drive and has not yet reached his peak. Wow! With CX's trade plan of Ghost, Laughton, and Patrick (and probably a 1st): Lindblom-Couturier-Laine Farabee-Hayes-Konecny Giroux-Frost-Voracek Laughton-Bunnaman-Aube Kubel (ideal AV 4th line) #13-Raffl Is Flyers jersey #29 available?

Winnipeg is Patrick's home town where he is super popular. Perceptive by you. Wonder if Winnipeg normally has trouble drawing fans? Wonder if Winnipeg's GM would take the risk of Patrick's health? Moving Patrick would open-up a Center spot for Frost (it's not clear how Frost would play at wing or if he has played at wing.) Can you believe this: Lindblom-Couturier-Laine Farabee-Hayes-Konecny Giroux-Frost-Voracek Laughton-Bunnaman-Aube Kubel (ideal AV 4th line) #13-Raffl

Ah, like it CX. TSN's Darren Dreger recently said on the Insider Trading podcast that the Winnipeg Jets were "serious" and listening to offers on the star forward. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic added that both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Carolina Hurricanes have interest in Laine, with Carolina already inquiring before balking at Winnipeg's asking price. What would be a good trade deal for both teams - Flyers and Winnepeg - a win/win? Winnepeg is rumored to want a young defenceman, as part of a package, in return - such as Sanheim or Myers (Provorov is untouchable). Give up either of these defencemen? IMO, proven quality young defencemen like Sanheim and Myers are more valuable, and harder to get, than quality forwards. (This Flyers team will score goals. They were 5th in the NHL in goals last regular season and are improved with Lindblom, hopefully Patrick, and the growth of 6 young players that have not yet hit their peak.) To get Laine by including Sanheim or Myers in the package, knowing that Zamula, York, and Wylie are coming, is a big risk. Tempting, but very risky. Laine is on his last year of his contract for a Cap Hit of 6.75 M. He will be an RFA on 7/1/21. He and his agent will probably want 8+ M. (For reference, Giroux is at 8.75 M and Voracek at 8.5 M.) So, Cap Management comes into play. In the end, I don't think Fletcher moves Sanheim or Myers. They both are 'big' mobile defencemen with quality play in the D-zone and have good offensive skills - - and both are young and far from their peak. Still, CX, to get Laine would be awesome. Tempting. Is jersey number 29 available? Any ideas on a package that would be a win-win for both teams?

Good stuff mojo. Agree. Hopefully his health is improved. AV will keep Patrick at Center (3C) to minimize his time along the wall (concussion prone?). Below are some reminders of what a healthy Patrick would mean to our Flyers - November 11 article by Jordan Hall on Patrick - - it's encouraging. Excerpts: >> Ryan White has helped organize a group of players for scrimmages and on-ice workouts at Brandon Community Sportsplex. "I started running some skates on Tuesdays for the guys, just so we had somewhere for the pro guys to all skate," [Playing for the Flyers], it’s about competing. "That was the first thing I learned of being in Philly was when you’ve got a captain like Claude Giroux, he’s not going to go out there and run guys over every night, but Claude’s going to want the puck and he’s going to do whatever he can to get the puck. To me, that just runs through the team like wildfire, you’ve got guys like Jake Voracek and Wayne Simmonds when I played there, these guys who really instilled what a Flyer was meant to be like. "That’s the first thing I see in Nolan, he brings that — for a skilled guy, his tenacity on the puck, the way he wants it. He’s been in a couple of scuffles here in the scrimmages and it’s just based on his compete level, he just wants that puck more than other guys." He's [White] not surprised Patrick was a top-two pick in 2017. "When he does get that puck, that’s the second part of him," White said. "There are a lot of great players out there, but there are not a lot of guys who can really turn it up to that next level. That’s what I see in him in some days, is he’s got that next level. There are pros and there are great players, and then there’s another level of guys who can do some things that you’re like, ‘OK, what’s going on here, how did he do that? Why did he do that?’ I think he’s got another level to his game there, just offensively with the puck, he attacks guys, he tends to put guys in bad positions to expose them, he’s always drawing extra guys to him to get his linemates the puck. "I think the best part about him is he competes. We’ve been playing these scrimmages, he’s hard in the circle, he wins his faceoffs, he wants the puck, he knows he needs to start with it; sometimes you can’t teach that stuff. There are a lot of great skilled players out there but they need to play with that tenacity and that drive to really get to that next level. That’s probably the biggest thing I notice in him. “Having Nolan out there, it’s been really good for a lot of the younger guys just to see what an elite player is," White said. "We have a lot of great NHLers here from Brandon. The one thing maybe we don’t have is that really top, top-end player. To have a guy like him out there, we’ve been out there for six to seven weeks now skating with him, some things I see him do in practice, it just blows my mind and I can’t imagine what some of these young kids think about it. "Honestly, man, I know the Flyer faithful, I know they’re upset that he’s not playing, I know they’re giving it to him for not playing. But you’ve got to think of it in this sense: this guy’s a Flyer, he plays the right way, he plays hard like that all the time. "And when he’s going to feel healthy and he’s going to feel good, he’s going to be a great player for them. You don’t go second overall for no reason, he’s got a ton of skill, he’s won a WHL championship, led that team there. "The kid’s got what it takes to be a great player. As a young player in [the NHL], it’s not an easy league, especially when you’re not healthy. And if you’re not healthy, he’s got to get healthy and then from then on, I think he’s going to be a great player. It just takes time. He’s in a perfect situation with a guy like Claude Giroux who’s going to definitely show him the way. As the way I would see it and I’m sure Chuck Fletcher sees it, hopefully Nolan Patrick’s the next Claude Giroux." << - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fletcher: "It’s been a tough go for the young man [Patrick]. He continues to get better and make progress. That’s the good thing. At this stage, it certainly looks like he’s going to get his quality of life back. Hopefully he’ll be able to come back and play hockey for us. He’s a real important part. I think as we saw in the playoffs, the ability to have three quality center that can play 200-feet and produce offensively is incredibly important. He’s a big part of that future for us." AV: "Basically only knowing Oskar for three months and with Nolan Patrick, I’ve basically never seen. He’s been in a couple little drills here and there. Hopefully both those young men come back when the season starts, healthy. If they are healthy, I’m told that there’s a tremendous amount of potential in Patrick’s case. - - " A perceptive writer: >> Remember that Patrick had a second abdominal surgery right before the draft and may not have been fully healed during his rookie campaign. In his second season Patrick suffered a concussion. While he did suit up again that season, there is speculation that he was never quite well. Could this have been the onset of his migraine disorder? Depth A healthy Patrick would enhance the team’s strengths. In other words, I would not expect Patrick to become a 50-goal scorer, but Patrick would give the team even more scoring depth, and another possible creator on the powerplay. In an offense by committee team, the goal is to defeat the opponent by a thousand paper cuts, rather than by big games by big stars. These teams are less likely to go through prolonged offensive slumps because the chances of the majority of the team going cold at once is slim. Patrick, if healthy, would give the team another capable scorer who could exploit favorable match ups and provide offense for the team. Patrick would not need to score 30 goals, this should not be the expectation although it is possible, but contribute by scoring 15+ goals on the third line. If he can do that it would bode well for team success. If Patrick is able to manage his migraine disorder, we may be getting the best version yet of Nolan Patrick. If this is so, how could he fit in may be the real key to improving the Flyers. It would seem that Patrick would be the favorite to grab the 3C spot, which could allow Scott Laughton to move to 4C or better yet over to the wing. Once Laughton is free to move, the down line possibilities are really exciting. One thing is for sure, a healthy Nolan Patrick makes a bright future even brighter. <<

I'm the new kid on the block. Like it here. Some excellent posters. Thx. If I may present a question - - What one 'new' player would you like to see on this Flyers team, out of Camp, to start the season - - - that is realistic (ie: not saying Connor McDavid)? My answer is RW Linus Sandin. In the 9/30/20 Press Conference with Fletcher an Flahr - Do you foresee any of your older first-year pros coming in this season -- Linus Sandin, Wade Allison, and Tanner Laczynski specifically -- to compete for a NHL job this upcoming season? All through are physically mature and 23- or 24-years old. Brent Flahr (BF): First of all, Laczynski and Allison like you said, and Sandin, they’re older players. They’re physically more mature than typically players that are coming out of junior that are 19, 20 years old. Their mindset coming to camp is to make the team. Whether they’re ready for that, it’s up to them and their performance. At the same time, we expect them to help and challenge the internal competition. In reality I would say, I would assume that each of them are going to play [Flyers] games this year. Hopefully one of them grabs it and makes the best of their opportunity. Sandin has four seasons of pro experience in Sweden's top league (SHL). Flahr believes that Allison, Laczynski and Sandin will all come to training camp with the opportunity to crack the NHL roster, either right away or at some point within the 2020-21 season. Sandin is a scorer. Fletcher said the 6-foot-1, 209-pound Sandin will “come into camp and compete for a spot on our team right away. He works extremely hard and we expect him to add size, skill, and tenacity to our forward group.” "He works hard, plays a North American-type game, and goes to the net and gets greasy goals. He always seems to be around the puck and has some tenacity." Last season with HV 71, a top team in the SHL, Sandin had 19 Goals, 17 Assists, 36 Points, in 51 Games. And, there is an opening at 3RW. Linus Sandin is a gritty winger. Here he destroys a Russia defenceman and takes the puck. What one 'new' player would you like to see on this Flyers team, out of Camp, to start the season - - - that is realistic?

Only 3 weeks away - - Flyers Camp! REPORT: The NHL and NHLPA are reportedly now looking at having a 60-game season. Although Jan. 1 has been set as the tentative start date for the NHL campaign for a while, the hope has still been to have an 82-game season. Recently, it's looked more like the NHL is interested in shortening the campaign for the sake of avoiding having much summer hockey and now we're getting an idea just how much they're considering shortening the season by. The idea right now is that the NHL will still start on Jan. 1st and award the Cup by July 15 at the latest. If that happens, then the campaign would have dragged on longer than normal, but not by a ton and it would be theoretically possible for the 2021-22 campaign to start on time. Keep in mind this is all still subject to change. The NHL and NHLPA are still in talks and on top of that, a 16-player Return To Play committee has been convening nearly daily over the last week to discuss the matter internally. There is reportedly hope that an agreement can be reached in the next 7-10 days. As has been the case throughout the pandemic, everything is still subject to change. SOURCE: Pierre LeBrun on Twitter Nov 17, 2020, 1:42 PM ET

Flyers Now - Because of NHL Expansion Draft June 2021 Decisions on Flyers personnel being made this off-season are made with an eye on the Expansion Draft as well as other issues such as Cap Management. Example: signing defenceman Gustafsson for only 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 pending UFA at the June Expansion Draft (UFA on 7/1/21). Most likely, Seattle will not select pending UFAs in the Expansion Draft. 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 assumed 60 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. A shot at our Flyers Protected List 7F/3D/1G: 1) Giroux F (NMC) 2) Hayes F (NMC) 3) Couturier F 4) Konecny F 5) Patrick F 6) Lindblom F 7) Aube-Kubel F 1) Provorov D 2) Sanheim D 3) Myers D 1) Carter G Exposed List: van Riemsdyk (Age 32, Cap Hit 7M) Voracek (Age 32, Cap Hit 8.25M) Bunnaman F Twarynski F Kase F Hagg D Morin D Friedman D Exempt: First and Second year Pro (at June 2021) Farabee F 2nd year Frost F 2nd year Ustimenko G 2nd year Sandstrom G 2nd year Don't have to consider protecting - Laughton, Raffl, Gustafsson because they will be pending UFAs and could be re-signed after the June Expansion Draft, if mutual. The disagreement may be regarding protecting Voracek or NAK. IMO, protect NAK for reasons of stage-of-career, age, and Cap Hit. IMO, high probability Seattle does not select the exposed Voracek. If they do - okay - it opens up a top-9 spot for a prospect such as Frost (C) or Allison (RW) - (assuming Sandin already on the team for 2020-21). Crunch Time - Should our Flyers protect Voracek or NAK? Or JVR?? The Expansion Draft rules dictate that the Kracken must take one player from each of the 31 teams. Under this Flyers Protected List and Exposed List (above), who do we think Seattle will take?

>> no replacement for Niskanen << 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 Sanheim - Myers (RH) Hagg - Braun (RH) #7 - Friedman (RH) 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? JMHO