Flight Plan

[hf101]

The Philadelphia Flyers will launch a new Webisode series, Flight Plan on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com on Tuesday, August 6 at 7 p.m. Flight Plan will give fans a never-before-seen look at the players, coaches and front office staff and a behind-the-scenes glance at the day-to-day hockey operations of the organization as its season moves along.

The pilot episode, titled The War Room will give viewers insider access into the strategies and discussions for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft that took place in June. The episode centers around a meeting 48 hours before the draft. Director of Scouting Chris Pryor leads the discussion with input from General Manager Paul Holmgren and the chief scouts affiliated with the organization to determine the final rankings of the draft eligible players and zero in on which ones would best fit the team’s future needs.

Flight Plan will continue to follow the Flyers throughout the season, catching all the highs and lows and also capturing special off-ice activities, life on the road and in the community, and what it’s like to be professional hockey players and coaches like never seen before.

All episodes will be available for viewing exclusively at PhiladelphiaFlyers.com. The second episode launch date will be announced later this month. Fans can discuss each episode using the hashtag “#FlightPlan” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=679601&navid=DL|PHI|home

[jammer2]

@hf101 I for one, can't wait to see how Homer and the scouts conduct themselves in the war room. I'll be tuning in!!

[doom88]

I'll try to tune in. Sounds interesting.

[ZeZel25]

http://flyers.nhl.co...vid=DL|PHI|home

Really like to watch it, but I know I'll forget lol

[radoran]

That awkward moment where Luukko won't sit at the same table with Homer for lunch...

[Polaris922]

These shows are great for fans. I know I love ours. Glad you guys get to enjoy one too.

[flyercanuck]

Saw a photo of the draft board from this and apparently they had Morin ranked 8th? I believe and Hagg ranked 25th.

[OccamsRazor]

Saw a photo of the draft board from this and apparently they had Morin ranked 8th? I believe and Hagg ranked 25th.

So yes by hanging tight and not trading anyone to trade up it looks like an even better draft...i'm proud of Homer for resisting the urge...and the team will reap the benefits soon in the future.

[hf101]

Good to see Pronger in the active role with the other scouts, who knows maybe he becomes an assistant GM to Hextall some day.

[radoran]

So yes by hanging tight and not trading anyone to trade up it looks like an even better draft...i'm proud of Homer for resisting the urge...and the team will reap the benefits soon in the future.

Homer does have a propensity to make a stretch pick that really pans out well.

I mean, look at vanRiemsdyk

[fishbulb]

Fairly certain you're just being smarmy... but reallly... not too many other stars taken after Kane that year. Alzner would've been nice I guess.

[hf101]

Here is an excellent review of Episode 1 of Flight Plan, includes a link to watch it also.

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2013/8/6/4595920/flyers-flight-plan-episode-1-review

Flyers final list had this as their final draft order:

1. Nathan MacKinnon

2. Seth Jones

3. Jonathan Drouin

4. Elias Lindholm

5. Aleksander Barkov

6. Samuel Morin

7. Mirco Mueller

8. Nikita Zadorov

9. Darnell Nurse

10. Rasmus Ristolainen

11. Sean Monahan

12. Josh Morrissey

[flyercanuck]

@radoran

Ya, that was just one gawdawful draft period.

[JR Ewing]

Point-form...

-Really interesting stuff, and a big part of what that scouting group did made no sense to me.

-They sat down two weeks AFTER their "final meeting" and damn near tore their board apart? Huh?

-Homer didn't look very impressed, and I don't blame him one little bit.

-Glad for Chris Pronger to have found a role in which he can contribute. Most Oilers fans probably hate the guy, but not me at all. Not a bit.

-The scouts didn't seem to talk about anything other than nastiness and size when it comes to defense prospects. I understand that this is a meeting edited down to a webisode, but that was still more than a little surprising to me.

-The Flyers board looks pretty different than, well... Everybody else's.

JR

[radoran]

I didn't watch yet, haven't decided if I will.

I do wonder if the Flyers deliberately move guys down on their board that they feel aren't going to be available for them and move up guys that they think might be a stretch initially. It's what I do in FHL draft - I know there are players other teams will pick so I just don't bother to rank them or put them highly.

Could that be how (apparently) Morin was ahead of Nurse?

Hell, everything else they do reminds me of FHL so, just spitballing...

It does appear to me that they have factored in to the Morin pick when he might be available and when he could fit into the roster smoothly. Could also have affected their draft board?

Fairly certain you're just being smarmy... but reallly... not too many other stars taken after Kane that year. Alzner would've been nice I guess.

The is generally a good indication. Primarily because I'm still afraid JVR's going to be a perrennial 30-goal scorer...

[flyercanuck]

Point-form...

-Really interesting stuff, and a big part of what that scouting group did made no sense to me.

Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers

-They sat down two weeks AFTER their "final meeting" and damn near tore their board apart? Huh?

Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers

-Homer didn't look very impressed, and I don't blame him one little bit.

Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers

-Glad for Chris Pronger to have found a role in which he can contribute. Most Oilers fans probably hate the guy, but not me at all. Not a bit.

One of my favourite junior players of alltime. Not nearly as nasty, but watching Ekblad here has brought a bit of deja-vu feeling.

-The scouts didn't seem to talk about anything other than nastiness and size when it comes to defense prospects. I understand that this is a meeting edited down to a webisode, but that was still more than a little surprising to me.

Welcome to the Philadelphia Flyers

-The Flyers board looks pretty different than, well... Everybody else's.

...and ditto! Homer may not follow everyones reasoning, but if he hangs on to his picks I'm good with at least having something going forward. And I love Morins potential. He may never reach it, but if he does...

JR

[flyercanuck]

I didn't watch yet, haven't decided if I will.

I do wonder if the Flyers deliberately move guys down on their board that they feel aren't going to be available for them and move up guys that they think might be a stretch initially. It's what I do in FHL draft - I know there are players other teams will pick so I just don't bother to rank them or put them highly.

Could that be how (apparently) Morin was ahead of Nurse?

Hell, everything else they do reminds me of FHL so, just spitballing...

It would be pretty foolish to guess what other teams are doing. I doubt many had Jones falling to 4th, or Nichushkin to 10th.

It does appear to me that they have factored in to the Morin pick when he might be available and when he could fit into the roster smoothly. Could also have affected their draft board?

I hope to hell they're drafting on potential, and not salary cap availability. Is there someone, anyone who took accounting, even in high school in this franchise...PLEASE?

The is generally a good indication. Primarily because I'm still afraid JVR's going to be a perrennial 30-goal scorer...

Well he has been the best player from that draft...for 2 weeks.

[radoran]

I hope to hell they're drafting on potential, and not salary cap availability. Is there someone, anyone who took accounting, even in high school in this franchise...PLEASE?

Sure, but a huge part of accounting is basic asset management. You definitely make decisions on players - especially young players - based on contracts and cap implications.

Even if they had gone with, say, Ristolainen or something, you already have defense up the wazoo. There's no place to fit a new player (given the decisions the team already made). It would have been like burning a year of Laughton last season for no good reason.

Part of any drafting procedure should always include where you think the player will fit on your squad and when. "Best player available" is always an option, but your draft board (visible to everyone in a webisode, for example (even after the fact)) may not reflect all of the "reality" of how you view the draft.

We'll come back to this in five years when we have a better idea of how this draft class went

[flyercanuck]

@radoran

I'll hold you to it. See you August 7th 2018.

[JR Ewing]

...and ditto! Homer may not follow everyones reasoning, but if he hangs on to his picks I'm good with at least having something going forward. And I love Morins potential. He may never reach it, but if he does...

We'll have to see how it works out. In my experience, being so far away from the consensus either means that you're brilliant or a fool, without much in between.

JR

[flyercanuck]

We'll have to see how it works out. In my experience, being so far away from the consensus either means that you're brilliant or a fool, without much in between.

JR

I guess as long as you don't make a habit of it...Homers track record when he actually holds on to his picks is OK by me.

[JR Ewing]

I guess as long as you don't make a habit of it...Homers track record when he actually holds on to his picks is OK by me.

And it also depends on what value a team places on a certain skill set or attribute. I came away from Flight Plan with the sneaking suspicion that the Flyers have a preference for nastiness. heh

Mind you, you would think they'd like Nurse, then, as he's not a fun guy to play against, but they had him well down from everybody else did. And that's fine, too.

JR

[JackStraw]

Here is an excellent review of Episode 1 of Flight Plan, includes a link to watch it also.

http://www.broadstre...pisode-1-review

Flyers final list had this as their final draft order:

1. Nathan MacKinnon

2. Seth Jones

3. Jonathan Drouin

4. Elias Lindholm

5. Aleksander Barkov

6. Samuel Morin

7. Mirco Mueller

8. Nikita Zadorov

9. Darnell Nurse

10. Rasmus Ristolainen

11. Sean Monahan

12. Josh Morrissey

Wow. Mueller at 7 is very surprising. I liked him but never saw him anywhere near that high on any list.

[jammer2]

Just watched the 1st episiode. Some general takes...

1)I liked the way Pryor took charge of the meeting. Would have liked to see some more input from the scouts of the different leagues. For instance, when discussing Morin, our Quebec scout should have been more vocal, having seen him much more than everyone else.

2)Muelleer ahead of Nurse???? TIme will tell, but that seems totally out of whack from where I'm sitting!

3)I'm no expert, especially with the European guys, not having seen them except the World Jrs and a bit of tape, but Lindholm over Barkov I don't agree with at all, that was disturbing to me...time will tell.

4)I really like the fact Monhan was down near 11, that's where I felt he should have gone, don't think he's explosive enough, or skates well enough to be in the top 10 for this draft....that was a good solid call.

5)In general, the scouts as a whole undervalued Nurse, and I can't for the life of me figure out why, he's an elite skater with size, offense and a well documented mean streak. If it came down to Morin vs Nurse and the pick was Morin, I'd be FURIOUS. There is not enough offensive upside in Morin, think they fell in love with his size a bit to much (although I am happy with the pick).

6)Zadrov over Risto or Morrissey is not a good call. They overrated some guys here. Mueller at #7 is outlandish!!

[hf101]

Tonight at 7PM the Flyers will air episode two of Flight Plan.