Vinny...

[pensuck]

There Were A Lot Of Posters On Here Bashing His Signing. Now That We're Near The End Of The Season, I Have To Say That I've Been Pleasantly Surprised By Him. 20 Goals And Good Leadership On A Young Team. He's Been Hurt, Moved Around On Different Lines And Still Put Up Pretty Good Numbers...

[DaGreatGazoo]

Flyers announcers mentioned last night that he'd rather play Center on the 4th line, then winger on the 2nd line.  He's producing as a center, happy on the 4th line, and is a nightmare matchup there.  I hammered him as much as anyone--granted, I still think there are back issues causing skating issues.  But he's getting hot at the right time for them.  

[fanaticV3.0]

There Were A Lot Of Posters On Here Bashing His Signing. Now That We're Near The End Of The Season, I Have To Say That I've Been Pleasantly Surprised By Him. 20 Goals And Good Leadership On A Young Team. He's Been Hurt, Moved Around On Different Lines And Still Put Up Pretty Good Numbers...

 

His contract blows, but his play hasn't really been that bad when you step back and look at the whole season. Him and Schenn were pretty much the only guys producing offensively when the team was awful in the beginning of the season. He's been bounced around from line-to-line and from center to wing throughout the year (and said nothing but the right things when asked about it). He did look very lost/disinterested at a certain point, but when you factor in those things and his health, it hasn't been as bad certain folk like to say. It's been a struggle, I ain't gonna lie, but in a bad year, with injuries, being juggled around, he still manages to get 20 goals. I'd take him over Briere. He's way more versatile. If this is him on a bad year, I give him a pass this year if he gets 40+ points and plays like he's playing now most of the time.

Edited April 9, 2014 by fanaticV3.0

[flyercanuck]

 He's definately happier at center even if it's the 4th line. There's way more effort out of him. I doubt anyone else can throw out a guy with that talent (or caphit) in their bottom line, but if it works it works. And so far, it works.

[radoran]

Signing? This was less than two weeks ago:

 

http://www.hockeyforums.net/index.php/topic/61828-okay-im-officially-pissed-at-vlc/

 

I think he's been effective to an extent this season, and has certainly been a contributing part of putting the run to the playoffs together. For $4.5M you look to get 20 goals and 50 points from a player. He's at 20/37 at the moment - which is somewhat respectable. His placement on the fourth line has been a godsend for him and the team - he's playing in position and making an also-ran line into a legitimate scoring threat.

 

Looking rightnow at this season is all well and good, but the concerns about the contract weren't at all limited to this season and a lot of the criticisms remain valid. For example, that the team wasn't in "need" of a solid second line center this season or for the next four.

 

FWIW, his faceoff percentage (45%) is his lowest since 2003-04. And his -14 "projects" to equal his worst +/- year since 07-08 (-17).

 

There's a thread questioning Schenn's consistency and development, for example. Well, in the twenty-six games leading up to the Olympics, VLC had 10 points (3 goals). That was coming off injury. But in the fourteen games before that he had seven points (four goals). Forty games - half the season - 17 points. He's gotten hot at the right time, but almost 40% of his points this season (14) have come against Buffalo, Florida, Ottawa and the Islanders.

 

And a lot of the concerns about the next four years on the deal will be played out over the next four years. If he's a 20/37 player now (his points per season for the past five seasons - 67/70/54/49 (32 in 39)) can we expect that for the next four years? He hasn't played a full season in four years and won't this year, either.

 

 I'd take him over Briere.

 

From the "damning with faint praise" department

[canoli]

Flyers announcers mentioned last night that he'd rather play Center on the 4th line, then winger on the 2nd line

 

Great so it's a win-win. The guy is playing hockey again instead of going for a walk every shift. It's like night n day from where he was most of the season. Coudn't have come at a better time...

 

[edit: as far as "taking him over Briere" I think we should wait and see what his PO production is. Say what you want about Briere but come PO time he was "money."]

Edited April 9, 2014 by canoli

[Digityman]

Typically playing against the other team's 4th line isn't hurting him at all.

[Bertmega]

It's nice to see him produce and he looks like an actual hockey player right now. The plus side to it is this movement to the 4th line is going to cause fits for whichever team the Flyers match up against in the 1st round, any round for that matter. It basically is going to cause line juggling to contain the scoring threat that comes from the Flyers 4th line. I like this idea because either the opposing team his to roll the dice with a mismatch, over work another line by double shifting, or change their lineup completely. 

 

When Rinaldo comes back this is going to get interesting....

[ruxpin]

Just wanted to bump one of these "crucify Vinny" threads rather than start new.

 

Flyers win Game Six, 5-2 in a walk.

 

Vinny has the LEAST amount of ice time of any Flyer player and second least even-strength time (just behind Hall).    He was 1 for 6 on the power play and a -1 in a 5-2 win.  

 

Just so you feel even better about VLC SUCKS, he's the second highest cap hit among forwards on the team this year and sixth highest over all.

 

 

 

That'll do, Pig.  That'll do.