Is this the year Cooter and B. Schenn become NHLers ?

[jammer2]

@ruxpin  Yeah, breaking up Read with Cooter who seem to work great together was something I struggled with. The need to keep some speed on the shutdown line is important. A lot of variables at work here. In the end, if you have to sacrifice some of Read's production for the good of the team, then I'd be reluctantly ok with that....but I'd still search for other answers.

[flyercanuck]

 

@ruxpin

 

Fedyk-Lindros-Recchi

Evans-Brinamor-Dineen

Mulvenna-Butsayev-Paslawski

Kasper-Acton-Brown

 

Carkner-Galley

Benning-Yushkevich

Cronin-Hynes

 

 

 

Just an ugly lineup for Big E to half to skate with.......especially his first game.

 

 

 

 That's some alltime terrible LWers there. 

[King Knut]

Well everyone had an off year last year, but considering how they started that might have had something to do with it.

Giroux turned out a really amazing year by the end which is more impressive considering he basically was pretty absent on the scoring sheet early on.

I don't think it's impossible for Jake but I think 30-35 is a much more realistic but still very optimistic

Potential.

Interesting, I've also wondered why Vorachek's stats dropped off significantly last year. Maybe it does have a lot to do with the switch from Lavi's run and gun to Berube's more defensive responsible type of game. Perhaps we find out of sure this coming year. Anyone can have a down year, but a few in a row might point to a system rather than the skill level.....we shall see.

[OccamsRazor]

That's some alltime terrible LWers there.

That blueline makes me appreciate the 2014 blueline for sure.

[ruxpin]

@ruxpin  Yeah, breaking up Read with Cooter who seem to work great together was something I struggled with. The need to keep some speed on the shutdown line is important. A lot of variables at work here. In the end, if you have to sacrifice some of Read's production for the good of the team, then I'd be reluctantly ok with that....but I'd still search for other answers.

 

Completely agree.  

[pilldoc]

 That's some alltime terrible LWers there. 

 

and some terrible defense...yikes!

[pilldoc]

That blueline makes me appreciate the 2014 blueline for sure.

 

 

LOL....That is worse than AHL line-up .... OMG.  I forgot how bad that blueline was.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

I think this will be the year that Berube uses Couturier as an actual second line center and I think Couturier goes on to post 60 to 65 points and that he's actually going to get some good offensive zone starts. Now that this is Couturier's fourth season, this is where I expect him to make that jump to elite two way center with great offensive acumen and Selke caliber defensive play. It's time for the Flyers to reward Couturier for the great job he's done for them.

[doom88]

I think this will be the year that Berube uses Couturier as an actual second line center and I think Couturier goes on to post 60 to 65 points and that he's actually going to get some good offensive zone starts. Now that this is Couturier's fourth season, this is where I expect him to make that jump to elite two way center with great offensive acumen and Selke caliber defensive play. It's time for the Flyers to reward Couturier for the great job he's done for them.

The Flyers don't even have a LW for Giroux, so let's go easy on the Cooter expectations. I'd settle for promise by showing high end offensive stick skills. I want him to show he could do more if the Flyers truly put him in a position to succeed.

[OccamsRazor]

I think this will be the year that Berube uses Couturier as an actual second line center and I think Couturier goes on to post 60 to 65 points and that he's actually going to get some good offensive zone starts. Now that this is Couturier's fourth season, this is where I expect him to make that jump to elite two way center with great offensive acumen and Selke caliber defensive play. It's time for the Flyers to reward Couturier for the great job he's done for them.

 

Yes it sounds like the time is now, this team could use some much improved offensive output from many here but none more than Coots and Brayden.

[OccamsRazor]

A lot of variables at work here.

 

After watching the video of Raffl and his offseason training that Bill Meltzer posted on hockeybuzz i was impressed with his noticeable added muscle.

 

First thing i noticed (me being the gym rat that i am) is his much bigger traps, for those that are not familiar with the lingo it's his trapezius muscle/shoulders.

 

He didn't have that last year in the videos i seen of him he was much thinner, so much improvement there.

 

Plus he looks like he has put on some arms size. Also a nice sign.

 

Now will all this translate and help this upcoming season i say yes without a doubt bigger stronger in the NHL these days. 

 

For those interested in seeing the video of him and Grabner.

 

 

This added muscle should help him not get knocked off the puck so easily and help withstand some of those body checks into the boards.

 

Anyways sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooow day around here. 

[OccamsRazor]

Speaking of Grabner he'd make a nice LW for Giroux and Jake..................HHHHHHhhhhhhhhmmmmmm at what cost though. At 3mill per for this season and next a very reasonable price.

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

The Flyers don't even have a LW for Giroux, so let's go easy on the Cooter expectations. I'd settle for promise by showing high end offensive stick skills. I want him to show he could do more if the Flyers truly put him in a position to succeed.

This is Couturier's fourth year with the club. He put up 39 points last season in a strictly checking role. If he's getting 19+ minutes a night with more offensive zone starts and power play time, 60 to 65 points isn't out of reach at all. At some point, Berbue and company need to reward Couturier for the excellent job he does in playing defense and should be rewarded as such. As for Giroux's left winger, still thinking that it's Schenn. 

[OccamsRazor]

As for Giroux's left winger, still thinking that it's Schenn. 

 

Not a bad option considering he isn't good at face offs anyways..........

[doom88]

This is Couturier's fourth year with the club. He put up 39 points last season in a strictly checking role. If he's getting 19+ minutes a night with more offensive zone starts and power play time, 60 to 65 points isn't out of reach at all. At some point, Berbue and company need to reward Couturier for the excellent job he does in playing defense and should be rewarded as such. As for Giroux's left winger, still thinking that it's Schenn.

I agree, he should be rewarded. But within reason, how?

[aziz]

He put up 39 points last season in a strictly checking role. If he's getting 19+ minutes a night with more offensive zone starts and power play time, 60 to 65 points isn't out of reach at all.

 

i still think his skating is in the way.  i think that's a major reason he tends towards defensive zone starts, in addition to his defensive acumen.  he is too easily trapped if he gets involved deep in the offensive zone.  yes, the counter argument always runs that it is his first few strides that are slow, and once he's up to speed he is plenty fast...but those first few strides leave him 20 feet behind the play.  a line centered by couturier that gets involved in an aggressive forecheck are at large risk of giving up counter rushes.  i feel like berube et al realize this and are deploying him accordingly.  which is good, he is really valuable as a defensive pivot...just am not holding out a ton of hope that he gets put in a spot to focus on offense.  the other side of that knife is just too sharp.  he could get more PP time, though.

[Podein25]

i still think his skating is in the way.  i think that's a major reason he tends towards defensive zone starts, in addition to his defensive acumen.  he is too easily trapped if he gets involved deep in the offensive zone.  yes, the counter argument always runs that it is his first few strides that are slow, and once he's up to speed he is plenty fast...but those first few strides leave him 20 feet behind the play.  a line centered by couturier that gets involved in an aggressive forecheck are at large risk of giving up counter rushes.  i feel like berube et al realize this and are deploying him accordingly.  which is good, he is really valuable as a defensive pivot...just am not holding out a ton of hope that he gets put in a spot to focus on offense.  the other side of that knife is just too sharp.  he could get more PP time, though.

 

Yeah, you can't say Cooter's skating improved last year. I hope he's working on it, especially foot speed. But he's unique in that his hockey IQ makes up for some of his skating issues and he's earned the shot to get more offensive looks. PP for sure, as you suggest. 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

http://www.csnphilly.com/hockey-philadelphia-flyers/hextall-no-need-sweeping-changes-flyers

What's interesting is Hextall's last paragraph:

I agree 100 percent. I’ve talked about that this summer. Our biggest upside is up front with Brayden [schenn] and Sean. Sean, you love what he does, the unselfishness, the team first, loving the challenge of playing against the other team’s top line. That’s awesome stuff.
Typically, a young player learns the defensive part after the offensive part. Coots in juniors was equally good on offense as defense, but up here, obviously, his defensive game is ahead of his offensive game. There’s another level. A couple of levels for Coots and you’re damn right, we expect it. He needs to push harder north. It’s a little bit of a mentality, a little bit of an attitude, but there’s going to be expectations placed on him that haven’t been [there] up to this point. He’s a young player and rightfully so, there has not been expectations from him to produce at a high level, but he’s been in the league long enough now where he needs to push the bar, offensively.


So, it's clear they're expecting more from Couturier and he's going to be pushed to deliver. This is a pivotal year for Couturier. He needs to take a big jump forward offensively and he's expected to take that jump. I think that's part of the reason why I expect Berube and company to put Couturier in a new role and I think that's why he's going to get a bunch of offensive zone starts. He might not have the greatest wheels, but as others have pointed out, Couturier's hockey IQ is what can make up for any skating ability that he might 'lack' (of note, I think Couturier's a decent skater - he might not be blazing fast, but he can get to where he needs to and his positioning is off the chart).

[Podein25]

@BobbyClarkeFan16

Good to see. You're are dead on about Colter's positioning. He's *always* on the right side of the puck.

[mojo1917]

RE:Couturier's skating,  it's the first step that's the killer, he is neither agile nor explosive, there is only so much of those "qualities" that can be improved with conditioning/practice.  Sean has proven to be a contiencious young man to this point, so I do expect he is working on improving all facets of his game, and i am sure we are not the only folks that see the heavy legs on the giddy up, give him a couple of linemates that have some jitterbug to their stride and all should be fine,  he has excellent puck skills and great vision so perhaps the "caught on the wrong side of the puck" stuff only goes so far. Maybe his line plays keep away for 40 seconds. One can hope, he's big  and has been learning to leverage that advantage beyond putting a stick in the passing lane .  He has talent, and has been learning at the game's highest level, I like his chances for meeting the higher expectations.

[jammer2]

give him a couple of linemates that have some jitterbug to their stride and all should be fine,

 

 That right there is the best argument to keep Read with Cooter.

[Podein25]

 That right there is the best argument to keep Read with Cooter.

 

Yup. Honestly, the more I think about it the more I think Bellemare could be the perfect LW for Cooter, along with Read on the Right. Great speed by both and both have some snipe to put Cooter's dishes in the net.

[fanaticV3.0]

Coots has a really strong two way game now. Many teams cover him.

To me he's the 2nd or 3rd most valuable forward last year. He took a while to start scoring, but his D was during the team all year and especially early on when they looked so completely lost.

Schenn could blossom this year. I hope so.

 

 

His defensive play isn't a problem. It is, as you say, really strong. His offensive game is far from it. He goes way too long without a goal sometimes. He had 2 goal scoring droughts that were a little under 20 games a piece and a few more that were 7-8 games a pop. His total points don't bother me that much, but those kind of lulls do.

[fanaticV3.0]

Alright. So Pittsburgh is a given. I don't see Columbus finishing less than second.

Then you have NYR, Washington and Philly for the final two spots. I do not think both wild cards are coming from the Metro.

Washington got significantly better on paper. It's a matter of whether Ovechkin is able to buy into anything that isn't solely about him.

But specifically regarding the Flyers: I don't see where the offense is going to come from. They haven't answered who's going to play with Jake and G. They have a bunch of nice piece players but if they're playing chess they're short some rooks and possibly a knight or two.

And they are going to need offense because, really, their defense is not good. I've been an ardent supporter of MacDonald since before we traded for him, but my caveat has always been that he should not be given top pair time or responsibility. His play significantly drops off under those conditions. My fear is that it's exactly what the Flyers intend to do with him.

Streit is what he is. I've never disliked the guy and he was a decent fantasy player. But he IS suspect on D. The plus about Timonen being out is that now Streit gets first power play time.

Coburn will be really very good 30% of the time, as always. But then there's the 40% of the time that he makes me long for James Vandermeer.

I don't think either the offense N or the defense is good enough to overcome the mediocrity of the other.

I just simply don't see this roster as a playoff team. I don't see them as two years ago bad, either, but I don't see them getting in.

Keep the faith, though, right?

 

That would make them worse than last year. Why do you think they a worse than last year?

 

I could be wrong, but I think most of the kids had career years for points. Schenn, Coots, Voracek, and Simmonds all took a step forward in that department (and Coots emerged as a pretty solid defender too). Do you think one or more of them take a step back? Is Mason a concern for you? I do admit though the Flyer fan in me thinks it's very possible Mason looks like every other goalie we've ever had in my lifetime by 10 games into the season.

[King Knut]

I hear you on the actual scoring, but honestly, when I was watching all the crappy games they were losing at the beginning of last year, Coots was the only one who looked like he was seeing the ice and moving the puck.
  The guy can really control play and carry the puck on a transition.  His size helps, but he's got great vision. 

 

I said then and I stand by it now, but Mason's play notwithstanding,  he was easily the team's MVP until G starting to turn on the scoring faucets.

 

By the end of the season I think he was still the third most important Flyer to take the ice every night.  Judging by his minutes per game, Berube seemed to think so too.

 

 

His defensive play isn't a problem. It is, as you say, really strong. His offensive game is far from it. He goes way too long without a goal sometimes. He had 2 goal scoring droughts that were a little under 20 games a piece and a few more that were 7-8 games a pop. His total points don't bother me that much, but those kind of lulls do.