yave1964 Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 PRESEASON OUTLOOK: The Flyers were considered a lower end playoff team, among a group of other teams that would be fighting for the Wildcard. FINAL RECORD: 33-31-18 84 points 12th in the East. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR: None really. The season got stuck in the mud right out of the gate, Mason lost his first 4 starts and then got injured, the team never really got on track all year. Maybe the high point of the year was turning Coburn into a first round pick. Maybe firing Berube. LOW POINT OF THE YEAR: After a slow start the team managed to get above .500 (7-5-2) but then they hit their worst stretch of the year, Starting with a loss to the Jackets on November 14th, they went on a stretch of losing 10 of the next 11. From there the team would fight back to .500 or close and then slip back again. They would win a few, lose a few the rest of the year, never really getting going. STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR: Once again the Flyers led the league in shootout losses, this year losing 11 of 14. I don't know of another team that has been this bad at shootouts for so long as the Flyers, which with guys like Giroux and Jake makes zero sense. WHAT WENT RIGHT: Voracek (22-59-81) has now established himself as a premier forward, he had a brilliant year and kept the team close to the race. Giroux (25-48-73) was nearly a point a game player. Simmonds had 28 goals and a studly 14 were on the power play. Streit (9-43-52) was a master on the power play. Michael Raffl broke out with 21 goals. Steve Mason (2.25 goals against, .928 save pct) was nearly brilliant when healthy. Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier weren't bad. Del Zotto was a great cheap pickup. WHAT WENT WRONG: Umberger came over from the Jackets for Hartnell and was dreadful. Vinnie simply cannot play anymore and is stealing a paycheck. Grossman, Luke Schenn and MacDonald were dull and average at best. Ray Emery (3.06 goals against) was bad for much of the year, unable to fill in for the inured Mason. UFAs:Del ZottoEmeryVanderveldeBlair JonesColaiacovoRyan White 2015-16 TOP PROSPECTS:Gostisbehere should take a job on the back end this year. Samuel Morin is considered a top tier prospect and may break through this year, replacing Del Zotto if he signs elsewhere. Travis Sanheim will play mostly at the AHL level as a top defense prospect but will see his first NHL action this year. Scott Laughton is hoped to take a top nine job among the forwards. Hagg and Alt provide even more AHL defense depth, the 'ready now' talent on the back end is tremendous, the forwards not so much, the boring average defense (save for Streit and Del Zotto) is about to change, beginning this coming year. OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS:First, who is going to coach? Hitch? Babs? Second, can they find anyone to take Vinnie off their hands? Can Mason stay healthy? With all the goalies available, do you resign Emery or go for an upgrade? Can the team find scoring from more than just three forwards? Are Brayden Schenn and Couts as good as they will ever be or do they have another level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murraycraven Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 'ready now' talent on the back end is tremendous, the forwards not so much, the boring average defense (save for Streit and Del Zotto) is about to change, beginning this coming year. dont see it... I think they are all back in Jr or the AHL. Gost will start in the AHL and maybe become a full time player during the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Del Zotto is a RFA They should never have gone with Emery for another year. Cost them some points, no doubt, and certainly momentum. Berube was a mistake from the jump. As was Umburglar. That trade still doesn't make sense no matter how many times people say "cap relief three years from now." None. Zero. Zilch. In fact, "cap relief three years from now" is just behind "why don't they have a first line LW?" in terms of things said far too often. Can you imagine a Hartnell-Giroux-Voracek line with Hartnell putting up 25+, Giroux a ppg player and Voracek breaking out. Well, we always have cap relief three years from now so it's all fine. I've been in the "VLC isn't completely done, but just doesn't fit" camp for a while. But we're breaking camp now and moving towards the "stick a fork in VLC and turn him over - he's done" mountains for our next campsite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Share Posted May 1, 2015 dont see it... I think they are all back in Jr or the AHL. Gost will start in the AHL and maybe become a full time player during the season. I could see Morin sticking or at the least being the first man in when Grossman or Schenn break down. I think it would be a mistake to let Del Zotto get away, both for the team and for him. He has been kind of lost the previous years but seems to have found a home with the Flyers. This coming year may be a stretch for some of the kids on the back end but I really like what the Flyers have in the organization on defense. Help is certainly on its way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brelic Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Travis Sanheim will play mostly at the AHL level as a top defense prospect but will see his first NHL action this year. Nice writeup, yave. Minor quibble that Sanheim is not AHL-eligible next year, so he will either make the Flyers (might get a 9 game look) or return to juniors. I imagine the Marti signing today means there are some other defensive contracts they will let expire on the Phantoms like Konan and Lauridsen. Hextall is setting up the farm to be stacked on D. Alt, Hagg, Morin, Ghost, Marti, and Manning would be the Phantoms top 6 next year, with Petterson as a 7th probably. Hextall now needs to free up some room on the big club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 They should never have gone with Emery for another year. Cost them some points, no doubt, and certainly momentum.Totally agree...no way they make that mistake again...right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS:First, who is going to coach? Hitch? I just threw up in my mouth a little...ok....a lot. There is some baggage that comes with Hitch....we no likey!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 I just threw up in my mouth a little...ok....a lot. There is some baggage that comes with Hitch....we no likey!!Lots of baggage but the man can coach a team. Personally I think San Jose would be a good fit for Hitch but the flyers would be on my short list of teams that a Hitchcock type of coach would do well with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Lots of baggage but the man can coach a team. Personally I think San Jose would be a good fit for Hitch but the flyers would be on my short list of teams that a Hitchcock type of coach would do well with.I was thinking San Jose too. It may work...Hitch won't have the blueline he had in San Jose. But i guess he has to come available first as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Hitch does not have a choice where he coaches next...the maker wears the pants in that family!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poulin20 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Hitch does not have a choice where he coaches next...the maker wears the pants in that family!! Do you think if Hitch came back that she would find us here on this board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Monet Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 Do you think if Hitch came back that she would find us here on this board?Please don't even think about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 8, 2015 Share Posted May 8, 2015 @Poulin20 Ugggg...I may not be able to sleep now....thanks!! ha ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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