yave1964 Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 PRESEASON OUTLOOK: They opened the year with the same team that had missed the playoffs, other than a Gagner here and a new backup goalie there. A rookie head coach in Dave Hakstol was the biggest addition to the team. The hope was that they would gel and make the playoffs but it was at least as likely that they would miss them again. FINAL RECORD: 41-27-14 96 points made the playoffs, lost in the first round to the Capitals. STRANGE STAT OF THE YEAR: With more or less the same roster as the previous season when they missed the postseason they were better in almost every category, they went from 21st to 5th in shots, from 13th to 6th in Faceoff pct, from 77.8 to in penalty kill to 80.5 this year. Not too shabby for a rookie coach. Individually, Wayne Simmonds scored 21 goals at home, but only 11 on the road. Jakub Voracek scored only 2 goals at home all season long. LOW POINT OF THE YEAR: They lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Feruary 23rd for the 7th loss in the past 11 games to fall to 26-22-11. Their most recent losses had been to non playoff teams Carolina, Montreal and New Jersey (twice) and the playoffs looked hopeless. They also had I do not know how many games where they had a lead late only to lose, the biggest was against Columbus on March 22nd when they had a 2-0 lead with a minute to go and lost 3-2 in overtime. The point left on the table was a common thread for the team and fear was it might prove costly. HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR: To make the playoffs, after the carolina game in late February the Flyers went 15-5-3 down the stretch. Very satisfying wins at home against the hated Penguins and Islanders to close out the year clinched things. WHAT WENT RIGHT: On November 17th they recalled Shayne Gostisbehere (17-29-46) and it turned the season around. Ghost is up for the Calder as the leagues top rookie in spite of playing only 64 games. He set a NHL record for a point streak by a rookie defenseman. Claude (22-45-67) Giroux overcame a slow start to lead the team in scoring. Wayne Simmonds led the team with 32 goals. Brayden Schenn was as hot as anyone in the game down the stretch and was massive in getting the Flyers to the playoffs. Michael Neuvirth signed as the backup outperformed the starter Mason and was brilliant at times. They managed to find takers for Lecavalier and Luke Schenn. Ryan White was solid as was Bellemare on the 4th line. Radko Gudas hit everything that moved on the ice. WHAT WENT WRONG: Jakub Voracek fell off from 22 goals and 81 points to 11 and 55. Michael Del Zotto who had come from nowhere the year before returned there (4-9-13) this season An insane amount of vets showing up payday for their paycheck and not contributing, Mark Streit was injured and never got going, R.J. Umberger continues to erode, Sam Gagner (8-8-16) did not do much and neither did KHL reclamation project Evgeney Medvedev. Andrew Macdonald spent part of the year in the AHL and continues to show that he has nothing left. Steve Mason went through a crisis of confidence and may lose his starting job. They were a one line team most of the year, two lines at absolute most. Lots of kids (Raffl, Laughton, Cousins) played regularly and were average at best. More should be expected. MVP: with apologies to Giroux and the rugged Simmonds, I would have to give my vote to Gostisbehere who played brilliantly after his recall and IMHO the team misses the playoffs if he is not recalled in Mid-November. FREE AGENTS: A few, Ryan White would be a nice guy to keep around, Sam Gagner is up in the air and Medvedev may come back but is likely to be squeezed out by the kids. That is about it. TOP PROSPECTS: Veteran defensemen who show up on payday, beware, an insane amount of top tier prospects are coming. Samuel Morin is the most 'ready now' of the bunch and will lock into a top 4 job this season. Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov are right there with Morin and Ghost and will form a scary good top four for years to come, but Sanheim and Provorov may be bound for the AHL at the start of the year but chomping at the bit and pushing for jobs. Cousins played a fair amount this year in Philly and was okay, but much more is hoped for and they hope he is either the 2C or 3C of the present and future. Robert Hagg is slipping in the estimation of some scouts with the other top tier defense prospects but he can play. Lots of defense coming, offense not so much. OFFSEASON QUESTION MARKS: With the kids pushing for playing time, can they trade either Streit or Del Zotto for middle six forwards? Or Both? Could Mason be dangled for said forward? Is that all that there is from Raffl, Laughton or Cousins or can they fill the role? Can the kid defense step up and follow Gostisbehere's lead? 96 points, making the playoffs was it for real and can they build upon it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 @yave1964 A good read. I always love an unbiased fan's opinion on the current state of my favorite team. Well done. Hextall has his work cut out for himself improving this team. However i must say i do not want Gagner back. I'd rather leave a spot for a kid to fill maybe. I expect Taylor Leier to get a long look next camp and preseason. No way they can bring the current crop of defenseman back and expect to be better next year one or two need to change for sure. Ivan Provorov will more than likely nail down one spot...the other may be up for grabs. I'd lean towards keeping Schultz if they can trade Streit. The forwards well they need some size and someone who can actually score when setup. Where and whom that is would be a guess right now...Hextall keeps his thoughts and moves close to the vest. And i actually like that. For once it is a great feeling knowing they are in great shape in net....if for only one more year. I'll remain cautiously optimistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Nice write up as usual yave. Hakstol was a great find by Hextall and looks like a longterm solution to the Flyers coaching carousel. The team should only get better under his tutelage. Mason and Neuvirth make up as stable a duo as the Flyers have had in a long time. Neither will win a Vezina, but then again look at that D in front of them. Ghost gave us a glimpse into the future of this D. He was a revelation and outperformed any prognosis even the most optimistic Flyer homer had for him. Gudas was a great pick up and looks to be a keeper. Del Zotto can stay, or go if they can get value out of him. The rest are just biding time....The reinforcements are on their way...by the truckload. Morin may be the next young defenceman to make the Flyers, but my bet is on Ivan Provorov. Smart as a whip and talented as all get out, I hate putting a name on a prospect but he could well be the Flyers Doughty. But it's Philly or Brandon for him...no AHL. Sanheim should spend a year on the Phantoms. Phillipe Myers has likely unseated Robert Hagg as the Flyers 4th best prospect on the blueline, and looks to be an outright steal as an 18 year old free agent signing by Hex. I think Voracek rebounds, at least somewhat, this year. Likely not enough to warrant that contract. Giroux obviously finished the year injured. Simmonds and Schenn both looked like keepers...too bad we didn't trade the latter while we could have sold low. White and Bellemare look like the type of bottom 6 players you need to win. Couturier continues to be a good all around centre who gets hated for not being an 80 point player. Laughton hopefully stops getting his bell rung long enough to develop. The rest of the forwards are replaceable. Travis Konecny looks like the only real top 6 prospect we have right now, though there are a few others who could slide up the ranks. Hopefully that part of the prospect cupboard gets filled with this years 10 picks, 5 of which are in the top 81 selections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 While I appreciate Neuvirth's numbers - and his play at the beginning of the season - the fact is that if he was the "starter" for the season, the Flyers don't make the playoffs because he wasn't available down the stretch. The primary reason the Flyers made the playoffs, quite frankly, was Steve Mason (12 March starts, 8-2-2, 1.88/.933). And that's been the knock on Neuvirth for his career - great numbers, but he can't stay healthy. Medvedev is done. If it wasn't obvious from his press box time, the DUI sealed that deal (IMO). I don't see anyone taking on Streit's number - but if it happens it will be after the Flyers pay off the $2M signing bonus on July 1. He'd then be a $5.25M cap hit for a $2M actual salary. The trick is having Streit choose a team that needs to get to the cap floor as one of his 10 on his modified NTC (#homercoaster). Even then, his production fell off a cliff after the injury last season. I wouldn't be in a rush to move del Zotto. At 25 he's got some nice upside and they can determine where he fits next season and deal him at the deadline (as a "true rental") if needed. And then there's the boat anchor contract of MacDud (#homercoaster). Believe it or not, I don't think he's got "nothing left" - it's that he didn't have much to begin with. He would be a serviceable 5/6 but is paid like a 2/3. IMO, they need to buy out Umburglar and get that extra $3M cap space That puts them at around $15M with 9 forwards, 5 defensemen and 2 goalies signed; Schenn/Gudas/Cousins/Weal RFA. I gotta imagine they re-sign White. There's not a LOT of space to bring up any of the younguns in that scenario. If VLC does retire (and it's looking "good" on that front) that's another $2.25M in space. Flyers can make some moves here and even pick up some salary. We're closing in on that light at the end of the #homercoaster tunnel and, thankfully, it's looking like it's not a train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 @yave1964 Outstanding as usual. Thank you for all the team write-ups you do. They are top notch. As for the Flyers...you are spot on and have an unbiased approach. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: PRESEASON OUTLOOK: They opened the year with the same team that had missed the playoffs, other than a Gagner here and a new backup goalie there. A rookie head coach in Dave Hakstol was the biggest addition to the team. The hope was that they would gel and make the playoffs but it was at least as likely that they would miss them again. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: FINAL RECORD: 41-27-14 96 points made the playoffs, lost in the first round to the Capitals. No one expected the Flyers to make the playoffs. Hakstol deserves all the credit in the world here. You can immediately see the difference in coaching styes between Berube and Hakstol. I could be very nit picky about some of the moves and decisions Hakstol made throughout the course of the year, but he needs to be given some slack since he made the jump from college to NHL without any other prior professional coaching experience. He had a tremendous learning curve to adjust to. IMO, he is the single biggest reason why the Flyers improved so much. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: WHAT WENT RIGHT: On November 17th they recalled Shayne Gostisbehere (17-29-46) and it turned the season around absolutely agree here. Ghost was the shot in the arm this team needed. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: Brayden Schenn was as hot as anyone in the game down the stretch and was massive in getting the Flyers to the playoffs. Michael Neuvirth signed as the backup outperformed the starter Mason and was brilliant at times. The "good' Schenn finally had the year we have all been waiting for. I admit I was wrong on this one. I was in the camp that Schenn was not living up to his potential and was struggling. I will eat crow here and say how wrong I was. Would love to see him build off of this season into next season. Ever since it was revealed Mason had family issues, he just was not the same. True he had flashes of brilliance, but at times he just looked like his head was not all there and for good reason. Next season is very important to him to see if he can move forward. Neuvy saved this this team at times and IMO could be considered at times as the co-MVP. A very solid goalie who undoubtedly helped the Flyers make the playoffs, however, he is not an elite goalie. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: Claude (22-45-67) Giroux overcame a slow start to lead the team in scoring This has got to absolutely stop! It appears that every year he gets off to a slow start and it is killing this team. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: WHAT WENT WRONG: Jakub Voracek fell off from 22 goals and 81 points to 11 and 55. Michael Del Zotto who had come from nowhere the year before returned there (4-9-13) this season An insane amount of vets showing up payday for their paycheck and not contributing, Mark Streit was injured and never got going, R.J. Umberger continues to erode, Sam Gagner (8-8-16) did not do much and neither did KHL reclamation project Evgeney Medvedev. Andrew Macdonald spent part of the year in the AHL and continues to show that he has nothing left. Steve Mason went through a crisis of confidence and may lose his starting job. They were a one line team most of the year, two lines at absolute most. Lots of kids (Raffl, Laughton, Cousins) played regularly and were average at best. More should be expected. Spot on ... like FC stated above, I think Jake does rebound a bit. I would be happy if he can get back to 20/50 for 70 points next year. MDZ, yeah can take or leave him at the moment. Gudas was a pleasant surprise. Medvedev is as good as gone especially with the DUI and drug charges hanging over his head. MacDonald will be stuck in the AHL next year. No one will want him or his bloated contract. Gagner played better near the end but I think his time is done. 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: TOP PROSPECTS: Veteran defensemen who show up on payday, beware, an insane amount of top tier prospects are coming. Samuel Morin is the most 'ready now' of the bunch and will lock into a top 4 job this season. Travis Sanheim and Ivan Provorov are right there with Morin and Ghost and will form a scary good top four for years to come again spot on...... 3 hours ago, yave1964 said: Lots of defense coming, offense not so much. and as most fans will agree...defense looks great. Offensively they are just plain outgunned by many many teams. Outside of Konecny who will make it very difficult for management not to keep him on the Flyers next season, there is nobody else. Maybe Oscar Lindblom or a Aube-Kubel might help out. That is why I was ok with the Flyers missing the playoffs this year...so they could get another highly skilled player. Obviously by making the playoffs they are now picking 17 or 18 and some of those prospects many of us have discussed will be long gone. 1 hour ago, flyercanuck said: Ghost gave us a glimpse into the future of this D. He was a revelation and outperformed any prognosis even the most optimistic Flyer homer had for him. Gudas was a great pick up and looks to be a keeper. Del Zotto can stay, or go if they can get value out of him. The rest are just biding time....The reinforcements are on their way...by the truckload. Morin may be the next young defenceman to make the Flyers, but my bet is on Ivan Provorov. Smart as a whip and talented as all get out, I hate putting a name on a prospect but he could well be the Flyers Doughty. But it's Philly or Brandon for him...no AHL. Sanheim should spend a year on the Phantoms. Phillipe Myers has likely unseated Robert Hagg as the Flyers 4th best prospect on the blueline, and looks to be an outright steal as an 18 year old free agent signing by Hex. agree with all. As noted above. The defense looks bright, but now they need to focus their attention on offense. Overall, I can say with confidence that this team FINALLY is moving forward in the right direction. I just wish this would have occurred about 2-3 years earlier. The future does look bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruxpin Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 4 hours ago, pilldoc said: You can immediately see the difference in coaching styes between Berube and Hakstol. Yes, in that the latter has a coaching style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 5 hours ago, pilldoc said: @yave1964 Hakstol deserves all the credit in the world here. You can immediately see the difference in coaching styes between Berube and Hakstol. That is why when I put the 'Strange stat' for the Flyers, I mentioned specifically the faceoff, penalty kill and shots per game all going up with basically the same roster. They played smart hockey, high percentage hockey. The Flyers in years past have looked undisciplined and the game was usually unscripted, under Hakstol they have a plan out there night in and night out. Kudos to a rookie coach who put his stamp on the team early. Just playing high percentage smart hockey is probably good for 4 or 5 points a year, and with the parity in the league that is the difference between playoffs and April tee times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philaphansrefugee Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 Great write up. Ghost was the clear MVP of this team, and that isn't an insult to G. A great captain doesn't have to be the MVP. G does what he does. Other guys need to step up like the Ghost. In the off season, Flyers need to dump a bunch of dead weight: Read, Raffle, VV, Gagner, Umberger, Medvedev, etc. If Voracek doesn't get it together next year, he has to go too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 After a year of tracking Flyers zone exits, what have we learned about the defense? http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2016/5/24/11760458/philadelphia-flyers-full-season-zone-exit-tracking-observations Some decent points..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertmega Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 On 5/16/2016 at 5:49 PM, philaphansrefugee said: In the off season, Flyers need to dump a bunch of dead weight: Read, Raffle, VV, Gagner, Umberger, Medvedev, etc. If Voracek doesn't get it together next year, he has to go too. Easier said than done. Ganger will not be resigned. VV will be waived. Umberger will be bought out. Medvedev will be cut loose. Read makes too much to be tradeable, but could be packaged. I may be in the minority, but I like Raffle and think he is very good for his role ( a checking line winger, that can contribute to the offense and can move the puck). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarsippius Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 2 hours ago, Bertmega said: I may be in the minority, but I like Raffle and think he is very good for his role ( a checking line winger, that can contribute to the offense and can move the puck). You are, but I'm right with you there (in his role). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 On 5/16/2016 at 4:01 PM, ruxpin said: Yes, in that the latter has a coaching style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 16 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said: the "LOOK" - as in don't mess with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertmega Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 On 5/27/2016 at 5:44 PM, pilldoc said: the "LOOK" - as in don't mess with me. I get the same look in company meetings, but usually I am thinking whether or not I locked my front door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FD19372 Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 On 5/16/2016 at 4:01 PM, ruxpin said: Yes, in that the latter has a coaching style. Berube has a coaching style. It just doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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