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Flyers sign Vecchione


sekkes85

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Posted

The Flyers won’t be waiting until next season to infuse more youth into an underwhelming roster.

Union College star Mike Vecchione signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers. It will begin this season and carries a $925,000, the Courier-Post has learned.

 

There were several suitors for Vecchione, so the Flyers’ willingness to burn the one year this season is likely what set them apart. He appears likely to play Saturday as the Flyers face the New Jersey Devils.

 

The senior spent four years at Union, one of which playing alongside Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere when they won a national title in 2014.

 

Vecchione, 24, is a 5-foot-10, 194-pound winger who brings speed to a Flyers roster that needs it and some versatility as well. Vecchione prefers to play center, his natural position, and was one of the best in the nation at it winning 61.8 percent of them.

 

He can also play wing, which he may do with the Flyers, considering they have Claude Giroux, Valtteri Filppula, Sean Couturier and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare all at the pivot with more players, like Brayden Schenn, who can play in the middle.

 

A native of Saugus, Massachusetts, a suburb 20 minutes north of Boston, Vecchione racked up 29 goals and 34 assists in 38 games for the Dutchmen this season and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in NCAA hockey.

The two-time Union captain attended the Flyers’ development camp last July and did the same with Boston and Minnesota in the summer of 2015.

 

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall and assistant GM Chris Pryor were both seen at the NCAA’s Midwest regional, in which Union got smoked by Penn State 10-3 Saturday night. Vecchione, who was highly sought after, traveled back to Union in Schenectady, New York with his teammates and consulted with family before making his final decision.

Posted
6 minutes ago, murraycraven said:

Yay!  Another 3rd line center!!

 

 

He could be Filipula's replacement though...let's see him play before we all collectively jump off the bridge.

 

Plenty of time for that.

Posted
3 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

He could be Filipula's replacement though...let's see him play before we all collectively jump off the bridge.

 

Plenty of time for that.

 

He is not a 2C man.... he just is not...   I am not bashing the guy but if you think he is a 2C you are going to be disappointed.  He is not a fast skater (sounds like another 2/3C that we have?) but does work his ass off on the ice.   He is a good pickup but he is not going to make this Team to be a goal scorer.      

 

He is a nice 2 way player in the NHL... something the Flyers really seem to be keen on but he is not bringing a huge skill element to a team that needs skill.

Posted
2 minutes ago, murraycraven said:

He is not a fast skater

 

 

Neither is Filppula either he has certainly lost a step.

 

I'm not going to claim anything at this point. I'm just going to see how it turns out. At this point you need all the depth you can gather.

Posted

Ok we can debate this later i've got to get out of here and hit the gym before it gets to crowded. Later guys!!!

Posted
1 hour ago, sekkes85 said:

 

This is curious to me.  The scouting reports seem conflicted.  Everyone in the league wanted him, but he's only got 3rd line potential?

 

It sounds like he's got a great shot that would complement Filppula or Giroux well, but he certainly doesn't sound like he's going to unseat them as a top 2 center, but his 2 way play and faceoff prowess seem to suggest moving him to wing wouldn't necessarily be the best use of his talents.

 

He's a 3C it seems.  Bigger than Laughton or Cousins, so maybe better able to play the shut down role.

 

Obviously Filppula is only here for another year, so maybe they're thinking he'll be Coots' 3C replacement and Coots will move back to the 2C role.

 

Coots' play as of late has been off the charts, but the question remains, where was all this before Fillpula came along?

 

I'm the broken record around here saying the whole team's offense will improve once the D pairings make more sense and are more balanced, which they have been since Streit was sent out of town.  And granted the whole team has been by and large more productive, but Couturier has been far and away the most productive flyer over this stretch followed by Weal and Giroux (though Weise has been scoring too).  

 

But last night I was listening to the game on the Islanders feed last night and they were commenting on how Hakstol didn't seem so concerned with getting Couturier out against Tavares.  I've been so bummed out about the team missing the playoffs that I haven't been watching closely enough (more in the background) to notice if Coots is drawing fewer top line shut down shifts.  Seeing as how they shut down the Penguins twice (though granted, the Penguins don't look to be trying very hard against anyone lately) I find it difficult to believe, but can anyone verify or refute this?

 

Long story short and it's probably useless to discuss it now, but what the hell else do we have to do?--My guess is the Flyers are interested in any quality player, especially in a year in which they could lose a starting fwd to Vegas and might lose Weal to Free Agency.  Long term I'm guessing he's the 3C replacement for Coots (they're actually the same age) so he can actually stop being a shut down guy first and keep pushing offense as he has been.  Alternatively they'll try to adapt him to LW and hope he can actually put the puck on net and bury some of the opportunities Claude, Simmer, Jake and co. Create.  

 

Knowing Hakstol, it'll be all of the above before it's anything permanent.  

 

 

Posted
34 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Neither is Filppula either he has certainly lost a step.

 

I'm not going to claim anything at this point. I'm just going to see how it turns out. At this point you need all the depth you can gather.

 

I think this is the key.  He's a player you don't have to use a draft pick for that everone apparently wants and you have his buddy on your team already.  Why not use some leverage and pick up a quality player without wasting a pick or a trade?

 

It's like that Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy... "Because hey... Free [quality player]."

 

I theorized above about what they could do with him and what they might be thinking long term, but in the end, I think you've hit the nail on the head.  Good player with potential?  Sure.  Sign him up Ghost.

Posted

Wait, so he only signed a 1 year deal and they offered to play him this year to burn up a year of his ELC?  So he's a UFA in a few games?

 

*Edit - RFA

Posted
26 minutes ago, sekkes85 said:

Wait, so he only signed a 1 year deal and they offered to play him this year to burn up a year of his ELC?  So he's a UFA in a few games?

 

*Edit - RFA

 

At least Vegas wont' be able to draft and sign him.

 

He's 24.  Most players drafted out of Juniors would be burning off their last RFA status deal at 24/25.  I don't see this as being a big problem.  

Posted
5 minutes ago, King Knut said:

 

At least Vegas wont' be able to draft and sign him.

 

He's 24.  Most players drafted out of Juniors would be burning off their last RFA status deal at 24/25.  I don't see this as being a big problem.  

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the drill with all of these FA signings. In fact, I think they may have to sign one year deals because of their age. The Jets signed Tucker Poolman yesterday out of UND: 1 year deal. The Oilers signed Joseph Gambardella this week, also 1 1 year deal. sorry that's a two year deal. I think age matters....

Posted

 

6 minutes ago, Podein25 said:

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the drill with all of these FA signings. In fact, I think they may have to sign one year deals because of their age. The Jets signed Tucker Poolman yesterday out of UND: 1 year deal. The Oilers signed Joseph Gambardella this week, also 1 1 year deal. sorry that's a two year deal. I think age matters....

Yes, age matters when it comes to ELC lengths 

 

Players younger than 25 years of age as of September 15 during the year of their first NHL contract must sign an entry-level contract which have set limitations - all entry-level contracts are two-way contracts and the maximum allowable salary for players drafted until 2022 is $925,000. 

 

The length of the entry-level contract is also dependent on the player’s age:
18-21 years of age: 3 years
22-23 years of age: 2 years
24 years of age: 1 year

Posted
41 minutes ago, sekkes85 said:

Wait, so he only signed a 1 year deal and they offered to play him this year to burn up a year of his ELC?  So he's a UFA in a few games?

 

*Edit - RFA

 

That was my thought exactly. "Here kid, take $925k and play six games for us, will ya?"

 

I don't get it. The greed and entitlement just blows me away.

 

What ever happened to earning something?

Posted
2 minutes ago, RJ8812 said:

 

Yes, age matters when it comes to ELC lengths 

 

Players younger than 25 years of age as of September 15 during the year of their first NHL contract must sign an entry-level contract which have set limitations - all entry-level contracts are two-way contracts and the maximum allowable salary for players drafted until 2022 is $925,000. 

 

The length of the entry-level contract is also dependent on the player’s age:
18-21 years of age: 3 years
22-23 years of age: 2 years
24 years of age: 1 year

 

Thanks for clarifying!

Posted
5 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

That was my thought exactly. "Here kid, take $925k and play six games for us, will ya?"

 

I don't get it. The greed and entitlement just blows me away.

 

What ever happened to earning something?

I'm pretty sure it's pro-rated 

 

He'll get his signing bonus($92,500), and a pro-rated rate of his salary 

Posted
13 minutes ago, RJ8812 said:

I'm pretty sure it's pro-rated 

 

He'll get his signing bonus($92,500), and a pro-rated rate of his salary 

 

Ahh that makes more sense then.

 

So why is it so important for them to sign with a team willing to burn a year? Just because they get to play a handful of NHL games right away??

 

And who comes out of the lineup? 

 

Regardless, can someone hobble Read so he comes off the top line?

 

Konex/G/Jake (The Pass-and-Don't-Shoot-line)

Weal/Fil/Simmer (The Greasy Goodness line)

Weise/Coots/Schenn (The Put-Up-or-Shut-up line)

VV/Bellemare/Read (The Who?? line)

 

So, given that our lines are *finally* clicking, and the Flyers are fighting (yes, against near-insurmountable odds) for a playoff spot, where do you put a brand spanking new player? I cannot imagine Hakstol messes with lines 2 or 3. Do you put him on the top line at the expense of Read, keep Konecny on the 4th, and scratch Read? Or scratch Konecny?

 

 

 

Posted
5 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

Ahh that makes more sense then.

 

So why is it so important for them to sign with a team willing to burn a year? Just because they get to play a handful of NHL games right away??

More money/leverage in his career

 

Instead of finishing this season on an ATO with the Phantoms and waiting until next summer to get his ELC signing bonus & base salary, he'll get his signing bonus now, whatever salary he's due for the rest of the season, and this summer he gets to negotiate a brand new extension as an RFA

Posted
5 minutes ago, brelic said:

 

 

And who comes out of the lineup? 

 

 

 

 

 

Read. He's out for the remainder of the season with an UBI

Posted
2 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Who is that??

 

2 hours ago, murraycraven said:

Yay!  Another 3rd line center!!

 

A Read replacement......

 

Seriously...all joking aside..beside youth. What is his upside?  Read the article that was posted.  Ceiling is about a 3rd Line Center...good on FO.  Well...we already have that in Coots......  What am I missing? I don't follow a lot of college hockey.  So I am being honest in asking these questions.

Posted
13 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

 

 

A Read replacement......

 

Seriously...all joking aside..beside youth. What is his upside?  Read the article that was posted.  Ceiling is about a 3rd Line Center...good on FO.  Well...we already have that in Coots......  What am I missing? I don't follow a lot of college hockey.  So I am being honest in asking these questions.

 

I guess you're missing the unknown, right? Last three HB winners were Vesey, Eichel, and Gaudreau. Vesey is meh, but the other two are spectacular. Now, Eichel is in a class of his own, and all three were drafted. Vecchione was not. He's also starting his NHL career at 24 instead of 18 (Eichel), 20 (Gaudreau) and 23 (Vesey). 

 

He's probably more Matt Read than any of the three mentioned above, but it's worth a shot, even for a middle six or bottom six player you can try out for free (or at least just Comcast bucks). Plus he was captain and is apparently a fierce competitor.

 

The more interesting this is that it just creates more competition. Rubtsov and Laughton and Cousins want roster spots? They'd better be prepared to fight hard and earn them, right?

Win-win, I would say.

 

 

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