Flyers Training camp

[mojo1917]

55 minutes ago, AJgoal said:

 

You just made me think of the grounds crew from Major League...

good ! that was the intention.

[brelic]

Interesting game last night in a lot of ways...

 

- Sanheim wants to make the team, doesn't he? He was impressive at both ends of the ice. Maybe instead of keeping three rookie defensemen, he makes it at the expense of either Hagg or Morin?

 

- Provorov. Wow. I spent most of the game watching him whenever he was on the ice, and he's so impressive. So calm under pressure, so smooth. Without a doubt the best defenseman on this team, and he's only 20 years old! 

 

- Giroux/Coots/Voracek. They looked good from the 2nd period on, and created a lot of chances. They had several shifts where they spent the entire time in the Rangers zone. A lot of it was fancy passing and perimeter play, though.

 

- Konecny made something happen out of nothing almost every time he was on the ice. He doesn't appear to be a finisher, but he creates chances for his line and team, and that's a great thing. He's also only 20. If he could put up 35 points this year (from 28 last year), it would be a solid growth year.

 

- Patrick's line had some great looks too, and he set up Sanheim beautifully for the goal. I'd like to see Patrick shoot a bit more... 

 

- Powerplay. Or, as it's known as in the dressing room, "What? We have more players on the ice than they do?" In all honesty, the 2nd PP unit looked much better than the first. 

 

- Goal-scoring. Still a problem, huh? 

 

- Goatending. Neuvirth looked solid!

[brelic]

Quick trivia question - when's the last time a forward scored a goal in preseason, and who was it? Because, honestly, I can't remember. Lol.

 

What is with the lack of goal scoring from the team in general, but from our forwards in particular???

 

Vorobyev has been recalled for tonight's game. Wonder why? Hextall did say that cutting Vorobyev was the hardest decision he had to make.... 

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill-Meltzer/Preseason-Gameday-92617-vs-Rangers/45/87632

 

Konecny

Raffl

Couturier

Laughton

Weise

Giroux

Weal

Vorobyev

Lindblom

Leier

Patrick

Vecchione

Voracek

 

Manning

MacDonald

Hagg

Morin

Ghost

Sanheim

 

Elliott

Neuvirth

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, brelic said:

Quick trivia question - when's the last time a forward scored a goal in preseason, and who was it? Because, honestly, I can't remember. Lol.

 

TK in one of the Isles games....i think the 2nd one....

[OccamsRazor]

Hhhhmmmm Ivan is off so who is the #1 pair tonight?

[AJgoal]

52 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

Hhhhmmmm Ivan is off so who is the #1 pair tonight?

 

Manning-MacDonald.

 

I'd hope to see it as Sanheim-Morin

[OccamsRazor]

1 hour ago, AJgoal said:

 

Manning-MacDonald.

 

I'd hope to see it as Sanheim-Morin

 

Thank you for that laugh....hardest i've laughed all day...but i'm at work too...

 

[elmatus]

4 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Hhhhmmmm Ivan is off so who is the #1 pair tonight?

 

No Provo? I predict McDud finishes with a -3 tonight. Call it!

[MadDevil]

As somebody who was 50/50 on Nico/Nolan, how has Patrick looked so far? 

[ruxpin]

12 minutes ago, MadDevil said:

As somebody who was 50/50 on Nico/Nolan, how has Patrick looked so far? 

Slow start but definitely coming along. Looked very good tonight. 

 

Have you seen Nico? What's your take? 

[ruxpin]

Sanheim looked good tonight. I don't know that it's enough yet. 

 

Morin is a monster. No doubt he's staying.

 

I don't notice Hagg much. That's probably good. 

 

I can't say never, but Leier doesn't currently look like an NHL player yet. 

 

Couturier is slow. 

 

Does Manning stay? I think MacDonald sadly stays, so if Sanheim stays I think Manning goes. 

 

Elliott looked decent. 

 

That's all I can think of for now. 

[MadDevil]

3 hours ago, ruxpin said:

Slow start but definitely coming along. Looked very good tonight. 

 

Have you seen Nico? What's your take? 

 

Nico's defensive game has impressed me as much as his offense. You can tell he's just a really smart player.

 

Good to hear Patrick is coming along too. Hopefully we'll get to see them going head-to-head in the playoffs in the years to come. The rivalry needs some fuel poured on it.

[OccamsRazor]

10 hours ago, elmatus said:

 

No Provo? I predict McDud finishes with a -3 tonight. Call it!

 

Wrong. He scored a goal and stole Sanheim's spot.....

 

 

[OccamsRazor]

7 hours ago, ruxpin said:

Sanheim looked good tonight.

 

 

Well he didn't look good on that first goal against....he got owned behind the net loses/fumbles the puck and then it is in the net.

[pilldoc]

Agree with much of what @ruxpin said.  Missed the 1st 2 periods of last nights game.  Watched the 3rd and OT.  Konecny is quick.  Nice OT game winner he had by staying with the puck.  From what I saw in the 3rd, Patrick had some very nice opportunities.  Just needs to finish.  Definitely has a great vision of the ice.  Also liked what I saw out of Lindblom.  Morin is huge! My god he towers over players.

[brelic]

Last night, the most impressive players were Konecny, Morin, Elliott, Leier, Vorobyov, Laughton, and Raffl. 

 

Decent were Patrick, Lindblom, Sanheim.

 

I thought the top line played well, but ffs, they've got to start being selfish. So much overpassing.

 

PP2 again looked better than PP1. Ghost had a rough night defensively. 

 

Two more tune-up games!

 

[flyercanuck]

7 hours ago, MadDevil said:

 

Nico's defensive game has impressed me as much as his offense. You can tell he's just a really smart player.

 

Good to hear Patrick is coming along too. Hopefully we'll get to see them going head-to-head in the playoffs in the years to come. The rivalry needs some fuel poured on it.

 

I saw Hischiers goal (forget which game) where he stole the puck...as pro of a goal as you'll get. I think both teams will be happy with their players.

 

Zacha looks like he's coming around too.

[vis]

Was fortunate to be invited to the game last night by a co-worker.  Agree with most of what @ruxpin and @brelic said, with a few other thoughts:

 

- Konecny was the best player.  He is always moving, creating and agitating.  He was in JT Miller's head all night.  It was entertaining.  Loved that he got the OT winner.  He deserved it.

 

- Lindblom got better as the game wore on.  Thought he looked hesitant in the first period, gained some confidence throughout the game and started moving well later in the game.

 

- Weal carries the puck into the zone very well.  Felt like he and his linemates created a lot of chances.

 

- Patrick makes a lot of nice, little plays.  Wish he would pot one at some point.  

 

- Elliott looks better than I anticipated.

 

- Sanheim was ok.  Bad miscue on the first goal.  Both d-men ended up below the goal line as a result.  Bad chain of events, starting with Sanheim.  I thought maybe he and Elliott had a miscommunication behind the net at first.

 

- Morin looked good.  Fell down a couple of times, though.  That wrister came from right in front of our section.  Just an absolute laser of a shot.  He gets so much flex on his stick, the puck just jumps off.  Bobby Farnham is a dope.

 

- Laughton should no doubt be the fourth line center.  He looks tenacious, strong and assertive.  He and Raffl will be a major improvement over VV and PMB.  Curious who lands on the other winger spot.  Would love to see Leier's speed on that line.  Not sure he has NHL smarts, though.

 

- Weise does nothing.

 

- The Couturier, Giroux, Voracek line needs a finisher.  That line is so frustrating to watch.

 

- Manning had some rough patches.

 

- Ghost had his pocket picked a number of times.  He has to be more careful at times.

 

Tough decision looming for the defense.  

 

I don't think Manning is sent down because he is not waiver exempt and I doubt the Flyers want to risk a claim.

 

I think Morin has earned a spot.

 

Hagg has been fine.

 

Sanheim has been the best and worst between he, Morin and Hagg.  Great offensive talent, but a lot of defensive mistakes.  

 

MacDonald adds nothing, but he is a veteran and I think the team values that.  

 

I think Sanheim is sent to the AHL.  Outside chance that it is Hagg.  Doubt it will be MacDonald.

 

 

 

 

[elmatus]

15 minutes ago, vis said:

- Konecny was the best player.  He is always moving, creating and agitating.  He was in JT Miller's head all night.  It was entertaining.  Loved that he got the OT winner.  He deserved it.

 

I've been fairly vocal about how impressed I've been with TK since he made the roster last year. I honestly think he's a stud in the making. Barring some unfortunate injuries, I  have little doubt he will get even better, and he will be a star in this league for years to come. He has a combination of raw skill, speed, and grit that just can't be held down.

 

18 minutes ago, vis said:

- Patrick makes a lot of nice, little plays.  Wish he would pot one at some point.

 

To go with the point above, I would like to see Patrick playing with TK a bunch this year. This may end up being an extremely effective duo, possibly more effective than G+V by the end of the season. In my mind, I think they're both that good. I don't know who slots in the left wing with them. Maybe Fil for this year, or maybe Lindblom or Weal if they really want to go all in with a kid line.

 

21 minutes ago, vis said:

- Laughton should no doubt be the fourth line center.  He looks tenacious, strong and assertive.  He and Raffl will be a major improvement over VV and PMB.  Curious who lands on the other winger spot.  Would love to see Leier's speed on that line.  Not sure he has NHL smarts, though.

 

I agree 100%. I've been tremendously impressed by Laughton in this preseason. He looks like an absolute nightmare to play against on every shift. I also like your idea of pairing him with Raffl, as I think they're both very good in shutdown roles, and they both can chip in on offense at the same time. I'm pretty confident Laughton is a lock at this point. He's been that good and provides exactly the level of depth needed in a bottom six player. Raffl has been this for years now -- including long periods in the top six -- he's a natural fit I think.

 

25 minutes ago, vis said:

- Weise does nothing.

 

I'd say he's as bad as McDud, but he's not. He's just completely ineffective. His play doesn't generally lead to goals against, unlike AMac. I can see him playing a filler role in the bottom six again though, mostly because there aren't so many options available really.

 

All in all, I'd like to see:

 

Weal or Lindblom / Giroux / Voracek

Weal or Lindblom / Couts / Simmonds

Filppula / Patrick / TK

Raffl / Laughton / Read or Weise or Leier or whoever

 

And I'd like them to roll the top three lines pretty evenly for a good chunk of the year, just to see how they work out. Let the players build some chemistry.

 

As you say, the defense is much harder to figure out. I agree with you that Sanheim has been both the best and the worst of them. At his best though, he is a gamechanger. I haven't seen that from Morin or Hagg. Still, I have a feeling you're right in that he will spend another year in the AHL to refine his defensive game a bit.

[brelic]

1 hour ago, elmatus said:

 

I've been fairly vocal about how impressed I've been with TK since he made the roster last year. I honestly think he's a stud in the making. Barring some unfortunate injuries, I  have little doubt he will get even better, and he will be a star in this league for years to come. He has a combination of raw skill, speed, and grit that just can't be held down.

 

You know who TK reminds me of? Mark Recchi with a bit more sandpaper. 

 

1 hour ago, elmatus said:

 

To go with the point above, I would like to see Patrick playing with TK a bunch this year. This may end up being an extremely effective duo, possibly more effective than G+V by the end of the season. In my mind, I think they're both that good. I don't know who slots in the left wing with them. Maybe Fil for this year, or maybe Lindblom or Weal if they really want to go all in with a kid line.

 

I think you're right on this one. Patrick would provide the calming presence to TK's unbridled chaos! I don't know if it works with Simmonds on that line because they both play RW, but Patrick seemed to have nice chemistry with Simmer. Those three together could be a solid scoring line. 

 

1 hour ago, elmatus said:

 

I agree 100%. I've been tremendously impressed by Laughton in this preseason. He looks like an absolute nightmare to play against on every shift. I also like your idea of pairing him with Raffl, as I think they're both very good in shutdown roles, and they both can chip in on offense at the same time. I'm pretty confident Laughton is a lock at this point. He's been that good and provides exactly the level of depth needed in a bottom six player. Raffl has been this for years now -- including long periods in the top six -- he's a natural fit I think.

 

Laughton has finally figured out his role. Hextall even said so last night. A 4th line of Laughton, Raffl, and Leier would make me happy. Speed and skill. Read, Weise, and Lehtera are expendable IMO.

 

 

[vis]

3 hours ago, elmatus said:

 

I've been fairly vocal about how impressed I've been with TK since he made the roster last year. I honestly think he's a stud in the making. Barring some unfortunate injuries, I  have little doubt he will get even better, and he will be a star in this league for years to come. He has a combination of raw skill, speed, and grit that just can't be held down.

I love TK.  Might be might favorite forward on the team.  Not to nitpick, but I wish he had a little more finish and could improve his shot.  Maybe we will see that this year.  Like @brelic, he reminds me of Recchi or perhaps Justin Williams with more sandpaper.  

 

3 hours ago, elmatus said:

 

 

To go with the point above, I would like to see Patrick playing with TK a bunch this year. This may end up being an extremely effective duo, possibly more effective than G+V by the end of the season. In my mind, I think they're both that good. I don't know who slots in the left wing with them. Maybe Fil for this year, or maybe Lindblom or Weal if they really want to go all in with a kid line.

If I recall correctly, they had Lindblom/Patrick/Konecny on a line during camp.  But if you do that, where would you play Simmonds (assuming G/C/V remains a thing)?

 

3 hours ago, elmatus said:

All in all, I'd like to see:

 

Weal or Lindblom / Giroux / Voracek

Weal or Lindblom / Couts / Simmonds

Filppula / Patrick / TK

Raffl / Laughton / Read or Weise or Leier or whoever

I could be fine with that assuming G goes back to center.  I think Lindblom on the first line and Weal on the second.  Though I think Lehtera slots in at 4RW.  Read and Leier end up in the AHL and Weise is 13F.  If G stays on the wing, I'm not sure how I'd have the lines working out.  Maybe Filppula centering Simmonds and Weal with Patrick centering Konecny and Lindblom. 

 

[ruxpin]

3 hours ago, vis said:

Quote

All in all, I'd like to see:

 

Weal or Lindblom / Giroux / Voracek

Weal or Lindblom / Couts / Simmonds

Filppula / Patrick / TK

Raffl / Laughton / Read or Weise or Leier or whoever

I could be fine with that assuming G goes back to center.  I think Lindblom on the first line and Weal on the second.  Though I think Lehtera slots in at 4RW.  Read and Leier end up in the AHL and Weise is 13F.  If G stays on the wing, I'm not sure how I'd have the lines working out.  Maybe Filppula centering Simmonds and Weal with Patrick centering Konecny and Lindblom. 

 

I'm with both of you.   But let's pretend Giroux goes to wing.   What would Giroux look like on wing with Patrick and TK?   Is that a bad mesh?   Then Filpulla would switch to center.

 

Weal/Lindblom -- Couts -- Voracek

Weal/Lindblom -- Filppula -- Simmonds

Giroux - Patrick - TK

Raffl - Laughton - Leier/Lehtera

 

Honestly, I'm not excited about that.  But I don't know what to do with Giroux on wing and definitely not with Couts centering.  I'd rather Filpulla centering G&V than Coots.

[AJgoal]

Vecchione and Vorobyev sent down to the Phantoms. One more cut to make each at forward and defense.

[brelic]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/philadelphia-flyers-mike-vecchione-mikhail-vorobyev-20170927.html

Quote

 

The Flyers trimmed their roster to 25 players on Wednesday by sending centers Mike Vecchione and Mikhail Vorobyov to the American Hockey League’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

 

They need to get down to 23 players by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The season starts next Wednesday in San Jose.

 

The Flyers have two preseason games left — Boston on Thursday and the Islanders on Sunday, both at the Wells Fargo Center — and coach Dave Hakstol said he expected the final roster decisions to go “down to the wire.”

 

If the Flyers decide to keep impressive rookie defensemen Travis Sanheim, Sam Morin, and Robert Hagg, they might get down to 23 by sending Matt Read and Brandon Manning to the Phantoms. Both would probably clear waivers. Read has a $3.6-million cap hit, and Manning is coming off April back surgery.

 

If that happened, the Flyers would have six rookies, a club record for the start of the season: Sanheim, Morin, Hagg, Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, and Taylor Leier.

 

The speedy Leier would need to clear waivers if the Flyers tried to send him to Lehigh Valley, and that is a risk General Manager Ron Hextall might not want to take.

 

 

That would be pretty impressive if that happens. 

[brelic]

Another article that mentions the number of rookies.... and that Hextall is not opposed to carrying six.

 

https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flyers-young-defensemen-creating-enviably-tough-decisions--philadelphia-flyers/c-291400716

 

Quote

Hextall has stated repeatedly before and during training camp that he does not a pre-determined limit on the number of rookies who will make the team, whether it's forwards or defensemen or a combined number of both. Two caveats in the open roster spot battles: The young players had to earn roster spots based on camp performance, and the roster incumbents among their veteran competition would also have ample chance to defend their place on the roster. 

 

Meltzer seems to think Read and Leier are in a battle for the final roster spot. Something that may work in Leier's favour is that he could be plucked off waivers. How likely is that? Who knows. 

 

On defense, he seems to think it will come down to Sanheim or Hagg, and that MacDud will be in the mix of six on opening night with Manning as a probably 7th.

 

I would say that's probably what will happen if only to make Read and/or MacDud tradeable at some point. I know #47 is near impossible to move, so maybe it comes down to having a veteran presence, but Read might be easier to move, especially if we retain salary.