MELTZER'S MUSINGS: JUNE 29, 2015
1) The Philadelphia Flyers' newest acquisition, forward
Sam Gagner, is well aware of the fact that he may not get the opportunity to wear a Flyers uniform next season. Speaking to reporters in a conference call on Sunday, Gagner said repeatedly that he'd like to play for the Flyers if they can fit his $3.2 million cap hit into their cap-management plan for next season.
"From the conversations I had, it's just trying to figure out where I fit amongst the cap," Gagner said. "They said they like me as a player and they're going to try to make it work."
Gagner, who said he is comfortable playing any forward position as needed, added that he is highly motivated to prove his doubters wrong and have a strong season in the final year of his contract. He would like for it to be in Philadelphia but would understand if the team buys him out or trades him again. The player conceded, however, that the uncertainty is stressful.
"It’s not the easiest of times, that’s for sure. My wife’s pregnant and I’ve got a lot going on at home, and this kind of thing happens," said Gagner.
"But at the end of the day, I think this is going to make me stronger. I think Philly likes me, it’s just a matter of finding the dollars that work. Sometimes that doesn’t happen in the cap market today. It’s just the nature of the business. But for myself, it doesn’t change things. I’m looking to come into camp, wherever it is, hopefully it’s Philly, but if not, I’m going to be ready to go and prepared to have a really good season and be a big part of hopefully a winning team."
Gagner will not have to wait long to find out if the Flyers are going to buy him out. Flyers general manager
Ron Hextall said on Saturday that the organizational brass will meet on Monday and come up with a plan. The NHL buyout period ends on Tuesday with free agency starting on July 1.
2) Congratulations to Flyers/Phantoms goaltender
Rob Zepp and wife Melissa on the birth of their family's third child. On June 23rd, Melissa delivered a healthy baby girl named Zoë Violet. The baby joins siblings Gavin and Madelyn.
Rob Zepp reports that all is well with his family and baby Zoë "is a doll."
The goaltender, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, has said that he would like to remain in the organization if it's in the cards to do so.
3) Although no official announcement has been made yet by the Flyers, multiple sources say that the team has hired
Kim Dillabaugh as its new NHL goaltending coach. A formal announcement is expected this week.
Dillaugh spent the last eight years as the Los Angeles Kings' goaltending development coach. He worked with Hextall, formerly the Kings' assistant general manager and the general manager of the AHL's Manchester Monarchs, for six years. Several NHL teams asked Kings' general manager
Dean Lombardi for permission to speak to the 37-year-old Dillabaugh this offseason, and Dillabaugh opted to accept the Flyers' offer.
It is not currently known if Hextall intends to hire a separate goaltending development coach to work in conjunction with Dillabaugh. A growing number of NHL organizations have added a goalie development position instead of having the entire responsibility -- both at the NHL level and assisting prospects -- on one person.
After the Flyers drafted three goaltenders in the 2015 NHL Draft -- Swedish netminder
Felix Sandström, University of North Dakota bound Slovak goalie
Matej Tomek and towering Russian goalie
Ivan Fedotov -- the organization now has five prospect-aged goaltenders in the development system. Former second-round pick
Anthony Stolarz is set to play his second pro season with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms while
Merrick Madsen will enter his sophomore year at Harvard University.
Adding a full-time or part-time goalie development coach to current full-time development coaches
Kjell Samuelsson (defensemen) and
John Riley (forwards) would seem to be the next logical step in streamlining the organization's developmental approach.
4) The Flyers' impending decision on Gagner will have direct impact on the likelihood that 2012 first-round pick
Scott Laughton opens the 2015-16 season in the NHL (assuming the Flyers have an otherwise healthy lineup). Laughton's professional rookie season was a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Laughton started out the season in dominant fashion at the AHL level and earned his first extended NHL look with the Flyers. For a time, it looked like he might even stick for the long haul with the Flyers. A concussion and a downturn in his subsequent play led to Laughton being returned to the AHL for the rest of the year.
The young forward continued to struggle upon getting back to the Phantoms. Later, he admitted that his confidence dipped for awhile. However, Laughton closed out the season with several strong weeks reminiscent of his early-season play. Overall, Laughton dressed in 39 of the Phantoms' 76 games in 2014-15.
If the Flyers do not retain Gagner and are able to extricate themselves from their ties to
Vincent Lecavalier (and vice versa, because Lecavalier has made it clear that he wants to be elsewhere), the odds of Laughton finding an NHL spot improve significantly.
5) It is always interesting to hear different scouts and pundits report on the same player. Sometimes, what they have to say is diametrically opposite to what other sources say. This is especially true about things such as two-way play, competitiveness and even skating ability. It largely depends on when viewings took place.
For example, TSN scouting director
Craig Button has said numerous times that he thinks Flyers first-round pick
Travis Konecny needs to improve his skating to be an effective NHL player. Television commentator
Pierre McGuire parroted the same sentiment.
It is worth noting, however, that Konecny won the
2014-15 OHL Coaches Poll in the best skater category for the Eastern Conference. Moreover, after the Flyers selected Konecny with the 24th overall pick of the first round, one of the first things Hextall noted about the player was his outstanding speed. Scouts from two other NHL organizations also praised the player's skating along with his puck skills and competitive drive.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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