FLYERS QUICK HITS: AUG. 11, 2015

1) There were a lot of unpleasant developments for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2014-15 season. One of the few genuinely pleasant surprises for the team was the 21-goal campaign posted by Michael Raffl in his second NHL season.

As a first-year NHL player in 2013-14, Raffl showed his versatility in being deployed in a variety of different roles. He skated well, competed for the puck, showing a physical element to his game that caught some off-guard and adapted to the styles of a variety of different linemates.

One thing the Austrian struggled to do, however, was put the puck in the net. Even when he played on a line with Giroux and Voracek, it often took quite a few scoring chances for him to bag a goal.

Prior to the start of last season, Voracek told the media that he thought Raffl -- who shows good hands in practice but lacked the payoff in game situations a year ago -- had the ability to be a late-blooming 30-goal scorer in the NHL. People laughed, thinking Voracek was joking.

No one was laughing by the end of the 2014-15 campaign. While 30 goals is a very high bar to set for a role player in a league where hardly even the game's supreme goal-scorers make a push for 50 goals, Raffl topped the 20-goal mark despite missing 15 games due to a foot injury and, later, pneumonia. That was a very impressive accomplishment for a player who averaged only 25 seconds of power play time per game and scored 18 of his goals at even strength and one shorthanded.

If Raffl is deployed as the left winger on the top line at even strength and remains healthy for a full season, there is no reason why Raffl cannot post another 20 to 24 goals even if his shooting percentage dips a bit from the 15.7 percent mark he posted last year.

Raffl has found what works for himself offensively. He gets to the "greasy" areas and picks up his share of rebound, deflection and goal mouth scramble goals. He has also found some shooting sweet spots on the smaller-rink game. These are all things the 26-year-old can continue to build upon in the remaining games of this season and hopefully carry over into 2015-16.

Even when he does not produce points, Raffl has shown himself to be valuable in other ways. During the Craig Berube regime, he was used in various spots around the lineup and displayed the ability to play center as well as wing. He has posted good individual puck-possession numbers thus far in his NHL career. He is effective at applying back pressure and is quick to get in on the forecheck. He has an opportunity for improvement in his passing game.

Notably, Raffl played well on the road (11 goals, plus-five) in one of the worst road seasons in franchise history. Raffl also played physically despite his health issues, being credited with 172 hits and even faring unexpectedly well in a pair of fights.

Heading into the 2014-15 season, the expectations for Raffl will be a little higher than they were prior to his first two NHL campaigns. He is a complimentary NHL player but a good one.

Raffl is entering the final year of a contract that carries a $1.1 million cap hit. Raffl can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Many players have their best seasons in contract-drive years, and Raffl's push for a contract extension in Philadelphia or a nice UFA payday elsewhere will have plenty of motivation.

2) On Thursday, new Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol will lead an on-ice instruction section for Snider Hockey. Additionally, 10 kids from Snider Hockey recently traveled from Philadelphia to Minnesota to participate in MN Hockey Camps in the Brainerd Lakes area. Former Flyers fan favorite Scott Hartnell and the Hartnell Down foundation helped to make the trip possible.

3) For all the ubiquitous mentions of former University of North Dakota players being signed by the Flyers since the hiring of Hakstol -- specifically the organization's re-signing of Chris VandeVelde and the recent addition of Chris Porter -- it should be noted there are two players with UND ties who do not seem to have a role in the organizational picture for next season.

The first is Brett Hextall, who not only is a UND alum and Delaware Valley native but is also general manager Ron Hextall's son. It was during Brett's collegiate career that Ron Hextall formed his first impressions of Hakstol's coaching abilities. With the Phantoms' roster crowded and Brett remaining unsigned as an unrestricted free agent, the 27-year-old's status for next season is undetermined. His wife, Mamie, is an anesthesiologist doing her residency in Iowa City, Iowa.

The other is forward Michael Parks, who was drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Draft. Parks spent the last four seasons playing under Hakstol and UND before graduating earlier this year. Last month during the Flyers Development Camp in Voorhees, Hakstol said of Parks that he is a player who, at the collegiate level, was effective when he kept his game simple, played north-south and got to the net. Parks is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Aug. 15th.

4) Former Phantoms defenseman Steven Delisle has signed a contract for the 2014-15 season with the AHL's Springfield Falcons.

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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY FROM FlyersAlumni.org

1980: In a cash transaction with no players or draft picks exchanged, the Flyers sell the contract of John Paddock to the Quebec Nordiques.

2009: The Flyers sign Zac Rinaldo to an entry-level contract. On the same day, the Flyers also sign Danny Syvret, David Sloane and Nicola Riopel.

Alum Birthday: Ken Linseman

High-scoring center Ken Linseman was born Aug. 11, 1958. Known as much for his chippiness with his stick as his considerable skill with the puck, “The Rat” was no stranger to controversy during his career.

Drafted by the Flyers with the seventh overall pick of the 1978 NHL Draft, Linseman had already played in the rival WHA as an underaged player with the Birmingham Bulls. After posting 25 points in 30 NHL games for the Flyers in 1978-79, Linseman spent his first full season with the Flyers during the memorable 1979-80 campaign.

That year, playing for a team that posted a record 35-game unbeaten streak and fell two wins short of winning the Stanley Cup, Linseman centered the Rat Patrol line with rookie Brian Propp and veteran Paul Holmgren (a 30-goal scorer in his career year) as his linemates. Linseman posted 79 points in 80 games during the regular season and 22 points in 17 playoff tilts.

As a matter of fact, for the duration of his Flyers career, Linseman was one of the best playoff performers in franchise history. He posted 53 points in 41 playoff games.

In his final Philadelphia season before being the key component of the Aug. 20, 1982 blockbuster trade with Hartford that brought Mark Howe to Philadelphia, Linseman led the Flyers in scoring (92 points) while also racking 275 penalty minutes. Many of the PIMs came by virtue of high-sticking (he took 21 such penalties – and those are just the ones that got caught), slashing (nine) and misconducts.

Linseman returned to Philadelphia for a brief second stint in 1989-90 in a trade that sent former team captain Dave Poulin to the Bruins. "The Rat" was in decline by this point, and posted 14 points in 29 games.


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The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Ian Laperriere, Todd Fedoruk, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly.

Participation costs $3,000 apiece and you can register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.