QUICK HITS: MAY 28, 2017

1) Several people have asked where Mike Vecchione fits in with the Flyers next season. Will the Hobey Baker finalist, who appeared in two of the final three games of the 2016-17 season after signing a contract with the Flyers on March 31, be on the opening night roster? Will he be with the Phantoms instead? How will the Flyers gaining the second overall pick of the 2017 Draft impact Vecchione's future, both in the short-term and the long term?

The answer to all of these questions is that Vecchione will have to play his way onto the Flyers' roster and find his niche. Nothing but an opportunity -- and a competitive signing bonus and immediate entry-level contract burn-off -- were offered to him before he signed with the Flyers. There is no guaranteed roster spot for him and no assurance that he will not be asked to move to a wing rather than his preferred center position.

As a matter of fact, Vecchione's best bet for the long term may be to play wing especially if he is going to play in the top nine. In all likelihood, the Flyers will draft a center (probably Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier) with the second pick of the 2017 Draft. That player will have a chance -- but also not a promise -- to go directly to the NHL next season. The club's 2016 first-round pick, German Rubtsov, is also a natural center and fellow Russian prospect Mikhail Vorobyov is yet another center.

Vecchione, who is less than three months younger than veteran Sean Couturier (a good reminder that players develop at different paces), is a restricted free agent this summer. He will certainly get a qualifying offer and be re-signed. The rest will be up to him. Scott Laughton is in the same boat if he is not selected by Vegas in the NHL Expansion Draft or traded over the summer.

2) May 28 marks the 30th anniversary of Game 6 of the 1987 Stanley Cup Final between the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers. Although the Flyers team fell just a bit short of claiming hockey's ultimate reward in Game 7, the mid-1980s teams were a bunch that was every bit as worthy of being fondly remembered as the Broad Street Bullies teams of the 1970s. As Dave Poulin eloquently said after the 50th Anniversary game in January, the teams from his era "walk together forever" in the same fashion as the 1970s squads, even if the former fell three wins (1985) and one win (1987) shy of the Stanley Cup.



Speaking of the Flyers' teams from that era, in a few days, a group of Flyers Alumni will be getting together for a private memorial event for Ilkka Sinisalo, who passed away on April 5 at age 58 after a battle with prostate cancer. Brad Marsh pointed out this past week that the 1980s Flyers were among the first teams in the NHL to extensively use offensive-oriented forwards -- such as Brian Propp and Sinisalo -- in penalty-killing duties along with two-way blueline star Mark Howe and Selke Trophy winner Dave Poulin. As a team, the Flyers scored 19 shorthanded goals in 1984-85, 17 in 1985-86, and 16 in 1985-96.

Finally, happy birthday wishes go out to Hall of Fame defenseman Howe. He turns 62 on May 28.

3) Former Flyers and Phantoms tough guy Jay Rosehill spent last season playing in the EIHL (United Kingdom) for the Braehead Clan. He has re-upped for another season in the league, but will be changing teams to play for the Manchester Storm.

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