Vinny is a cherry picker right now. He leaves the zone too early and constantly wanders from one side to the other.

His offense is purely based on getting breakaways, odd man rushes or PPGs. Whens the last time you saw him score from the result of a good forecheck or cycle? Its not like he plays with bad forecheckers or guys who can't cycle. He, constantly, tries finesse moves in tight spaces, which result in turnovers.

McGinn is not at talented as Vinny, but at least he won't play selfishly.
- PhillySportsGuy

That's simply not accurate. Lecavalier is constantly around the net offensively. Just take a look at the missed 3 post opportunity. It's simply false that Lecavalier is playing selfishly. There is plenty of room for criticism for Lecavalier, without just making stuff up.
Here's the deal as I see it with Lecavalier. He's looking much stronger on his skates in recent weeks. But what he's not showing is signs of being able to adapt or adjust to playing the left side. For whatever reason. So in the remaining time of the Season there's really 3 choices. Leave him on the left side on the 2nd line. Which clearly isn't working. Move him to Center, on either that line or another. I'd put Schenn at Wing, and Lecavalier at Center on that line. But it doesn't seem like Berube wants to do that. I love the job that Berube has done, but I think that is a mistake. I think that if they put Lecavalier back at Center on the 2nd line, the Flyers would again have a goal scoring threat there, and maximize Lecavalier.

Same. We all know they will shift around during the game, but maybe Chief is letting Vinny know he needs to find another gear. Or he's hoping plugging Vinny into C will spark him, even if it's with Hall and Rinaldo. Raffl helps that line generate some offense, maybe Vinny can too?
- wolfhounds

I'm hoping the move to the 4th line was more because they want to see what he does back at Center without displacing Schenn. Lecavalier hasn't been producing much lately, but anyone watching the games can see he is creating chances for him and his linemates. To me that means he is getting better, and maybe the only thing holding him back is not being comfortable on wing, a la Briere.

Neither is Schenn at center.
- MBFlyerfan

They've invested a lot of top 6 ice time in this kid.

I hope he's worth it.

You might be right and I think what Chief is doing is smart here, just to tease apart what it would take to make that 2nd line go.
- johndewar

Ive been wanting them to make this change for a while. It would look a lot better if they could have moved Raffl or Downie up to that spot, but whatever. They needed to do something with that 2nd line.

I know you hate it, but the advanced stats tell this stuff too.
- PhillySportsGuy

It's not even close... Schenn and Simmonds become positive possession players without Vinny.

Neither is Schenn at center.
- MBFlyerfan

I wish we could chart Schenn's numbers at center without Briere or VL. I bet they would look a lot better than people think.

You're the only one who believes this. Most people think Vinny is an anchor. Even the coaches seem at a loss when asked about him. I feel like Berube just wants to say "I don't know. What the (frank) do you want me to do with him?"

I know you hate it, but the advanced stats tell this stuff too.
- PhillySportsGuy

You can't look at the advanced stats and ignore the injury and position change. Nor can you ignore his production when he was at Center before the injury, and he was scoring at a 33 goal pace over a span of 25 games. But that just seems to be ignored because it doesn't fit the narrative.

Vinny hasn't been the same since the herniated disc

Ive been wanting them to make this change for a while. It would look a lot better if they could have moved Raffl or Downie up to that spot, but whatever. They needed to do something with that 2nd line.
- PhillySportsGuy

Teams are going to pretty much blanket Giroux from here on out.

If they don't get something from that 2nd line, they are deader than fried chicken.

Vinny hasn't been the same since the herniated disc
- Winning

I think Vinny looks better, physically, after the Olympic break.

I just don't think he can play wing (effectively) at this stage of his career.

You can't look at the advanced stats and ignore the injury and position change. Nor can you ignore his production when he was at Center before the injury, and he was scoring at a 33 goal pace over a span of 25 games. But that just seems to be ignored because it doesn't fit the narrative.
- MJL

He had a good first month of the season! His shooting percentage was 19.2% for the first month and 17.4% for the 2nd month. His career shooting percentage is 12.4%. He was never going to sustain those numbers!

You're the only one who believes this. Most people think Vinny is an anchor. Even the coaches seem at a loss when asked about him. I feel like Berube just wants to say "I don't know. What the (frank) do you want me to do with him?"

I know you hate it, but the advanced stats tell this stuff too.
- PhillySportsGuy

And, not being an advanced stats geek (it's what killed baseball for me), my eyeballs say Vinny just doesn't fit anywhere right now. Maybe never would on this team. And thus beware of players not on your radar who approach you about signing. They weren't on your radar because you didn't need them.

I think Vinny looks better, physically, after the Olympic break.

I just don't think he can play wing (effectively) at this stage of his career.
- johndewar

Yeah, a finesse player with a bad back asked to play a net-front role was always a head scratcher... save him for o-zone situations and play the crap out of him on the PP... it's just a more efficient use of the pieces at hand.

Vinny hasn't been the same since the herniated disc
- Winning

Didn't have a herniated disk. No soft tissue injury. He had a broken back. Bone injury. He's looked less tentative since the Olympic break. But he's just slow as molasses, and was even before the broken back.

Lines at morning skate, per our 50 million beat writers.
- The_Universe[/quote]

And, not being an advanced stats geek (it's what killed baseball for me), my eyeballs say Vinny just doesn't fit anywhere right now. Maybe never would on this team. And thus beware of players not on your radar who approach you about signing. They weren't on your radar because you didn't need them.
- bodiva88

I know. That 4.5M could come in handy this summer too.

I don't completely rely on advanced stats, but when my eyes tell me the same thing as the numbers, it just reinforces my belief even further.

I think Vinny looks better, physically, after the Olympic break.

I just don't think he can play wing (effectively) at this stage of his career.
- johndewar

This.

And I'll add that it doesn't help putting him on a line with 2 other players that arent great defensively or particularly fast either.

Yeah, a finesse player with a bad back asked to play a net-front role was always a head scratcher... save him for o-zone situations and play the crap out of him on the PP... it's just a more efficient use of the pieces at hand.
- Tomahawk

Exactly. Use him like a platoon player in baseball. Find the right match ups and situations, but don't use him as an everyday player.

- BulliesPhan87

Exactly. Use him like a platoon player in baseball. Find the right match ups and situations, but don't use him as an everyday player.
- PhillySportsGuy

I wouldn't mind seeing them take Hartnell off the top PP and camp Vinny in the high slot for that quick one-timer.

I'm willing to give this a go, but TBH, I'm not a Brayden Schenn fan at all.

I know he's young and yada yada yada.

But he was non-existent in the last two games when things got tight.
- johndewar

schenn's valuable when he's scoring goals 1 foot from the goal line. that's what he does best. when he's not doing that, well...i don't see "the little things" cliche that are so often important away from the puck...but that could entirely wrong.

- BulliesPhan87

that's my job.

I wish we could chart Schenn's numbers at center without Briere or VL. I bet they would look a lot better than people think.
- PhillySportsGuy

Schenn went 16 games this season without a goal at one point. It just happen to coincide with VLC being out with the back injury.

Im not saying they were directly related, but what I am saying is that Schenn was obviously playing center at that point and produced nothing. I think it is a fallacy to say that he plays much better at center. I agree with MJL that the best course would have been to put VLC back at center and move Schenn to wing. I think helping to improve VLC may also help Schenns game as well.

Lecavalier was beloved in TB. Obviously Yzerman had a good idea he was cooked, or he wouldn't have been a buyout.

His contract is going to be an albatross for the remaining term.

Schenn went 16 games this season without a goal at one point. It just happen to coincide with VLC being out with the back injury.

Im not saying they were directly related, but what I am saying is that Schenn was obviously playing center at that point and produced nothing. I think it is a fallacy to say that he plays much better at center. I agree with MJL that the best course would have been to put VLC back at center and move Schenn to wing. I think helping to improve VLC may also help Schenns game as well.
- MBFlyerfan

Schenn also gets no PP time. And quite a few players have gone some serious stretches without a goal this season, and most of them were seeing regular PP shifts. I'm not sure there's any connection with VL.