Just so much acid right now
- PhillySportsGuy

What does it say about the Flyers other dmen, when Schultz who was awful in pre-season, and was signed to be the teams 7th defenseman, comes in and is second in ice time?
- PLindbergh31

That they have a few 2nd pair guys and a lot of 3rd pair and #7 type guys but lack a real #1 and 2 defensemen? And their borderline #2 guy is hurt?

That they have a few 2nd pair guys and a lot of 3rd pair and #7 type guys but lack a real #1 and 2 defensemen? And their borderline #2 guy is hurt?
- Marc D

Yup, pretty much a recipe for a lottery pick.

If they keep him on wing, they're effectively limiting him to Troy Brouwer. I still believe there's more to him than that, but he's a Schenn, so...
- Tomahawk

I just don't see the playmaking ability in him to be a top 6 center.

He's a tight-rope walker... no doubt.

Take him out of the lineup, though... does anybody here want to find out what a Shultz/Schenn pairing looks like? I don't.


- Tomahawk

I'm not saying it has to be Michael Del Zotto, but the Flyers need to have a player with his skillset on the roster. It could be Ghost, or Sanheim in a few years, whatever.

That doesn't mean they can't play defense, be responsible. But guys like Torey Krug and Kris Russell are just as valuable as shutdown defensemen who are sporadic in moving a puck or joining a rush -- the Flyers have to get used to the changes in this league. Not every player can be Zdeno Chara, and not every player should be like Grossmann and Coburn and Schenn.

There has to be some level of risk on defense, anymore. Sometimes it won't be pretty, but it's just as ugly to have defensemen who can't move a puck very well

I just don't see the playmaking ability in him to be a top 6 center.
- Feanor

Agreed, not to mention the play away from the puck. Put him at Wing, leave him at Wing. And let him use the skills to do what he does best.

Just playing possum.
- Tomahawk

Yup, pretty much a recipe for a lottery pick.
- BiggE

The Flyers definitely deserve some good Karma. The hockey gods should owe them a lottery win after all the poop this franchise has been through.

I just don't see the playmaking ability in him to be a top 6 center.
- Feanor

So he's not ever going to be a smaller version of Joe Thorton?

I'll reset my expectations.

Maybe the next Mike Richards, we hear that a lot.

I'm not saying it has to be Michael Del Zotto, but the Flyers need to have a player with his skillset on the roster. It could be Ghost, or Sanheim in a few years, whatever.

That doesn't mean they can't play defense, be responsible. But guys like Torey Krug and Kris Russell are just as valuable as shutdown defensemen who are sporadic in moving a puck or joining a rush -- the Flyers have to get used to the changes in this league. Not every player can be Zdeno Chara, and not every player should be like Grossmann and Coburn and Schenn.

There has to be some level of risk on defense, anymore. Sometimes it won't be pretty, but it's just as ugly to have defensemen who can't move a puck very well
- AllInForFlyers

The reason why a team like Boston can get away with using a player like Krug, is because of the team game that they play. And how well they support the defense. Not only do the Flyers defenseman have to clean up some of the errors they have made to this point. But playing a strong team game will go along way to improving the Flyers defense.

Yup, pretty much a recipe for a lottery pick.
- BiggE

The NJ Devils went to the Cup finals with a similar recipe a few years ago.

I just don't see the playmaking ability in him to be a top 6 center.
- Feanor

His most successful stints as a Flyer have been at center with two, top six wingers. Think about the lines he's always played on. How often has he been saddled with VL or Briere? I'd say most of his career has been with either of those guys and both of them have struggled over the last 3 years.

The NJ Devils went to the Cup finals with a similar recipe a few years ago.
- MJL

You just keep telling yourself that, I, for one, am not holding my breath.

I just don't see the playmaking ability in him to be a top 6 center.
- Feanor

What works best for him, judging from his junior days, is to have two really fast wingers who can push the D back on rushes, and he comes in late and fires lasers on net from the middle/right, or fake shot and feed back-door. Glennie and Calvert were perfect for him. Maybe he could find similar magic w/ Raffl/Read/Bellemare here.

The Flyers definitely deserve some good Karma. The hockey gods should owe them a lottery win after all the poop this franchise has been through.
- PhillySportsGuy

Amen!

His most successful stints as a Flyer have been at center with two, top six wingers. Think about the lines he's always played on. How often has he been saddled with VL or Briere? I'd say most of his career has been with either of those guys and both of them have struggled over the last 3 years.
- PhillySportsGuy

Schenn can play center, and he's just fine at it -- McGinn-Schenn-Voracek, Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds have been just fine

Just because the Flyers want him to be a LW doesn't mean he can't play center, because he's shown that he can

The NJ Devils went to the Cup finals with a similar recipe a few years ago.
- MJL

That was more the exception to the rule than the norm though

Yup, pretty much a recipe for a lottery pick.
- BiggE

It's close to it.

You need to stir in a Streit slapper concussing Giroux and then you have the recipe down.

His most successful stints as a Flyer have been at center with two, top six wingers. Think about the lines he's always played on. How often has he been saddled with VL or Briere? I'd say most of his career has been with either of those guys and both of them have struggled over the last 3 years.
- PhillySportsGuy

If he really is best at center and can't adjust to wing, which I admit is possible, then we should be getting offers for him since the short term centers are G, Coots, Vinny and the long term centers are G, Coots, Laughton.

His faceoff numbers have gotten worse every year in Philly, which is concerning.

Schenn can play center, and he's just fine at it -- McGinn-Schenn-Voracek, Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds have been just fine
- AllInForFlyers

I know. Berube makes no sense to me sometimes. Things would be going well then he'd break up a line to appease VL. Raffl-G-Jake had great success along with Hartnell-Schenn-Simmonds, but Berube felt the need to break those lines up because VL wouldn't fit in the lineup unless it was on the 2nd line.

The Flyers definitely deserve some good Karma. The hockey gods should owe them a lottery win after all the poop this franchise has been through.
- PhillySportsGuy

More likely, we're just seeing the manifestation of karmic retribution from all the soul-selling and deep-pocket bullying that Snider's employed over the years.

What works best for him, judging from his junior days, is to have two really fast wingers who can push the D back on rushes, and he comes in late and fires lasers on net from the middle/right, or fake shot and feed back-door. Glennie and Calvert were perfect for him. Maybe he could find similar magic w/ Raffl/Read/Bellemare here.
- Tomahawk

There were a handful of games with Schenn centering Voracek that he looked really good. He also has chemistry centering Simmonds.

That they have a few 2nd pair guys and a lot of 3rd pair and #7 type guys but lack a real #1 and 2 defensemen? And their borderline #2 guy is hurt?
- Marc D

When a defenseman is injured, isn't it logical for someone already in the lineup to move up and pick up the injured players minutes? Inserting a journeyman 7th type guy and placing him on the top pairing, means there is a lot of issues. But I guess we already know that.

What works best for him, judging from his junior days, is to have two really fast wingers who can push the D back on rushes, and he comes in late and fires lasers on net from the middle/right, or fake shot and feed back-door. Glennie and Calvert were perfect for him. Maybe he could find similar magic w/ Raffl/Read/Bellemare here.
- Tomahawk

At this point, I'd try any combos that may work:

Raffl-Giroux-Simmonds
Bellemare-Schenn-Voracek
Umberger-Coots-Read
Rinaldo-Jones-Akeson

When VLC comes back start him on the 4th line if Schenn is playing well or on the 2nd if he's not. Hell, it really doesn't matter what the lines are, if the forwards, all freakin 12 of them, don't commit to playing smart positional defense and provide the D with short gaps, they aren't going anywhere.

I'm not saying it has to be Michael Del Zotto, but the Flyers need to have a player with his skillset on the roster. It could be Ghost, or Sanheim in a few years, whatever.

That doesn't mean they can't play defense, be responsible. But guys like Torey Krug and Kris Russell are just as valuable as shutdown defensemen who are sporadic in moving a puck or joining a rush -- the Flyers have to get used to the changes in this league. Not every player can be Zdeno Chara, and not every player should be like Grossmann and Coburn and Schenn.

There has to be some level of risk on defense, anymore. Sometimes it won't be pretty, but it's just as ugly to have defensemen who can't move a puck very well
- AllInForFlyers

You need a good mix on defense. The Flyers have had a lot of redundancies on the blueline the last two seasons since Matt Carle walked. Coburn, Schenn, Schultz and Grossmann are predominantly stay at home dmen, with Coburn being the only good skater of the bunch. With Timonen out, Streit is the only legit puck mover but he's not the passer Carle was. Del Zotto can move the puck too but he has other drawbacks as we know. MacDonald is a two way guy. He's mobile and can move the puck some while playing solid in his own end. Obviously a number one guy that could play a good two way game would be invaluable.

Last year, Gus was really the only player with his skill set on the team which was why a lot of people were calling for him to get into the lineup regularly. It wasn't like Gus was some diamond in the rough that never got a chance. He had an average skill set but it was one that the Flyers were in dire need of at the time.