I'm going to throw a random point out here and see what ya guys think...

I have a feeling next season will be a pretty positive season, or another negative one.

On the positive side, I hold hope when I think of last years Vancouver. Horrid season, made a few key personnel moves, new coach, a few players had some good bounce back seasons.

On the negative side I think of our defense. Our "elite" prospects probably won't be ready. Chances are that our defense is still in shambles barring a trade for a bona fide #1 dman. Still have a weakness at wing, and secondary scoring. And on top of that I think CBJ is going to make a splash next year. THe past week or two, they've been on fire and I think a lot of that has to do with them getting a lot of their players healthy and finding their game. Hopefully they don't cause too much frustration next season.

Less Ollie, more Hagg
- PhillySportsGuy

Whatever the deal is, I think it's time to move Coliacovo out of the lineup at this point. Whether it's Hagg, Lauridsen, Manning, Alt...it's just time to let him sit down.

Luke out for the rest of the season?


http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=735111
- MBFlyerfan

Out 2-3 weeks with (LBI) "Foot-in-Mouth" disease for publicly backing Steve Mason at the expense of Coach Chief.

Whatever the deal is, I think it's time to move Coliacovo out of the lineup at this point. Whether it's Hagg, Lauridsen, Manning, Alt...it's just time to let him sit down.
- jmatchett383

Colaiacovo has actually gotten stronger as the season has gone on. He's been playing pretty decent hockey lately, after a slow start.

Whatever the deal is, I think it's time to move Coliacovo out of the lineup at this point. Whether it's Hagg, Lauridsen, Manning, Alt...it's just time to let him sit down.
- jmatchett383

Yep, no pressure at this point. Start getting them in the lineup to give them a taste of the NHL. You can tell a player what they need to improve on all you want, but I don't think it really sets in until they actually experience it first hand. Let them feel the speed difference, the pace, the skill level where 3rd and 4th liners are better than any player you face in the AHL.

Its not going to hurt their development. If they aren't ready, let them see first hand why they aren't ready.

As a freshman in college I didn't realize I needed to learn how to hit a college curve ball until I faced a college curve ball. Or that I was a millisecond behind the fastball until I faced the fastball. Experience counts.

Look, just because Claude Giroux regularly leads the league in goals without roughly 55/170 on an annual basis (playing with Voracek and Hartnell after Jagr retired in 2016) shows that there's no reason we can't expect to trade Brayden Schenn and Erik Gustafsson for Jacob Trouba and that Sean Couturier can't be a consistent 30/75 guy playing on a 3rd line with Matt Read and Danny Briere.
- jmatchett383

Agreed.

Edit: Good to see ya kept Danny B, that he swimmingly converted to RW, and that a line of Read, Cooter, and Briere can take on the larger blue lines of NHL15.

Yep, no pressure at this point. Start getting them in the lineup to give them a taste of the NHL. You can tell a player what they need to improve on all you want, but I don't think it really sets in until they actually experience it first hand. Let them feel the speed difference, the pace, the skill level where 3rd and 4th liners are better than any player you face in the AHL.

Its not going to hurt their development. If they aren't ready, let them see first hand why they aren't ready.

As a freshman in college I didn't realize I needed to learn how to hit a college curve ball until I faced a college curve ball. Or that I was a millisecond behind the fastball until I faced the fastball. Experience counts.
- MBFlyerfan

totally agree, perfect time to start playing the kids, nothing to gain by winning, might as well see what fruit our farm system has bared.

Yep, no pressure at this point. Start getting them in the lineup to give them a taste of the NHL. You can tell a player what they need to improve on all you want, but I don't think it really sets in until they actually experience it first hand. Let them feel the speed difference, the pace, the skill level where 3rd and 4th liners are better than any player you face in the AHL.

Its not going to hurt their development. If they aren't ready, let them see first hand why they aren't ready.

As a freshman in college I didn't realize I needed to learn how to hit a college curve ball until I faced a college curve ball. Or that I was a millisecond behind the fastball until I faced the fastball. Experience counts.
- MBFlyerfan

Do you remember the first time you saw a good curve? My knees buckled like they never have. (frank)er threw it for the first time on a 3-2 count.

Colaiacovo has actually gotten stronger as the season has gone on. He's been playing pretty decent hockey lately, after a slow start.
- MJL

That's fine. However, my point is that he's likely not coming back next season, he's a known commodity, and since we've only got a handful of games left until the end of the season, why not see what some of the kids can do?

Thanks Bill. Any news about what Brind'amour is doing now? I think that he would make a great assistant coach. He brought a strong work ethic, fitness, and the ability to see the ice with whatever team he was playing for.
My knock against the guys that were playing with the Phantoms during the lockout, was that they were considered poorly motivated, and not willing to put in the extra effort while waiting for the NHL to start up again; the coach's words, not mine. Thus, I don't have a lot of faith in those players until they can compete every night. I don't expect them to win every game, however I would like to see the compete in every game.
The forwards are my biggest concern right now. They don't seem to play at both ends of the ice, and continue to watch the puck as it is passed around. This has plagued them since they started playing with the Flyers. Go to the net, help your D men out, make the extra effort to get off the ice during a line change....etc. I thought that this was hockey 101, but some of these guys sit back, and collect their pay checks.
White has to earn his contract every year, and thus can't let up, or sit back. He is a good model to follow. I just hope that someone in the locker room can stand up, and start getting on these guys to actually play some consistent hockey. Until then, I can see this Flyers team as a .500 team.

Do you remember the first time you saw a good curve? My knees buckled like they never have. (frank)er threw it for the first time on a 3-2 count.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yep, it was an 10 to 4 nightmare, I still feel my knees going squirrely.

He also zipped a 94 mph fastball past my chest on the same at bat.

I saw 90 mph fastballs in high school, but never saw a curve like that until College.

That's fine. However, my point is that he's likely not coming back next season, he's a known commodity, and since we've only got a handful of games left until the end of the season, why not see what some of the kids can do?
- jmatchett383

From a player standpoint, that's fine. There are cap reasons not to though, if anyone cares about such things.

Yep, it was an 10 to 4 nightmare, I still feel my knees going squirrely.

He also zipped a 94 mph fastball past my chest on the same at bat.

I saw 90 mph fastballs in high school, but never saw a curve like that until College.

- MBFlyerfan

It wasn't even the drop of the pitch. It's the change of speed. That was the hardest part for me. Takes a long time to learn to adjust to different pitch speeds. I never really did. I just hoped it wasn't a strike

Agreed.

Edit: Good to see ya kept Danny B, that he swimmingly converted to RW, and that a line of Read, Cooter, and Briere can take on the larger blue lines of NHL15.
- Moose_15

Well, after I traded Lecavalier, Luke Schenn, and 2 1sts for Shea Weber and activated Pronger off of LTIR, my next moves were:

1) acquire Jaromir Jagr for some late picks
2) trade Zac Rinaldo + for Max Talbot
3) trade a bunch of Zack Fitzgerlad/Cullen Eddy types for Briere.

I should totally be a GM. I was even able to acquire the 7th overall pick in 2015 and flip it, along with a second and (I think) Grossmann for the top pick and get McDavid.

That's fine. However, my point is that he's likely not coming back next season, he's a known commodity, and since we've only got a handful of games left until the end of the season, why not see what some of the kids can do?
- jmatchett383

Probably depends on what they're allowed to bring up based on their cap. It was really, really close at points this season. Not sure how many guys they could just bring up simultaneously for a cup of tea without moving guys to LTIR.

From a player standpoint, that's fine. There are cap reasons not to though, if anyone cares about such things.
- MJL

And the fact you can only use so many call ups.


But people think this is NHL15

From a player standpoint, that's fine. There are cap reasons not to though, if anyone cares about such things.
- MJL

I'll take whatever penalties 6 games of Hagg over Coliacovo will tack on.

Probably depends on what they're allowed to bring up based on their cap. It was really, really close at points this season. Not sure how many guys they could just bring up simultaneously for a cup of tea without moving guys to LTIR.
- Moose_15

I'm no cap expert, but, for the current moment it time, wouldn't placing Coliacovo on waivers work?

Well, after I traded Lecavalier, Luke Schenn, and 2 1sts for Shea Weber and activated Pronger off of LTIR, my next moves were:

1) acquire Jaromir Jagr for some late picks
2) trade Zac Rinaldo + for Max Talbot
3) trade a bunch of Zack Fitzgerlad/Cullen Eddy types for Briere.

I should totally be a GM. I was even able to acquire the 7th overall pick in 2015 and flip it, along with a second and (I think) Grossmann for the top pick and get McDavid.
- jmatchett383

Was this before or after you created Jay Machette #83 -- 6'9" 255 lb RH shooting defenseman to an ELC?

I'm no cap expert, but, for the current moment it time, wouldn't placing Coliacovo on waivers work?
- jmatchett383

I don't know. Maybe. He probably makes less on his one-way NHL deal than some of the Phantoms players would make during their call-ups based on the structure of their two-way deals. NHL cap is still calculated day-to-day, right?

Was this before or after you created Jay Machette #83 -- 6'9" 255 lb RH shooting defenseman to an ELC?
- Moose_15

No, the 5'9 160 lb Joe Matchett existed in an alternate reality where he led all WHL players in goals, assists, hits, PIM, and went #1 overall to the Islanders and immediately requested a trade.

He was a RH defenseman though. And there is no "e" on the end of my name, and my first name is Joe.

I don't know. Maybe. He probably makes less on his one-way NHL deal than some of the Phantoms players would make during their call-ups based on the structure of their two-way deals. NHL cap is still calculated day-to-day, right?
- Moose_15

'tis. I don't have the numbers, but I assumed that trading Coburn bought us some cap space.

This is a very telling graphic, and a stat that needs to change.

No, the 5'9 160 lb Joe Matchett existed in an alternate reality where he led all WHL players in goals, assists, hits, PIM, and went #1 overall to the Islanders and immediately requested a trade.

He was a RH defenseman though. And there is no "e" on the end of my name, and my first name is Joe.
- jmatchett383

Ah -- I was going for this player. I spelt "machete" incorrectly.



Good to meet you, Joe.

No, the 5'9 160 lb Joe Matchett existed in an alternate reality where he led all WHL players in goals, assists, hits, PIM, and went #1 overall to the Islanders and immediately requested a trade.

He was a RH defenseman though. And there is no "e" on the end of my name, and my first name is Joe.
- jmatchett383