FLYERS

12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek
22 Dale Weise - 10-Brayden Schenn - 17 Wayne Simmonds
25 Nick Cousins - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read
76 Chris VandeVelde - 78 P-E Bellemare - 13 Roman Lyubimov
9 Ivan Provorov - 47 Andrew MacDonald
32 Mark Streit - 55 Nick Schultz
23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas

30 Michal Neuvirth

- Flyers Time[35 Steve Mason]

TBH Im okay with Peb, Lyubimov and Cousins in bottom 6 roles.
Just like I would love to have Raffl in a bottom 6 role.

The direction the Flyers have picked and are trying to head towards, is to become a top team . Regardless of how much their players weigh.
- MJL

Is that all Hextall is trying to build? The Kings emphasize bigger wings that win board battles and move the puck quickly. The Kings got to being a top team by getting bigger and heavier. Chicago not necessarily. Pittsburgh certainly not. The way Hextall has been drafting is making me think he's trying to follow the king model. Signing a player like Weise to a multi-year deal makes me think he's following that model. It's fair to question the future of the smaller players in the organization and how they can fit

Question:

If the team keeps winning and playing well(meaning no wins where the goalie steaks one), do you stick with the same lineup/scratches?

Assuming no one plays terribly, you have to, right?

Question:

If the team keeps winning and playing well(meaning no wins where the goalie steaks one), do you stick with the same lineup/scratches?

Assuming no one plays terribly, you have to, right?
- Nucker101

That is a tough spot..
If you end up sitting TK and Ghost for 4 or more games then are you hurting their growth? If you are winning though its tough to say change.

On the coaching side Lemaire, Bowman and every other coach didnt start their coaching career with decades of success as an NHL coach.

So far I dont think Hak has been great but I dont think he has been horrible, still he is not even through his full 2 season as a coach.
- opeth_pa

Actually Bowman had about as good a start to his career as any NHL coach. In each of his first 3 seasons as an NHL head coach he took St. Louis to the finals. Yeah, they didn't win a game in the finals against the "original six" teams, but winning 6 straight rounds against their fellow 67 expansion foes over 3 years is still pretty damned impressive.

edit: I'm not asking for Hak to be fired or writing him off after 1+ seasons, but OTOH, I'm far from overwhelmed by him either.

That is a tough spot..
If you end up sitting TK and Ghost for 4 or more games then are you hurting their growth? If you are winning though its tough to say change.
- opeth_pa

Kind of depends on how you win. If you are winning 2-1 games in which you are getting clearly outplayed, generating little offense and only winning because your goalies are stealing points, then I could certainly see 1 or both of the kids back in the lineup.

Is that all Hextall is trying to build? The Kings emphasize bigger wings that win board battles and move the puck quickly. The Kings got to being a top team by getting bigger and heavier. Chicago not necessarily. Pittsburgh certainly not. The way Hextall has been drafting is making me think he's trying to follow the king model. Signing a player like Weise to a multi-year deal makes me think he's following that model. It's fair to question the future of the smaller players in the organization and how they can fit
- Just5

You're right. They should get rid of Konecny and Gostisbehere now. Just too small.

You're right. They should get rid of Konecny and Gostisbehere now. Just too small.
- MJL

yup, and Calgary should be waiving Gaudreau any day now.

Actually Bowman had about as good a start to his career as any NHL coach. In each of his first 3 seasons as an NHL head coach he took St. Louis to the finals. Yeah, they didn't win a game in the finals against the "original six" teams, but winning 6 straight rounds against their fellow 67 expansion foes over 3 years is still pretty damned impressive.

edit: I'm not asking for Hak to be fired or writing him off after 1+ seasons, but OTOH, I'm far from overwhelmed by him either.
- BiggE

A fair point though Bowman is the exception and not the rule in coaching.

For all our complaining about Hak he is a .575 winning % over the first 134 games of his coaching career which really isnt horrible.

A fair point though Bowman is the exception and not the rule in coaching.

For all our complaining about Hak he is a .575 winning % over the first 134 games of his coaching career which really isnt horrible.
- opeth_pa

Like I said, for me, the jury is still out. There are things I like (his overall system of play) and things I don't (his use of personnel). However, I won't really make up my mind one way or the other until I see what he can do when he has some more talent to work with. I truly hope he pleasantly surprises me.

Like I said, for me, the jury is still out. There are things I like (his overall system of play) and things I don't (his use of personnel). However, I won't really make up my mind one way or the other until I see what he can do when he has some more talent to work with. I truly hope he pleasantly surprises me.
- BiggE

Yup, well said.
Im interested to see how Hak does with Morin, Sanheim, NAK, Germany and the other prospects up here..

A fair point though Bowman is the exception and not the rule in coaching.

For all our complaining about Hak he is a .575 winning % over the first 134 games of his coaching career which really isnt horrible.
- opeth_pa

In my opinion, Hakstol is a very good hockey coach. The jury is still out on how good an NHL coach he will eventually become.

2-1 Flyers

Schultz scores the game winner off of an impossible deflection that will keep him in the line up forever

That would be a true spectacle considering he is a healthy scratch.

yup, and Calgary should be waiving Gaudreau any day now.

- BiggE

LA Kings would have no use for Patrick Kane.

I know Ghost is having a rough season but I have wonder if this is the most effective way to get him to improve.

I know Ghost is having a rough season but I have wonder if this is the most effective way to get him to improve.
- LJF

That's fair to wonder. He hasn't seemed to improve by playing regularly. Either way, it is completely up to Gostisbehere.

How close does Ghost get us to Matt Duchene? Simply playing devils advocate here.

That's fair to wonder. He hasn't seemed to improve by playing regularly. Either way, it is completely up to Gostisbehere.
- MJL

He was dreadful against Carolina. There was one shift in particular where every play he attempted to make was worse than the last.

How close does Ghost get us to Matt Duchene? Simply playing devils advocate here.
- mochoson

I think there'd have to be more involved in the deal. Also, I really doubt the Avs would trade him. They're more likely to trade landeskog imo. Duchene is integral to their team young productive all star etc. Can't see it unless it's an absolute blockbuster

I know Ghost is having a rough season but I have wonder if this is the most effective way to get him to improve.
- LJF

The team in general is having a "rough" season. I personally don't think overall he's been as bad as many have made him out to be this year. He's obviously fallen off quite a bit from last year, but I dont think it's been as dramatic a drop off as people are making it out to be.

I would like to see him with Provorov 5v5 and see how that pairing works. I'd like him and Provorov to each run a powerplay unit.

The team in general is having a "rough" season. I personally don't think overall he's been as bad as many have made him out to be this year. He's obviously fallen off quite a bit from last year, but I dont think it's been as dramatic a drop off as people are making it out to be.

I would like to see him with Provorov 5v5 and see how that pairing works. I'd like him and Provorov to each run a powerplay unit.
- mochoson

Right now, as poor as Gostisbehere has been defensively, playing him with Provorov is not the right move if you want to continue playing Provorov against top lines.

How close does Ghost get us to Matt Duchene? Simply playing devils advocate here.
- mochoson

they don't need another tyson barrie

I think there'd have to be more involved in the deal. Also, I really doubt the Avs would trade him. They're more likely to trade landeskog imo. Duchene is integral to their team young productive all star etc. Can't see it unless it's an absolute blockbuster
- Hextall271

Really? I'm assessing the situation completely differently.

Duchene is the longest tenured Av currently on the team and has been getting asked about trades for a year and a half now. He didn't get along very well with Patrick Roy and it seems like Sakic is pretty much dead set on catapulting his teams retool by moving him. It's to the point now where Duchene probably just wants to get it over with and get a fresh start anywhere else but in Denver.

Theyll immediately replace him with either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hirschier at the draft. Not to mention they have Tyson Jost who may be on the team as early as next year and definitely will be in 18-19. I'd argue Landeskog is the much more difficult player to replace. I'd also argue you absolutely get more back in a trade with Duchene.

How close does Ghost get us to Matt Duchene? Simply playing devils advocate here.
- mochoson

Ghost , Coots and a pick?

Not saying I would want to do that as I think that Coots will have more of a normal season for him next year then what he is doing this season just wondering if that is what it would take..

they don't need another tyson barrie
- Flyers Time

You haven't watched the Avs much.