Fire Scott Gordon
- PhillySportsGuy

And hire Dominique Ducharme?

Would love to get Read out of the lineup up in favor of getting someone younger some extra minutes. He's just not very important to the team any longer save for maybe the PK. And even then I'd rather they get someone else a chance with those minutes.
- hereticpride

Would be better if they got Bellemare, Vandevelde and Filppula out of the lineup

And hire Dominique Ducharme?
- ob18

Read is the 13th if he's on the roster but PEB is a lock.

Name 1 thing PEB does better in any facet of the game. In any tangible result. Read's expensive, but it's a sunk cost anyway. Even if he's traded, there's still Weise and Raffl too.
- Mononoke

I'll never understand the Read hate. He's the exact player that everyone seems to think Bellemare is

- PhillySportsGuy

Would be better if they got Bellemare, Vandevelde and Filppula out of the lineup
- PhillySportsGuy

Was filpulla that bad or do you just want to clear a spot? I don't know i thought he added a good presence in the middle. Certainly an upgrade over cousins

Over the years, I've come to appreciate players who speak their mind and actually give the interviewer/general public an insight into what is really going on. I've heard enough empty platitudes that its refreshing to get something of actual substance and not simply a parroting of the company line.
- Doc_Sarcasm

Big thumbs up here.

I really hope this organization doesn't hold this against players. Looks like Steven Mason is out the door. Could this be a reason why?

As for the Fazleev article, so much to make you shake your head, though he's a great kid nonetheless. Most of it just confirming what people who watch a lot of Phantoms hockey thought and noticed themselves.

Nothing wrong with working your way up, but I despise making him play like the second coming of VandeVelde. Fazleev was always a dedicated, smart 200 ft player. There was nothing to change. He was steered to playing a no event 4th line role and not even attempt anything. As he said, his goal was to do nothing. Wonderful. You can point to Fazleev being a likely bottom 6 guy (he's got offensive skill though, enough to not have to play like a plug), but NAK was used exactly the same and he has some real skills. He was also asked to play like a dump and chase plug, and it was sad to watch. The best part is that the Phantoms play incredibly unstructured hockey. I'd love to know what structure he was learning to inject in his game.

It's just a regressive old school pigeonholing mentality to begin with, to say nothing about iffy development. It's not like it's a surprise Fazleev said Gordon treated veterans differently and couldn't play them enough. Saw it ALL year. Radel has a great attitude and he seemed understanding of playing a depth part. But then to (frank)ing scratch him down the stretch and all playoffs to play an ECHL call-up barely with the team all year. We all saw what Gordon did with the other prospects, chiefly Friedman and also Myers, playing another ECHL player over them. That's his M.O. It's just one of a dozen reasons I am thrilled he's our AHL coach to develop all these top prospects we have.
- Mononoke

I'll never understand the Read hate. He's the exact player that everyone seems to think Bellemare is
- PhillySportsGuy

Well before pebs new deal there was roughly 3 million more reasons to hate him

Was filpulla that bad or do you just want to clear a spot? I don't know i thought he added a good presence in the middle. Certainly an upgrade over cousins
- Just5

He was really starting to regress with the Lightning. He was downright awful with the Flyers last year. Every player struggled when he was their linemate.

I like to hope that he'll rebound, but I felt the same way about Vinny and Umberger

He was really starting to regress with the Lightning. He was downright awful with the Flyers last year. Every player struggled when he was their linemate.

I like to hope that he'll rebound, but I felt the same way about Vinny and Umberger
- PhillySportsGuy

He'd be better on wing. He still is a slick player, unlike them, with a lot of moves and zone entry capabilities off the rush. It's just 1 year though, so no reason to think he can't get 40 points and be on his way. But the narrative that we suddenly had a real 2C and how good he played 2-way and how he can be another shutdown center......that was a treat.

He was really starting to regress with the Lightning. He was downright awful with the Flyers last year. Every player struggled when he was their linemate.

I like to hope that he'll rebound, but I felt the same way about Vinny and Umberger
- PhillySportsGuy

I don't know his numbers were worse than my eye test I guess. I think he could fill a 3C role

And hire Dominique Ducharme?
- ob18

They were thinking about hiring Knoblauch to coach the Phantoms 2 years ago. I don't know if I'd hire Ducharme in particular, but yes, hiring a non-doofus retread with fresh ideas, like Knob would've been, would be a nice addition. Look at Tampa hiring Groulx for their AHL team. It's worked out very very well. They did well and with half the talent our roster had.

Well before pebs new deal there was roughly 3 million more reasons to hate him
- Just5

Read was 4th on the team in even strength scoring rate. Only Couturier, Voracek and Konecny were higher. He's doing his job and the team would be worse without him. Bellemare is a bad 4th liner and bad PKer. The team would likely be better without him.

If the Flyers choose to keep Bellemare on the roster and demote Read, it is an indictment on their NHL talent evaluation because there is no world in which Bellemare is better. Not even close.

Was filpulla that bad or do you just want to clear a spot? I don't know i thought he added a good presence in the middle. Certainly an upgrade over cousins
- Just5

I think part of the problem was that he got labeled 2C. I think that's crap. To me, Couturier was clearly 2C. I hate the labels anyway, there were nights, depending on game situation where Coots was really the 1C. More than anything, I don't get the Coots hate on this board sometimes.

It will be interesting where Filppula plays this year.

- PhillySportsGuy

Filppula is the third best center on the Flyers

Filppula is the third best center on the Flyers
- YuenglingJagr

This will change in 9 days




(or less if they sign Weal!)

I think part of the problem was that he got labeled 2C. I think that's crap. To me, Couturier was clearly 2C. I hate the labels anyway, there were nights, depending on game situation where Coots was really the 1C. More than anything, I don't get the Coots hate on this board sometimes.

It will be interesting where Filppula plays this year.
- FlyerFan16

My only disdain for coots is he can't seem to stay healthy for 82 games. He's never taken the time to round out his physique so this doesn't happen. It's been what 5 years ?

I'll never understand the Read hate. He's the exact player that everyone seems to think Bellemare is
- PhillySportsGuy

According to most on this forum, Bellemare is a guy who doesnt belong in the NHL.


For me personally, its not a problem that they have a Bellemare, a Vandevelde, a Read, a Weise, a Raffl... the problem is that they have ALL of them and their aggregate production falls woefully short of what is needed for a steady playoff team.

My only disdain for coots is he can't seem to stay healthy for 82 games. He's never taken the time to round out his physique so this doesn't happen. It's been what 5 years ?
- Tfaehner

Wait what?

So if the Flyers get Drouin, do we mark it down as a panic move by Hextall? As in, he is VERY worried about the D prospects and aging forward core aligning for a proper cup run?

According to most on this forum, Bellemare is a guy who doesnt belong in the NHL.


For me personally, its not a problem that they have a Bellemare, a Vandevelde, a Read, a Weise, a Raffl... the problem is that they have ALL of them and their aggregate production falls woefully short of what is needed for a steady playoff team.
- Doc_Sarcasm

The fact that you put all 5 of them in the same category is the problem. Raffl and Read are on another level compared to the other guys. You're talking about very good bottom six players vs terrible bottom six players (Weise is more in between).

Wait what?
- Mordecai

He missed 7 games in 4 years before these last two fluky injury seasons. He literally just came off back to back 82 game seasons.

The fact that you put all 5 of them in the same category is the problem. Raffl and Read are on another level compared to the other guys. You're talking about very good bottom six players vs terrible bottom six players (Weise is more in between).
- PhillySportsGuy

Sooo.. why did Raffl put up 11 points in 52(ish) games last year?

So if the Flyers get Drouin, do we mark it down as a panic move by Hextall? As in, he is VERY worried about the D prospects and aging forward core aligning for a proper cup run?
- StepfordSam

I don't think you can call it a panic move until you see what the parts in the trade would be. If he lowers the average age of the core forwards, I would call it doing his job.