Projected Flyers lineup:

28 Claude Giroux - 14 Sean Couturier -93 Jakub Voracek
40 Jordan Weal - 64 Nolan Patrick - 17 Wayne Simmonds
11 Travis Konecny - 51 Valtteri Filppula - 22 Dale Weise
15 Jori Lehterä - 21 Scott Laughton - 24 Matt Read

9 Ivan Provorov - 57 Travis Sanheim
23 Brandon Manning - 3 Radko Gudas
50 Sam Morin - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere

30 Michal Neuvirth
37 Brian Elliott

Scratches: Oskar Lindblom, Taylor Leier, Michael Raffl, Andrew MacDonald, Robert Hägg.
- bmeltzer

Tea leave reading for the day:

The Top 6 looks like the Top 6 and G is staying on LW. Konecny has been their best winger so far. Lehtera, Read and Manning are the guys on the spot. They've been outplayed by the guys looking to take their jobs. Provorov/Sanheim as a D pairing late in the exe season? Yes, Sanheim's sticking. Looks like the Morin/Gostisbehere pairing might stick too. Hagg/Gudas once the season starts?

personally I keep all 3 and waive AMAC. Manning may or may not get claimed but I really don't want to take that chance. its inevitable that injuries will happen and I'd sooner have the capability to call AMAC up than having to call up Brennan or Alt in case of injury.

I also keep Leier over Read. to me Leier has done a nice job and once again I'd sooner not risk losing him, granted they have more depth at forward, and besides I do think he has earned the place on the team.

let Raffl, Leier, laughton, Lehtera and Weise all fight for playing time. And lets be real, you know there will be times they feel Patrick and Lindblom needs a seat. its just inevitable
- nastyflyergirl

I like you nastyflyergirl, I agree with you once again. Amac and Read should no longer be in the team's plans moving forward. Manning at #7 works good for me and if any of the three rookie dmen struggle a bit swap them out for Manning as needed. Good competition creates a healthy atmosphere.

Tea leave reading for the day:

The Top 6 looks like the Top 6 and G is staying on LW. Konecny has been their best winger so far. Lehtera, Read and Manning are the guys on the spot. They've been outplayed by the guys looking to take their jobs. Provorov/Sanheim as a D pairing late in the exe season? Yes, Sanheim's sticking. Looks like the Morin/Gostisbehere pairing might stick too. Hagg/Gudas once the season starts?
- fls13

I sure hope the D sticks but I can see Konecny moved up to lw and Giroux back to center moving Couturier down. Giroux will not make it as a lw and the experiment will end soon.

Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood afternoooooooooooooooooooooooooooon everybody!!!

Can't wait till final roster decisions are made and this season is a go! One more year of bubbling and then on to contentionville!

I have to agree with you Bill on the decision the Flyers' brass will probably make with Sanheim. I remember being at a preseason game when Ghost would've been a rookie and he scored a couple of goals and looked dynamite and was still sent to the Phantoms. I feel the same happens with Sanheim, though I believe he brings a lot more to the table than Amac or Manning. Even still, the future looks very bright for the Flyers d-core moving forward
- aantny88

Flyers' brass

Trade Read to the Blues.
- Streit2ThePoint

why not read and raffl

Today on Madball we talk about Claude Giroux.

He is going through a massive scoreless drought. The Left says goals are being distributed unequally and defense men control too much of the goals on the team. The Right says Giroux is lazy and isn't working hard enough and he needs to pull himself up by his bootstraps.

Folks what do you think.

I sure hope the D sticks but I can see Konecny moved up to lw and Giroux back to center moving Couturier down. Giroux will not make it as a lw and the experiment will end soon.
- joegreif17

Can i ask why he can't make it as a left wing?

Can i ask why he can't make it as a left wing?
- J35Bacher

I played center all my life and from my own experience it was weird playing the wing on occasion. (I was invited to NYR camp in 1970 and have played good hockey). I hope I am wrong but it is just my opinion that he may struggle. It is a whole different game on the wing and Giroux is also the teams best face off man so it seem weird not to have him winning draws. If he has a wrist issue then he is going to have to adapt.

I played center all my life and from my own experience it was weird playing the wing on occasion. (I was invited to NYR camp in 1970 and have played good hockey). I hope I am wrong but it is just my opinion that he may struggle. It is a whole different game on the wing and Giroux is also the teams best face off man so it seem weird not to have him winning draws. If he has a wrist issue then he is going to have to adapt.
- joegreif17

Well Giroux didn't play center all his life. He was drafted as a wing.

There are new FO rules so we will see how that plays out.

I think the less physical demand on him with him playing wing could be beneficial. Less defensive assignments.

Also lets not forget this is a center who's numbers have been declining. not like he is coming of a 90 point campaign. I think there is more good to the move then bad.

Also if Giroux plays wing i think you get better depth and talent in the top 9. For me i see lines like this:

Giroux - Couturier - Voracek
Weal - Patrcik - Simmonds
Konecny - Filppula - Lindblom
Lehtara/Leier - Laughton - Raffl

Waive: Read

Extra: Weise and one of Leier and Lehtara

Just saying, the Pens traded for (frank)ing Ron Hainsey, and used him throughout their SC run. I don't think he's getting moved this season either way, but if a contender has an injury or 2 on D at next year's TDL, they may take him on at 1/2 salary for their run and the next year.
- jmatchett383

I don't disagree that based on his play last year a team needing d depth for a run would have been interested, but I'm not sure how he'd be viewed by teams in that situation this year and next year if he spends this season primarily on the bench or in the AHL.

Well Giroux didn't play center all his life. He was drafted as a wing.

There are new FO rules so we will see how that plays out.

I think the less physical demand on him with him playing wing could be beneficial. Less defensive assignments.

Also lets not forget this is a center who's numbers have been declining. not like he is coming of a 90 point campaign. I think there is more good to the move then bad.

Also if Giroux plays wing i think you get better depth and talent in the top 9. For me i see lines like this:

Giroux - Couturier - Voracek
Weal - Patrcik - Simmonds
Konecny - Filppula - Lindblom
Lehtara/Leier - Laughton - Raffl

Waive: Read

Extra: Weise and one of Leier and Lehtara
- J35Bacher

FWIW, he was drafted as a right wing and has never played the left side before. We just happen to have 2 top-line RWs (or 2 top-6, at least).

I played center all my life and from my own experience it was weird playing the wing on occasion. (I was invited to NYR camp in 1970 and have played good hockey). I hope I am wrong but it is just my opinion that he may struggle. It is a whole different game on the wing and Giroux is also the teams best face off man so it seem weird not to have him winning draws. If he has a wrist issue then he is going to have to adapt.
- joegreif17

Every player is different. Just because one player can't adapt from center to wing doesn't mean another can't also.

FWIW, he was drafted as a right wing and has never played the left side before. We just happen to have 2 top-line RWs (or 2 top-6, at least).
- jmatchett383

Understand.

But I do think he'll be able to create from the left side. Being a right shot he'll be able to see the ice coming into the zone and could cut a cross into a better shooter angle.

Also the new face off rules, if they stick to it, could change the FO worry but we will have to see how things go on that front.

I would be shocked if they felt either was ready but for sure stranger things have happened!
- nastyflyergirl

I don't think they'd call them up for an extended injury but damn well better consider them if needed for a road trip or a couple games here or there once we're a decent way into the season.

I'd love to see Friedman running around out there for a game or two. I'm certainly ready for the Flyers to up my entertainment value this season. Other than Ghost it's been a drag around here for quite a few seasons.

Every player is different. Just because one player can't adapt from center to wing doesn't mean another can't also.
- MJL

I think the 2011 Bruins had something like 9 players that were drafted as centers. They seemed to adapt fairly well.

Well Giroux didn't play center all his life. He was drafted as a wing.

There are new FO rules so we will see how that plays out.

I think the less physical demand on him with him playing wing could be beneficial. Less defensive assignments.

Also lets not forget this is a center who's numbers have been declining. not like he is coming of a 90 point campaign. I think there is more good to the move then bad.

Also if Giroux plays wing i think you get better depth and talent in the top 9. For me i see lines like this:

Giroux - Couturier - Voracek
Weal - Patrcik - Simmonds
Konecny - Filppula - Lindblom
Lehtara/Leier - Laughton - Raffl

Waive: Read

Extra: Weise and one of Leier and Lehtara
- J35Bacher

I won't pretend to have known who Giroux was prior to the draft other than seeing him listed something like 56th on the hockey news draft preview but I do recall them having him listed as a RW

Every player is different. Just because one player can't adapt from center to wing doesn't mean another can't also.
- MJL

I could have adapted too but is was strange at first. My point however is that is Giroux is one of the best faceoff men in hockey he should be at center unless he is hurting. Just my opinion.

Every player is different. Just because one player can't adapt from center to wing doesn't mean another can't also.
- MJL

This might need a review.
Just worded wierdly.

I won't pretend to have known who Giroux was prior to the draft other than seeing him listed something like 56th on the hockey news draft preview but I do recall them having him listed as a RW
- nastyflyergirl

Well Giroux didn't play center all his life. He was drafted as a wing.

There are new FO rules so we will see how that plays out.

I think the less physical demand on him with him playing wing could be beneficial. Less defensive assignments.

Also lets not forget this is a center who's numbers have been declining. not like he is coming of a 90 point campaign. I think there is more good to the move then bad.

Also if Giroux plays wing i think you get better depth and talent in the top 9. For me i see lines like this:

Giroux - Couturier - Voracek
Weal - Patrcik - Simmonds
Konecny - Filppula - Lindblom
Lehtara/Leier - Laughton - Raffl

Waive: Read

Extra: Weise and one of Leier and Lehtara
- J35Bacher

Sounds good to me.

I don't think they'd call them up for an extended injury but damn well better consider them if needed for a road trip or a couple games here or there once we're a decent way into the season.

I'd love to see Friedman running around out there for a game or two. I'm certainly ready for the Flyers to up my entertainment value this season. Other than Ghost it's been a drag around here for quite a few seasons.
- mayorofangrytown

I'm marveled at Provorov but yeah I know what you mean

This might need a review.
- mayorofangrytown

No it doesn't not.

I could have adapted too but is was strange at first. My point however is that is Giroux is one of the best faceoff men in hockey he should be at center unless he is hurting. Just my opinion.
- joegreif17

I know faceoffs are important but can't a winger take a draw if needed?

Are faceoffs really the biggest reason people don't like Giroux on wing?

We do know if the draw is super important he can go take it.

I'm marveled at Provorov but yeah I know what you mean
- nastyflyergirl

Provorov is good, but he's not exciting/dynamic like Ghost, Sanheim, and AMac.