Bill Meltzer: Musings: Clean Out Day, Phantoms, and More

Awesome read Bill, should be an interesting summer.

Appreciate you, Bill!

The risk of Giroux, Voracek, and Simmonds being on the downside of their careers when this team is seriously ready to compete for a cup is far greater than the Flyers/Hextall realizes.

That is my feeling anyway. I surmise that Hextall’s actions this offseason will either confirm or deny this.

Nice work, Bill!

Especially liked the parts about Read and Manning.

I'm guessing Manning will find a landing spot, due strictly to his age and the fact that he won't cost a lot.

Read, I fear, is done, unless he wants to continue playing in Europe. Read was a very underrated signing by Paul Holmgren. He was a good player here and I wish it would have ended a bit better.

Great blog as always Bill, thanks.

The only bone I'll pick with the GM would be if he came back with Elliott/Neuvirth as the goalie tandem next season. That, IMO, is simply unacceptable. One guy is coming off a serious injury and surgery and there is no guarantee that he will be the same player he was in the past next season. The other cannot seem to get through any season without an injury.

I don't know what the answer is, and if you have to buy out Neuvirth to create roster space so be it, but you need to do something. Finding a legit #1 this offseason is a must and will go a long way to fixing a lot of this teams problems.

Carter Hart is a great prospect, but he's just that, a prospect. Same with the rest of the young goalies to some degree or another. You cannot just sit back and wait for one of them because there are no guarantees. You have to improve now, it's the most important position on the team.

Nice work, Bill!

Especially liked the parts about Read and Manning.

I'm guessing Manning will find a landing spot, due strictly to his age and the fact that he won't cost a lot.

Read, I fear, is done, unless he wants to continue playing in Europe. Read was a very underrated signing by Paul Holmgren. He was a good player here and I wish it would have ended a bit better.
- johndewar

Hey, if Scottie Upshall can find a spot, Read should be able to as well.

Nice work, Bill!

Especially liked the parts about Read and Manning.

I'm guessing Manning will find a landing spot, due strictly to his age and the fact that he won't cost a lot.

Read, I fear, is done, unless he wants to continue playing in Europe. Read was a very underrated signing by Paul Holmgren. He was a good player here and I wish it would have ended a bit better.
- johndewar

Depending on another team's depth situation, Read may be able to find a team to sign him to a one year deal under 1 million to be a depth forward.

Hey, if Scottie Upshall can find a spot, Read should be able to as well.
- jmatchett383

You might be right.....Read always seemed like a good egg, so you hope he finds a spot somewhere.

Nice work, Bill!

Especially liked the parts about Read and Manning.

I'm guessing Manning will find a landing spot, due strictly to his age and the fact that he won't cost a lot.

Read, I fear, is done, unless he wants to continue playing in Europe. Read was a very underrated signing by Paul Holmgren. He was a good player here and I wish it would have ended a bit better.
- johndewar

I think theyll both get NHL chances. Read will be taking a significant pay cut, no doubt

Depending on another team's depth situation, Read may be able to find a team to sign him to a one year deal under 1 million to be a depth forward.
- BiggE

Honestly, if the Flyers did that as a 13/14 F, I'd be okay with it. That's the kind of player that I think fits that spot.

Can fill in for a short spurt and not kill you, has a limited yet useful skill set, doesn't cost much.

Honestly, if the Flyers did that as a 13/14 F, I'd be okay with it. That's the kind of player that I think fits that spot.

Can fill in for a short spurt and not kill you, has a limited yet useful skill set, doesn't cost much.
- jmatchett383

Yeah, if they didn't have so much dead weight under contract (Weise, Lehtera, Weal), I'd have interest.

Yeah, if they didn't have so much dead weight under contract (Weise, Lehtera, Weal), I'd have interest.
- BiggE

Good point, we already have a handful of guys who fit some of that criteria.

Honestly, I liked the Weal signing. It wasn't long-term, it wasn't a ton of money, and they took a shot. It didn't work, but it was a low-risk/high-reward type of signing.

Also, if Dale Weise can play the majority of games like he did in a limited role in Game 6, I have no issue with him on the 4th line. But if he can't, then he's really not effective at all.

Appreciate all your work this year Bill. Thanks.

I don't see 3C being filled from within the organization yet. I'm not sure how the feel on Laughton. Seems like he would be destined for 4C or a move to wing. I think they need to find someone to bridge the gap until Frost is ready.

Good point, we already have a handful of guys who fit some of that criteria.

Honestly, I liked the Weal signing. It wasn't long-term, it wasn't a ton of money, and they took a shot. It didn't work, but it was a low-risk/high-reward type of signing.

Also, if Dale Weise can play the majority of games like he did in a limited role in Game 6, I have no issue with him on the 4th line. But if he can't, then he's really not effective at all.
- jmatchett383

I dont think Weal is done yet. Certainly has to earn his ice time back though

Yeah, if they didn't have so much dead weight under contract (Weise, Lehtera, Weal), I'd have interest.
- BiggE

Weise' money is bad for what he does, but Lehtera's money is unconscionable.

Lehtera might be your 4C next year.

I dont think Weal is done yet. Certainly has to earn his ice time back though
- YuenglingJagr

Agreed. I think there is enough talent there to warrant another bite of the apple.

I dont think Weal is done yet. Certainly has to earn his ice time back though
- YuenglingJagr

Well he didn't bring much consistently. I'm not saying he's Jason Akeson, simply that we didn't find our Martin St. Louis/Tyler Johnson either.

Well he didn't bring much consistently. I'm not saying he's Jason Akeson, simply that we didn't find our Martin St. Louis/Tyler Johnson either.
- jmatchett383

Agreed. One of the issues with the bottom 6 I feel is that there is nothing to feed off of. True lineup balance requires good players playing on lower lines. It is just asking a lot to put a bunch of 3rd/4th liners together and saying go produce! The Flyers countered that/caused that by loading up everyone on the top 2 lines. It isn't the worst idea, but as the prospects mature, we need to see them get larger roles. Konecny getting a chance on the top line was huge and shows what can happen when these young, skilled guys get a chance with good players. 3rd line Konecny is not as helpful. Noticeable, yes, but helpful, no.

i.e., Weal isn't good enough to drag around Filppula and an injured Wayne Simmonds. Scott Laughton should've been playing with better linemates. Maybe Laughton takes the Weal spot I mentioned on the previous blog. I can see those two fighting for the same spot

great read Bill, as per the uszh (really cool anecdote about Read, always liked that guy!)

Appreciate all your work this year Bill. Thanks.

I don't see 3C being filled from within the organization yet. I'm not sure how the feel on Laughton. Seems like he would be destined for 4C or a move to wing. I think they need to find someone to bridge the gap until Frost is ready.
- FlyerFan16

100% agree with you on Laughton, but 3C is really not avail as an upgrade this offseason via UFA

Very interesting blog, thanks Bill.

Thanks for highlighting Read, Manning and Filpula. All were true pros, and deserve respect.

I would have loved Filp here in his prime. Is he done in the NHL? Very good career if that’s it.

Looking forward to reading your thoughts on the goalie situation.

I think you are spot on regarding Simmonds. Regarding his future deal, it may be a while before we find out what happens. I’m ok with that approach, although it likely won’t be popular with a lot of the fans.

Agreed. One of the issues with the bottom 6 I feel is that there is nothing to feed off of. True lineup balance requires good players playing on lower lines. It is just asking a lot to put a bunch of 3rd/4th liners together and saying go produce! The Flyers countered that/caused that by loading up everyone on the top 2 lines. It isn't the worst idea, but as the prospects mature, we need to see them get larger roles. Konecny getting a chance on the top line was huge and shows what can happen when these young, skilled guys get a chance with good players. 3rd line Konecny is not as helpful. Noticeable, yes, but helpful, no.
- YuenglingJagr

The problem right now is that the Flyers just don't have the depth to do what Pittsburgh can. Agree with it or not, Hextall's plan is to supplement those spots through the draft as opposed to the Clarke/Holmgren days when you supplemented by trading away futures. The Flyers were going to live and die by what theie top-6 could do, because they didn't have other options.

Ideally, Weal would be a useful 3rd line supplemental player, but he can't drive a line.

Bill Meltzer: Musings: Clean Out Day, Phantoms, and More

Thanks Bill!

Filppula's raw offensive numbers -- 11 goals, 33 points in the regular season, shorthanded goal and three points in the Pittsburgh series -- are acceptable on the surface for a current-day third-line player. However, much of that was skewed toward early in the season while Filppula was still in the second-line role as Nolan Patrick acclimated himself to the NHL and recovered from a concussion after a shortened offseason due to hip surgery. Once Filppula was placed pretty firmly in more of a shutdown role, the offensive production end largely disappeared. I suspect the Flyers will look for a younger and less expensive option to recast Filppula's role.
- Bill Meltzer

The tricky part is the role does need to be filled and the only internal candidate who might be able to do it is Laughton. I'm not so sure about that. UFAs who could fill the bill include guys like Bozak and Stajan. They aren't really upgrades. We will see. The scoring falloff for Filppula could be he was dinged a bit but the Flyers still need help on the wing. They need two, maybe three forwards this off season.