MELTZER'S MUSINGS: JUNE 23, 2015
1) A growing number of NHL organizations have created positions for a goaltending development coach, either on a part-time or full-time basis, in addition to having an NHL goaltending coach. Given how the Flyers have greatly expanded the roles of their roving development coaches into full time jobs -- Kjell Samuelsson works with defensemen and John Riley works with forwards -- it would seem to make sense to add a goalie development coach into the mix as well.
That is especially true because the organization has made a priority of improving the depth of goaltending in the development chain. At present, there are only two prospect-aged goaltenders for whom the Flyers even hold NHL rights: Phantoms goaltender Anthony Stolarz and Harvard University sophomore Merrick Madsen. The ranks are likely to expand by at least one (and possibly two) after the upcoming NHL Draft.
During his tenure as the Flyers' goaltending coach, Jeff Reese worked with the Phantoms' goaltenders during the season and prospects in camp as he was able to do so. Now with the Dallas Stars, Reese will have help from Mike Valley, who was reassigned to focus on goaltender development rather than working from the NHL team on down.
Having a full-time goaltending developmental coach could be beneficial to the lengthy process of assisting young goaltenders -- who typically take the longest of any position -- in being truly NHL-ready. No matter who the coach is, it is up to the player to put in endless hours of hard work and embrace constructive coaching.
Flyers general manager Ron Hextall, himself a former standout goaltender, estimated the ratio of a goalie's responsibility for his own successful development as about 90 percent, with coaching making up the other 10 percent. Others have placed the ratio at about 75-25.
No matter how the ratio divides, however, there is no doubt that a productive player-coach relationship can only be beneficial. That's especially true with young players.
Case in point: I had a discussion with veteran Phantoms goaltender Rob Zepp about the roles that various goaltending coaches played in his evolution. He went from a player who was more or less buried in the ECHL as a young player in the Carolina Hurricanes organization to one who went on to enjoy a strong career in Europe and internationally before finally making his NHL debut in 2014-15.
Zepp told me that when he was in the Carolina organization as a prospect, he did not have regular access to a goaltending coach. Add the fact that the Hurricanes shared an AHL affiliation with the Calgary Flames -- and both organizations at one point had goaltenders whom they'd selected in the first round of the NHL Draft -- and it was a recipe for hitting a wall in his development.
Zepp took his own initiative to seek specialized coaching. He worked with brothers David and Marco Franco (best known for their work with Curtis Joseph and Jamie Storr) to refine his technique.
"We worked a lot on presenting myself bigger. My glove was turned in, my hands were tight, my stance was narrow. We worked on those things," said Zepp.
"Before that, I wasn't learning things like pushing on your power leg and getting up on your right. I was getting up to get up. Those were the big things we worked on early, and I stayed with that."
Likewise, when Zepp went to Europe, he had goaltending coaches who picked up on things that could help take the next steps in his development.
"When I worked with Sylvain [Rodrigue] as my coach, we worked on my blocking system, pushing and blocking off pucks in tight. We tweaked and tinkered with my stance and my positioning in the net -- again, to make myself bigger in the net. When I worked with Max [Ouellet], we carried that on as well and continued to fine-tune."
By the time Zepp returned to North America and worked with Reese, he was already a highly experienced veteran in his 30s. Nevertheless, Reese was of big help in assisting Zepp with reacclimating himself to the smaller rink game.
"Reeser and I worked on the adjustments back to the angles on the smaller rink, handling pucks within the trapezoid -- which didn't exist when I was playing in Carolina organization -- and slowing plays down. For example, I worked on catching more pucks, deflecting pucks out with your stick and those sorts of things," said Zepp.
The key takeaway: Goaltenders are always a work in progress even as veterans, but having dedicated access to coaching during their prospect years is a very important tool. This is why an increasing number of NHL organizations have realized there is enough work to go around for both an NHL-level goalie coach and either a part-time development consultant or a full-time coach who checks in frequently during the season.
Part of what made Reese a particularly valuable asset to the Flyers was that he found ways to successfully juggle the role of NHL coach with assisting players on the farm. However, it's really not tough to justify having two people working together.
2) According to Bob McKenzie, there are approximately 55 players whom he has heard NHL scouts mention as potential first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft. That speaks volumes about the depth of this draft despite The Hockey News' assertion that the class of 2015 is nowhere near the caliber of depth that the famed 2003 Draft offered.
There is a pretty strong chance for the Flyers to land not only a future impact player with the seventh overall pick, but also ones who go on to enjoy lengthy NHL careers. There is no need to go too conservative with the 29th or even the 61st overall pick, because there should be comparable players available in later rounds.
What would be "too conservative" of a pick in the 29th spot? In my opinion, this is not the year to take someone like Brandon Carlo, Gabriel Carlsson or Jonas Siegenthaler in the latter part of the first round. All three are big-framed defensive defenseman. Siegenthaler is already a beast at 6-foot-3 and 215 ponds with an unusually physical game for a Swiss-trained player. Carlo is a 6-foot-5 defender with very good mobility. Carlsson has good hockey sense and does the little things well.
All of these players project as potential NHL starting defensemen and have upside as shutdown defenders. However, none project as being more than average puck-movers and none are likely to put up many points. Teams still need those sorts of players and there may be some draft years where a player of this style might make sense with a late first-round pick.
Not this year, though. Not when there is a pretty large pool of players who could play higher in the lineup at their respective positions if they hit their ceilings. There may be a little more risk involved with some of the players, but the potential payoff is also higher.
3) Although the Flyers are reportedly one of the eight teams on Phil Kessel's list of clubs to whom he'd accept a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia is not one of the teams commonly mentioned in credible rumors for the veteran sniper.
The fit does not seem right, despite the Flyers' need for a pure scoring winger.
For one thing, the trade cost would be prohibitive for an organization that is in the process of trying to replenish assets not delete them in a win-now drive. For another, the Flyers would still likely be a playoff bubble team in the short-term regardless of his addition. Lastly, Kessel has never been a player who thrives with a lot of structure -- something that is important to new head coach Dave Hakstol -- plus he carries an $8 million cap hit on a contract that runs through 2021-22 season.
4) On Monday, the Flyers announced the full schedule for the 2015 installment of the annual Trial on the Isle in Stone Harbor, NJ. The date (July 8) had already been announced but not the times of the various events.
9:00 a.m.: Warm-ups on the beach at 96th Street, followed by skills and team building exercises. New this year, the Flyers' prospects will participate in a sand-sculpture building contest, with Flyers fans serving as judges.
10:45 a.m.: Water sports activities at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor (9001 Sunset Drive). 12:15 p.m.: Shayne Gostisbehere, Samuel Morin, Travis Sanheim, and two Flyers’ first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft will host a free “Hooked On Hockey… clinic for young fans at the Stone Harbor Elementary School (275 93rd Street). 1:30 p.m.: all participating Trial on the Isle prospects will be available to sign autographs at Stone Harbor Elementary School. Admission to the signing is a $10 donation to Flyers Charities, and proceeds from the session will be donated to the elementary school’s Garden Of Kindness.
3:45 p.m.: Prospect beach volleyball tournament at 96th Street Beach. Fans can register in teams of two at PhiladelphiaFlyers.com to participate in the tournament. Proceeds will be donated to the American Legion Post 331, for the express purpose of enabling Coast Guardsmen stationed in Cape May County to return home to their families for the 2015 holiday season.