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Quick Hits: Special Teams Units, Labor Day and More |
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Quick Hits: Sept. 2, 2019
1) The pre-camp Line Play series on the Flyers official website continues on Labor Day with a look at the Flyers' prospective power play units. Assembling the first unit was pretty much a no-brainer: James van Riemsdyk at nefront, Claude Giroux on the left wall, Sean Couturier in the slot and down low, Jakub Voracek sliding down from the right point to the right circle, and Shayne Gostisbehere at left-to-center point. The problem with the Flyers last season was not one of "excessive predictability" so much as an unwelcomed downturn in execution.
For the second unit, I chose Nolan Patrick for the netfront role, Travis Sanheim (over Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen for the point), and rounded it out with Travis Konecny, newcomer Kevin Hayes and Oskar Lindblom. The second unit has seemed to be a perpetual work-in-progress for years but, if this group can establish some chemistry, it has a balance of skill-sets that may click in combination.
Tomorrow, the Line Play series concludes with a look at the penalty killing units.
2) Of course, all of these projections are contingent on the Flyers getting restricted free agents Provorov and Konecny signed and into training camp in a timely fashion. The Flyers are hardly the only team in this boat, with a host of notable NHL restricted free agents remaining in a holding pattern while waiting for the market to get set on their eventual contracts. That's cold comfort for Philly, however. It is vital both for the team and its two unsigned RFAs to get them into camp on time and up to speed on the new systems that will be installed by a brand new coaching staff. This Flyers team absolutely cannot afford to play catch-up in the standings again this year, nor can players afford to put themselves behind the eight ball by losing vital prep time for the season.
3) Sept. 2 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Michel Belhumeur (1949), Paul Guay (1963), Petr Hubacek (1979).
4) Happy Labor Day to all Hockey Buzz readers!
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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