If they do keep Gagner, I'm not sure where you play him. I don't want to mess with the Raffl-G-Jake line and I really like the way Read-Coots-Schenn looked going down the stretch.

I guess that leaves him with either:

Umberger-Gagner-Simmonds
or
Gagner-Laughton-Simmonds
- BiggE

Here's two ideas:

12-28-93
24-14-17
Gagner/Laughton-Schenn

Didn't the reports say that Gagner played the right side last year?
- johndewar

Not sure. From the very little I read about him he seems comfortable playing either wing

That's almost exactly what I think of, except that Schenn, when he's on, is a much better player.

Then again, didn't Gagner have that 8-point game a while back?
- jmatchett383

He did.

I'm fine with keeping Gagner this year. It's a one year deal and the guy is playing for a contract. It's just a question of where he plays, I guess.

We'd save his entire cap hit. And that's exactly what we should do.
- jmatchett383

We have to wait for the season though right? Bye bye.

Bobby Mac said Konecny said was a very good skater right after that puzzling bit of banter between Button and Pierre. Konecny fell to due to concerns about his size and injury history, not his skating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuB_7JuJMWA

Button conflates the skating ability of Merkley and Konecny even though Konecny is a significantly superior skater. Just google Merkley skating and Konecny skating and you'll the scouting reports are not close in that aspect. Honestly I think Button got a bit confused.
- Feanor

I caught that too. MacKenzie didn't hesitate to say the exact opposite of Button and McGuire.

We have to wait for the season though right? Bye bye.
- Tfaehner

Yes, he is part of their cap figures throughout the summer and training camp.

Here's two ideas:

12-28-93
24-14-17
Gagner/Laughton-Schenn
- Jsaquella

From hextall comments about needing a winger to play for simmonds and ideally read wouldn't be a 2nd liner leads me to believe ? Coots simmonds is your 2nd line. And read ? Schenn is your 3rd line

How is it possible to have disagreement on someones skating ability ? It's black and white, either he's a good skater, or he isn't. These "Scouts" If he wins an award for skating, I tend to not care about what Button or an idiot in McGuire think.

I caught that too. MacKenzie didn't hesitate to say the exact opposite of Button and McGuire.
- kellyblaise7

I missed that. Does seem that Button got merkley and Konecny confused and didn't catch it, but even in his final rankings, Button wasn't a huge Konecny fan

Would it be so hard for them to apply some kind of standard on-ice testing to these kids pre-draft? Get hard numbers on top-speed, acceleration, quality of edges, etc, so we can once and for all have some kind of objective numbers to back up these disparate observations. Goes for shooting, passing, hitting, etc too. They can do it for an All-Star skills competition... you'd think they'd put that kind of effort into the future players of the league.

NFL-style.

How is it possible to have disagreement on someones skating ability ? It's black and white, either he's a good skater, or he isn't. These "Scouts" If he wins an award for skating, I tend to not care about what Button or an idiot in McGuire think.
- twpguy

From his highlights, he seemed to have good edgework and pretty good top speed, but he could improve his first step/explosiveness. Skating has a couple facets to it, so you could need to improve one while being good at another.

From hextall comments about needing a winger to play for simmonds and ideally read wouldn't be a 2nd liner leads me to believe ? Coots simmonds is your 2nd line. And read ? Schenn is your 3rd line
- Tfaehner

I'd like to try Schenn on Coots' wing. The 2 times they played together seemed to bring out the best in both of them.

From his highlights, he seemed to have good edgework and pretty good top speed, but he could improve his first step/explosiveness. Skating has a couple facets to it, so you could need to improve one while being good at another.
- aflyerpower8

This. Just because you're fast or can turn well does not mean you're a great skater.

I'd like to try Schenn on Coots' wing. The 2 times they played together seemed to bring out the best in both of them.
- jmatchett383

I agree it's just tough to see your leading goal scorer 2 straight years on the third line. Even though bulk of his goals come on pp.

Would it be so hard for them to apply some kind of standard on-ice testing to these kids pre-draft? Get hard numbers on top-speed, acceleration, quality of edges, etc, so we can once and for all have some kind of objective numbers to back up these disparate observations. Goes for shooting, passing, hitting, etc too. They can do it for an All-Star skills competition... you'd think they'd put that kind of effort into the future players of the league.

NFL-style.
- Tomahawk

Actually surprised this isn't already happening.

From hextall comments about needing a winger to play for simmonds and ideally read wouldn't be a 2nd liner leads me to believe ? Coots simmonds is your 2nd line. And read ? Schenn is your 3rd line
- Tfaehner

The Couturier line will still likely be 2nd in ice time, as it has been the past two years, because of it's strong defensive play.

Putting Gagner with Couturier and Simmonds instead of Read seriously diminishes the defensive ability of that line, and unless they feel Laughton is ready to be a shut down guy, I can't see that happening.

Could see them possibly trying to keep Schenn as RW with Couturier and Read, and use Gagner as a center with Simmonds and another winger and use Laughton as the 4th C

Craig Button:

When we talk about Merkley and Konecny, and you talk about their size, I think their skating is more of a concern. They're not fast, and they have to improve in that area.

https://www.youtube.com/w...tch?v=tuB_7JuJMWA&t=1m45s

Scouting reports on Konency's skating
Possesses dynamic skating ability that allows him to accelerate rapidly with each step

As an offensive force, Konecny uses his impeccable straight-line speed to earn breakaways and finish off 2-on-1s

His best attribute is his skating, and boy, can he fly -- it's not an exaggeration to outright call him one of the draft's speediest skaters, which is saying something considering how many of the guys we've profiled so far that have "good skating" as a plus attribute.

To start, Konecny is a wonderful skater, with the kind of speed, agility, and elusiveness that a player of his size must have to be successful at the next level.

Scouting reports on Merkley's skating
Merkley isn’t the strongest skater in the world, and some believe that is what is holding him back from being a top-10 selection.

The younger Merkley isn’t huge (almost 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds), but packs such an offensive wallop that he will likely go in the first round of the draft this summer. He still wants to work on his skating and he has a specific plan for shoring up another part of his game:

The knock on Merkley has always been his skating, something he’s worked on and improved this season.

A high-energy guy, he is always one step ahead, making up for his lack of dynamic skating ability; it’s not that he’s slow, but rather that he’s just not on the same level as many of the 2015 draftees when it comes to skating ability.

I don't want to mess with the Raffl-G-Jake line
- BiggE

Gagner - G - Jake: shades of Kostitsyn/Gagner/Kane from London.

Would it be so hard for them to apply some kind of standard on-ice testing to these kids pre-draft? Get hard numbers on top-speed, acceleration, quality of edges, etc, so we can once and for all have some kind of objective numbers to back up these disparate observations. Goes for shooting, passing, hitting, etc too. They can do it for an All-Star skills competition... you'd think they'd put that kind of effort into the future players of the league.

NFL-style.
- Tomahawk

I caught some of the Flyers rookie camp last year and they had on ice machines for testing skating. It would make sense to do on ice drills at the combine in addition to having them ride stationary bikes at top speed with a Bane mask on until they puke.

Gagner - G - Jake: shades of Kostitsyn/Gagner/Kane from London.
- Tomahawk

That's another possibility...Gagner has the hands to work with those two, but nt sure the skating does.

How is it possible to have disagreement on someones skating ability ? It's black and white, either he's a good skater, or he isn't. These "Scouts" If he wins an award for skating, I tend to not care about what Button or an idiot in McGuire think.
- twpguy

Nitpicking and nuance

Every "expert" wants to put his color on the players. Our resident HB "experts" do it, too.

Does anyone know if there is a deadline for the scenario where Vinny agrees to mutual contract termination? Or can it happen at any point in the season/off season after his bonus is paid?

I missed that. Does seem that Button got merkley and Konecny confused and didn't catch it, but even in his final rankings, Button wasn't a huge Konecny fan
- Jsaquella

Like a lot of the pundits, he has his favorites (like Provorov) and then really sours on certain guys too (like Hanifin & Konecny too from what you're tell me). So I guess I like half of his analysis.

Think we could get mantha from the wings what do u think it would cost??

The Couturier line will still likely be 2nd in ice time, as it has been the past two years, because of it's strong defensive play.

Putting Gagner with Couturier and Simmonds instead of Read seriously diminishes the defensive ability of that line, and unless they feel Laughton is ready to be a shut down guy, I can't see that happening.

Could see them possibly trying to keep Schenn as RW with Couturier and Read, and use Gagner as a center with Simmonds and another winger and use Laughton as the 4th C
- Jsaquella

I don't see laughton with the big club this year. Read coots schenn if that's a line thst can't be messed with than you need Both a left wing and center for simmonds. I don't see laughton being thst guy yet so let's insert gagner got argument sake. And whose your left wing ?