Nice fallacy but this is just another ridiculous statement that you've made with no ability to back it up. Provide some facts.
- MJL

"A lot of the first half of last year he focused on defense ..." - Mike Johnson

His offensive numbers were awful until they swapped TK for Simmer. But stats lie, unless they say what you already think, right?

The Flyers defense is set with more prospects on the way. They don't need Sbisa or Enstrom.
- MJL

Really? So there are sure fire defensive prospects who can play top 4 minutes and stabilize young players in 18-19?

According to every hockey person not named John Boruk, the only defensive prospect that seems likely to make the roster in the next year is Myers, and he is not consistently projected to be more than a 5/6 defenseman.

Meanwhile, Morin has appeared on SEVERAL "biggest draft bust" lists in the last months. Experts agree he is not likely to be a top 4, if he manages to crack teh roster. So you are betting the farm on Friedman or Willcox?

I like Ginning and Hogberg and Kalynuk and one or two of them might be ready by 20 or 21, but what about 18-19? The Flyers defense was unsteady on offense and defense. They cracked in close games because they are young, lack leadership, are stacked with more offensive players, and were put on ice in pairings that amplified these weaknesses. The personnel is the same, and in fact the trade off of Folin for Manning makes them weaker. There is nothing on this roster that suggests the Flyers won't go back to being a minus team. The only reason they were a plus last year was their ability to blow out a few teams and pad their GF numbers.

It seems the Flyers have one solid pairing: Sanheim was +4 in 14 games with AMac (-10 without him), and Provorov over the same stretch was even playing with Ghost (+7 without him). The Flyers need to make a move to have D that can play playoff hockey.

I don't think HockeyAl has said anything that is reasonable all day. Joe, is that you?

Luca Sbisa is a bad palyer and I don't want him anywhere near the flyers unless we are playing against him
- bulet13

Sbisa was a +8 in a partial season while mostly logging his 5v5 minutes with Miller, who was a minus defender with everyone else on Vegas. He would have been a MUCH BETTER signing than Folin, who is basically Will O'Neill.

And Enstrom would let Myers break in NOW and not be damaged by playing with Gudas.

G-Coots-TK (why mess with a good thing)
JVR-NoPa-Jake (can shelter defensively)
Lindblom-Laughty-Simmer (heavy duty line)
Raffl-Vorobyov-Weal (some skill on the 4th)
- bulet13

So you put wings who don't play defense all on one line, and all of your go into the corners guys on a line with a guy who can't finish or make plays to take advantage of it? If you like Vorobyov so much. why not make him 3C? I personally think that 3C/4C should be the two best players from the group of Vorobyov, Vecchione, Lehtera and Laughton (not who Homer wants to be the best). If there is a real competition, Laughton gets waived to LV. I frankly don't know who emerges from the other three. It depends on how much better Vorobyov and Vecchione get over the summer and if the Lehtera who can skate and win battles shows up to camp.

And if you are going with Weal as 4RW (presumably this line will only get OZ starts, against the other teams bottom six) you might as well throw Weise or Laughton or Lehtera out there. It can't be worse. Excluding the injured Simmonds, they make up the "Whoops, puck's in our net" club.

"A lot of the first half of last year he focused on defense ..." - Mike Johnson

His offensive numbers were awful until they swapped TK for Simmer. But stats lie, unless they say what you already think, right?
- hockeyal

That's a quote from an analyst, not a fact.

You're assuming that's the reason why he got better and completely ignoring the obvious factor that he got healthy and stronger recovering from the surgeries and got some explosiveness back in his skating. Watching the player play, that was clear.

More fallacies Al!

Really? So there are sure fire defensive prospects who can play top 4 minutes and stabilize young players in 18-19?

According to every hockey person not named John Boruk, the only defensive prospect that seems likely to make the roster in the next year is Myers, and he is not consistently projected to be more than a 5/6 defenseman.


- hockeyal

Flyers have veterans in Provorov, Gostisbehere and MacDonald to play top 4 minutes. Sanheim is poised ot take a bigger bite.

Meanwhile, Morin has appeared on SEVERAL "biggest draft bust" lists in the last months. Experts agree he is not likely to be a top 4, if he manages to crack teh roster. So you are betting the farm on Friedman or Willcox?


- hockeyal

Who gives a rats ass what list Morin has appeared on. You seem to place way too much value in things like that. Which experts agree? Again, you;re liong on rhetoric, short on facts.

I like Ginning and Hogberg and Kalynuk and one or two of them might be ready by 20 or 21, but what about 18-19? The Flyers defense was unsteady on offense and defense. They cracked in close games because they are young, lack leadership, are stacked with more offensive players, and were put on ice in pairings that amplified these weaknesses. The personnel is the same, and in fact the trade off of Folin for Manning makes them weaker. There is nothing on this roster that suggests the Flyers won't go back to being a minus team. The only reason they were a plus last year was their ability to blow out a few teams and pad their GF numbers.


- hockeyal

The Flyers defense is set for 18/19. They have no need for the players you mentioned.

It seems the Flyers have one solid pairing: Sanheim was +4 in 14 games with AMac (-10 without him), and Provorov over the same stretch was even playing with Ghost (+7 without him). The Flyers need to make a move to have D that can play playoff hockey.
- hockeyal

No they don't. They need to keep developing young players. They're already capable of being a playoff team.

So you put wings who don't play defense all on one line, and all of your go into the corners guys on a line with a guy who can't finish or make plays to take advantage of it? If you like Vorobyov so much. why not make him 3C? I personally think that 3C/4C should be the two best players from the group of Vorobyov, Vecchione, Lehtera and Laughton (not who Homer wants to be the best). If there is a real competition, Laughton gets waived to LV. I frankly don't know who emerges from the other three. It depends on how much better Vorobyov and Vecchione get over the summer and if the Lehtera who can skate and win battles shows up to camp.

And if you are going with Weal as 4RW (presumably this line will only get OZ starts, against the other teams bottom six) you might as well throw Weise or Laughton or Lehtera out there. It can't be worse. Excluding the injured Simmonds, they make up the "Whoops, puck's in our net" club.
- hockeyal

Laughton will not be waived to LV. Laughton will be in the starting lineup.