Bill Meltzer: Quick Hits: Weal, Weise, and More

What could u even get for weal ? 6th rd pick? Can’t see many teams if any with interest.

Not sure what it means, but Wayne Simmonds was his linemate for 10 of Weal's 11 ES points in 2016-17

FWIW, barring any further trades or signings and of course without factoring in injuries, here is how I think the roster looks on opening night. I very much doubt it will still look the same though as the season rolls on.

GOAL
Elliott
Neuvirth

DEFENSE
Provorov
Ghost
AMac
Sanheim
Gudas
Hagg
Folin

LEFT WING
Giroux
JVR
Lindblom
Raffl

CENTER
Coots
Patrick
Laughton
Lehtera

RIGHT WING
Voracek
TK
Simmonds
Aube-Kubel*

Spare forwards: Weal & Weise
On IR: Morin
In LHV: Leier

*I betting on Aube-Kubel to be the one kid who earns a spot in the lineup right out of camp but I think Myers will be up by mid season at the latest and Vecchione will get some games in at some point as well. Due to injury, Morin is a wild card at this point.

What could u even get for weal ? 6th rd pick? Can’t see many teams if any with interest.
- rinaldo

There were at least 5 with interest last summer. He had a down year but is a UFA next summer. He is tradable.

What could u even get for weal ? 6th rd pick? Can’t see many teams if any with interest.
- rinaldo

Right now, nothing. However, if a team has a couple of forwards go down during preseason, you could probably package Weal with one of our two 7th round picks for a 5th round pick.

There were at least 5 with interest last summer. He had a down year but is a UFA next summer. He is tradable.
- bmeltzer

He's had all of 2 good months at the NHL level and none of that was last season. I don't think he has any trade value right now but would probably have a little if another team lost a forward or two due to injury.

He's had all of 2 good months at the NHL level and none of that was last season. I don't think he has any trade value right now but would probably have a little if another team lost a forward or two due to injury.
- BiggE

Trade value (bringing back an enticing asset) vs tradable (finding a taker) aren't necessarily the same thing. I think Vancouver, for one, is still a viable taker if Flyers want to clear the roster spot.

Weal seems like a player who is just a notch or two above a tweener to me. With higher end prospects making their way closer and
closer and adding a clearly a better winger in JVR I don't see where he fits. I also think putting him at center in the NHL would be disastrous.

If the team had some better PK'ers over what they have now they could probably justify keeping him over Raffl but that's just not the case.

I love that Dale had just 2 solid games last year.

He's had all of 2 good months at the NHL level and none of that was last season. I don't think he has any trade value right now but would probably have a little if another team lost a forward or two due to injury.
- BiggE

Even at that point the return would be less then,
the hope that this kid shows up ready (hits the weights) to be an sold NHL player vs good AHLer.

Hoping for the latter.

ttt

Weal seems like a player who is just a notch or two above a tweener to me.
- hereticpride

Same. I've never been impressed with his play.

Losing Gagne hurt like hell.

I was looking at the centers that will be a free agent over the next two summers and I really don't see a package that could be swung with Weal to get a 3c or 4c without giving up something more valuable than NJ's third next season

I remember moving Gagne was a pure cap move, but the Boston thing stings a little.

FWIW, barring any further trades or signings and of course without factoring in injuries, here is how I think the roster looks on opening night. I very much doubt it will still look the same though as the season rolls on.

GOAL
Elliott
Neuvirth

DEFENSE
Provorov
Ghost
AMac
Sanheim
Gudas
Hagg
Folin

LEFT WING
Giroux
JVR
Lindblom
Raffl

CENTER
Coots
Patrick
Laughton
Lehtera

RIGHT WING
Voracek
TK
Simmonds
Aube-Kubel*

Spare forwards: Weal & Weise
On IR: Morin
In LHV: Leier

*I betting on Aube-Kubel to be the one kid who earns a spot in the lineup right out of camp but I think Myers will be up by mid season at the latest and Vecchione will get some games in at some point as well. Due to injury, Morin is a wild card at this point.

Having Kubel on 4th line is a waste of his potential. A promising prospect cant improve getting 5 mins of ice time a game. Keep him in the AHL and use a 4th line career player in that spot. Leier or Weise or Weal would fill that role

Having Kubel on 4th line is a waste of his potential. A promising prospect cant improve getting 5 mins of ice time a game. Keep him in the AHL and use a 4th line career player in that spot. Leier or Weise or Weal would fill that role
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

Get more skill in the lineup and let the top two lines get a minute or two less a game. I'd love to see 12 real today NHL players on this roster and get rid of the dead weight. But we know we are stuck with Lehtera this season at 4c most likely. The less I see of Weise the happier I will be.

Having Kubel on 4th line is a waste of his potential. A promising prospect cant improve getting 5 mins of ice time a game. Keep him in the AHL and use a 4th line career player in that spot. Leier or Weise or Weal would fill that role
- xShoot4WarAmpsx

I disagree. First off, I think it will be more like 8-10 minutes rather than 5, but that's not my issue. Rather, I think it's more of what is best for the player, balanced with what is best for the Philadelphia Flyers. Aube-Kubel has already proven that he is a quality ES player at the AHL level. He's not going to get pp time with the Flyers any time soon, so having him expand his role with the Phantoms by adding pp time isn't going to help his NHL development in any significant way. If he was a pro rookie, I'd feel differently, but he has 2 full AHL seasons under his belt and looks ready to play in the NHL.

Now lets look at what is best for the Flyers. Leier, after a few ok games, was pretty much invisible/ineffective in a 4th line role last year, Weal needs to work with other skill players to be effective and Weise flat out sucks. The Flyers made the playoffs last year and are looking to take another step forward this season. I think Aube-Kubel, albeit in a small way, makes the team better and that's enough for me.

Get more skill in the lineup and let the top two lines get a minute or two less a game. I'd love to see 12 real today NHL players on this roster and get rid of the dead weight. But we know we are stuck with Lehtera this season at 4c most likely. The less I see of Weise the happier I will be.
- dragonoffrost

I disagree. First off, I think it will be more like 8-10 minutes rather than 5, but that's not my issue. Rather, I think it's more of what is best for the player, balanced with what is best for the Philadelphia Flyers. Aube-Kubel has already proven that he is a quality ES player at the AHL level. He's not going to get pp time with the Flyers any time soon, so having him expand his role with the Phantoms by adding pp time isn't going to help his NHL development in any significant way. If he was a pro rookie, I'd feel differently, but he has 2 full AHL seasons under his belt and looks ready to play in the NHL.

Now lets look at what is best for the Flyers. Leier, after a few ok games, was pretty much invisible/ineffective in a 4th line role last year, Weal needs to work with other skill players to be effective and Weise flat out sucks. The Flyers made the playoffs last year and are looking to take another step forward this season. I think Aube-Kubel, albeit in a small way, makes the team better and that's enough for me.
- BiggE

I personally feel NAK would be perfect for the 4th line and hopefully grow into a useful PKer. Right now, until injuries, the top 9 are set and someone would have to blow the doors off the barn to take that 3C spot. Eventually younger players will have to see what they can do on the big club, even if that means limited ice time. No point waiting for every prospect to turn 27 before they get a crack. I see NAK's window closing, as in this year or next, to make the club or disappear in the darkness of the AHL.

Weal didn't have the season he was hoping for, but I think he's worth keeping as a depth scoring option. He had as many points as Lehtera, Weise and Leier put together.

I disagree. First off, I think it will be more like 8-10 minutes rather than 5, but that's not my issue. Rather, I think it's more of what is best for the player, balanced with what is best for the Philadelphia Flyers. Aube-Kubel has already proven that he is a quality ES player at the AHL level. He's not going to get pp time with the Flyers any time soon, so having him expand his role with the Phantoms by adding pp time isn't going to help his NHL development in any significant way. If he was a pro rookie, I'd feel differently, but he has 2 full AHL seasons under his belt and looks ready to play in the NHL.

Now lets look at what is best for the Flyers. Leier, after a few ok games, was pretty much invisible/ineffective in a 4th line role last year, Weal needs to work with other skill players to be effective and Weise flat out sucks. The Flyers made the playoffs last year and are looking to take another step forward this season. I think Aube-Kubel, albeit in a small way, makes the team better and that's enough for me.
- BiggE

This is a really good post that I would honestly like to hear read out to Hextall to get his reaction. NAK got almost no PP time on the Phantoms, and if that's going to continue then by all means throw him on the Flyers 4th line. No more Goulbourne, please.

In contrast, Vorobyev got significant PP time despite being a rookie adjusting to the big ice, and he's only played 67 total AHL games. So leaving him the AHL can be justified for development reasons, even if he looks ready to be an NHL 4C in camp.

Weal didn't have the season he was hoping for, but I think he's worth keeping as a depth scoring option. He had as many points as Lehtera, Weise and Leier put together.
- Feanor

I was only 21 points behind Weal, with far fewer games played.

NAK just took the #11 spot on the HFB prospect polls.

1. Frost, Morgan - 84%
2. Myers, Phil - 80%
3. Farabee, Joel - 84%
4. O'Brien, Jay - 42%
5. Allison, Wade - 41%
6. Ratcliffe, Isaac - 61%
7. Morin, Sam - 39%
8. Rubtsov, German - 47%
9. Vorobyev, Mikhail - 85%
10. Laczynski, Tanner - 50%
11. Aube-Kubel, Nicolas - 67%