Howie58

Greetings:

Here is a not-so-positive take on the signing from Puck Daddy.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/learned-flyers-actively-seek-bad-goaltending-141537556--nhl.html

While I don't agree with everything said there are elements of truth. We do have to hope this is some turnaround and that the law of averages isn't taking hold. I like Mason as a teammate but hope we aren't booking a so-so player long-term.  I might have preferred a two-year deal just in case. But I acknowledge that in recent games we have seen some real defensive mess-ups that Parent or Brodeur couldn't handle.

Best,

Howie

I'm ok with that contract. He's played well for the most part. It's only 3 years. He's still RFA so his best days should be ahead of him.

FC:

As my late, great mom used to say, "from your lips to God's ears.!"

Good to hear from you...hope you and yours are well.

Howie

Greetings:

Even though the stated deadline is March 5th, the Sochi games and ensuing roster freeze make for an effective February 8th deadline.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2014/01/04/21375001.html?cid=rsssportsslam!%20hockey

This may speed up potential transactions.  I am not sure we will be active but one never knows on these things.

A month or so ago most of us might have said Hartnell or Timonen would be disposable. Would we say that now?

With the salary cap increasing next year, I have to wonder if we will be want to be net buyers?  Would we dangle one of our forwards?  The one person who might attract something from my vantage is Emery. If we really have our number one (not sure) and we think one of our juniors is ready for backup, would we let Emery go for a draft pick?  

Any takers?

Howie

hey @Howie58 ... how's the wine flowin? 

 

i gotta say.. i'm very impressed with how they're playing right now. it seems they are mostly on the same page finally. if you watched a game from earlier in the season and then any game from this roadtrip, one very striking thing is how cohesive they are now. it's the little things.. the passes are tape to tape. sure, they still have some D breakdowns that result in a lot of 'running' around. but, i guess what team doesn't? 

 

i dunno if it's coincidence or that Berube is really doing a great job, but the product on the ice is 10x's what it was in october, that is for sure. we're IN every game now. 

Bak:

Good to hear from you and best wishes for 2014.  My orthodpod says I should cut out wine but my GP says 2 glasses a day is A-OK.  Who am I putting money on?  Yeahh baby!  Yes, this team is gelling very nicely.  I concur that D is probably the weakest link but there is coherence and for the first time in years, they can get the puck out of their own zone with relative ease. Mason is something of a revelation. I hope this isn't some one season wonder like his stint in Columbus. This road trip showed some character. Now they have to bring it home and kick arse in their own division. 

LGF,

Howie

Greetings:

I think Brelic and other are right; many of us would have a tough time seeing a turnaround after the dismal start. Putting specific ranks aside, my question would be whether the tightness of the rankings reflects on a league with incredible parity save for an elite few (Chicago, Anaheim, and name 2-3 more).  That said, it is incredible where we are after the lousy start.  Berube deserves some credit, and even I have to eat crow and say our forwards may be waking up.  The question may be how this year ends.  I would like our youngins to get some playoff experience, even if it is one round.

Mason may be one of the most important signings of Homer's tenure.  On the other hand, the Phoenix announcers on Center Ice were mentioning Vinny and wondering if that was such a good investment.  After a great start I am wondering too?

If not mistaken, the trade deadline is just over a month away.  I don't see any big moves but Homer is Homer.  By the way, Kimmo may no longer be trade bait in my mind. If anything, I wonder if he is resigned for another year at less money?  

Over and out,

Howie

Howdy:

I thought this was a good win. The boys started like turds but went on the attack.  Stopping four power plays--good. 

The unsung hero may have been Mason. He was mortal for the first two periods but got his act together in the third and made some really critical stops.

Nice job. This one made for a very positive road trip. 

One last thought..Voracek looked great on the game winner. Giroux's shot on the open goal was such a laser. Cool.

Best,

Howie

Greetings All:

I am saddened any fan would go after another physically. I used to see that sh....t as a student at FSU when Miami or Florida came to visit and it was way out of line.

Coots' turnover on the first goal was out-of character but Mason made initial stops. The second goal was one of Mason's weaker allowed. Varlamov was spectacular.  

Peace,

Howie

Greetings:

You have to give the guys credit. Despite a terrible D, Mason and the Gang hung tough. A good two points. Tying goal by Schenn and Mason standing tall in SO...OK in my book.

Howie

Our friend number 5 was also "lackluster."

This D is not helping the team. It is marginal at best. Mason and the forwards are winning for them.

Howie

@Howie58

 

I love the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.  

it is every bit the rival of NBC's Sunday night NFL broadcast. which in my opinion is the best weekly live sports cast in the US.

The extra cameras and the director's willingness to take ice level camera shots for extended periods of time make the game seem so much faster and more physical.

Plus the announce crews are top notch.

 

That was Kelly Hrudey doing the color on that show so "it takes one to know one" was in play on that comment.

Yes, it was "expert" opinion.  My only problem with the feed is that there are times it seems "distant" but that may have been the broadcast location from Rexall. On the other hand, it was funny--there was a very overweight Flyers fan behind the goal and on the tying score and Raffl's game winner he went nuts...it made it sweet to watch.  LGF. Howie

Greetings:

I got the CBC feed on NHL Center Ice. The Canadian announcers were astonished at the stick toss and saw it as flakiness at best, mental fragility at worst. They did not come out and criticize it directly but said it was strange even for goalies, who are a strange bunch.

Best,

Howie

Raffl's shot was almost as impressive as Giroux's last week. Screw Bryz!

Howie

Greetings:

I opted for "mostly right" on this one. I might have given Holmgen a lower than B grade.  Streit...don't get the guy's play. I think he is correct with Gustaffson and we have to ask what it means for a player who's had his share of play.  I also agree on Berube.  

An important "gap" in this analysis is the farm club. Other teams are stocked with really good AHL clubs (in the old days, Buffalo, currently Detroit).  I am not so sure about the Phantoms, but I am willing to be corrected. I know Hexstall was brought in to work on this, so I recognize the franchise "gets it" on this score. But it still deserves rating.

Peace,

Howie

Anton Khudobin 27 800K!!!

 

Didn't see the game just the highlights and wow he did not look good, hell once he went down i don't think he moved on any of them....

Greetings:

I did not see anything except the last 10 minutes. But I have had my doubts about him this year.

Peace,

Howie

Well, we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. This is an important weekend.

Howie

Cheesesteak :

After watching these dudes tonight I wonder if any of them will be worth anything. Homer is probably going to follow Clarke into a meaningless but well paid VP slot. 

Peace!

Greetings:

Sadly, I think Snider's influence will be felt for years to come. I am also a tad queasy about Hextall. Is he really the "new" face we need?  

This franchise's mindset is wedded to "Old Style" hockey. The fans who cheer the fights and cheap penalties don't help. 

Peace,

Howie

Here's a quick chart of winning percentage since 1997-98.

The trend is downward since that time (the green line).

winpct.PNG

Brelic:  What it says it what we would expect. There is a downward trend with an increasing standard deviation.  I think our post-'04 performance is a study of contrasts between and within seasons. Per comments on the rest of the thread, I think we need to separate pre- and post-Cap history for the franchise, if not the league. 

Howie

Pill:

Thanks for the research...I guess it is an indicator of greater parity. There is no Four-Bagger per Pitts or Islanders...I guess Pitt, Chicago, and Detroit are the Elite Three. Relatively speaking, we are far below our historical norms.  I am 55 years old and remember the Cup years very fondly. But I understand that was a very different era.  I'd go a step further--the team that replaced us at the top of the heap--the Islanders--was the bridge to the future.  Our Cup teams resembled the '67 Leafs.  Maybe we haven't learned our history. 

Peace,

Howie

You are bringing up something interesting, Howie. I don't have these sorts of stats in front of me, but I would be willing to bet our winning percentage in post-Lindros era is really not that impressive. The year the Hitch's Flyers went to the semis and lost to Tampa was probably an outlier. Most of what I remember over the last 10-12 years is tons of frustration, unrealized expectations, one head coach fired after another, and endless excuses coming out of Snider’s mouth.

 

 

 

And that's what really makes me clutch my teeth in anger. After decades of futility, this old puke Snider has audacity to seat there and tell the city that his culture is fine and doesn't need any changing. Oh really? What culture is that? A losing one? Yepper......

MadDog:

I've said this before and shout it from the hills. I think all teams, not just the Flyers, should probably be tracked from the Cap forward. In the old days, Philly, Boston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, NYI, and Edmonton were the perennial SC contenders.  I don't think we've had a repeat champ since the lost year.  I should do homework and see what the percentage is from '04 on.  My sense is that it would be lower than our "old" history, and would certainly have a lot of contrast, with the worst season in history followed-up by the ECF.  

Peace,

Howie

Greetings:

It is hard to argue against the assessment. The Streit-Vinny signings are a real drag. The only way out of those would probably be trade for low-level picks that take our head out of the noose. 

Howie

Howdy:

I was just thinking that tonight's game plus the two coming up with Columbus represent an interesting turning point just before New Year's. The home-and-home are an interesting experiment. Washington provides a test against one the league's upper-middle class; on paper, Columbus is a team in our performance space (maybe even an under-performer).  I take Snider at face value when he says there is careful scrutiny. March 5th is coming sooner than we think.  Putting aside LTC issues, I don't see anybody on this roster as safe.  Given next year's salary cap increase plus the probably falling off of some D, I could see Holmgren pulling off some moves for one of his patented revamps. Frankly, I don't see any late season turnaround-last minute playoff runs from this crew. I think we are seeing the maximum effort.  

Howie

 What should be blown up is this revolving door "old guy with long contract" idea that Holmgren thinks is a winning formula, yet hasn't worked EVER for us. I won't go into detail about all the "off into the sunset" type this team has acquired over the years but did anybody honestly think the Streit and LeCavalier signings would end any better than the Briere and Pronger ones did? The good thing is we didn't give up 4 first rounders for Streit. The bad thing is their buyouts aren't going to magically disappear from the cap this time.. Yes LeCavalier plays well (when he isn't hurt). Neither of them signed for a year or two though. Picture them 4 years from now....OUCH!

 

 As for Nashville and Pittsburghs drafts...

 

 Nashville has done a fine job of drafting Dmen and a goalie. But they've got the saddest collection of forwards of ANY NHL team. I thought they'd finally get one last year and Seth Jones falls into their lap. They don't have a single impact player from their last 9 drafts (other than Jones) and have traded away several of their first round picks.  

 

 Shero took over a team that had 4-top 2 picks and a 5th overall. His first draft he picked Jordan Staal over Jonathan Toews. He doesn't have a SINGLE impact draft pick since then. Not one. He has some nice prospects in Maatta, Pouliot, Despres, Bennett and Jarry. But the reality is he's a good gm who's a "great" gm cause he inherited Crosby and Malkin, arguably the two best players in the entire world. And he's won one cup with them in 7 years.

 

 In the same timeframe Philly has drafted Giroux, JVR, Sbisa, Couturier, Laughton, Stolarz, Ghost, Morin and Hagg. And that's while trading away most of his first and second rounders. I honestly don't see one gm stand out over another draft-wise here. Holmgren has traded away more picks, but still has basically the same quality.

FC:

I can't argue your facts. The reality of our LTC/NTC is strange. It might be helpful for all of us to assess Flyers' history from 2004 onward.  Our overall track record is very high in terms of winning percentage. But I suspect that was built in the good old days prior to cap.  The inconsistency of our team since the lost season brings a lot into focus--your issues regarding old fart, long-term contracts, forward-obsessed drafting (maybe Nashville is d-g obsessed), etc. 

Peace,

Howie

Absolutely correct!!  It took awhile, but I looked at the turn around for the Flyers since "the Cup Run" and let the moves do the talking

 

In 2009-10 we had a core of:

 

Richards (out 2011)

Carter (out 2011)

Pronger (out - injury)

Briere (2013)

Giroux

Hartnell

Timonen

JVR (out 2012)

Carle (out 2012)

Leino (out 2011)

Parent (out 2010)

 

In 2010-11:

 

OUT = Gagne, Asham, Laperriere (injury), Cote, Emery, Parent and a bunch of AHL'ers (Pylora, Laliberte, Krajicek, Kalinski, Tollefsen)

IN = Meszaros, Zherdev, Versteeg, O'Donnell, Shelley, Wellwood, Walker, Gus, Bobrovsky, Boynton

 

Analysis:

Versteeg did not even play 1 year with this team, Zherdov was a waste, Mez is made of glass but had potential.  Overall the lost a great role player in Lappy and fan favorite Gagne had a concussion and Matt Walker is a waste. Bob seemed to be a bright spot.

 

In 2011-12:

 

OUT = Carter, Richards, Leino, Versteeg, Carcillo, O'Donnell, Betts, Bartulis, Boynton

IN = Jagr, Simmonds, Voracek, Read, Talbot, Couturiere, B. Schenn, Rinaldo, MAB, Kubina, Harry Z., Grossman, Lilja, Sestito, Bryz

 

In 2012-13:

 

OUT = Bob, Kubina, Jagr, Carle, JVR,

IN = Fedotenko, Gagne, L. Schenn, Knuble, Gervais, McGinn, Foster, Lauridsen, Knuble, Mason, Hall, Rosehill

 

In 2013-14: (Current Season)

 

OUT: Briere, Bryz, Fedotenko, Gagne, Knuble, Talbot (trade this year)

IN: Downie, Striet, Emery, Lecavalier, Raffl, Gill

 

As one can plainly see, the turnover has been there.  However, look at some of the quality of players Homer has brought in.  Some are young filled with potential (Simmonds, Voracek, B. Schenn, Couturiere (draft), Raffle, Gus, Lauridsen (who is currently with the Phantoms), MAB (concusion). Yet there are other who have marginal NHL ability (Gervais, Foster, Lilja, Sestito).  Some who were over the hill (Knuble, Streit, Gill) Jagr was a great decision who elavated Giroux's play, but then they choose not to resign him.  The argument being his age and being able to withstand an 80 game schedule plus playoffs.  Zherdev and Bryz were mistakes.  Shelly was worthless and served beer and popcorn to Homer/Snider most of the time.  Bob was a bright spot and was traded to Columbus. Mason may or may not yet pan out.  Goaltending this year is at the bottom of the list for this this years team problems.  Versteeg was never here long enough.  Talbot brought bacl Steve Downie to us.  Vinny is a signing that is highly debated along with Striet. 

 

I know I am missing several other players and tidbits, but the point I'm attempting to make is that Homer has turned this roster around, BUT it is not a Stanley Cup contending roster.  Chicago has made some great moves and therefore are in the position they are in.  The Pens as long as they have Malkin, Crosby, and Letang will always have a shot.  MAF was a solid netminder, but lately hs become a basket case in the playoffs.

 

Quite frankly, most of knew that when Carter and Richards were traded away, it was going to take some time for players to gel and develop.  Now did Homer over value players. Perhaps.  But this team is stuck with some god awful contracts.  Now the real question becomes is Berube the right coach for this team?  If not, then what type of coach do you want and do you have the right type of players?  This team is just way too inconsistent to think about playoffs.  IMO, try to jettison as much baggage as possible and let the young guys develop.  IMO, I don't think making a bunch of traded for trading sake is the right direction for this team right now. 

 

The final question is when does Homer get fired if at all.  I am curious to what Hexy could bring to the table.

 

Please feel free to correct and glaring mistakes you see.  I'm not perfect.

Pilldoc:

This is a an excellent assessment. I think Homer as Architect is dubious. I have to believe a losing, non-playoff season could lead to his replacement. But with Snider around, will it matter?

Best,

Howie

 

 Here's an update on Flyers prospects courtesy of Hockeys Future. Breaks down strengths and weaknesses at each position. And brings up what most of us have been preaching for years...Flyers are finally trying to address the defence. Also shows what happens to your quality of prospects when you trade away most of your first and second round picks for old players who last one or two years...Holmgren you idiot!

 

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/101129/rebuild-appears-underway-for-philadelphia-flyers-blue-line/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rebuild-appears-underway-for-philadelphia-flyers-blue-line

 

 

Rebuild appears underway for Philadelphia Flyers blue line

By Tony Piscotta

December 14th, 2013

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Photo: Defenseman Mark Alt is in his first full year of professional hockey following three seasons at the University of Minnesota. (courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

 

The Philadelphia Flyers have generally taken an ambivalent approach to developing prospects, preferring to focus their resources on the NHL club and procuring more established young talent through trades or free agent signings.

 

When it comes to the NHL Draft, the Flyers have generally drafted high end offensive talent when they have had a first round pick (the club did not have a pick until the third round in 2009 and 2010). However, aside from Claude Giroux, those players are now skating elsewhere. In later rounds the Flyers have generally focused on size and character-type physical players to fit the organization's traditional style.

The organization's philosophy may be changing a bit – as evidenced by last summer's prospect camp and the players taken in the past two NHL Drafts.

With former Flyer Ian Laperriere serving as director of player development, their prospect camp was more targeted towards skills development and teaching. Laperriere was named an assistant coach after the firing of head coach Peter Laviolette, but the emphasis on young talent seems to be an organizational aim.

The Flyers also frequently tap free agents for their prospect pool, most recently bringing inMichael Raffl and Petr Straka.

Left Wing

Perhaps no position epitomizes the status of the Flyers' prospect pool more than the left wing. With the possible exception of Portland Winterhawks forward Taylor Leier and maybeMarcel Noebels, the left wings in the Philadelphia organization are generally sound and tough two-way players with limited offensive upside.

With a dearth of high end scorers at the NHL level, Matt Read has spent time playing on the wing for the Flyers, with veterans Scott Hartnell and Jay Rosehill also seeing significant ice time.

Joining them is Raffl, a 25-year-old rookie who was signed by the Flyers after a big season with Leksands in Sweden's Allsvenskan league. A native of Austria, Raffl has appeared in 20 NHL games this year and has managed two goals and three assists.

Tye McGinn, 23, has shuffled between the Flyers and AHL Adirondack and skated in six games for the Flyers. He is a big winger who is in the final year of his entry-level contract.

Tyler Brown, signed in 2011 as a free agent, is now in his third season with the Phantoms and has skated on the left wing after playing center previously. He has yet to see any time in the NHL.

Noebels is the youngest member of the Flyers professional left wing prospects. Now in his second season, the 21-year-old was a point-per-game scorer in the ECHL while splitting last season between Trenton and Adirondack. Capable of playing both center and wing, Noebels' offensive game has been limited thus far.

Andrew Johnston is another winger who was signed as a free agent. The 22-year-old is in his second pro season and is skating for former Trenton Titans coach Vince Williams with Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL.

Leier, a skilled but undersized forward, continues to put up big points with the defendingWHL champion Winterhawks, and is among the players in Team Canada's camp for the World Junior Championship. He will be challenged to prove he can score at that same pace at the pro level.

Tyrell Goulbourne, a third round pick in 2013, leads the Kelowna Rockets in penalty minutes and fits the player archetype that Flyers' brass and fans appreciate.

Eric Wellwood, 23, saw time with the Flyers in each of his first three pro seasons but at this time continues to recuperate from a horrific lower leg injury suffered at the end of last season. Wellwood appeared in 11 playoff games during the Flyers' run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2011-12. There is no timetable for his return.

Center

The off-season acquisition of Vincent Lecavalier added to an already well-stocked center position at the NHL level for Philadelphia as Giroux, Sean Couturier, and Brayden Schenn all figure to be with the Flyers long-term barring trades or injury.

Veteran Adam Hall has slipped into Maxime Talbot's lower line role after Talbot was traded to the Colorado Avalanche as part of a deal that brought in former Flyer Steve Downie. Meanwhile, Kris Newbury has shuffled between Philadelphia and Adirondack and adds experience with limited offense, solid positional play and a physical presence.

Now in his first season of professional hockey, the high-scoring Nick Cousins is expected to provide both offense and toughness at the NHL level.

Free agent signing Kyle Flanagan is also with the Phantoms. Signed out of St. Lawrence University last year, Flanagan is a two-way type who can provide a little offense.

Scott Laughton, The 20th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, made his NHL debut last year following the lockout and is considered the top Flyers' prospect. Back in the OHL for his final season of junior hockey, the 19-year-old has 50 points in his first 29 games with Oshawa and is expected to skate for Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship.

Right Wing

Downie's return to the organization, along with Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek, provide the Flyers with three high caliber right wings at the NHL level. The depth behind them however is suspect at this point.

Below the NHL level the Flyers pool of right wing prospects is comprised of undrafted free agents and late round picks whose NHL potential is far from certain.

Jason Akeson and Straka both fit in the first category and have been among the top scorers for Adirondack. Signed after a big overage season in the OHL in 2010-11, Akeson is the Phantoms' leading scorer in his third pro season and has played both wing and center, but his two-way play remains a concern.

Straka was the 55th player selected in the 2010 NHL Draft when he was selected byColumbus, but was never signed by the Blue Jackets. He was signed by the Flyers this summer after scoring 41 goals last season for Baie-Comeau as a 20-year-old. His skillset and speed are impressive, but he has to prove himself at the pro level.

Second-year pro Matt Mangene, who was converted from defense to forward during his college career at Maine, and AHL rookie Brandon Alderson, who skated for Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL as a 20-year-old last year, were also signed as free agents and are both with the Phantoms.

Rookie Derek Mathers, a seventh-round pick in 2011, has been almost exclusively an enforcer/energy line player for Adirondack.

Michael Parks, now a junior at North Dakota, is a skilled offensive player and continues to work his way back from an injury last year after an impressive freshman season two years ago.

Petr Placek, 20, a sixth-round pick in 2011, has played in just one game for Harvard this year as a junior.

Defensemen

Philadelphia's inability to consistently draft and develop defensemen has forced the Flyers to rely on older veterans through the years. The club currently has three defensemen over the age of 35 on its roster (Hal Gill, Kimmo Timonen, and Mark Streit). In addition to those three,Niklas Grossman and Andrej Meszaros are both 28 and began their careers in other organizations.

The organization has begun to address these issues however, and used eight of their 13 picks in the past two drafts on defensemen; five of whom are on the NCAA development track and appear to be long-term prospects.

The Flyers have several defensemen playing in minor pro hockey who may have lower pairing potential, but the real excitement appears to be in the recently drafted prospects who are playing either junior or college hockey.

Samuel Morin, the 11th player taken in the 2013 NHL Draft, has drawn comparisons to many of the top defensemen in hockey due to his combination of size, skating ability, and a nasty disposition. His game is still fairly raw however and he is a long-term prospect.

Shayne Gostisbehere, now a junior at Union College, plays a non-traditional game and likes to join the rush. Some scouts question his defensive play, but his speed and skill level are no less impressive.

Robert Hagg and Valeri Vasiliev are two teenagers in Europe who are playing in the pro leagues in Sweden and Russia respectively and are candidates for their country's entries at the World Junior Championship. Hagg, the Flyers' second round pick in 2013, is playing in Sweden's SHL as an 18-year-old while Vasiliev, a 7th round pick in 2012, is playing for Moscow Spartak as a 19-year-old.

Among the defensemen playing for Adirondack, Oliver Lauridsen (24) appeared in 15 games for the Flyers last season and his calling card is his size and reach. Brandon Manning is a tough customer with play-making ability while rookie Mark Alt, acquired from Carolina last season and signed following his junior year at Minnesota, is an intriguing prospect due to his skating ability.

California native Matt Konan is in his second pro season after an impressive junior career with Medicine Hat. The 22-year-old appeared in two games for the Flyers last year.

Cullen Eddy is a depth defenseman who earned an NHL contract after several strong seasons in the Flyers minor league system. Eddy has limited upside at this point in his career.

Marc-Andre Bourdon showed promise two years ago but has been hampered by concussion issues and has not yet skated this season after playing just 17 games with Adirondack a year ago.

Maxim Lamarche, a teammate of Straka's with Baie-Comeau last year and the team's top scoring defenseman as a 20-year-old, was signed as a free agent over the summer and is beginning his pro career in the ECHL with Elmira.

Tyler Hostetter, a native of suburban Philadelphia, is in the final year of his three-year entry-level deal and is skating for Wichita in the Central Hockey League.

Like Gostisbehere, Reece Willcox (Cornell) and Nick Luukko (Vermont) are playing college hockey and both have shown promise. Willcox, who is now a sophomore, is a big, defensive defenseman who plays a lot of minutes for the Big Red.

Luuko, who is in his junior year with Vermont, is also a big, defensive defenseman, though he does not play as prominent a role for his team.

Fredric Larsson, a 2012 draft pick from Sweden, is playing in the USHL as are 2013 late round picks Terrance Amorosa and David Drake.

Larsson, now with the Youngstown Phantoms, plays a physical game that is expected to be a better fit on the smaller North American rinks.

Sioux City's Amorosa, who played at the Holderness School, is committed to playing college hockey at Providence while Drake, who is with Des Moines, has yet to decide on a college.  

Goaltending

Steve Mason, acquired in a late season trade with Columbus in 2012-13, appears to have solidified the goaltending situation at the NHL level for now, and the Flyers went back to the future – signing former starter Ray Emery from the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks over the summer – giving the team a capable tandem.

Down the road, the Flyers do have a bon a fide prospect in New Jersey native Anthony Stolarz, though he is still early in his development curve. After leaving Nebraska-Omaha to play for London in the OHL last season, Stolarz took over the starter's role and led the Knights to a Memorial Cup appearance. He has made great strides the past two seasons and will back upJon Gillies (CAL) for Team USA at the World Junior Championship.

Merrick Madsen is an intriguing low risk/high reward prospect that the Flyers selected in the sixth round in 2013. The 18-year-old has prototypical size and athleticism for his position though he is considered a long-term project. Madsen is playing for the Minot Minotaurs in the NAHL and is committed to Harvard for 2014-15.

Former Ohio State goalie Cal Heeter is with Adirondack in his second pro season and has played well in tandem with veteran Yann Danis.

 

FC:

Thanks for the post. It is a good review of where we stand. You hope we see some of these folks develop down the road.  We need it .And I agree some that Lauridsen might have been a call up or fill in right now. He was scary big.

Peace,

Howie