Development Camp 2013

[OccamsRazor]

A couple of people said Hagg was one of the best players if not the best player on the ice today. Said he really impressed.

http://www.sportsolo...ect-Camp-Notes-

Thanks for that one enjoyed and sounds good for the future.

Reece Willcox - 6-4, 193 - D -After a few viewings last year and now in camp he looks very strong. He was great in 1-on-1 drills. It’s hard to get by him because the college game is very physical and does lend itself in creating good defenseman. He has some offense in his game but I think his real value will be as a puck moving defenseman who is strong in his own zone. Cornell has a rigid defensive system and he played a lot for a freshman.

Reece Wilcox will be a sleeper....he started as a true freshman at Cornell not a easy D lineup to get into as a freshman.

Edited July 8, 2013 by OccamsRazor

[AJgoal]

Alright, I *should* be there on Thursday. I plan on taking a hard look at Morin and Hagg, since I know next to nothing about them other than the draft reports. Anyone else folks want me to look for in particular? Obviously I'll bring up anything that stands out in particular.

[doom88]

Is anyone attending? I forget who usually gives those great player-by-player assessments. That would of course be greatly appreciated by all.

Isn't that Poulin20 and AdamsFlyer? Might be missing one more guy.

[Phillygrump]

Thawnks for that one enjoyed and sounds good for the future.

Reece Willcox - 6-4, 193 - D -After a few viewings last year and now in camp he looks very strong. He was great in 1-on-1 drills. It’s hard to get by

How/when was he acquired?

[peter puck]

Isn't that Poulin20 and AdamsFlyer? Might be missing one more guy.

Wasn't there a LadyNeat that used to do it on silly.com?

[doom88]

Wasn't there a LadyNeat that used to do it on silly.com?

That does sound familiar. Two years ago right?

[peter puck]

That does sound familiar. Two years ago right?

Sounds about right. I think she would also post pics of the trial,carnival and training camp also.

[OccamsRazor]

How/when was he acquired?

the draft 2012 5th (141st)...i know right!

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/reece-willcox/

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=93550

finish +3 as a true freshman in 34 games...

http://centscentral.blogspot.com/2011/12/reece-wilcox-secures-his-future.html

"Outside of his skills on the ice at both ends of the rink, Reece is a very intelligent individual who has been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA (the equivalent of straight A's) while playing hockey, which is extremely difficult with the heavy practice and game schedule that consumes the life of a BCHL player still in high school."

"At the age of 17, it's a rarity for any defenseman to make the jump to NCAA Division 1 hockey, so this is a tremendous honour for Reece, but one that is definitely well deserved. By the end of last season, Reece established himself as one of Cents' top dmen, especially in the playoff series vs Salmon Arm."

http://www.cornellbigred.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=32025

"Willcox immediately stepped in as a top-four defenseman, logging substantial minutes both on the penalty kill and at even strength. He was the only Big Red freshman and only one of six players overall to appear in all 34 games. Willcox was on the ice for 20 of the Big Red's 50 even-strength goals, which ranked second on the team among defenseman (behind only Nick D'Agostino). Three of his five points came on the ice at Princeton's Hobey Baker Rink. The first came in the regular season, when he had the secondary assist on John Esposito's power-play goal on Nov. 9. He then added an assist in each game of the Big Red's two-game sweep of the Tigers in the ECAC Hockey Championship first-round series."

Hey who knows can't have enough good Dmen right!

[doom88]

Sounds about right. I think she would also post pics of the trial,carnival and training camp also.

I thought the carnival and training camp was cat or kat something.

[OccamsRazor]

I think Laughton ends up our 3rd line center...and ends up one of THE best in the league. He's got skill, speed, tenacity and really takes care of things WITHOUT the puck.

Cousins won't be an NHL center.

Good read on the cap situation...

http://thehockeyguys...-ltir-benefits/

"There are two pieces of information that need to be understood before I discuss these two scenarios. The first is that the Flyers currently sit $1,053,522 over the upper limit of the salary cap. The second is that every team must be within the $64.3 million upper limit of the salary cap by last day of the off-season (excluding performance bonuses). That day is the last day of training camp."

Scenario A

On the last day of training camp, the Flyers have a cap payroll of $65,353,522 (excluding performance bonuses). Chris Pronger is placed on LTIR. By doing so, the Flyers will be deemed to have already replaced him and will not be eligible for further relief. This is because the team’s cap payroll exceeded the upper limit. If Pronger stays on LTIR all season, the cap payroll of the Flyers may not exceed $65,353,522.

In layman’s terms, by embarking upon this scenario the Flyers will effectively only be able to exceed the salary cap by $1,053,522 under Chris Pronger’s LTIR exemption.

Scenario B

On the last day of training camp, the Flyers have a cap payroll of $65,353,522 (excluding performance bonuses). Jay Rosehill and Bruno Gervais are placed on waivers, effectively removing $1.5 million from the books ($675,000 for Rosehill; $825,000 for Gervais).* The Flyers’ cap payroll would then be $63,853,522, slightly below the upper limit.

On the first day of the NHL season, the Flyers place Pronger on LTIR. Accounting for the LTIR exemption, the Flyers would then be afforded a maximum cap payroll of $68,794,951.

After that, the Flyers may recall Rosehill and Gervais. This would bring their cap payroll back up to $65,353,522. They would then have a remaining LTIR exemption of $3,441,429.

In layman’s terms, by embarking upon this scenario the Flyers will effectively be able to exceed the salary cap by $3,441,429 under Chris Pronger’s LTIR exemption.

The situations are only slightly nuanced, but the effects could not be more diverse. By placing themselves in a position of cap compliancy before the regular season starts, the Flyers will be able to more than triple the utility of Chris Pronger’s LTIR salary cap exemption. That can go a long way for a team that operates so close to the upper limit of the salary cap.

As they say: timing is everything.

HHHHhhhhhmmmmm.....interesting read....who knows what they have up their sleeve...

Edited July 9, 2013 by OccamsRazor

[OccamsRazor]

Another article on Flyer's farm....

http://www.hockeyprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1553

Top 10 Prospects 2013

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Yzerman era has not yet been too successful at the NHL level, but at the prospect level, the Bolts have built the best system in hockey. Elite prospect Jonathan Drouin leads the way, and Tampa Bay has a ton of top talent elsewhere in their minor league affiliates and in the amateur ranks. The Lightning have a lot of very good prospects to go with their high-end quality depth, and that is true even with the fact that former sixth overall pick Brett Connolly no longer qualifies as a prospect. The future is bright for this organization.

2. New York Islanders

Ryan Strome remains a top prospect, Brock Nelson had a strong year in the AHL, Griffin Reinhart had a quality season in the WHL, and drafting Ryan Pulock was a big addition. I have become more bearish on winger Kirill Kabanov, but one prospect does not change the Islanders' picture much. New York has several top talents, and many good prospects throughout the organization.

3. Buffalo Sabres

Mikhail Grigorenko is just one game away from losing prospect eligibility, and although his inclusion played a notable part in this high ranking, Buffalo has built a very strong system behind the 12th overall selection in 2012. Their draft class in 2013 was exceptional, they acquired forward Johan Larsson from Minnesota in the Jason Pominville trade, and defenders Jake McCabe and Mark Pysyk had good years.

4. Anaheim Ducks

Top defense prospect Hampus Lindholm looked quality in the AHL, but concussion issues marred his season. Even with Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem graduating, the Ducks possess very good prospects such as William Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Stefan Noesen, Sami Vatanan, and John Gibson. Kevin Roy was a big riser this past season, and Anaheim's depth is solid as well.

5. Florida Panthers

Florida loses Jonathan Huberdeau and Drew Shore to graduation, and Corban Knight via trade, but drafting Aleksander Barkov maintained their system as elite. 2012 first round selection Michael Matheson looked very strong at Boston College this season, and Vincent Trocheck was similarly good in the OHL.

6. Nashville Predators

Adding Seth Jones and Filip Forsberg will do wonders for an organization's future; Nashville's young outlook is very bright behind those two cornerstones. The system does not end after them, though. Mattias Ekholm is a quality defense prospect, and forwards Taylor Beck, Austin Watson, Jimmy Vesey, and Brendan Leipsic had good years as well.

7. Detroit Red Wings

Brendan Smith graduated, and Detroit lacks a truly elite prospect, but the amount of good to very good prospects in this organization is among hockey's best. Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Danny DeKeyser, and Calle Jarnkrok lead the pack, but there are many other names that possess upside beyond them.

8. Dallas Stars

Dallas adding winger Valeri Nichushkin in the 2013 draft was a big move for this system, and the Stars have a lot of other good pieces in addition. Brett Ritchie and Jamie Oleksiak had good years, but 2012 first round pick Radek Faksa was only average, perhaps disappointingly so. Still, the quality depth in the Stars' system is very good.

9. Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago does not have a superstar prospect, or many big names beyond Teuvo Teravainen, but they are the deepest organization in the NHL when it comes to quality prospects. The Blackhawks have drafted so well beyond the first round, and some nice signings have helped them build a strong system despite routinely high NHL finishes and two Stanley Cups over the past four seasons.

10. Calgary Flames

Calgary's system has not been their strong point in recent years, but this summer, the outlook is starting to change. Sean Monahan and Sven Baertschi are top-end young talents, while Corban Knight and Johnny Gaudreau are also very good. The Flames' depth is not great, but it is average, and with a good top end in their pipeline, this system is a quality one.

11. Washington Capitals

Star prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov delivers a lot of value to Washington's system, and both Andre Burakovsky and Madison Bowey were nice additions at the 2013 draft. The development of Tom Wilson, Riley Barber, and Christan Djoos has been solid, as well. Despite a disappointing season for Stanislav Galiev, and just average depth, Washington's ranking remains strong behind very good top-end prospects in their system.

12. Winnipeg Jets

2012 first round pick Jacob Trouba had a fantastic season, solidifying him as an elite defense prospect. Mark Scheifele remains a top prospect, and Adam Lowry had a quality season. The Jets lacked depth before the 2013 draft, but they sufficiently improved that area to a league-average level there.

13. Montreal Canadiens

Montreal graduated third overall pick Alex Galchenyuk and Calder finalist Brendan Gallagher, but their system remains strong and deep despite the absence of a true top-tier prospect. The Canadiens have added a lot of good prospects in their last two drafts to go along with first round defensemen Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi. Still, 2009 first rounder Louis Leblanc struggled this season.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus' system improved thanks to their three first round picks at the 2013 draft, as well as the development of Boone Jenner. The Blue Jackets also possess some quality college prospects, such as T.J. Tynan and Mike Reilly. 2012 second overall pick Ryan Murray does not hurt, either. Columbus boasts good depth, but their top end is merely decent.

15. Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton has a very strong group of young defensemen, between Darnell Nurse, Oscar Klefbom, Martin Marincin, and others. Toni Rajala took huge strides this year, and while they have a few intriguing options in the KHL, they still have no real top-end forwards in the system. The overall depth of this system is also a tad below average.

16. Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix does not have a ton of impressive names in their system, but the top end of it is very strong. Max Domi, David Rundblad, Brandon Gormley, and Henrik Samuelsson are a great quartet to go along with Laurent Dauphin and Connor Murphy just behind. Murphy, however, has had injury troubles of late.

17. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche system was lackluster prior to the 2013 draft, but they added Nathan MacKinnon at first overall, and took Chris Bigras in the second round. Mike Sgarbossa continues to impress, and they have a strong group of goaltender prospects. Still, graduation of a lot of their top young players leaves this system a little thin when it comes to skaters.

18. Ottawa Senators

The Senators lost Mika Zibanejad and Patrick Wiercioch to graduation, along with Jakob Silfverberg and Stefan Noesen to trade, but Ottawa still has good depth and a number of players to like. They have quality prospects at all positions, including an elite goalie prospect in Robin Lehner. Defenseman Mikael Wikstrand was a great riser this year, but first round pick Cody Ceci was up and down.

19. New York Rangers

Tim Erixon's trade, J.T. Miller's graduation, and average years from Chris Kreider and Brady Skjei led to a lower ranking for the Rangers. Acquiring Danny Kristo from Montreal was a nice boost, Michael St. Croix continued to look good in the WHL, and they made a few nice upside selections in the 2013 draft.

20. Vancouver Canucks

The 2013 draft was a shot in the arm for a Canucks system that was bottom five beforehand. First round picks Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk join Nicklas Jensen and Frankie Corrado to form a quality top end. Their depth, however, is poor. After Corrado and Jordan Subban, there is not a whole lot left as far as defensemen are concerned.

21. Boston Bruins

The Bruins' system loses Dougie Hamilton to graduation, and they lack an elite prospect, but they have a lot of good players in their system. Ryan Spooner, Alexander Khokhlachev, and Torey Krug all have potential, and Boston picked up a couple of solid prospects from Dallas in the Tyler Seguin trade.

22. Minnesota Wild

Minnesota was ranked fourth at this time last year, but losing Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, and Jonas Brodin to graduation, trading Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett, and suffering average seasons from Mathew Dumba and Zack Phillips led to a sharp decline. On the bright side for the Wild, Jason Zucker and Tyler Graovac were some of this season's biggest prospect risers.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins lost Simon Despres and Beau Bennett to graduation and they traded Joe Morrow, yet they maintain a very strong group of defense prospects in the quartet of Olli Maatta, Derrick Pouliot, Brian Dumoulin, and Scott Harrington. Pittsburgh, however, really lacks scoring punch in their pipeline up front.

24. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs have a deep organization, but they lack strong prospects at the top. Morgan Rielly is the cornerstone for this organization, and players like Joe Colborne, Matt Finn, Stuart Percy, Josh Leivo, and Frederik Gauthier, among others, are good organizational prospects. Aside from Rielly, however, it is hard to argue that any of these names are significant pieces.

25. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have a top-heavy system with 2013 fifth overall pick Elias Lindholm and 2011 12th overall pick Ryan Murphy at the top, but it falls off after that. They have some intriguing forwards at the AHL level, as well as Victor Rask in junior, but a lot of Carolina's top prospects are either projects or figure to play at the bottom of a lineup.

26. San Jose Sharks

The Sharks have not completely changed their system's outlook, but the last two NHL Drafts have seen things change a tad for San Jose as they have accumulated more talent. Tomas Hertl looks like a really good prospect, and they have some other quality forwards in the system.

27. Los Angeles Kings

There aren't star-level prospects in the Kings' pipeline, but they still have a few very good names in 2013 selection Valentin Zykov, as well as Tyler Toffoli, who had a great 2012-13 season. A lot of Los Angeles's top prospects are very close to the NHL, and their AHL affiliate in Manchester has had and will continue to have quality players.

28. New Jersey Devils

The Devils are well stocked in defense prospects with players like Jon Merrill, Steve Santini, and Eric Gelinas, among others, but this system is barren when it comes to forwards. First round pick Stefan Matteau is solid, and Reid Boucher looks good, but overall, the Devils lack scoring punch.

29. Philadelphia Flyers

2012 first rounder Scott Laughton and 2013 second round pick Robert Hagg are the most interesting names in this system, and defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Samuel Morin are good long-term prospects. Anthony Stolarz is intriguing as a goalie prospect, too. Still, Philadelphia does not have much beyond these players, but there are a couple of solid names on their AHL roster.

30. St. Louis Blues

St. Louis entered the year with a top-heavy system, and thus, graduating Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz is a big blow to their ranking. Ty Rattie and Dmitrij Jaskin are very good, young players, but it falls off here after that. Jordan Schmaltz and Tommy Vanneli, among a few others, could be interesting in a few years, but right now, the Blues' system is very thin.

Well at least we're not a t the bottom...hehehehe!

[jammer2]

@OccamsRazor So, it's in the Flyers best interest to be cap compliant before the start of the season, in order to maximize the Pronger LTIR pay-out. This looks like a must, with 3+ mill in cap space at risk. So any pontential trade would have to assure that what goes out must be equal to or even less of the cap hit for the players coming in. This puts Homer over a barrel, cause you can bet the other GM's know this as well. He might have to overpay to assure a cap saving trade becomes a reality.

[OccamsRazor]

@OccamsRazor So, it's in the Flyers best interest to be cap compliant before the start of the season, in order to maximize the Pronger LTIR pay-out. This looks like a must, with 3+ mill in cap space at risk. So any pontential trade would have to assure that what goes out must be equal to or even less of the cap hit for the players coming in. This puts Homer over a barrel, cause you can bet the other GM's know this as well. He might have to overpay to assure a cap saving trade becomes a reality.

What i don't under stand is how did Schenn get such a high cap hit of 3.1mill he was the 5th overall and Coots 8th overall yet only banks 1.3 mill??? Big difference right there....

....really can't see Schenn reupping for much more than he is already making maybe Coots up to 3-3.5 mill for the bridge contract.

Edited July 9, 2013 by OccamsRazor

[jammer2]

@OccamsRazor I seem to recall that Schenn was given some outrageous bonus clauses in his initial LA entry level contract. Some of them are not realistically reachable. So, they have to count against the cap to start out, but the Flyers eventually get cap relief the following year when some of the incentives are not reached. At least, that's the way I understood it.

Edited July 9, 2013 by jammer2

[OccamsRazor]

I seem to recall that Schenn was given some outrageous bonus clauses in his initial LA entry level contract. Some of them are not realistically reachable. So, they have to count against the cap to start out, but the Flyers eventually get cap relief the following year when some of the incentives are not reached.

Well if that is the case why the hell have they been penalized in back to back years now for going over the cap form bonuses that have been reached???

How do they not own a effin calculator???????

[Dynamo 47]

I think Laughton ends up our 3rd line center...and ends up one of THE best in the league. He's got skill, speed, tenacity and really takes care of things WITHOUT the puck.

Cousins won't be an NHL center.

You really don't think Cousins makes it? Makes it as a center or not at all? Is it due to his all around game, size?

Do you think Laughton has more potential than Couts? Because I don't think he makes the team and gets the 3rd line center role over Couts and I don't think having play 4th line center benefits him or helps his development.

[Dynamo 47]

Thanks for the article. Razor. I agree with Lappy. Training camps were notorious for the "Rudy" type guys to come in and run established guys, instigate fights to bring attention to themselves, etc.

Aside from no scrimmages I also like the fact they really only invited draft picks and signing for players who might see the O&B someday. For some of the picks with less people present they get more individualized attention.

Is anyone aware of if Pronger is attending the Dev Camp and if so is he working with Morin?

[flyercanuck]

You really don't think Cousins makes it? Makes it as a center or not at all? Is it due to his all around game, size?

Do you think Laughton has more potential than Couts? Because I don't think he makes the team and gets the 3rd line center role over Couts and I don't think having play 4th line center benefits him or helps his development.

I just don't see Cousins as a center. I think he has a shot on the wing. His scoring and pest qualities make him valuable.

I think eventually Couturier either becomes our second line center or gets traded. His value, if he develops like he should, is too great for 3rd liner. Laughton is basically plug and play there.

[AJgoal]

Alright folks, I apologize. The schedule claimed it started at 10, when I got there at 10:20, apparently they'd been on the ice since at least 9:30 and I missed the first group, which included Stolarz, Gostisbehere, Morin, Hagg, Laughton... Basically all the guys I was really hoping to see.

Lappy and Hatcher were on the ice coaching, as was an older guy I didn't recognize.

Straka has some size on him, and is a really fluid skater. He pretty much didn't give up the puck once he got it, and fed a nice backhand through traffic across the front of the crease to Alderson for a goal. Then he roofed a puck from right up close after Cousins fumbled it into the goalie's pad. Really quick release.

Konan isn't afraid to use his body to keep the forwards to the boards. Looked pretty good positionally.

Lamarche may be teh big suprise to me. Signed as a free agent out of QMJHL. 6-3, 218. VERY smooth skater. Kept up with just about any of the forwards. Cousins and Noebels both had trouble getting away from him along the boards. Good passer. Seemed like the most solid of the Dmen I saw. Stats show he has offensive upside.

Noebels seemed to have some decent speed and instincts, absolutely hammered a one-timer home top shelf to end the session.

Luuko seemed to be the most questionable Dman. Had some passes cut off, not physical, not as fluid as Lamarche. Cousins didn't really stand out too much, aside from setting up Straka's goal and putting a puck into a dman's skates, Alt, I think.Flanagan's a smallish center with decent speed and hands.

So again, I apologize for how abbreviated this is, but I only got to see about 20 minutes before they broke the practice.

Didn't get a chance to really concentrate on the goalies.

[Dynamo 47]

I just don't see Cousins as a center. I think he has a shot on the wing. His scoring and pest qualities make him valuable.

I think eventually Couturier either becomes our second line center or gets traded. His value, if he develops like he should, is too great for 3rd liner. Laughton is basically plug and play there.

I agree and think he could play wing in the NHL.

The more I think about it the more I see Couterier being moved (especially if Laughton is ready). To get a good defenseman we almost have to part with one of young guys and he makes the most sense. I still think if the right dman is available that Couts and Coburn might be the guys used to get them

[OccamsRazor]

Lamarche may be teh big suprise to me

Well that is good to hear and thanks for taking the time to write it. Can never have too many Dmen cause it's seems in the NHL they are worth their weight in gold. And the Phantoms need more help on the blueline. Homer has turned around the depth on the farm in a short while, basically unscrewing what he screwed up!!!

Straka may go half the season and you'll see him in Orange and BLACK i bet......Cousins may take longer to find his game and he could be like FC said trade bait...we'll see.

[aziz]

@OccamsRazor

There is a scenario C, where the flyers push themselves to $4.921mil over the cap before putting Pronger on LTIR, thus making full use of his cap relief that way.

Also, if go the compliant before LTIR route, they only get enough cap relief required to replace the salary. Meaning, if they are $2mil under the cap, they will only be allowed to go over the cap by $2.921mil, as that is what would be required to replace the salary.

Bottom line is that LTIR cap relief requires careful timing and consideration for maximum effect. Exactly cap compliant at the moment is no better than being $4.921mil over...and being $2mil under the ceiling is the same as being $2.921mil over, and neither are particularly smart.

[AJgoal]

Az, except if they are 2 million under and don't need to use Pronger's LTIR exception, they can bank those savings towards a deadline acquisition.

[OccamsRazor]

@OccamsRazor

There is a scenario C, where the flyers push themselves to $4.921mil over the cap before putting Pronger on LTIR, thus making full use of his cap relief that way.

Also, if go the compliant before LTIR route, they only get enough cap relief required to replace the salary. Meaning, if they are $2mil under the cap, they will only be allowed to go over the cap by $2.921mil, as that is what would be required to replace the salary.

Bottom line is that LTIR cap relief requires careful timing and consideration for maximum effect. Exactly cap compliant at the moment is no better than being $4.921mil over...and being $2mil under the ceiling is the same as being $2.921mil over, and neither are particularly smart.

Ok that makes sense...so we'll ahve to wait and see what kid of trick they have up their sleeves.

[OccamsRazor]

Found some good tweets on Straka sounds like he may set the A on fire....good!!!!!!

Jake Pavorsky ‏@JakePavorsky 10m

Petr Straka is an absurd talent. Has his stick broken straight in half, still blows one by Skoff.

Jake Pavorsky ‏@JakePavorsky 1m

I'm gonna keep singing Straka's praises. Gets around defenseman after pushed onto boards, blasts one past Madsen from knees

.....me likey the sound of this, can't wait to see what Raffl brings to the table...