2024-25 Roster Thread #2: Midseasonnar

[deadhead]

You did not answer. ''Won't be hurt'' - maybe - but what's the idea? What's the POINT?

Point is to play the guys you'll probably move rather than lose on waivers.

Zamula is a decent third pair guy, he has flashed good play, but due to his physical limitations, needs to be a quicker decisionmaker. Before they move on, they want to give him a full shot at winning a job. Even if Andrae will eventually replace him, he has value as a swingman who can play both sides.

 

[Beef Invictus]

The Flyers have an impact player, at a very affordable price, in TK:

Another interesting thing to note is just how strong Travis Konecny is at setting up scoring chances. That goes back to last season, when only Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov earned more scoring chance assists per 60 according to Sznajder’s tracked data, and Konecny has picked up right where he left off this season.

That may be a surprise to some — Konecny’s 60 assists over the last two years ranks 63rd — but that’s partially a result of playing for the Flyers. Konecny is one of the team’s few (if only) elite offensive drivers and it’s hard to create goals for teammates if they’re not gifted goal scorers. On another team with more support, Konecny’s passing ability would likely shine much more.

One reason to believe that is what he’s managed this year from a play-making perspective when paired with Philadelphia’s other best wingers: Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov. Konecny has played 216 minutes with at least one of them this season and has 2.22 assists per 60 during that time at five-on-five. In the 256 minutes without, that drops to 1.17.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6004316/2024/12/19/nhl-mikko-rantanen-travis-konecny-linus-ullmark/

And for those who think it doesn't matter who you partner an elite scoring D-man with:

Hughes is obviously the engine of the blue line, but chemistry is a two-way street and Hronek does help bring out the best of Hughes. Before his injury, Hughes was dominating at five-on-five with 59 percent of expected goals, but that’s dropped to 47 percent in the 10 games that Hronek has missed. That 12 percentage point drop is obviously not all Hronek and some of it can be attributed to other contexts, especially since Hughes’ new partner is Tyler Myers. The team as a whole is struggling and to Hughes’ credit, he’s still outscoring opponents. Still, it should create some appreciation for what Hronek is: a solid No. 2 defenseman who brings out the best in an elite partner, not just some guy next to Hughes.

16 stats: Mikko Rantanen’s next contract, Travis Konecny’s breakout, Linus Ullmark’s return

And what depth? You've commonly reminded us you need more than one or two pieces, back before you had to change you tune to align with the team

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

Zamula is 24 and out of options. Lycksell is 25 and will be a UFA if not on the roster.
Andrae is 22 and won't be hurt by a few months in the AHL.
Briere is going to make some moves at the TDL, he doesn't want to give Zamula away, he's hoping for a good offer for Risto.

Won't surprise me if we see Andre - Grans as the 3rd pair come March.

Next season:
York - Sanheim
Andrae - Grans/Bonk
Seeler - Drysdale

Please stop it with the Lycksell talk.

You argued against it for months but now it’s magically a good idea.

 

[Lord Defect]

Which GM let JVR walk for nothing?

 

[deadhead]

Please stop it with the Lycksell talk.

You argued against it for months but now it’s magically a good idea.

No magic. He's improved, was playing great in LHV and looked quicker when he came up.
This isn't unusual, some players take longer than others to develop.

 

[kudymen]

Some opinions take longer than others to develop.

 

[trostol]

or maybe should have been up all along if indeed this "rebuild" was a thing

 

[ybnvs]

Andrae is 22 and won't be hurt by a few months in the AHL.

The ghost of Sam Morin lurks the compounds.

Zombie Ellis is a real thing.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[FlyerNutter]

Development coach Sam Morin

 

[ellja3]

Some opinions take longer than others to develop.

I feel like discussing stuff w Deadhead is some sort of advanced debate training.

 

[BiggE]

I feel like discussing stuff w Deadhead is some sort of advanced debate training.

More like playing chess with a pigeon. At some point the pigeon will just shit all over the board and declare itself the winner.

 

[ellja3]

More like playing chess with a pigeon. At some point the pigeon will just shit all over the board and declare itself the winner.

Yeah, but it's somewhat entertaining and allows finding all sorts of genuinely interesting stats.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

The 2020-2021 season was doozy when a part of the fanbase/media was in complete denial that Hart sucked major ass that year.

Absolutely nothing will destroy a team like bad goaltending.

Hart put up the worst save % of any starting goalie in nearly 3 decades when he killed the team in 2020/21.

At the end of last season, with the Flyers clinging to the last playoff spot, they put up the worst save % in the NHL by a huge margin over the final 10 games, and it cost them the playoffs.

And now, this season, they have to worst save % in the NHL -- a team save % so bad it's the worst recorded in the league since 2007/08.

You cannot have a good record with goaltending that bad. It ruins everything.

Hart since 2020/21 had at least recovered to the point of being a competent NHL goalie -- some really bad games, yes, but also some really good ones, and enough to provide acceptable NHL goaltending.

That all went out the window with his criminal charge and subsequent release, and the Flyers haven't been able to recover.

Not with Ersson getting hurt early this season and being absolutely dreadful.

And Fedotov failing to adjust to the NHL, and Kolosov simply being either not ready or, more likely, Felix Sandstrom part 2.

Plus, we all know Cal Petersen can't play anymore.

They desperately need a goalie to get hot, but I don't know how it's going to happen with how bad they all look.

 

[deadhead]

Time wounds all heels. Just stick with the three goalies, see if any of them improve.
There's no rush. The team is playing better, just have to fix STs and the goalies.

This season is an extended tryout.
Right now, Foerster - Cates - Brink are a surprise, see if they can build on their run.

TK has become an elite forward, imagine if they tried to extend him after this season.

Farabee - Couts - TK 156 minutes, xGF 51.93%, HDCF 52.88%, GF/60: 2.70
Tippett - Frost - Michkov 142 minutes, xGF 56.21%, HDCF 43.64%, GF/60: 3.80
Foerster - Cates - Brink 128 minutes, xGF 64,56%, HDCF 76.42%, GF/60: 4.11
Laughton - Poehling - Hathaway 140 minutes, xGF 58.64%, HDCF 57.80%, GF/60: 3.84

Need to work out the first two lines.

 

[Hollywood Cannon]

So goalies can develop in the NHL but other players can't.

Got it.

 

[FlyerNutter]

Def didn’t need to explore acquiring Askarov lol

 

[deadhead]

Why would we give up a first plus for Askarov, who is also unproven, when we're "rebuilding?"
Askarov only played 16 KHL games before coming over at 20.
1st AHL season, 48g, .911, PO 12g .902
2nd AHL season, 44g .911, PO 5g .882
This year off to a hot start in the AHL 12g .938 before being promoted.

I'd say Zavragin was far more impressive in Russia as a 18-19 year old.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Zamula is 24 and out of options. Lycksell is 25 and will be a UFA if not on the roster.
Andrae is 22 and won't be hurt by a few months in the AHL.
Briere is going to make some moves at the TDL, he doesn't want to give Zamula away, he's hoping for a good offer for Risto.

Won't surprise me if we see Andre - Grans as the 3rd pair come March.

Next season:
York - Sanheim
Andrae - Grans/Bonk
Seeler - Drysdale

I remember when Lycksell was 22 and wouldn't be hurt by more time in the AHL. Now his window is vanishing.

Seems harmful.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Lycksell is a very good AHLer who doesn't translate to the NHL.

I'm not even sure he's capable of a hot NHL streak like Jordan Weal briefly accomplished.

 

[deadhead]

Lycksell was a AHL plus player until this season.
So far, watching him in LHV he looks like he took a step up.
Would like to see more of him, but if they plan to trade Laughton, they can't sit him.

I would play Lycksell over Richard, since he's 3 years younger.
Both flash NHL offensive skills, Richard is faster but has some defensive holes.

The guy to watch this season is Wisdom, has stepped up the last few weeks, regressed last year and that's probably why they extended Hathaway. Going into the summer, it was hard to project Wisdom or Tuomaala as NHL players. Kaplan doing little in college, so not much in the system the next two seasons.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Lycksell is a very good AHLer who doesn't translate to the NHL.

I'm not even sure he's capable of a hot NHL streak like Jordan Weal briefly accomplished.

I remember when this was said about NAK, Andrae, Zamula, basically every possible bottom-roster player who has demonstrated an ability to keep to in the NHL but then gets buried behind guys who shouldn't be here

 

[deadhead]

I remember when this was said about NAK, Andrae, Zamula, basically every possible bottom-roster player who has demonstrated an ability to keep to in the NHL but then gets buried behind guys who shouldn't be here

Uh, those three are not equivalent.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Uh, those three are not equivalent.

And yet the same nonsense was said about them to defend team decisions. It's been said by every non-stud player you can think of.

 

[deadhead]

And yet the same nonsense was said about them to defend team decisions. It's been said by every non-stud player you can think of.

Zamula started last year at 23 and is getting another shot at 24.
NAK started, then regressed, since then he's on his 5th team?
Rinaldo lite, his brain (bad penalties) takes away what his legs giveth

 

[DancingPanther]

More like playing chess with a pigeon. At some point the pigeon will just shit all over the board and declare itself the winner.

@BigToe