Confirmed with Link: L. Schenn and Lecavalier (each 50% retained) dealt to Kings for Jordan Weal & a 3rd

[LA_Viking]

The Kings are no more of a family than than any other team.

And it's hilarious that you think Vinny can still contribute. He can't.

You're wrong about the first part, as the players have attested to this fact numerous times going back to 2012. Just because your team hasn't made the same claims doesn't mean that other teams don't hold that sentiment.

On the 2nd part, you may be right, but time will tell. Even if he only scores 5 goals for the rest of the season, that's still probably 5 more than the Kings would have had with the merry go round of 3/4 C's we've had this season.

 

[Flyotes]

It wouldn't surprise me if Luke (not so sure about VLC) plays well in LA.
The west should be a better fit for him, similar to Grossmann who also seems to be playing much better in Arizona.

I can attest to Grossmann playing better in Arizona. Nash (broadcaster) calls him 'the dancing bear.'

Not sure what to make of that...but it made me laugh. Still overpaid.

I hope the same happens with L.Schenn. Let him sit back and thump people. Still has a good outlet pass.

 

[Prongo]

Realistic enough. Not many of us have high hopes for VL anyway, but it seems that he wants to put in the extra effort, so we'll see how that goes.

Schenn is young enough to turn it around under a different system.

IMO, not much lost for maybe something gained. I still think they're going to contribute more than many Flyers fans think.

Same could be said for Richards in DC, though I think he is definitely done. I hope I'm proven wrong.

We have been hearing Schenn can improve in a different system since we got him. He has had three coaches here I believe now and still is the same player. Not saying it's impossible but I wouldn't expect it.

Schenn's biggest issue is his skating, which will forever keep him from improving. At 26, he pretty much is exactly what you think. A bottom pairing defender who can give good PK time. Don't expect more though. He can be thrown into a larger role but only for smaller time periods. If he is a top 4 for a duration of time you are in trouble.

 

[Appleyard]

As a Kings fan, I predict that Flyers fans are going to be really pissed about how well both Vinny and Luke play in LA under Sutter's system with a strong core of guys that regard and trust each other as family. It will take a few weeks to figure out the lines, like Lucic did, but they're both going to be excellent pickups for the Kings that will contribute for a deep playoff run. They're both coming into a situation where there's little to no expectations for them, which relieves a lot of pressure. They can just come in and play their game/role and (hopefully) turn things around for themselves. Especially Schenn; he'll be learning from a top D man in the league in Brad Doty.

Weal is a great player, but he just didn't fit the Kings roster. I don't think it was the D first system at all, as the Monarchs used the same system and he won the Calder with them this past season. I hope he does well in Philly.

And Hexy in Philly is going to be a great improvement. It's already started. He learned from the contemporary best GM in the league in DL, imo. That tweet in the post above says a lot.

I don't think we will care very much tbh... if they play great that is good for them. We are just ecstatic to get rid of Vinny without buying him out! And a 3rd round pick was approximately what we thought we would get for the soon to be UFA Schenn. (who was not in future plans.)

I think most Flyers fans would not be surprised at all if Schenn played very well, he is a pretty good defenseman in the right role and should fit in LA perfectely. In fact I would be more surprised if he played badly.

 

[Flyotes]

I agree with Appleyard.

A more defensive system covers up some of his slower skating. Limit his minutes, let him play back where he is more comfortable and he should be fine. His size is nicer out west.

 

[Curufinwe]

You're wrong about the first part, as the players have attested to this fact numerous times going back to 2012. Just because your team hasn't made the same claims doesn't mean that other teams don't hold that sentiment.

On the 2nd part, you may be right, but time will tell. Even if he only scores 5 goals for the rest of the season, that's still probably 5 more than the Kings would have had with the merry go round of 3/4 C's we've had this season.

5 goals.

 

[PK16]

You're wrong about the first part, as the players have attested to this fact numerous times going back to 2012. Just because your team hasn't made the same claims doesn't mean that other teams don't hold that sentiment.

On the 2nd part, you may be right, but time will tell. Even if he only scores 5 goals for the rest of the season, that's still probably 5 more than the Kings would have had with the merry go round of 3/4 C's we've had this season.

You forgot to include those goals that he will have a role in having scored against. He has major issues defensively (as in he does not play defense). I hope he does well. Seems like a pretty decent guy.

 

[Appleyard]

5 goals.

He may well get 5 goals...

but statistically... if he does:

Scored at 0.65 G/60 at 5v5 as a Flyer

so he would need to play ~462 minutes at 5v5 for rest of season... ~11minutes a night at 5v5, to get 5 goals.


2.08 GF/60 at 5v5 as a Flyer
2.73 GA/60 at 5v5 as a Flyer

So if Vinny did score 5 goals for LA by season end it probably equals:

15 for LA with him on ice
21 against LA with him on ice

If he plays at the level he did as a Flyer.

 

[Fire Tortorella]

I just want to watch Vinny skate around with his stick up in the air for a one-timer the whole time, and this time I can actually laugh at it since it's not for my team

 

[tade]

I just want to watch Vinny skate around with his stick up in the air for a one-timer the whole time, and this time I can actually laugh at it since it's not for my team

I am laughing and I don't need to see it, just an imagination of it... it's more than enough. It was hilarious.

 

[Qyburn]

I just want to watch Vinny skate around with his stick up in the air for a one-timer the whole time, and this time I can actually laugh at it since it's not for my team

I am laughing and I don't need to see it, just an imagination of it... it's more than enough. It was hilarious.

About 30 Kenny Powers quotes just stampeded through my head.

The best visual is his stick in the air even when he skates back to his side of the red line. Of course, he never skates in that direction so it's not very realistic.

 

[StoneHands]

Realistic enough. Not many of us have high hopes for VL anyway, but it seems that he wants to put in the extra effort, so we'll see how that goes.

Vinny always says the right thing and makes you believe he's going to come back and contribute and when he gets a chance, he's brutal. He seemed like he was going to put in the extra effort here too and everyone thought when Berube was fired that it would give him the extra motivation to feel like he had a fresh start. No amount of effort can change the fact that he just stinks.

Schenn is young enough to turn it around under a different system.

This is exactly what we said when we traded for him and that was when he was actually young. Regardless of his age, he's an 8 year veteran with over 500 games played. If he hasn't adjusted by now, he's unlikely to in LA. He can contribute, he's an NHL player for sure, but don't fool yourself into thinking that because he a was a top 5 pick that he'll be anything more than a 3rd pairing defender.

IMO, not much lost for maybe something gained. I still think they're going to contribute more than many Flyers fans think.

I agree that it's not much lost for the possible gain but I promise you, Vinny can't play. He's more than a step behind physically and mentally and it's gotten worse every year since his final couple seasons in TB and his time spent here.


No Flyers fans will be upset with their contribution to LA. It's not like a Carter and Richards situation where everyone knew they were good players. If Vinny puts up .5ppg I'll be surprised and he's brutal in 2 out of 3 zones while just being bad in the offensive zone. Schenn isn't the kind of player that even at his best would make any kind of impact on the game that fans will be pissed. I doubt Flyers fans are going to be like "damn, Schenn had 3 hits, 4 blocked shots, and 2 takeaways last game while only turning the puck over 3 times, I wish we still had him and his inflated salary over Ghost".

On the 2nd part, you may be right, but time will tell. Even if he only scores 5 goals for the rest of the season, that's still probably 5 more than the Kings would have had with the merry go round of 3/4 C's we've had this season.

He'll score 5 and then be the direct cause of 10 goals against. His brain just cannot process at NHL speed anymore and his legs can't process at AHL speed. I know you keep saying you don't have high expectations, but it seems like they're much higher than they should be. Stop looking at the name on the back of his jersey and just watch him play, you wont be happy.

 

[deadhead]

I don't think anyone in Philly cares about what Vinnie does, we just wanted to get rid of the cap hit, for our system, we have 3-4 forwards in the AHL who'd be better fits, and now that includes Weal. He's just too slow to play for us, and he's not Jagr (who's a puck magnet).

Schenn can be a solid third pairing defenseman if you pair him with a mobile D-man and don't ask him to do too much, he's tough, smart, responsible but slow, not great at passing the puck out of the D-zone and useless at the point in the O-zone (high % of shots blocked). As depth for a playoff team he's fine if protected, but as a cornerstone veteran for a rebuilding team focused on mobile D-men he was a dead weight.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

I'm hoping Weal gets a decent chance with the Flyers. If he's another Gagner, that's fine, but I would love to see him turn out like Gudas and exceed our expectations.

I don't know how Jordan Weal will fare in Philly, he could be a solid NHL player, he could be a lifetime AHL player, but he sure wasn't going to get a chance with Sutter. Management was very happy with his performance in the Calder Cup playoffs and talking like he was ready for the next step, but management does not equal Daryl Sutter. Sutter doesn't trust rookies as it is and gives them a very short leash, but in the Ottawa game last December Sutter chose to play 11 defensemen and 7 forwards and make Weal a healthy scratch. That's right, he chose to be short a forward rather than play Weal. Kings hockey is big, grinding hockey and defensive mistakes are punished hard. The Kings lost that game.

Weal had a good preseason, but seems to have lost confidence in going from being a team's best player to being a regular healthy scratch and getting tossed a few minutes on the fourth line now and then. He hasn't complained, though, and comes in early to practice sometimes and stays late to get extra work in. He's a hard worker. Again, no idea how it will shake out for him, but a lot of Kings fans realized awhile ago that the 5'9" Weal was not the right fit for the Kings system and that a trade was going to happen sooner than later. He at least deserves a chance and a number of Kings fans are rooting for him to do well in Philly.

 

[deadhead]

He may well get 5 goals...

2.08 GF/60 at 5v5 as a Flyer
2.73 GA/60 at 5v5 as a Flyer

So if Vinny did score 5 goals for LA by season end it probably equals:

15 for LA with him on ice
21 against LA with him on ice

If he plays at the level he did as a Flyer.

Well, to be fair, he'll play with better talent and in better situations in LA. I'd expect them to use him as a designated gunner, mostly on the PP and in situations where they need to score, and rarely in the flow of the game in ES situations. So he shouldn't be the liability there that he was here, because he won't be playing a regular shift.

 

[deadhead]

I don't know how Jordan Weal will fare in Philly, he could be a solid NHL player, he could be a lifetime AHL player, but he sure wasn't going to get a chance with Sutter. Management was very happy with his performance in the Calder Cup playoffs and talking like he was ready for the next step, but management does not equal Daryl Sutter. Sutter doesn't trust rookies as it is and gives them a very short leash, but in the Ottawa game last December Sutter chose to play 11 defensemen and 7 forwards and make Weal a healthy scratch. That's right, he chose to be short a forward rather than play Weal. Kings hockey is big, grinding hockey and defensive mistakes are punished hard. The Kings lost that game.

Weal had a good preseason, but seems to have lost confidence in going from being a team's best player to being a regular healthy scratch and getting tossed a few minutes on the fourth line now and then. He hasn't complained, though, and comes in early to practice sometimes and stays late to get extra work in. He's a hard worker. Again, no idea how it will shake out for him, but a lot of Kings fans realized awhile ago that the 5'9" Weal was not the right fit for the Kings system and that a trade was going to happen sooner than later. He at least deserves a chance and a number of Kings fans are rooting for him to do well in Philly.

He's probably a better fit here because we play more of a cycle game, some grinding but more chase and harass, where a smaller, quick forward with good stick work, hustle and the willingness to go into corners can thrive. From all reports he doesn't play small (i.e. he's not afraid of contact or small areas), that we can't abide.

 

[PK16]

What is strange to me is Kings management believing Vinny can fit on a team that emphasizes defense so much. Vinny's inability to contribute defensively is among his most notable flaws. I just do not see the fit. I guess he could be a PP specialist on the second unit and set up on the right half board launching 1 timers, but it seems like a lot of money (even 50% retained) to bring on that type of player. I think Schenn will fit in well with the Kings though.

 

[cali101]

Hey Flyer-Fans, Kings fan here reporting on your newly acquired player, JORDAN WEAL.

I attend every summer development camp and I follow the minor league team very closely so I am quite familiar with his game.

here's an excerpt from my extensive notes from a 2010devcamp HFpost (his draft year)
"WEAL: Loved this kid, Good Vision, Shifty but not SPEEDY, AMAZING at stripping the puck, very creative offensively, undersized = longshot?."

5+ or so years later and these are things I still see with Weal shift after shift... but not so much in a KINGS UNIFORM. I believe he was set up to fail in Sutter's system. Sutter just has it for certain younger players somehow, he played mind games with Toffoli when it was clear that this kid was special. Maybe Sutter likes to see the hot-shot kids face some adversity. Toffoli, like Weal, have achieved great success in juniors and the AHL, I think Sutter therefore wants to see how tough these guys are maybe? It worked for Toffoli, and it may one day have worked with Weal.

However Weal didn't really make most of his 6 minutes AVG ice time playing with NOLAN and CLIFFORD on the 4th line. Uncharted waters for a player who you could tell was trying desperately to win his coaches favor, knowing his leash was VERY SHORT (as they would even dress 7 Dmen over starting Weal). It was rough to see; Here's this creative offensively gifted player playing a checking role with plugs for 5 minutes a game. He was caught trying to do too much and turned the puck over a lot, for which he fell out of favor with a lot of kings fans. I personally don't think it was a fair shot, even when Carter went down, it would have been great to see Weal plugged in where he is comfortable: ON A SCORING LINE. at LEAST try him on the 3rd line, but he didn't see much more than a 4th line role.

I loved watching him win the MVP and the AHL cup last year. He and Mersch were an absolute clutch-force and carried a very non-blue-chip-prospect-ridden-team on their back to get the CALDER. I'm sure you know he was the AHL PLAYOFF MVP right?

I think he's going to do fine in the EAST and on your squad. Obviously HEXY is familiar with him.

Weal has good quick hands, he's not a burner like most of the NHL guys his size but he definitely has NHL-speed. He's got good vision and can be quite the playmaker. Defensively his best attribute is his ability to strip the puck, Not really a noticeable skill in a lot of players but Weal NOTICEABLY will break up plays constantly. Not to mention that he will likely sneak up and pick your pocket like a mini-datsyuk. You guys are going to dig him. Hopefully he gets set up in a better situation with you than with us.

Good luck to you guys.

totally concur. i could never understand why sutter/kings didnt at least try weal and mersch together. they were instrumental on the monarchs as a unit and already knew each others games

 

[BernieParent]

I was just thinking. Could it be that Lombardi cited our posts on here to the effect that Hextall would carry Lecavalier on his shoulders to the city of a team that would trade for him? Lombardi makes this a stipulation, Hextall balks but says "I know whom I can send from the Flyers in my place."

By the way, Hextall actually uses the grammatically correct "whom" because he is really, really smart.

 

[kingjmusicman]

Holmgren makes that same deal and instead of freeing up cap space he would've ended up with Mike Richards and the original 12 year contract through some bizarre agreement.

 

[YEM]

What is strange to me is Kings management believing Vinny can fit on a team that emphasizes defense so much. Vinny's inability to contribute defensively is among his most notable flaws. I just do not see the fit.

agreed
I guess the thinking is that their team is good enough defensively to cover up his flaws but he'll make them worse defensively, without a doubt
he's a black hole of suck now, in all 3 zones

 

[GKJ]

I wouldn't put it past Vinny that he scores 5 goals. Two years ago he had 20 while getting benched.

 

[bennysflyers16]

Ferraro raving about Prov and Flyers D and the trade yesterday and that they aren't far away

 

[Beef Invictus]

As a Kings fan, I predict that Flyers fans are going to be really pissed about how well both Vinny and Luke play in LA under Sutter's system with a strong core of guys that regard and trust each other as family. It will take a few weeks to figure out the lines, like Lucic did, but they're both going to be excellent pickups for the Kings that will contribute for a deep playoff run. They're both coming into a situation where there's little to no expectations for them, which relieves a lot of pressure. They can just come in and play their game/role and (hopefully) turn things around for themselves. Especially Schenn; he'll be learning from a top D man in the league in Brad Doty.

Weal is a great player, but he just didn't fit the Kings roster. I don't think it was the D first system at all, as the Monarchs used the same system and he won the Calder with them this past season. I hope he does well in Philly.

And Hexy in Philly is going to be a great improvement. It's already started. He learned from the contemporary best GM in the league in DL, imo. That tweet in the post above says a lot.

We know how effective Luke can be in the ideal circumstances. We know LA is a much better fit for him. We don't really care, as he doesn't fit here.


I predict LA fans will be utterly shocked at how useless Vinny has become. Completely incapable of defense, black hole on offense, can barely keep up with the play, and triggers offsides at impossible rates.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I wouldn't put it past Vinny that he scores 5 goals. Two years ago he had 20 while getting benched.

I'm sure he can manage 3-5.


The issue will be that many, many more than that are likely to be scored against with him on the ice.