Barring additional injuries or roster moves, the Flyers opening-night lineup is likely to look something like this when the team opens its schedule a week from tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
1st forward line: Scott Hartnell - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek
Although Jaromir Jagr spent most of last season on the top line, Voracek was on the unit for much of the playoff series against New Jersey. Both Giroux and Voracek are primarily playmakers but if they are able to establish chemistry, the presence of the other player can help each to increase his goal totals.
As long as Giroux and Voracek stay healthy, I think it's very possible that Giroux will score about 15-17 goals in the shortened season and Voracek bags a dozen goals (he has yet to have a 20-goal season in the NHL, but I think can exceed that sort of prorated pace with Giroux as his center). The Flyers will need another prorated 30-goal season from Hartnell, but even if his pace drops off last year's mark, a slightly accelerated goal-scoring pace from his linemates will offset it.
2nd forward line:
Brayden Schenn - Danny Briere - Wayne Simmonds
This trio worked together at times last year, but Briere basically had a revolving door of linemates (after spending virtually the entire 2010-11 season and 2010 playoffs with Hartnell and Ville Leino). Along with injuries, I think that contributed to Briere's down regular season last year. Briere is currently dealing with a sprained wrist and is questionable for the first few games of the season. If he can't go on opening night, Schenn will move to the middle, and Matt Read will likely move up a line.
Hopefully Schenn can avoid the early-season injuries that plagued him last season. The second-year forward figures to continue the development he showed from the Winter Classic through the playoffs. If Simmonds is to come close to duplicating his career-year of last year, he will need to play in the top six at even strength as well as continuing to receive significant power play time.
3rd forward line:
Ruslan Fedotenko - Sean Couturier - Matt Read
Along with Voracek, the combination of Couturier and Max Talbot proved crucial (at both ends of the ice, but especially the defensive end) to the Flyers' first-round playoff win over Pittsburgh. If Briere is moved to right wing, there is a chance that Couturier could move up into the top six to start the season, with Simmonds going to the third line. There is also a chance that Read could open the year on the second line. Part of Read's value to the team is his ability to play any position or on any line. Likewise, Talbot can and will switch between third-line winger and fourth-line center during the season. Fedotenko remains a serviceable grinder who plays a responsible game.
4th forward line:
????? - Max Talbot - Zac Rinaldo
Personally, I prefer Talbot as a winger to a fourth-line center, but unless 2012 first-round pick Scott Laughton makes the team and sticks beyond his six-game look-see, Talbot will be needed in this spot. Rinaldo has the inside track to one of the two remaining starting forward spots. The other starting job and the reserve forward role will be up for grabs between Eric Wellwood, Tom Sestito, rookie Tye McGinn and veteran Jody Shelley.
1st defense pairing:
Kimmo Timonen - Luke Schenn
With the loss of Matt Carle to free agency and Meszaros' torn achilles tendon, there is a strong chance that the Flyers will need either to elevate newcomer Schenn to play with Timonen or else restore Timonen's longstanding pairing with Braydon Coburn.
2nd defense pairing:
Nicklas Grossmann - Braydon Coburn
When Grossmann was first acquired from Dallas last season, he was paired with Meszaros. They were an effective pairing but not as effective as his subsequent partnership with Coburn after Meszaros was lost to back surgery. With Timonen ailing, Coburn became the Flyers' top defenseman down the stretch and through the playoffs. He and Grossmann formed a strong shutdown duo. Peter Laviolette would likely try to keep them together.
3rd defense pairing:
Andreas Lilja - Bruno Gervais
If Andrej Meszaros (Achilles tendon surgery) receives medical clearance in time for opening day, he will skate on this pairing. It seems, however, that he may need more time to return at something close to full strength. With Erik Gustafsson (ankle) and Marc-Andre Bourdon (post-concussion) shelved by injuries, both newly acquired Gervais and returning veteran Lilja will get into the lineup to start the season. Gervais would be the puck-mover of the pairing and Lilja the shot-blocking stay-at-home guy. Matt Walker (various mid-to-lower body injuries) is an LTIR candidate.
Goaltending:
Ilya Bryzgalov (Michael Leighton)
Unless Bryzgalov gets hurt, there will probably be about a 38/10 split of the starts between the two goaltenders. With the buyout provision of the new CBA, it almost goes without saying that this season is a crucial one for Bryzgalov if he is to remain a Flyer beyond this year.
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Phantoms and Titans in action
Both the Adirondack Phantoms and Trenton Titans are in action tonight. With the impending NHL training camp recalls of Sean Couturier (who is already in Voorhees), Brayden Schenn, Zac Rinaldo, Eric Wellwood and Tye McGinn, there has been a trickle up effect of roster moves.
Per the Saratogian's
Rink Report blog by Michael Cignoli, this is the projected Phantoms lineup for tonight's game in Binghamton.
Harry Zolnierczyk - Garrett Roe - Jason Akeson
Matt Mangene - Andrew Johnston - Matt Ford
Marcel Noebels - Rob Bordson - Shane Harper
Tyler Brown - Ian Slater - Mike Testwuide
Danny Syvret - Blake Kessel
Brandon Manning - Jeff Dimmen
Oliver Lauridsen - Cullen Eddy
Scott Munroe/ Cal Heeter
The team also has two extra skaters in tough guy defenseman/winger Zack FitzGerald and Trenton callup defenseman Tyler Hostetter.
The end of the NHL lockout has had an even more deleterious effect on the Trenton roster, bringing about the AHL recalls of Mangene, Johnston, Harper, Kessel and Hostetter. Shortly before the lockout was settled, Noebels was called up to the AHL after tearing up the ECHL in the months of October and December. Akeson started out the season in Trenton.
Right now, the
Trenton roster is a shambles. The club currently has 14 contracted forwards but only five defensemen. One of its defenseman, Marcel Alvarez, is about to leave the team after tomorrow night's game to fulfill
active military duty obligations at Fort Benning.
The Titans host the South Carolina Stingrays at the Sun National Bank Center both tonight and tomorrow night.
Currently, the Phantoms (14-17-1-1) are in 14th-place in the 15-team Eastern Conference. The Titans (14-15-3) have lost five games in a row and have fallen to 12th-place in the 14-team Eastern Conference.
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