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Meltzer's Musings: Couturier, McGinn |
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One of the most intriguing subplots to the Flyers' prospect camp and full camp in September will be following first-round draft pick Sean Couturier's quest to earn an opening night roster spot with the big club. It would hardly be unprecedented: Luca Sbisa, Justin Williams and Dainius Zubrus all found themselves in the NHL just a few months after their first-round selection by the Flyers in the Entry Draft.
The argument in favor of Couturier's immediate NHL candidacy is based primarily on the fact that he already has three full QMJHL seasons under his belt. He has already proven himself dominant offensively at that level. He plays a patient, defensively responsible style that many believe is already NHL caliber. While Couturier still needs to fill out and add more muscle in the years to come, his 6-foot-4, 191-pound frame is sturdy enough not to be a major hindrance even now.
However, in my opinion, there is a much more compelling argument to be made for giving Couturier another season of junior hockey. Among other reasons:
1) His projected future role is as a shutdown NHL center who can also produce a pretty fair amount of offense. It's unlikely that he can successfully step into that role right away.
2) Rushing a player to the NHL can stunt his development. I would argue to this day that Dainius Zubrus would have become a much more potent NHL offensive player had the Flyers not rushed him directly from Junior A hockey right to the NHL, without a stop even in major junior hockey.
3) Unless Schenn is moved to wing, where is there even a roster spot for Couturier right now? The top six are set and Schenn is being penciled in as the third line center. If he'd play on the fourth line, Couturier wouldn't get much ice time.
4) If Couturier is carried on the NHL roster this year, he will have to be signed to an entry-level contract right away. The deal would assuredly carry a significant cap hit once all of his bonuses are figured into the equation. More important, if he stayed with the club for much of the season, he'd gain a year toward eventual free agency, arbitration and/or waiver eligibility.
5) Couturier had a rough start last season, battling mono. Isn't he better off with another year of working on his game and playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
Couturier won't turn 19 until December 7. As such, he is ineligible for the AHL this season. It either has to be the NHL or junior hockey for him. I hope the Flyers resist the temptation to hurry him up the ladder. But I also hope that the young player makes it a very tough decision for the club.
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The Flyers have signed Tye McGinn to an entry-level contract.
Last September when the Flyers opened their training camp, all eyes were on rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Very little was said about the promise that left winger Tye McGinn showed, especially in the early days of camp before the veterans were officially compelled to report.
Three things about McGinn jumped out immediately: 1) He likes to go to the net; 2) He's got soft hands in close and an above-average ability to deflect pucks; 3) His skating style looks a bit awkward and he's not going to win a lot of footraces against NHL players but he does not look like a lost cause in that area, either.
The Flyers drafted McGinn, who turns 21 this month, in the fourth round (119th overall) of last summer's draft. A bit of a late bloomer at the junior level, McGinn performed very well this past season as an overager (player who is age-eligible for AHL hockey but playing in junior hockey) for the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques. Despite missing four weeks of action due to a late-season injury, McGinn managed to score 31 goals and 64 points in 42 regular season games. In the playoffs, he added 5 goals and 13 points in 14 games.
At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, McGinn has a power forward's size. He is not afraid to mix it up physically, but has never exceeded 50 penalty minutes in a season. Overager stats need to be taken with several grains of salt -- especially for big guys like McGinn -- because they are physically men playing among teenage boys.
Moving ahead, there is still work to be done on various aspects of his game. McGinn is the type of player who likely needs some time in the AHL. But in an organization that has a need for more big wingers with good hands, a player like McGinn could work his way into the picture if he works on his skating and rounds out his game at the professional level.
This past season, the Phantoms' Luke Pither learned some hard lessons about just how big of a jump it is to dominate junior competition as an overager and then to take your game to the American Hockey League level. That will be a hurdle that McGinn will also have to clear before realistic talk of the NHL can begin.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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