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Quick Hits: June 4, 2022
1) The 2022 NHL Entry Draft Combine is ongoing in Buffalo. The Combine rarely results in major changes in teams' final internal rankings for the Draft but the combination of physical testing, one-on-one interviews and medical information can prove useful. Back in 2019, I interviewed Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr (then in his first season with Philadelphia after replacing Chris Pryor) about his views on the value of the Combine. Those perspectives remain the same.
"I don't believe in changing rankings based on a Combine interview with a player, but it can fill in a few gaps or maybe address a red flag such an injury," Flahr said.
For example, there is little doubt that potential top-five pick David Jiricek will be scrutinized for his recovery from a knee injury at the WJC in January, which required surgery and kept him out until the spring. Jiricek did participate at the 2022 IIHF World Championship as a member of Team Czechia (Czech Republic).
If the top four of the Draft is some combination of Shane Wright, Juraj Slafkovsky, Logan Cooley and one of Slovakian defenseman Simon Nemec or Jiricek, I'd be fine with the Flyers taking whichever defenseman is still on the board at 5th overall if the D-man is their top available skater. Conversely, if they prefer a forward -- Matthew Savoie, Cutter Gauthier, Joakim Kemell, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, etc. -- atop their list, I'd be comfortable with seeing the team potentially trade down a few slots and still potentially being able to get whichever forward they internally rank 1st after the first four picks of the Draft come off the board.
No matter which player the Flyers take, whether it's at No.5 or by moving down -- it's unlikely the player will be immediately NHL ready.
2) Russ Cohen, who is in Buffalo for the Combine, had an interesting note that University of Denver bound center Rieger Lorenz, who played Junior A hockey for the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers in 2021-22 in order to hold amateur status and NCAA eligibility come next season, apparently had a strong interview with the Flyers at the Combine. Lorenz, who represented Canada at the Under-18 Worlds in a supporting role, is a strong two-way forward and plus-skater who is projected in the second-round to third-round range in a variety of publicly available rankings.
The Flyers do not currently hold a second round pick.
3) Flyers center Kevin Hayes finished second in the Masterton Trophy balloting per the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. Carey Price won the award, while fellow finalist Zdeno Chara finished third.
4) Today in Flyers History: 2010 Stanley Cup Final: Game 4
After winning Game Three of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final in overtime, the Philadelphia Flyers made an early statement in Game Four that they were driven to send the series back to Chicago knotted at two games apiece. The message came through loud and clear.
Early tallies by Flyers captain Mike Richards (power play) and Matt Carle gave the Flyers a quick 2-0 lead. Former Flyers forward Patrick Sharp cut the gap to one goal at 18:32 but the red-hot Claude Giroux restored a two-goal margin in the final minute of the opening period to send the Flyers to the dressing room with a 3-0 advantage. The goal was Giroux's 10th of the playoffs.
A scoreless second period followed as goaltender Michael Leighton made 13 of his 31 saves for the game, and Chicago counterpart Antti Niemi countered with 10 of his 26 saves.
At 6:43 of the third period, the scorching Ville Leino notched his seventh goal of the playoffs (fifth in his last seven games) to build a 4-1 lead. The extra insurance proved vital, because Dave Bolland and Brian Campbell soon scored closely spaced back-to-back goals to trim the Flyers lead to 4-3 with 4:10 remaining in regulation. Finally, Jeff Carter iced the win for Philadelphia with an empty net goal.
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