He's played 3 games. All is okay. No one on Canada is really killing it.
- jmatchett383

Give him a hat, a gun, and send him to the Yukon. Forget about him.

I dunno if a year of riding buses up and down the east coast might have rubbed some of the sense of entitlement off of Frick and Frack, maybe improving their lasting power and negating some of the Dry Island-esque BS surrounding them.

In JvR's case, he was pretty much penciled into the lineup all summer. I think the competition for him at camp was like Nodl and Pyorala, lol. Really think he would have hit the ground running with a bit more dev time.
- Tomahawk

I don't think it would have killed any of them.

I wonder how much the awful "season that shall not be named" forced the organization to bring up Carter and Richards.

Give him a hat, a gun, and send him to the Yukon. Forget about him.
- wolfhounds

He'll be running a bar with Ron Flockhart in no time.

There is a flipside where leaving a player in the minors too long can also hurt his confidence.
- wolfhounds

Normally you know what you are getting yourself into by the end of a player's ELC. If they haven't made the case that they should be in the NHL, they are either fringe players or there is too much back up at the NHL level. Either way, no player should have that sense of entitlement and lack of work ethic.

If Akeson's confidence isn't damaged, than no one's should be.

He's played 3 games. All is okay. No one on Canada is really killing it.
- jmatchett383

It sounds like Read is being Read to me. Schenn has to get better at the dot and only speaking from a Flyers point of view, try to get better defensively.

There is a flipside where leaving a player in the minors too long can also hurt his confidence.
- wolfhounds

Gustav Nyquist really seemed to be hurtin' for confidence.

I dunno if a year of riding buses up and down the east coast might have rubbed some of the sense of entitlement off of Frick and Frack, maybe improving their lasting power and negating some of the Dry Island-esque BS surrounding them.

In JvR's case, he was pretty much penciled into the lineup all summer. I think the competition for him at camp was like Nodl and Pyorala, lol. Really think he would have hit the ground running with a bit more dev time.
- Tomahawk

I think players just need to work through tough stretches in the NHL. They're inevitable for young players. I'm not sure playing JVR in the AHL was going to help with his consistency. I feel it was just something he needed to work through. They just ran out of patience with him. Thats the real problem. JVR was always a player whose physical attributes were way ahead of his hockey sense.

I dunno if a year of riding buses up and down the east coast might have rubbed some of the sense of entitlement off of Frick and Frack, maybe improving their lasting power and negating some of the Dry Island-esque BS surrounding them.

In JvR's case, he was pretty much penciled into the lineup all summer. I think the competition for him at camp was like Nodl and Pyorala, lol. Really think he would have hit the ground running with a bit more dev time.
- Tomahawk

The Flyers weren't going to give him a spot due to Giroux's camp the year before. He had a really good preseason, as did Pyorala.

I don't think it would have killed any of them.

I wonder how much the awful "season that shall not be named" forced the organization to bring up Carter and Richards.
- johndewar

Its hard to argue with their development. They both became very good players. I wouldn't say they underachieved or had stunted development.

I don't believe spending time in the AHL was going to get them to stop partying. They were young, rich and famous in a major city. Patrick Kane had the same kind of issues and he eventually matured.

I don't think it would have killed any of them.

I wonder how much the awful "season that shall not be named" forced the organization to bring up Carter and Richards.
- johndewar

They were up before that, if I'm reading this correctly.

Gustav Nyquist really seemed to be hurtin' for confidence.


- Tomahawk

Happened once = scientific law.

Gustav Nyquist really seemed to be hurtin' for confidence.


- Tomahawk

That's like saying Maatta proves all 19 year old players are ready for the NHL.

And the Wings brought Nyquist up twice before he stuck this season.

They were up before that, if I'm reading this correctly.
- jmatchett383

Yup, you're right. They were already on that team.

I think players just need to work through tough stretches in the NHL. They're inevitable for young players. I'm not sure playing JVR in the AHL was going to help with his consistency. I feel it was just something he needed to work through. They just ran out of patience with him. Thats the real problem. JVR was always a player whose physical attributes were way ahead of his hockey sense.
- PhillySportsGuy

I think another year of college, and another WJC would have given him more confidence and assertiveness... he was gun-shy and timid from the moment he walked in the door here.

I really think JvR (F&F, Zubrus and Williams, too) would have had longer/more productive stints as Flyers if they had been handled a bit more carefully.

They draft so well... it's just a shame seeing some of these dynamite kids getting the plug pulled on them early because they can't meet lofty expectations right away.

I'm taking the high road like FlyersGrace and just hoping for a Jumbotron fail.
- jmatchett383

That's right me and the high road!

Normally you know what you are getting yourself into by the end of a player's ELC. If they haven't made the case that they should be in the NHL, they are either fringe players or there is too much back up at the NHL level. Either way, no player should have that sense of entitlement and lack of work ethic.

If Akeson's confidence isn't damaged, than no one's should be.
- FlyersSteve118

I guess I fall somewhere in the middle on this argument. Most of these kids should definitely get some time in the minors, but these are highly skilled, highly competitive athletes and if playing them in the NHL in limited roles for limited minutes (to start) is going to crush them, there's a good chance they didn't have the "right stuff" to begin with.

I think another year of college, and another WJC would have given him more confidence and assertiveness... he was gun-shy and timid from the moment he walked in the door here.

I really think JvR (F&F, Zubrus and Williams, too) would have had longer/more productive stints as Flyers if they had been handled a bit more carefully.

They draft so well... it's just a shame seeing some of these dynamite kids getting the plug pulled on them early because they can't meet the lofty expectations right away.
- Tomahawk

Another year of college would not have been a good idea. He was a man among boys during his Sophomore season. I can see why spending time in the AHL would have been a good idea. He had so many tools, but didn't know how to use them yet. He had the big body, but didn't use it to his advantage enough. He had a good shot, but had trouble getting it off without being blocked.

He was physically ready for the NHL, but lacked the hockey sense. Pretty much the opposite of a guy like Ghost.

The team was definitely feeling the pressure play him though. Typically, top 2 picks crack the NHL roster by age 20.

I think another year of college, and another WJC would have given him more confidence and assertiveness... he was gun-shy and timid from the moment he walked in the door here.

I really think JvR (F&F, Zubrus and Williams, too) would have had longer/more productive stints as Flyers if they had been handled a bit more carefully.

They draft so well... it's just a shame seeing some of these dynamite kids getting the plug pulled on them early because they can't meet lofty expectations right away.
- Tomahawk

The Flyers traded JVR after that Boston series where he was a madman flying down the wing right to the front of the net almost every single shift he was on the ice. Imagine him and Jake on the same team.

I think the Flyers were confident what they had in JVR, but they also knew he ran hot and cold, and (we hope) they filled a need by trading him. Now if they didn't attribute JVRs running hot and cold to being young, that's just plain ignorant.

first year of law school in the books.

i will now be significantly less female dogy/angsty


at least until the fourth crosscheck to crosby's head and a game 7 chokejob on home ice

The Flyers traded JVR after that Boston series where he was a madman flying down the wing right to the front of the net almost every single shift he was on the ice. Imagine him and Jake on the same team.

I think the Flyers were confident what they had in JVR, but they also knew he ran hot and cold, and (we hope) they filled a need by trading him. Now if they didn't attribute JVRs running hot and cold to being young, that's just plain ignorant.
- wolfhounds

That is incorrect.

Well, technically it's right, but it was immediately after the NJ series in 2012.

The majority of this board would be on board and ready to pack Hartnell's bags.

They would most likely be lamenting how bad Bieksa is defensively and calling it a horrible trade by mid-December.
- jmatchett383

Seriously doubt it will take that long

Seriously doubt it will take that long
- missingmike

That's why I said by mid-December. Early November is probably the starting point.

Another year of college would not have been a good idea. He was a man among boys during his Sophomore season. I can see why spending time in the AHL would have been a good idea. He had so many tools, but didn't know how to use them yet. He had the big body, but didn't use it to his advantage enough. He had a good shot, but had trouble getting it off without being blocked.

He was physically ready for the NHL, but lacked the hockey sense. Pretty much the opposite of a guy like Ghost.

The team was definitely feeling the pressure play him though. Typically, top 2 picks crack the NHL roster by age 20.
- PhillySportsGuy

Yeah, I remember part of the reason they couldn't get him out of UNH fast enough was that Umile kept using him in the middle.

first year of law school in the books.

i will now be significantly less female dogy/angsty


at least until the fourth crosscheck to crosby's head and a game 7 chokejob on home ice
- stayinthefnnet

good work, ol' boy.....top notch!! try to enjoy game 7.....

Seriously doubt it will take that long
- missingmike

There are people that participate on this website advocating trading Claude Giroux, so I guess anything's possible.