Despite his size, he hasn't been dominant at the junior level. Its not like he's a lock for Team Canada and the Emile Bouchard or something. He's still got plenty of things to learn down there, and plenty of goals to work toward.
- Tomahawk

You are completely correct. Plus he can focus on further developing his offensive game.

Tonight's gonna be interesting, because it sure doesn't smell like Morin is going back today and if he's in the lineup, woof

Another forward
- TheGreat28

I could give you a list of D-men that jumped into the NHL and did quite well but I'll leave that up to you. Thing is... there are busts and always will be. Some players just dont have the mental makeup. Or they werent evaluated properly and expectations are too high. We could play Morin and he becomes a hall of famer or we could put him in the juniors and he never becomes anything. Who knows???

Exactly what I mean. Morin's progress in one season has been awesome. But playing well in pre-season is one thing. Being able to do it when everyone is at full speed is different. The thing is, both Morin and Ghost still have apparent things they need to work on. The Flyers can't simply say, well they're better than Del Zotto and plug 'em in!

In just weighing the risks and benefits, I'd be OK with starting Morin for a 9 game stint and if he does well, then maybe re-think it.
- Jsaquella

We should send MDZ to juniors to work on his defense

Tonight's gonna be interesting, because it sure doesn't smell like Morin is going back today and if he's in the lineup, woof
- AllInForFlyers

Look out for him..... Tonight the "starting lineup" is being dressed.

See, the last sentence is this assessment -- while all is accurate, in my views -- is the most crucial.

They didn't just outplay the bubble players. They were comparable to guys we have who are expected to perform.

That is where this becomes trickier with me -- Ghost and Morin both need more experience, and Ghost will benefit from some AHL time, simply as he adjusts to playing against grown men on a professional schedule.

However, Morin doesn't have that luxury, as he has to go back to junior.

That is, if he goes back.

If it were me, and I had two guys who outplayed guys who weren't on the bubble, then maybe I need to find a way to get them on the roster sooner than later and live with their growing pains.

It doesn't have to be immediate -- Ghost can play for Terry Murray for a stretch. That won't kill him.

But if Morin played better than numerous guys, not just bubble guys, then he'd be in my opening night lineup on the 8th. And I would be careful to evaluate it from there, but that is how I would do it. Because he would have won the job by clearly outplaying veterans, which is what you said he had to do to get on the roster.
- AllInForFlyers

Yes, but he outplayed a veteran in a very limited sample size which included a mix of NHL and AHL guys.

Actually, the more important thing is to play MDZ tonight vs. Morin. You have to see if MDZ's play was that of a veteran who maybe was coasting, or of a player who really has completely lost it.

Tonight's gonna be interesting, because it sure doesn't smell like Morin is going back today and if he's in the lineup, woof
- AllInForFlyers

Could just mean that he's going to get his 9 game look see at the expense of early minutes for MDZ or Schenn.

Yes, but he outplayed a veteran in a very limited sample size which included a mix of NHL and AHL guys.

Actually, the more important thing is to play MDZ tonight vs. Morin. You have to see if MDZ's play was that of a veteran who maybe was coasting, or of a player who really has completely lost it.
- TheGreat28

Del Zotto is an 85 overall in NHL 15 so he must be coasting.

I completely agree. A lot of people really seem to discount the role of confidence in a player's development. It's easy to say...well these guys are all highly paid professionals, they have a job to do so they should just suck it up and do it.

But confidence to me is a key determinant. Early success can be the difference between a career that takes off and a career that seems to stagnate. I often wonder if scoring some goals early in his career would have altered the trajectory for a guy like Nodl.

Sure, mental makeup is important too. Some guys can overcome a huge blow to their confidence; other's can't.
- TheGreat28

Thats the biggest thing to me. Some men are just head strong and will not accept failure. Some do. No way of knowing until they are faced with controversy.

Look out for him..... Tonight the "starting lineup" is being dressed.
- GOA88

Exactly -- MacDonald's gonna draw in, but I'm not so certain that we're not gonna see Morin-Coburn and MacDonald-Schenn tonight

Just a feeling

We should send MDZ to juniors to work on his defense
- PhillySportsGuy

If they could bury the entire cap hit, sure.

Could just mean that he's going to get his 9 game look see at the expense of early minutes for MDZ or Schenn.
- Jsaquella

Ill tell ya what, that JVR for Schenn deal is looking even better today.

Del Zotto is an 85 overall in NHL 15 so he must be coasting.
- NickTheKid87

Well he clearly has talent. Thats what that means. Says nothing about intelligence or whether he has a pair of balls.

I completely agree. A lot of people really seem to discount the role of confidence in a player's development. It's easy to say...well these guys are all highly paid professionals, they have a job to do so they should just suck it up and do it.

But confidence to me is a key determinant. Early success can be the difference between a career that takes off and a career that seems to stagnate. I often wonder if scoring some goals early in his career would have altered the trajectory for a guy like Nodl.

Sure, mental makeup is important too. Some guys can overcome a huge blow to their confidence; other's can't.
- TheGreat28

No doubt about the role that confidence plays. And early confidence can also fade when things go astray. I think that is Del Zotto's issue. He doesn't look confident. The talent didn't disappear.

That would make way too much sense.
- Tomahawk

Because....flyers

Ill tell ya what, that JVR for Schenn deal is looking even better today.


- jak521

Yeah, who needs a 30 goal scoring winger? We got a stud 5th defenseman who sometimes looks like a guy who has never seen a hockey game played.

Could just mean that he's going to get his 9 game look see at the expense of early minutes for MDZ or Schenn.
- Jsaquella

I do think he's getting a few games, maybe not even the nine, based on how he does.

I'm sure they don't want to rush him -- they know the risks. But the flip side of saying wait, wait, wait is that some guys never get there, either, and sometimes you just need to see where a kid truly is

IMO, you gotta be patient with these defensive prospects. Just because Morin doesn't look out of place and the veteran dmen do look out of place, doesn't mean the Flyers need to keep him up.

This is not the proper team to break in young defenseman with. They don't have the two-way play or commitment to defense that these young players will need. Allow Ghost and Hagg to lead the Phantoms, allow Morin to dominate the Q and play for Team Canada at the WJC and make adjustments to the roster next offseason.

Saying Ghost and Morin are better than Schultz and MDZ, so they should be on the team is just flat out wrong. You need to make the decision based on whats best for the individual player and not whats best for the current team.

Thats the biggest thing to me. Some men are just head strong and will not accept failure. Some do. No way of knowing until they are faced with controversy.
- GOA88

You could say a mentally weak player would fail regardless of whether they are "rushed" or not and a mentally strong one would succeed regardless. To an extent, I think "rushing" prospects is a played out concept. Coaches and staff know when a guy is ready and if he's not (you'd hope) but for the most part, the players fail or succeed regardless. I could be totally wrong though. The problem is, there is no way to test this so, IMO, it's better to be cautious and give prospects ample time to develop and polish their game before they make the jump to the NHL.

Well he clearly has talent. Thats what that means. Says nothing about intelligence or whether he has a pair of balls.
- GOA88

It just says the people over at EA are bad at evaluating talent. That game is horrendous anyway.

IMO, you gotta be patient with these defensive prospects. Just because Morin doesn't look out of place and the veteran dmen do look out of place, doesn't mean the Flyers need to keep him up.

This is not the proper team to break in young defenseman with. They don't have the two-way play or commitment to defense that these young players will need. Allow Ghost and Hagg to lead the Phantoms, allow Morin to dominate the Q and play for Team Canada at the WJC and make adjustments to the roster next offseason.

Saying Ghost and Morin are better than Schultz and MDZ, so they should be on the team is just flat out wrong. You need to make the decision based on whats best for the individual player and not whats best for the current team.
- PhillySportsGuy

Have been better than all the vets.......

Thats the biggest thing to me. Some men are just head strong and will not accept failure. Some do. No way of knowing until they are faced with controversy.
- GOA88

I obviously don't know the kid. He seems confident enough, sometimes a little cocky. Sometimes they're the ones to fall the furthest. I worry that a lot of his confidence comes from his body type. He can throw those junior kids around like rag dolls. He won't do that in the NHL.

I've always felt that Eric Lindros was a little bit different of a player after that first major injury perhaps because he realized he wasn't completely indestructible.

So when his core strength - physicality - is marginalized a little, Morin is likely to struggle a little bit, in my mind. How does he respond?

I do think he's getting a few games, maybe not even the nine, based on how he does.

I'm sure they don't want to rush him -- they know the risks. But the flip side of saying wait, wait, wait is that some guys never get there, either, and sometimes you just need to see where a kid truly is
- AllInForFlyers

That's why you give him some games.

The nature of pre-season in general, and this one, especially, with it's compressed schedule and mish mashed rosters doesn't give a true picture of where a guy is.

Maybe the vets who have struggled are just adapting to their new roles or using the pre-season to shake the rust off. Meanwhile, Morin and other kids are out there going full speed trying to earn a job.

IMO, you gotta be patient with these defensive prospects. Just because Morin doesn't look out of place and the veteran dmen do look out of place, doesn't mean the Flyers need to keep him up.

This is not the proper team to break in young defenseman with. They don't have the two-way play or commitment to defense that these young players will need. Allow Ghost and Hagg to lead the Phantoms, allow Morin to dominate the Q and play for Team Canada at the WJC and make adjustments to the roster next offseason.

Saying Ghost and Morin are better than Schultz and MDZ, so they should be on the team is just flat out wrong. You need to make the decision based on whats best for the individual player and not whats best for the current team.
- PhillySportsGuy

This, this and this!

Yeah, who needs a 30 goal scoring winger? We got a stud 5th defenseman who sometimes looks like a guy who has never seen a hockey game played.
- Jsaquella

Looking at JVR's progression.. he is gonna be a monster this year. Big player entering his 6th season.. Yea, easy 35g 40 assists

EDIT: Not to rehash this topic, but that move might actually end up being Homers worst as GM. Not the signing of The Cosmonaut.. not falling off of his bike.

Trading a budding already 1st line BIG winger (with great speed), for a slow, unimpressive "potential" shut-down d-man.

hated it then, hate it even more now.