http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/627042

Interesting read on how the increased size of the end zones has changed the way wingers have to play defense.

bill,
i saw this in another blog and wondered what you're thoughts are on this kid...i haven't seen him mentioned in any of your prospect updates.

"Philadelphia's fifth-round pick in 2010, Michael Parks. Parks, who is clearly an outsider in terms of making an NHL appearance with the franchise, made an interesting decision in the Summer not to attend the club's rookie activities, instead remaining behind in the Midwest to attend to working out and making his final collegiate season the best possible. "
- hogweed

I've mentioned him in several blogs, actually, and did a blog about him this summer.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=61449

For my fellow scotch drinkers:

Glenmorangie 18 Years Old "Extremely Rare"
The Highlands

The Glenmorangie 18 Years Old spends fifteen years of its life in classic Bourbon oak barrels. A portion is then transferred to Oloroso sherry barrels for the final three years of maturation. These barrels are then reunited to create this silky Scotch, tasting of nuts, dried sticky figs, dates and vanilla. These flavors meld together on the palate in perfect harmony, leaving a nice creamy finish with a hint of fruit, floral, almonds and vanilla

Tried it over the weekend, fantastic stuff. Silky smooth with a great finish!
- BiggE

Jealous, I've got a bottle of the 10 year (I had to look up which one came in the yellow box). Good stuff, even if I'm not quite sure how to say the name.

I've been trying to get my hands on a bottle of Auchentoshan Three Wood for a bit now. A friend of mine (who moved away this summer) gave me some over the summer, it was liquid candy.

howard is an amazing interviewer, but this was not one of his best. the whole thing was a bit uncomfortable, perhaps because i know both so well (not personally). howard can usually get around not being knowledgeable about the peron's life, or even knowing who the guest is. this was one was off but got a lot better when doctor davis came on to explain the procedure.

i was shocked when i heard bernie was on the show.
- hammarby31

I was laughing the entire time. I didn't expect it to be Elliotte Friedman or Bob McKenzie, I expected the interview to delve into Bernie's widely rumored social activities.

I've mentioned him in several blogs, actually, and did a blog about him this summer.
- bmeltzer

Is it really that unusual for marginal college prospects to skip camp? Thought it was common practice, pay your own way and all.

Bill - how was the Marsh trade viewed at the time? A big trade for a stay at home Dman though those were different times.
- wilsonecho91

Flyers were very shorthanded on the blueline due to injuries and Marsh had been an excellent shutdown D in playoff series against them the year before. So it was viewed as a necessary trade, although Bridgman was a popular player.

Is it really that unusual for marginal college prospects to skip camp? Thought it was common practice, pay your own way and all.
- Tomahawk

Not unusual at all. Team can't even technically provide free meals without potentially compromising NCAA eligibility.

Jealous, I've got a bottle of the 10 year (I had to look up which one came in the yellow box). Good stuff, even if I'm not quite sure how to say the name.

I've been trying to get my hands on a bottle of Auchentoshan Three Wood for a bit now. A friend of mine (who moved away this summer) gave me some over the summer, it was liquid candy.
- BulliesPhan87

Have a bottle of it at home, great stuff!!

Flyers were very shorthanded on the blueline due to injuries and Marsh had been an excellent shutdown D in playoff series against them the year before. So it was viewed as a necessary trade, although Bridgman was a popular player.
- bmeltzer

I recall the trade for McCrimmon being somewhat more unpopular, especially after Peeters won the Vezina that first year after the trade

Flyers were very shorthanded on the blueline due to injuries and Marsh had been an excellent shutdown D in playoff series against them the year before. So it was viewed as a necessary trade, although Bridgman was a popular player.
- bmeltzer

Plus I think that with Clarke and Linseman already in the fold, they figured that they were pretty deep up the middle at that point.

I recall the trade for McCrimmon being somewhat more unpopular, especially after Peeters won the Vezina that first year after the trade
- Jsaquella

Yeah, people weren't happy at first when that one went down.

Another weird thing......We have 3 guys in our top 12 forwards that were never drafted into the NHL and were unsigned FAs.

Is there a team that has more than that?
- johndewar

The Flyers have the most undrafted forwards of all NHL teams with 4. Most of these players are bottom 6/4th line forwards.

ANA: None
ARI: Klinkhammer, Hodgman
BOS: Robins
BUF: Flynn
CGY: Jooris
CAR: Patrick Brown
CHI: None
COL: Ryan Wilson, McLeod, Everberg
CBJ: None
DAL: Garbutt, Roussel
DET: Glendening
EDM: Arcobello, Acton
FLA: None
LAK: None
MIN: Fontaine
MTL: Sekac, Desharnais
NSH: None
NJD: Gionta, Sislo
NYI: None
NYR: Zuccarello
OTT: None
PHI: Akeson, Bellemare, Raffl, Read
PIT: Sill
SJS: Desjardins, Goodrow, Hayes
STL: None
TBL: Johnson, JT Brown
TOR: Bozak
VAN: DeFazio, Burrows
WSH: O'Brien, Beagle
WPG: None

Ryan White is skating with the team this morning.

Ryan White is skating with the team this morning.
- Jsaquella

Cool, glad to see that he's getting better

Ryan White is skating with the team this morning.
- Jsaquella

Good, we need someone who VDV can look better than.

The Flyers have the most undrafted forwards of all NHL teams with 4. Most of these players are bottom 6/4th line forwards.

ANA: None
ARI: Klinkhammer, Hodgman
BOS: Robins
BUF: Flynn
CGY: Jooris
CAR: Patrick Brown
CHI: None
COL: Ryan Wilson, McLeod, Everberg
CBJ: None
DAL: Garbutt, Roussel
DET: Glendening
EDM: Arcobello, Acton
FLA: None
LAK: None
MIN: Fontaine
MTL: Sekac, Desharnais
NSH: None
NJD: Gionta, Sislo
NYI: None
NYR: Zuccarello
OTT: None
PHI: Akeson, Bellemare, Raffl, Read
PIT: Sill
SJS: Desjardins, Goodrow, Hayes
STL: None
TBL: Johnson, JT Brown
TOR: Bozak
VAN: DeFazio, Burrows
WSH: O'Brien, Beagle
WPG: None
- NickTheKid87

Chicago has TVR

The Flyers have the most undrafted forwards of all NHL teams with 4. Most of these players are bottom 6/4th line forwards.

ANA: None
ARI: Klinkhammer, Hodgman
BOS: Robins
BUF: Flynn
CGY: Jooris
CAR: Patrick Brown
CHI: None
COL: Ryan Wilson, McLeod, Everberg
CBJ: None
DAL: Garbutt, Roussel
DET: Glendening
EDM: Arcobello, Acton
FLA: None
LAK: None
MIN: Fontaine
MTL: Sekac, Desharnais
NSH: None
NJD: Gionta, Sislo
NYI: None
NYR: Zuccarello
OTT: None
PHI: Akeson, Bellemare, Raffl, Read
PIT: Sill
SJS: Desjardins, Goodrow, Hayes
STL: None
TBL: Johnson, JT Brown
TOR: Bozak
VAN: DeFazio, Burrows
WSH: O'Brien, Beagle
WPG: None
- NickTheKid87

Aggressive undrafted FA chases were the direct result of the Flyers profligate dealing away of draft picks to fill the Pronger hole.

The Flyers have the most undrafted forwards of all NHL teams with 4. Most of these players are bottom 6/4th line forwards.

ANA: None
ARI: Klinkhammer, Hodgman
BOS: Robins
BUF: Flynn
CGY: Jooris
CAR: Patrick Brown
CHI: None
COL: Ryan Wilson, McLeod, Everberg
CBJ: None
DAL: Garbutt, Roussel
DET: Glendening
EDM: Arcobello, Acton
FLA: None
LAK: None
MIN: Fontaine
MTL: Sekac, Desharnais
NSH: None
NJD: Gionta, Sislo
NYI: None
NYR: Zuccarello
OTT: None
PHI: Akeson, Bellemare, Raffl, Read
PIT: Sill
SJS: Desjardins, Goodrow, Hayes
STL: None
TBL: Johnson, JT Brown
TOR: Bozak
VAN: DeFazio, Burrows
WSH: O'Brien, Beagle
WPG: None
- NickTheKid87

Oh, I missed Akeson, of all people.

Nicely done!

Good, we need someone who VDV can look better than.
- jmatchett383

VDV looks better than everyone except Vinny

Aggressive undrafted FA chases were the direct result of the Flyers profligate dealing away of draft picks to fill the Pronger hole.
- Jsaquella

The Flyers will use any avenue of acquiring good players, even if they hadn't made the Pronger deal. Teams are always looking for undrafted players that slipped through the cracks

Flyers as a franchise have always been active in the undrafted free agent market, and have been pretty successful at it.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...yers-Top-10-List/45/52882

Chicago has TVR
- Streit2ThePoint

I only did forwards.

The Flyers will use any avenue of acquiring good players, even if they hadn't made the Pronger deal. Teams are always looking for undrafted players that slipped through the cracks
- MJL

Way to miss the point, fisherman.

Obviously they will use all avenues available to acquire players, however, the lack of incoming drafted prospects led the Flyers to be more aggressive than most other NHL teams when it came to signing undrafted free agents from Europe, the CHL and the NCAA.

Aggressive undrafted FA chases were the direct result of the Flyers profligate dealing away of draft picks to fill the Pronger hole.
- Jsaquella

There are many ways to interpret this and that's definitely one. At least those undrafted guys have had some success and they've seemed to to a better job than other teams although they had a higher need like you said.

Way to miss the point, fisherman.

Obviously they will use all avenues available to acquire players, however, the lack of incoming drafted prospects led the Flyers to be more aggressive than most other NHL teams when it came to signing undrafted free agents from Europe, the CHL and the NCAA.
- Jsaquella

I did not miss the point. I disagree with it. I don't think the Pronger trade made the Flyers look to that market more aggressively. They've always been aggressive in that market. If the Flyers are loaded with draft picks, and good prospects, they are still going to aggressively look at that market, and sign players such as Read, Bellemare and Raffl if they think they are undrafted gems.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...yers-Top-10-List/45/52882

Bill Meltzer ‏@billmeltzer 54s55 seconds ago

Akeson on Lecavalier line at practice today. Skated some shifts there last game as well.

Other reporters say that Umberger is still on LW with that line