They've really missed Grossmann ever since the trade to Philly. (They are hoping Nemeth can fill that role as he matures but he's now lost for the season due to the serious arm laceration he suffered from getting cut by Umberger's skate).

The Stars blueline might be good in a few years as some of the young players mature, but right now, it's shallower and weaker than the Flyers. Too many undersized and/or non-physical players (except Dillon) with no one to balance them off. Any team that has Jordie Benn in its top four is not exactly deep in currently viable NHL D.

We'll see how Klingberg does. Oleksiak has continued to struggle and Jokipakka looked a bit physically overmatched in his brief look.
- bmeltzer

For the right price they can have Grossmann

And the consigliere ?
- ob18

Honka Honka Honka

Honka Honka Honka
- Tomahawk

Are you sure it's not Aleksi Makela?

"Vinny and R.J. need to play with a playmaker to get them the puck," Berube said. "Akeson can make some plays with the puck, so we will see how that works."
- bmeltzer

It took him how long to figure this out? Hasn't the bulk of this board been saying more or less the same thing for the last year or so?

He's moderately neato
- BiggE

But regretting the one time in his life he was both fine and dandy at the same time and no one asked how he was doing.

Are you sure it's not Aleksi Makela?
- ob18

He's more the Chris Moltisanti, IMO.

He's more the Chris Moltisanti, IMO.
- Tomahawk

meh

But regretting the one time in his life he was both fine and dandy at the same time and no one asked how he was doing.
- bmeltzer

But regretting the one time in his life he was both fine and dandy at the same time and no one asked how he was doing.
- bmeltzer

Honka Honka Honka
- Tomahawk

Question about him. Why is he allowed to play in the AHL when he came from the WHL?

I think this was all just for comparative purposes. Everyone know Craig Anderson is playing well and everyone knows Rask is struggling. The numbers help to compare each player. Not perfect but a tool still. Also, it helps if you don't watch every game which not many people can say they do.
- NickTheKid87

I don't think it's a valuable tool at all personally. Even for just comparative reasons. Far too many variables involved to look at a stat like that and come to any kind of accurate conclusion.

It took him how long to figure this out? Hasn't the bulk of this board been saying more or less the same thing for the last year or so?
- jmatchett383

Well he has taken a lot of punches to the head

Sorry, thats all I got

It is infuriating, I mean jfc, well we have a shoot first center with 400 career goals, should we put a playmaker on his line? Nah, frank it, lets give him some net crashers, grinders and Umbergers corpse and see what he can do.

Question about him. Why is he allowed to play in the AHL when he came from the WHL?
- aightwebang17

He was only on loan to Swift Current from his team in Finland

http://www.defendingbigd....-training-camp-cedar-park

Post-Practice Updates

With three practice days and a gameday morning skate to go until the team returns to game action against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, the Flyers conducted a somewhat training camp-like practice session at the Skate Zone today after an off-day on Monday. The team had a skating-intensive segment of practice, five-on-five forechecking, and a segment where players worked with a net on the half boards.

Prior to practice, injured players Luke Schenn (left shoulder) and Ryan White (rehabbing after preseason surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle) skated on their own with assistant coach Ian Laperriere. Defenseman Andrew MacDonald (lower body injury, suspected to be his right knee) was initially slated to skate today but did not participate.

Flyers coach Craig Berube, who has not on the ice until the full practice began, initially said after practice that MacDonald skated briefly with the other rehabbing players but later corrected himself. The coach denied that MacDonald suffered a setback but said the player is not close to returning to the lineup.

Apart from Carlo Colaiacovo re-entering the starting defense lineup in the absence of Luke Schenn, Berube stuck with a mid-game line change he made in Saturday's game against the Avalanche: Jason Akeson skated on the right wing of Vincent Lecavalier's line with R.J. Umberger on the left wing. Chris VandeVelde moved to fourth line right wing.

"Vinny and R.J. need to play with a playmaker to get them the puck," Berube said. "Akeson can make some plays with the puck, so we will see how that works."

Asked about the play of Umberger, who has one goal and three points in 14 games this season, Berube defended the player's overall performance and said he has no current plan to move him down in the lineup.

"He adds size, he kills penalties and he plays defense," said Berube. "He's scored some goals in this League, too, and I think he will still score some goals. He has to get to the net and someone has to get him the puck."

Steve Mason is likely to be in goal when the Flyers face his former team on Friday. On the ice early as is his norm, Mason broke in a new pair of pads. Former Flyers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, out with a broken hand, is expected to out until next week. Bobrovsky should be ready to go by the time the Flyers play Columbus again at the Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 22.

In tomorrow's blog, I will have an item on the evolution of Jakub Voracek as an offensive player. Voracek talked today about various things he's learned from experience as a player. It is sometimes hard now to recall that, early in his NHL career with Columbus and even his first season with the Flyers, it was often said of Voracek that he was too reluctant to shoot the puck. Voracek discussed the different elements that have combined to make him into the player he has become, with the common denominator being that it comes down to a product of experience.

"It's not just hockey, it's like life," said Voracek. "You don't do everything the same way now you did when you were 18 or 19 years old. You get experience and you learn."

I asked both Voracek and Claude Giroux if they have to make any adjustments to playing with a left winger (Wayne Simmonds) who is playing on his off-wing. The various left wingers on their line -- Scott Hartnell prior to his trade to Columbus, Michael Raffl, Brayden Schenn, VandeVelde, etc -- have all been left handed shots. Simmonds is the first righthander.

"For me, it's not really an adjustment," said Voracek. "For Simmer, it's a bit of adjustment because he has to take more passes on his backhand."

Giroux noted that he's actually playing with two players on their off-wing -- the lefthanded shooting Voracek on right wing plus Simmonds -- which is not the norm. The Flyers captain said that one of the benefits of having multiple practice days before the next game is for Simmonds and the line to work together. Giroux, who admitted that he hates long schedule breaks, said that he especially enjoys playing with Simmonds and Voracek because he considers both close friends.

Putting the whole day in perspective for everyone, was the presence of a special visitor at practice. The team welcomed 19-year-old Jackie Lithgow to practice and the locker room. For those unfamiliar with Jackie's story, he is the Bloomsburg university student who was viciously attacked and left with skull fractures and brain injuries while simply trying to break up a fight at an on-campus party crashed by four football players from Kutztown University.

Jackie, a dedicated Flyers fan, has been living in the Magee Rehabilitation Hospital after undergoing numerous surgeries and being comatose for a period of time. He cannot yet walk and is just starting to regain speech but is aware and responsive. Today was his first day out of the hospital where he's residing. He was accompanied by Flyers ambassador Todd Fedoruk, occupational therapist Paula Bonsall and his parents. It was Fedoruk who arranged the meeting.

To a man, the Flyers players and coaches took time to visit with Jackie and his parents, fussing over him and making him the star of the day.
- bmeltzer

Good stuff by Fedoruk. I'm sure that meant a lot for the kid. My prayers are with him for a full recovery. As far as the guys who did that to him, I hope they get what's coming to them.

Question about him. Why is he allowed to play in the AHL when he came from the WHL?
- aightwebang17

It's a weird loophole. Honka was signed to a professional contract with JYP, which can be interpreted that he was basically on loan from JYP to Swift Current, so he was technically never the property of Swift Current and therefore the CHL under-20 rule does not apply to him. Or something to that degree.

Far too much ambiguity there for it to be a reliable stat.
- MJL

Given the number of slam dunk goals I've seen against Mason this year I really question the validity of this approach. For example Henrique's goal is listed at 31 feet but deflected off LSchenn much closer to Mason, leaving him no chance to stop it.

Well he has taken a lot of punches to the head

Sorry, thats all I got

It is infuriating, I mean jfc, well we have a shoot first center with 400 career goals, should we put a playmaker on his line? Nah, frank it, lets give him some net crashers, grinders and Umbergers corpse and see what he can do.
- BiggE

Well he has taken a lot of punches to the head

Sorry, thats all I got

It is infuriating, I mean jfc, well we have a shoot first center with 400 career goals, should we put a playmaker on his line? Nah, frank it, lets give him some net crashers, grinders and Umbergers corpse and see what he can do.
- BiggE

Have to have it available. Everyone wants to eliminate the factor of the holes in the Flyers roster. He's been continually looking for fits in line combos. Looks like he found the right fit for the Couturier line. We'll see if that works long term, and if Simmonds works out on the top line. The only thing infuriating is some of the fanbase not looking at it objectively.

Well he has taken a lot of punches to the head

Sorry, thats all I got

It is infuriating, I mean jfc, well we have a shoot first center with 400 career goals, should we put a playmaker on his line? Nah, frank it, lets give him some net crashers, grinders and Umbergers corpse and see what he can do.
- BiggE

Are we sure he ever got up from this???

Well he has taken a lot of punches to the head

Sorry, thats all I got

It is infuriating, I mean jfc, well we have a shoot first center with 400 career goals, should we put a playmaker on his line? Nah, frank it, lets give him some net crashers, grinders and Umbergers corpse and see what he can do.
- BiggE

I don't really get what happened to Umberger. I mean, he was never a speedster or sniper, but I expected a little bit more. He just looks so slow and lost out there, like a bigger, smarter Steve Downie.

Are we sure he ever got up from this???

- GOA88

He did for at least 5 games in the 2008 ECSF.

Good stuff by Fedoruk. I'm sure that meant a lot for the kid. My prayers are with him for a full recovery. As far as the guys who did that to him, I hope they get what's coming to them.
- MJL

Apparently, one of the kids plead guilty, not sure about the rest. I read about what that kid's been through, and it's really horrible. It sounds like he was on the verge of death a few times. Those responsible should get the maximum allowable sentence.

He did for at least 5 games in the 2008 ECSF.
- jmatchett383

I like Umberger... I do. Its just he needs to be better than he has been. I think he is capable of it.

I don't really get what happened to Umberger. I mean, he was never a speedster or sniper, but I expected a little bit more. He just looks so slow and lost out there, like a bigger, smarter Steve Downie.
- jmatchett383

You have to wonder if heart is still in it, or is he just going thru the motions to collect the paycheck. I don't know, maybe the injuries have made him play too cautiously? He just seems to be taking up space out there

Given the number of slam dunk goals I've seen against Mason this year I really question the validity of this approach. For example Henrique's goal is listed at 31 feet but deflected off LSchenn much closer to Mason, leaving him no chance to stop it.
- Feanor

There's so many variables involved, that we could discuss it forever. All shots taken from a certain distance are far from equal. How about an unscreened shot from 30 feet, versus a shot from 30 feet with traffic in front. Or how about a 30 foot shot with the goalie stationary, versus a 30 foot shot where the goalie is moving from side to side? Or how about a 30 foot shot from Tomas Kopecky versus Steven Stamkos? It's crazy how some of the stat heads get fooled into thinking there is any value in some of this stuff. It's like they can't analyze anything in the game without a stat behind it.

I'm waiting for times to start being compiled on how fast the backup goalie opens and closes the bench door, in relation to shots against due to faster line changes.