Look at a team like MIN, who have fully prioritized puck-control throughout their lineup. They've got a number of undersized skill guys like Haula, Zucker, Fontaine in the bottom-six that have helped propel them to the top of the league in possession.

None of them do any one thing that stands out... but they are all guys who have the skill to make basic hockey plays with a high-degree of consistency, and the decision-making/IQ to mostly end up on the right side of the puck. Having a bevy of those kinds of players makes a team very hard to play against, since you'll be spending most of the night chasing them around.

Akeson could be a part of that kind of solution for the Flyers, but instead, they're going to keep running out a bunch of forwards that are too slow to keep up and/or can't make a pass/receive a pass to save their lives.
- Tomahawk

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed. If the Flyers waived Umberger, VDV, Rinaldo or Vinny would any of them be claimed? No.

None of us are saying Akeson is clearly the answer to this teams problems. We just don't understand why these other guys continue to get chances when Akeson doesn't. Playing 5 minutes on the 4th line is not a realistic chance.

This team needs to embrace a bit of a rebuild here and allow the young players to play without worrying about the score. Let Couts have more offensive opportunities, play the young guys more often and in different spots, let Akeson see what he can do. I just don't understand why they won't play him. Nothing ventured nothing gained imo.

Look at a team like MIN, who have fully prioritized puck-control throughout their lineup. They've got a number of undersized skill guys like Haula, Zucker, Fontaine in the bottom-six that have helped propel them to the top of the league in possession.

None of them do any one thing that stands out... but they are all guys who have the skill to make basic hockey plays with a high-degree of consistency, and the decision-making/IQ to mostly end up on the right side of the puck. Having a bevy of those kinds of players makes a team very hard to play against, since you'll be spending most of the night chasing them around.

Akeson could be a part of that kind of solution for the Flyers, but instead, they're going to keep running out a bunch of forwards that are too slow to keep up and/or can't make a pass/receive a pass to save their lives.
- Tomahawk

right! because those guys are vets and have earned it! and because it makes sense to limit your team with guys who can actually score when you only have 2 doing it with any regularity into the 2nd quarter of the season! those guys DO more! what it is they do exactly i'm not sure. oh, right, get out shot 38-16. they're SO GREAT defensively as a team. jennings trophy here we come!!!!

they're wasting an opportunity to see what their asset can do. and in the end, the asset, if given the chance, may prove he can't produce consistently, and doesn't belong. they'll never know unless they try to find out.

it's (frank)ing stupid.

They would have to retain a LOT of salary to get me to accept those extra years... like not only the $750k difference between Clarkson and Vinny, but a good deal of that extra $10.5M in 2018+.


- Tomahawk

maybe we can still get jason blake!

a surprising number of people here & on twitter have chosen Akeson to be their Little Big Horn. rather trade for a bigger, better version like Morin. he's NHL ready
- isaiah520

if they're never going to give him a shot, and it seems clear they won't, then i'm fine with going after morin.

Looks more like this guy:


- Tomahawk

i think he looks more like maclean.

if they're never going to give him a shot, and it seems clear they won't, then i'm fine with going after morin.
- hammarby31

In a perfect world, they would do both.

agreed, careless mistakes like that can end up costing you valuable points in the standings
- BulliesPhan87

that's no joke.

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed.
- PhillySportsGuy

It's the MDZ fallacy from this summer... nobody wanted him, so he must be terrible.

and scouts are never wrong.
- hammarby31

*cough* Bryz *cough*


What?

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed. If the Flyers waived Umberger, VDV, Rinaldo or Vinny would any of them be claimed? No.

None of us are saying Akeson is clearly the answer to this teams problems. We just don't understand why these other guys continue to get chances when Akeson doesn't. Playing 5 minutes on the 4th line is not a realistic chance.

This team needs to embrace a bit of a rebuild here and allow the young players to play without worrying about the score. Let Couts have more offensive opportunities, play the young guys more often and in different spots, let Akeson see what he can do. I just don't understand why they won't play him. Nothing ventured nothing gained imo.
- PhillySportsGuy

exactly. it's not as if the fourth line stiffs are generating anything anyway. they're also not shutting anyone down. 2nd and 3rd lines haven't been lighting the world on fire either. there is zero risk in looking at what they have.

In a perfect world, they would do both.
- Tomahawk

i'd be fine with this also.

and scouts are never wrong.
- hammarby31

Less often than fans are, and you know that.

I don't think anything Berube did this season was helping Akeson, and may have even hurt him by doing things that smashed his confidence. Akeson is a smallish player, not that physical and not that great a skater, but with a high level of offensive skill. Everyone and their mother knew he wasn't a fourth line type of player, but that's where Berube put him. It's illogical to look for such a player to show acumen as a checker (win board battles, forecheck hard and play defense) in order to judge whether or not he can be a valuable as an offensively skilled NHL'er, especially when he already showed he can produce when put in position to do so. It doesn't make sense. I guarantee you, if roles were swapped, and Akeson got the minutes and role that RJ Umberger or VLC got, he woud have out produced them and would still be on the roster.
- exlund

So you're saying that if we tried to make Steve Mason our top-line center, he may not succeed as well as Claude Giroux? I thought that all hockey players played all roles equally.

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed. If the Flyers waived Umberger, VDV, Rinaldo or Vinny would any of them be claimed? No.
- PhillySportsGuy

Akeson is making $575K on the cap and is a young player. Big difference. In terms of Rinaldo, you are not talking about a skill player.

Less often than fans are, and you know that.
- bmeltzer

but there are moar of us!!!!

Look at a team like MIN, who have fully prioritized puck-control throughout their lineup. They've got a number of undersized skill guys like Haula, Zucker, Fontaine in the bottom-six that have helped propel them to the top of the league in possession.

None of them do any one thing that stands out... but they are all guys who have the skill to make basic hockey plays with a high-degree of consistency, and the decision-making/IQ to mostly end up on the right side of the puck. Having a bevy of those kinds of players makes a team very hard to play against, since you'll be spending most of the night chasing them around.

Akeson could be a part of that kind of solution for the Flyers, but instead, they're going to keep running out a bunch of forwards that are too slow to keep up and/or can't make a pass/receive a pass to save their lives.
- Tomahawk

Which forwards specifically are you referring to?

Akeson is making $575K on the cap and is a young player. Big difference. In terms of Rinaldo, you are not talking about a skill player.
- bmeltzer

What about in terms of superstar Chris "Holy Crap I Can't Believe I Got Another NHL Contract" Van de Velde?

Look at a team like MIN, who have fully prioritized puck-control throughout their lineup. They've got a number of undersized skill guys like Haula, Zucker, Fontaine in the bottom-six that have helped propel them to the top of the league in possession.

None of them do any one thing that stands out... but they are all guys who have the skill to make basic hockey plays with a high-degree of consistency, and the decision-making/IQ to mostly end up on the right side of the puck. Having a bevy of those kinds of players makes a team very hard to play against, since you'll be spending most of the night chasing them around.

Akeson could be a part of that kind of solution for the Flyers, but instead, they're going to keep running out a bunch of forwards that are too slow to keep up and/or can't make a pass/receive a pass to save their lives.
- Tomahawk

Are you talking about the Minnesota team that's currently in 10th place in the West? I don't think a 10th place team is what you want to model yourself after.

with 8 games left in the spring of 2000, the devils fired robbie ftorek. while slumping, they were leading the conference at the time. they went on to KO lindros in game 7, and beat dallas for their 2nd cup with larry robinson behind the bench.

just sayin'.
- hammarby31

Remember when Ftorek threw the bench on the ice?

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed. If the Flyers waived Umberger, VDV, Rinaldo or Vinny would any of them be claimed? No.


- PhillySportsGuy

Players will clear waivers for different reasons. Obviously players like Umberger and Lecavalier would clear due to their productivity versus their contract. A player like Vandevelde is a depth AHL/NHL tweener, that every team has. I think there is a good chance that Rinaldo would be claimed.

But why would a player like Akeson, who is young and on a cheap contract, clear waivers? That is the question.

Teams are always on the look for young talent with potential, especially if the price is just the cost of a waiver claim.

They would have to retain a LOT of salary to get me to accept those extra years... like not only the $750k difference between Clarkson and Vinny, but a good deal of that extra $10.5M in 2018+.


- Tomahawk

I don't like it either but it is a realistic way to get rid of Vinny so I wrote it. I think the best argument for is that Clarkson would actually play for this hockey team.

Remember when Ftorek threw the bench on the ice?
- PLindbergh31

You mean this:



Nope.

Players will clear waivers for different reasons. Obviously players like Umberger and Lecavalier would clear due to their productivity versus their contract. A player like Vandevelde is a depth AHL/NHL tweener, that every team has. I think there is a good chance that Rinaldo would be claimed.

But why would a player like Akeson, who is young and on a cheap contract, clear waivers? That is the question.

Teams are always on the look for young talent with potential, especially if the price is just the cost of a waiver claim.
- MJL

Maybe other teams realize that he needs to be a top-9 (preferably 6) forward who needs to be paired with defensively sound players and don't have a fit for him at the NHL level.

Maybe other teams realize that he needs to be a top-9 (preferably 6) forward who needs to be paired with defensively sound players and don't have a fit for him at the NHL level.
- jmatchett383

Maybe, but maybe they think something else.

I think people get caught up in Akeson not getting claimed. If the Flyers waived Umberger, VDV, Rinaldo or Vinny would any of them be claimed? No.

None of us are saying Akeson is clearly the answer to this teams problems. We just don't understand why these other guys continue to get chances when Akeson doesn't. Playing 5 minutes on the 4th line is not a realistic chance.

This team needs to embrace a bit of a rebuild here and allow the young players to play without worrying about the score. Let Couts have more offensive opportunities, play the young guys more often and in different spots, let Akeson see what he can do. I just don't understand why they won't play him. Nothing ventured nothing gained imo.
- PhillySportsGuy